Brainwashed: Debunking Neuroscience Mythsby Phileine de Widt

I lose brain cells when talking to you.” While attempting to listen to your drunk friend give you directions during Bartender’s Weekend or when sitting in awe as someone recites hours of “Italian brainrot” or “six-seven” phrases, you most likely found yourself saying this phrase. Whether meaning it honestly or simply following modern lingo is a question in itself, but for those who took the saying literally, you have been brainwashed.

To begin, let’s detangle the idea of losing brain cells. The real name of this is brain atrophy —a loss of brain cells, known as neurons, and the connections between them. Though people use “I just lost brain cells” in a rather casual way —speaking to a drunk friend at the bar or even speaking to that one friend while sober— brain atrophy is not quite as normal.

Unlike other cells in the human body, neurons do not divide after brain development is complete. This is because mature neurons lack certain organelles necessary in undergoing dividing processes. Likewise, neurons depend on the connections built with other neurons. These necessary circuits would constantly break if brain cells were to divide. So, the fact that typically neurons cannot increase in number draws out the significance of your existing neurons. If you are continuously losing brain cells, you have no way of getting them back, leading to severe dysregulation and disruption of daily activities and life. In fact, brain atrophy is a main symptom of neurological disorders. 

Another main cause of brain cell death is through severe head trauma or the loss of oxygen to a significant portion of the brain, such as during a stroke, when blood flow is restricted. Listening to someone discuss their TikTok For You page as an Instagram Reels watcher may lead you to be as confused as someone who hit their head, but no amount of brain rot can lead to the neural destruction of a significant blow to the brain. Your friend may be saying some nonsense, but it might be nice to rethink your comparison to a serious brain injury when dissing them. 

Though not as casually as one might say, you do lose brain cells in your lifetime, even when completely healthy. With a brain filled with billions of neurons, losing a few or even a few thousand likely does not scratch the surface of the large negative effects. Current research has debunked the myth that you lose 1% of neurons per year in adulthood, and instead found that adults lose circa 2-4% in their entire lifespan. Though still not adequately studied, this number has already shown a drastic difference in the normalcy surrounding “losing brain cells.”

Finally, some research has introduced a third variable. Even though dumb or absurd conversations do not directly impact the brain as we know it, they can cause stress, which has been shown to have an impact on memory, critical thinking, decision-making, and attention when chronic. So, perhaps it is smart to reexamine your conversations and ensure the source of your “losing brain cells” is someone you enjoy being around — someone, hopefully, stress-relieving.