Brain decay is correlated with Wokeness
The Science finds that black women who blame whites are more likely to have deteriorating brains.
From the Journal of the American Medical Association Network:
Racial Discrimination, Neural Connectivity, and Epigenetic Aging Among Black Women
Key Points
Question Is racial discrimination associated with brain connectivity, and are alterations in deep brain functional connectivity associated with accelerated epigenetic aging?
Findings In this cohort study of 90 Black women in the US, higher self-reported racial discrimination was associated with greater resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the locus coeruleus (LC) and precuneus. Significant indirect effects were observed for the association between racial discrimination frequency and DNA methylation age acceleration.
Meaning These findings suggest that racial discrimination is associated with greater connectivity in pathways involved with rumination, which may increase vulnerability to stress-related disorders and neurodegenerative disease via epigenetic age acceleration.
Abstract
Importance Racial discrimination increases the risk of adverse brain health outcomes, potentially via neuroplastic changes in emotion processing networks. The involvement of deep brain regions (brainstem and midbrain) in these responses is unknown. Potential associations of racial discrimination with alterations in deep brain functional connectivity and accelerated epigenetic aging, a process that substantially increases vulnerability to health problems, are also unknown.
Objective To examine associations of racial discrimination with brainstem and midbrain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and DNA methylation age acceleration (DMAA) among Black women in the US.
Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2012, and February 28, 2015, and included a community-based sample of Black women (aged ≥18 years) recruited as part of the Grady Trauma Project. Self-reported racial discrimination was examined in association with seed-to-voxel brain connectivity, including the locus coeruleus (LC), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and superior colliculus (SC); an index of DMAA (Horvath clock) was also evaluated. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma exposure, and age were used as covariates in statistical models to isolate racial discrimination–related variance. Data analysis was conducted between January 10 and October 30, 2023.
Exposure Varying levels of racial discrimination exposure, other trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Main Outcomes and Measures Racial discrimination frequency was assessed with the Experiences of Discrimination Scale, other trauma exposure was evaluated with the Traumatic Events Inventory, and current PTSD was evaluated with the PTSD Symptom Scale. Seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analyses were conducted with LC, PAG, and SC seeds. To assess DMAA, the Methylation EPIC BeadChip assay (Illumina) was conducted with whole-blood samples from a subset of 49 participants.
Results This study included 90 Black women, with a mean (SD) age of 38.5 (11.3) years. Greater racial discrimination was associated with greater left LC RSFC to the bilateral precuneus (a region within the default mode network implicated in rumination and reliving of past events; cluster size k = 228; t85 = 4.78; P < .001, false discovery rate-corrected). Significant indirect effects were observed for the left LC-precuneus RSFC on the association between racial discrimination and DMAA (β [SE] = 0.45 [0.16]; 95% CI, 0.12-0.77).
Conclusions and Relevance In this study, more frequent racial discrimination was associated with proportionately greater RSFC of the LC to the precuneus, and these connectivity alterations were associated with DMAA. These findings suggest that racial discrimination contributes to accelerated biological aging via altered connectivity between the LC and default mode network, increasing vulnerability for brain health problems.
Or, as everybody online with an IQ over 105 knows by now, correlation does not equal causation. Therefore, it could well be that accelerated biological aging contributes to perceptions of racial discrimination.
I noticed that nowhere do they define or even verify "racial discrimination". It is a nebulous non-term, as unscientific as you can get. Even a "perceived" in front would have added some validity to the study. If you look for boogeymen everywhere, you will find them; even a look can be perceived as "discrimination" by the doggedly victimized "oppressed". The body responds to the mind - think negative thoughts all day, feel rage and hatred all the time - this is the result. Acid is caustic, even mental acid. This is why the Bible instructs us to be meditating on God's word; not to be pious, but to protect our mind and hearts. Jesus spoke of the Word and its power, John 6: "63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." And in verse 68 "Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life". An abundant life. Romans 12:2 " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." God's perfect will is for us to be sound in mind and body. A life spent wallowing in hatred results in a sick mind; physically and mentally. The Woke Mind Virus is death.
"everybody online with an IQ over 105 knows correlation does not equal causation" Well now!.....for very many years I used to wake up to the morning BBC flagship 'news' hour. There would barely be a day go by without some "research has shown that X causes Y....." report - confusing correlation with causation. So does being a BBC journalist 'cause' your IQ to drop below 105 I wonder?