Rafea Alruwaili Ashwag, Alnajashi Sumyah A, Alwasedi Afnan M, Albraihi Sara K, Keenan Ross J, Melzer Tracy R, Almuqbel Mustafa M
Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Psychology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Sep 19;104(38):e44455. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000044455.
The neuroplasticity theoretical framework posits that alterations in synaptic connectivity and function within the brain serve as the foundational basis for learning and a broad spectrum of other cognitive outcomes. This framework emphasizes the role of synaptic plasticity as critical for the encoding and retrieval of information and for the adaptation of behavior in response to environmental stimuli. The Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) was administered to assess stress and anxiety levels in 20 medical and 20 non-medical female students during their exam period. Following the questionnaire, each participant underwent an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to evaluate potential changes in hippocampal volume. We used the FreeSurfer package to perform segmentation and quantify volume changes. Group-wise demographic data and imaging metrics were statistically analyzed using R. Our findings indicated that medical students experienced significantly higher stress levels than non-medical students. Furthermore, it was observed that medical students had significantly larger hippocampal heads compared to non-medical students. No significant differences were noted in the volumes of the hippocampal body and tail between the 2 groups. Despite the stress-induced effect on human psychological status, the process of learning counteracts this effect on the brain. Contrary to expectations, our study did not find a clear link between stress and changes in hippocampal volume. These results suggest that while academic stress significantly affects psychological well-being, its impact on hippocampal structure may be less pronounced than previously thought. Given these findings, further research is necessary to explore the complex relationship between stress, learning, and brain plasticity. Nonetheless, the importance of effective stress management techniques remains critical in educational settings to support student well-being.
神经可塑性理论框架假定，大脑内突触连接性和功能的改变是学习及一系列其他认知结果的基础。该框架强调突触可塑性在信息编码与检索以及行为对环境刺激的适应性方面的关键作用。在考试期间，对20名医学专业和20名非医学专业的女学生使用凯斯勒心理困扰量表（K10）来评估压力和焦虑水平。完成问卷调查后，每位参与者接受磁共振成像（MRI）扫描，以评估海马体体积的潜在变化。我们使用FreeSurfer软件包进行分割并量化体积变化。使用R软件对分组后的人口统计学数据和成像指标进行统计分析。我们的研究结果表明，医学专业学生的压力水平显著高于非医学专业学生。此外，观察到医学专业学生的海马头比非医学专业学生的明显更大。两组之间海马体主体和尾部的体积没有显著差异。尽管压力会对人类心理状态产生影响，但学习过程会抵消这种对大脑的影响。与预期相反，我们的研究没有发现压力与海马体体积变化之间存在明确的联系。这些结果表明，虽然学业压力会显著影响心理健康，但其对海马体结构的影响可能比之前认为的要小。鉴于这些发现，有必要进一步研究压力、学习和大脑可塑性之间的复杂关系。尽管如此，有效的压力管理技巧在教育环境中对于支持学生的幸福感仍然至关重要。
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