Why does the brain freeze up under stress?

When presidential candidate Rick Perry froze during a recent GOP debate — unable to remember the name of a government agency he wanted to eliminate — his brain was clearly under stress. read more

Under pressure: Scientists still don't fully understand why we experience 'brain freezes' during stressful moments It's long been known that the ancient and primitive part of the brain - called the hypothalamus - reacts to perceived danger by triggering a 'fight or flight' response. read more

There’s a spectrum of behaviors associated with stress/threat, among them fight, flight, negotiation, avoidance, freeze up until the stress/threat goes away (or eats you). read more

When presidential candidate Rick Perry froze during a recent GOP debate — unable to remember the name of a government agency he wanted to eliminate — his brain was clearly under stress. Now new research helps explain why at moments of peak pressure, virtually all of us are vulnerable to similar failures, finding it harder to recall key words at the right time and almost impossible to focus on the task at hand. read more