The Hippocampus

The Hippocampus is the part of your brain that stores memories it is also responsible for learning and emotions it is located in the brain on the left and right hand side under the cortical surface.Its main job is to transport short term memories and turn them into long term memories. If one or both sides are damaged this will stop the person being able to create new memories. One of the most common changes in depressed patients is shrinkage of the brain especially the hippocampus how much shrinkage depends on the severity of the depression. A chemical imbalance caused by the hormone cortisol(the stress hormone)is what triggers the shrinkage. Depression causes the hippocampus to raise its cortisol level this stops neutrons in the brain developing. It is said that you can strengthen your hippocampus by Exercise Drinking coffee Eat plenty of fish Dark chocolate Blueberries Practice mindfulness Stimulate your brain by doing puzzles ,learning new skills.

Marina Barker