September 13th, 2009 → 8:15 am @ andre // No Comments
The brain is probably the most important organ in your body yet little is known about its functions. Needless to say, the general public hardly knows anything about their own brain and psyche.
In this article, I will attempt to explain the basic principles in which our brain works and a brief explanation as to why it matters to you.
To start, it’s crucial to know that it was once thought by the brightest minds in the world that our brain is fixed and that you’re basically the product of your genes – a fact that cannot be changed.
Only relatively recently has this view changed. Numerous modern researches have proven the brain’s capability to modify itself according to the stimulation it gets. In light of the findings of these new researches, Donald Hebb came up with a new hypothesis as to how the brain works.
This hypothesis the currently the most accepted one because it explains the phenomenons not previously accounted for by localizationists (scientists who believe the brain is unchanging).
Some of these phenomenons include “miraculous” recovery of stroke patients, the cases of people born with half a brain yet live a relatively normal life and even how some elderly seem to possess a brain more active than people a generation younger than they are.
The first rule of “Hebbian Learning” is neurons that fire together, wire together. Neurons are brain cells – in everything we do, these neurons need to fire to send signals all over our body. According to Hebb, neurons who fire together, create synapses (links) with each other, thus creating a cause-effect relationship.
For example, if going to McDonald’s was a happy time for you as a kid, then the neurons responsible for realizing you’re in McDonald’s would link to the neurons responsible for being happy. So that whenever, you visit McDonald’s and you’re happy, this synapse would strengthen. Thus as you grow up, going to McDonald’s alone would make you happy.
This hypothesis, of course, can be used to explain addiction to porn, drugs, emotions and even to arguments.
The opposite side of Hebbian Learning is that neurons that no longer fire together, no longer wire together. That is if you no longer visit McDonald’s to be happy, then this synapse would weaken as gradually, you’ll lose the motivation to go to McDonald’s for joy.
This “use it or lose it” rule is crucial as to how you learn and remember. Every single basic skill that you possess as a human is stored in your brain as neurons and synapses. If you don’t constantly stimulate these neurons and synapses, you’ll eventually lose these skills.
For example, if you spend most of your time sitting down, don’t be surprise to find yourself requiring help to move around in older age because you couldn’t balance your body. If you have not continuously learn any new skills in life, don’t be surprised to find yourself having a difficult time learning new skills (thus the saying “old dogs can’t learn new tricks”).
Much of the problems faced by the older population can be traced back to the way they live their life – and unfortunately, much of these trouble can be avoided if they had taken care of their brains.
The good news is, these conditions can also be reversed. The process in which the brain grow new neurons is called “neurogenesis” and it can occur in any brain – be it old and young. This is why some people seem to enjoy great mental health well into old age while some other languish in dementia. The difference is in implementing the 4 pillars of brain health.
So what you can do to prevent age-related cognitive problems? Ask yourself these questions:
