New Study Links Body and Mind Through Brain’s Structure

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A recent study by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed evidence of the connection between the body and the mind in the very structure of the brain. The study, published in the journal Nature, found that the brain’s areas controlling movement were linked to networks involved in cognition, involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heartbeat, and other parts of the brain involved in thinking, planning, and mental arousal.

Researchers discovered three areas that did not seem to be directly involved in the movement at all, even though they lay in the brain’s motor area. The non-movement areas appeared thinner and were strongly connected to each other and to other parts of the brain. The newly identified network was named the Somato (body)-Cognitive (mind) Action Network, or SCAN. The study provides insights into behaviors that may have confounded us previously, such as resorting to pacing when feeling anxious, and why people who exercise regularly report a more positive outlook on life. The study also sheds light on the efficacy of calming practices such as breathing exercises, which have been found useful in people with anxiety but have not been scientifically proven.

Re-reported from the story originally published in The Tribune