- “Cognitive flexibility” involves adapting to changes in circumstances to achieve favorable outcomes.
- Certain substances influence cognitive flexibility, and researchers are still working to understand the interactions and changes that occur.
- A recent study explored the link between reduced cognitive flexibility and the use of alcohol and cocaine.
- The data offered vital insight into the underlying neural pathways involved in these brain changes.
The relationship between the brain and certain addictive substances is still not fully understood. Researchers are still seeking to understand the complexity and the unique neural pathways affected.
A recent rodent study examined how cocaine and alcohol impact specific pathways in the brain.
The researchers found that cocaine and alcohol likely inhibit particular pathways in the brain, impairing the ability to adapt to changes in circumstances.
The results were published in
People have the capacity to adapt their thinking to change their behavior. A term for this is
As noted by the authors of this study, cognitive flexibility allows people to adapt their actions based on their environments to achieve favorable outcomes.
Non-study author Ben Spielberg, a neuroscientist, and CEO of Bespoke Treatment, explained more about the importance of cognitive flexibility to Medical News Today:
“Cognitive flexibility is a complex phenomenon that typically refers to the ability to shift one’s mental focus and adapt to new obstacles, goals, and patterns. Being able to think and act effectively in response to changes in stimuli, environments, and surprises signifies a healthy level of cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is important because our environment is rapidly changing, and when our thinking patterns remain rigid and fixed, we become unable to adapt to our environment.”
Authors of the current study note that the use of certain drugs and alcohol has been linked to…
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