When is stimulation too much of a good thing?
"Wear and tear" and "use it or lose it" are not incompatible. Indeed, because we cannot live without our adrenal glands and our excitatory amino acids, some "wear and tear" appears to be inevitable. However, the nature of the stimulation and experiences involved in "using it" may be very important in determining the rate of the "wear and tear," along with other features of diet and metabolism.
McEwen
B S
BS
Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*