Impaired concentration and brain fatigue in modern life are not simply problems caused by a lack of sleep. Complex information overload, stress, and irregular lifestyle habits burden the brain with chronic fatigue. Modern neurology calls this state cognitive fatigue or brain fog, pointing to various causes such as an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, chronic inflammation, and decreased cerebral blood flow. In particular, the depletion of neurotransmitters related to learning and memory, such as dopamine and acetylcholine, is cited as a major cause of impaired concentration.
The brain is an organ that consumes more than 20% of the body's total energy. Excessive information processing and stress exhaust the mitochondria, the energy factories of the brain, and excessively generate reactive oxygen species (free radicals), triggering neuron damage and inflammation. In addition, the chronic secretion of the stress hormone cortisol atrophies the hippocampus, impairing memory and learning capacity, and disrupts the balance between the brain's default mode network and task-positive network, causing you to zone out repeatedly. In other words, the brain continually sinks into unproductive thoughts and fails to concentrate on necessary tasks.
Stimulating acupoints like GV20 can be a scientifically meaningful approach to resolving such brain fatigue and improving concentration. It has been reported that acupuncture and moxibustion stimulation increases cerebral blood flow to supply more oxygen and nutrients to the brain, and can promote the secretion of neuroprotective substances such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, by activating the vagus nerve to suppress excessive hyperactivity of the sympathetic nerve and strengthen the parasympathetic nerve, it relaxes the body and mind and activates the system responsible for the brain's rest and digest function. This can help lower the stress response, enhance brain resilience, and restore concentration. Stimulation through acupoints can thus be a natural method to awaken the brain's self-healing capacity and restore neurological balance.
