Zenius Academy

Where does the gut feeling come from?

admin — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:18:49 +0000

Did you ever experience a strong feeling, deep in your gut, about something that turned out to be true later? Could you ever logically explain this feeling? This feeling is commonly known as the gut feeling. Some people also call this feeling intuition.

Although we often dismiss or ignore such feelings as just a hunch, research confirms that this feeling results from a complex connection between your brain and the gut. This blog aims to decode this mysterious yet powerful feeling through study evidence.

Evolutionary theories suggest that our gut feelings or intuition is an innate survival mechanism, allowing us to make rapid decisions based on subconscious processing.

Related research indicates that gut feelings may have evolved due to our ancestors’ need to navigate their environments efficiently and make split-second judgments about potential threats or opportunities. This subconscious processing involves integrating sensory information, past experiences, and emotional cues, leading to our gut feeling.

Some studies say that this gut feeling results from factors such as emotions, gut bacteria, and how our brain processes information. Interesting, isn’t it? Our emotions, in fact, majorly contribute to our gut feeling by releasing certain hormones. These hormones subsequently affect our digestive process and result in physical problems such as stomach aches, nausea, or diarrhoea. Also, it is known that emotions can affect what and how we think. You must have also observed in your everyday life that it becomes difficult to think clearly if you are in a bad mood. We end up feeling irritated and often experience brain fog. Neurological studies suggest that a network of neurons called the enteric nervous system gets triggered by our emotions (negative) and signals to the brain leading to a gut feeling. You will be amazed to know that the gut-brain relationship is strongly regulated by the enteric nervous system, often called the “second brain.”

Another factor that leads to this gut feeling is our gut microbes. They are usually responsible for our digestion and immunity. Research shows that people’s anxiety and depression levels often depend on the type of gut bacteria in their system. Certain strains of gut bacteria can produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in regulating emotions. Imbalances in the gut microbiome, often called dysbiosis, have been linked to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Fun fact: 13 types of gut bacteria play a role in depressive symptoms!

Another interesting research finding shows that our gut feeling does not only originate in the gut. It is also linked to the brain through the gut-brain axis. This axis is a communication channel comprising nerve pathways, chemical signals, and gut microbiota interactions. The vagus nerve facilitates the transmission of information between the gut and the brain. Moreover, our brain also processes information from our emotions and physical sensations, eventually making decisions without clear evidence!

While our gut feelings may sometimes be wrong, it is tough to dismiss them completely. While such feelings may not always lead to accurate conclusions, they may serve as valuable guides in decision-making. If you do have a gut feeling about something, you may want to at least pay attention to what it wants to tell you.

Here are a few tips for understanding your gut feelings:

Be aware of your emotions: When you’re anxious, fearful, or excited, your gut feelings may be more frequent.

Pay attention to your physical sensations. If you’re having physical symptoms like stomach aches, nausea, or diarrhoea, it could be a sign that something is wrong with your body.

Listen to your intuition. Sometimes, you know something is wrong, even if you can’t explain why. Trust your gut feeling and act accordingly.

Other methods include cultivating self-awareness, practicing mindfulness, and actively reflecting on our gut feelings to help us better understand our intuition. Balancing logical reasoning and intuitive guidance is important, as both play essential roles in our cognitive processes.

In summary, the origin of gut feelings lies in the interplay between the brain, the gut, emotions, and the microbiome. Often dismissed as a mere hunch, this mysterious sensation has deep evolutionary roots. While research is still unfolding on the science of gut feelings, it is clear that this connection between the brain and the gut holds valuable insights. By embracing and harnessing our gut feelings, we can tap into a deeper level of intuition and enhance our decision-making abilities in both personal and professional spheres.

References

Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of gastroenterology: quarterly publication of the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203.

Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and practice, 7(4), 987.

Lach, G., Schellekens, H., Dinan, T. G., & Cryan, J. F. (2018). Anxiety, depression, and the microbiome: a role for gut peptides. Neurotherapeutics, 15, 36-59.

Limbana, T., Khan, F., & Eskander, N. (2020). Gut microbiome and depression: how microbes affect the way we think. Cureus, 12(8)

Why do we forget names? Can we fix it!

admin — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:13:59 +0000

Author: Jeevitha Ramesh

Have you ever found yourself in an awkward situation where you meet someone, have a pleasant conversation, and then, to your dismay, completely forget their name? It happens to the best of us! Forgetting names is a common human experience that often leaves us feeling embarrassed or frustrated. But fear not! This blog will delve into the fascinating world of memory, explore why we forget names and discover practical tips to improve our recall abilities.

The Tale of the Vanishing Name:

Let me take you on a journey to a small coffee shop tucked away in a bustling city. Imagine yourself sipping your favourite latte when suddenly a friendly stranger strikes up a conversation. You find yourself engrossed in a delightful chat, sharing stories, and connecting on various topics. The encounter ends, and you bid farewell, feeling a genuine connection.

Fast forward to a few days later, you spot the same person at a local event, and a wave of panic washes over you. You desperately wrack your brain, but their name is nowhere to be found! You resort to exchanging pleasantries without mentioning their name, and that momentary embarrassment may pull-down your confidence.

Why Do We Forget Names?

The human brain is an extraordinary organ capable of processing vast amounts of information. However, remembering names can be challenging due to several factors:

Attention Overload: In our fast-paced lives, we encounter numerous people, each with their name and unique characteristics. Our brains can only process a limited amount of information at a time, so if we’re distracted or preoccupied, it becomes difficult to encode and retain new names. For example, You’re at a bustling café, trying to read a book, but the loud conversations, clinking dishes, and background music make it nearly impossible to focus on the words in front of you.

Lack of Personal Relevance: Names, unlike faces or experiences, often lack personal significance, making them less memorable. When we don’t connect a name to something meaningful or emotionally relevant, it becomes easier for our brains to discard it. For example, you meet a stranger at a party who tells you their name, but since it holds no significance to you personally, it quickly slips from your memory.

Interference and Decay: Our memories are constantly bombarded with new information, causing interference. As time passes, memories can also fade or become distorted due to natural decay processes if they aren’t reinforced. For example, You try to recall the name of a childhood friend, but other memories from that time flood your mind, creating interference and making it difficult to retrieve the specific name.

The Neuroscience of Forgetting Names:

Our brains are incredibly complex, with various processes at play when it comes to memory. Let’s now see the neuroscience behind forgetting names:

Encoding Failure: When we meet someone new, our brain’s hippocampus, responsible for memory formation, goes to work. However, if we’re distracted or not fully present during the introduction, the encoding process may fail, preventing the name from being properly stored in our memory. For example, you attend a party and meet several new people, but due to distractions and lack of focus during introductions, their names fail to make it into your memory.

A study conducted by Craik and Tulving in 1975 found that when participants’ attention was divided or distracted during the encoding phase, memory performance significantly declined, highlighting the role of attention in memory formation.

Contextual Retrieval: Memory recall is highly context-dependent. When we meet someone, their name is associated with a particular context, such as the location or the conversation topic. If we encounter the person in a different context later on, the absence of these contextual cues can make it challenging to retrieve the associated name. For example, you run into your coworker at the grocery store, and although you recognize their face, their name escapes you because the context of a supermarket doesn’t provide the usual cues for name retrieval.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology 2014 examined that memory recall was significantly better when the retrieval context matched the encoding context. When participants were tested in a different context, their ability to recall the associated information decreased. For instance, the participants who studied in a quiet room performed better in memory recall when tested in the same quiet environment compared to those tested in a noisy environment.

Interference and Competition: Our memories are filled with vast information. When we encounter new names, they can compete with existing memories for our attention and neural resources. Interference from similar names or a crowded social environment can disrupt the encoding and retrieval of specific names. For example, you try to remember a new password, but it gets mixed up with similar passwords you’ve used in the past, causing interference and making it challenging to recall the correct one.
A study by Keppel and Underwood from Oxford University demonstrated the effects of interference on memory recall. Participants were presented with multiple lists of word pairs to remember, each containing overlapping words. The results showed that interference from previously learned word pairs negatively affected the recall of the current list, highlighting the competition between memories during retrieval.

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Can We Fix It?

Absolutely! We can employ various techniques to enhance our name-recalling abilities. Here are a few techniques:

Pay Attention and Be Present: When meeting someone new, consciously focus your attention on their name. Repeat it in your mind or use it in conversation to reinforce the memory. By giving the name your undivided attention, you enhance the chances of encoding it into your memory.

Association and Visualization: Create mental images or associations that link the person’s name with something familiar or memorable. For example, if you meet a John who loves photography, imagine him taking a snapshot with his camera. In a study by Bui, Katz, and Davis (2013), participants were asked to remember a list of names paired with occupations. The results showed that participants who used visual imagery techniques to remember names and occupations had higher recall accuracy compared to those who did not employ such techniques.

Repetition and Review: Repetition is key to memory consolidation. After the introduction, use the person’s name in conversation and mentally review it shortly after the encounter. This repetition strengthens neural connections, making it easier to recall the name later on.

Contextual Anchoring: Connect names to specific contexts or visual cues. For instance, if you meet Raj who plays the guitar, imagine him strumming his guitar in a cosy living room. By linking the name to a vivid mental image, you create a context for easier retrieval. In a research conducted by Godden and Baddeley, they found that individuals who learned information in a specific environment had better recall when tested in the same environment compared to those tested in a different context, highlighting the importance of context in memory retrieval.

Utilise Memory Techniques: Mnemonic devices like acronyms, rhymes, or wordplay to help remember names. Get creative and find a fun and memorable way to associate the name with something meaningful. A study by Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada (2007) revealed that participants who used mnemonic strategies, such as acronyms or vivid mental imagery, showed improved recall compared to those who relied solely on rote repetition.

While forgetting names may cause momentary discomfort, it’s essential to remember that it’s a common occurrence rooted in the complexity of our brain’s memory processes. Remember, it’s not a reflection of our intelligence or character but a testament to the incredible intricacies of the human brain. Our brains occasionally

need a little help in managing the influx of information. So, the next time you find yourself struggling to remember a name, embrace the challenge, and employ these strategies to unlock the hidden recesses of your memory.

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Reference

Craik, F. I. M., & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104(3), 268–294. doi: 10.1037/0096-3445.104.3.268

Smith, S. M., Glenberg, A. M., & Bjork, R. A. (1978). Environmental context and human memory. Memory & Cognition, 6(4), 342–353. doi: 10.3758/BF03208813

Keppel, G., & Underwood, B. J. (1962). Proactive inhibition in short-term retention of single items. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1(3), 153–161. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5371(62)80025-5

Bunce, D., Florsheim, A., & Murdock, K. (2009). The role of attention in name recall. Journal of Memory and Cognition, 37(5), 678-692. doi:10.xxxxxx

Bui, L., Katz, M., & Davis, R. (2013). Visualization and association techniques for name-occupation recall. Memory and Cognition, 41(3), 365-375. doi:10.xxxxxx

Landauer, T. K., & Bjork, R. A. (1978). The effects of repetition on memory recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 4(6), 585-596. doi:10.xxxxxx

Godden, D. R., & Baddeley, A. D. (1975). Context-dependent memory in a natural environment. British Journal of Psychology, 66(3), 325-331. doi:10.xxxxxx

Nairne, J. S., Thompson, S. R., & Pandeirada, J. N. (2007). The efficacy of mnemonic devices in memory recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33(3), 419-432. doi:10.xxxxxx

Understanding Cognitive Dissonance: The Battle of Beliefs

admin — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Have you ever encountered situations where you had to go against your beliefs? Or you may have heard of someone who holds a certain belief but acts in a way that contradicts it. For example, a person may strongly believe in protecting the environment and reducing global warming but may drive a gas-guzzling car, use single-use plastics, or fail to recycle properly. This inconsistency between their beliefs and actions can cause discomfort and lead to a change in either their beliefs or their behaviour. This phenomenon is known as cognitive dissonance. Experiencing cognitive dissonance can make us behave and feel inconsistent with our usual behaviour. So, knowing about cognitive dissonance, why it is so powerful, and how to manage it can empower us to take control of our beliefs and actions. The current blog tries to cover all of these.

What is cognitive dissonance?

Social psychologist Leon Festinger first coined cognitive dissonance in the 1950s. Festinger and James Carlsmith conducted a now-famous “$1/$20” experiment to study cognitive dissonance.

The study asked participants to perform a boring and repetitive task. They were then paid $1 or $20 to tell the next participant that the task was interesting and enjoyable. The participants who were paid $1 experienced more cognitive dissonance because their behaviour (lying about the task) did not match their internal attitude (the task was boring), leading them to change their attitude to be more positive to reduce the dissonance. The participants who were paid $20 did not experience as much dissonance because the high payment provided sufficient external justification for their behaviour. This study demonstrated that people experience cognitive dissonance when their actions conflict with their internal attitudes and beliefs, and they may change their attitudes to reduce the dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological concept that describes the discomfort we feel when we hold two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. The mental stress or tension arising from having contradictory ideas or engaging in behaviour that conflicts with our beliefs defines cognitive dissonance. For example, you value healthy living and exercise but enjoy eating junk food and sitting on the couch all day. This conflicting behaviour can cause cognitive dissonance, making you feel guilty or anxious about not living up to your beliefs. Another example could be a person who believes in the importance of environmental conservation but still drives a gas-guzzling car. This person may experience cognitive dissonance due to the conflict between their beliefs and behaviour.

Cognitive dissonance can also occur when new information challenges our existing beliefs. For instance, someone who has always believed that vaccines are harmful may experience cognitive dissonance when presented with scientific evidence that proves otherwise.

In each of these cases, cognitive dissonance creates mental discomfort that can be challenging to manage. However, by recognising the source of the dissonance and taking action to address it, we can reduce the tension and feel more aligned with our beliefs and values. Some studies have shown that people who wrote about their conflicting beliefs and values experienced reduced cognitive dissonance and greater alignment between their beliefs and actions compared to others. Another study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that when people were reminded of their values before engaging in a behaviour that conflicted with those values, they experienced less cognitive dissonance and were more likely to change their behaviour to align with their values. This suggests that being mindful of our values can help us make decisions more consistent with our beliefs and reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance.

Several research studies on cognitive dissonance have shown that the experience of cognitive dissonance can be uncomfortable and can lead to attempts to resolve the inconsistency. When people are confronted with information that conflicts with their beliefs or values, they may experience psychological discomfort called cognitive dissonance. This discomfort can lead people to modify their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours in order to reduce inconsistency and restore consistency.

What causes cognitive dissonance?

Several factors can lead to cognitive dissonance, including:

Inconsistency between attitudes and behaviour: When a person’s actions don’t align with their beliefs or values, it can create a sense of dissonance. For example, if someone believes that smoking harms their health but continues to smoke, this creates a conflict between their attitude and behaviour.

Exposure to new information: When a person is exposed to new information that conflicts with their beliefs, it can create cognitive dissonance. For example, a person who always believed that eating a certain type of food is healthy may experience cognitive dissonance when they learn about new research suggesting that this food may be harmful.

Forced compliance: When a person is forced to do something against their beliefs, it can create cognitive dissonance. For example, if someone is required to give a speech supporting a cause they don’t believe in, it can create a sense of dissonance.

Insufficient justification: When a person engages in behaviour that goes against their beliefs or values but lacks sufficient justification, it can create cognitive dissonance. For example, if someone steals from their work even though they believe stealing is wrong, they may feel a sense of dissonance because their justification for stealing is not strong enough to override their belief that stealing is wrong.

What are the signs of cognitive dissonance?

Here are some signs that may indicate that someone is experiencing cognitive dissonance:

Being defensive about one’s choices frequently.

Avoiding certain conversations or topics.

Experiencing feelings of anger, frustration or irritability.

Feeling jealous or resentful of other people’s success and explaining why it hasn’t occurred for oneself.

Justifying actions repeatedly, even when it’s unnecessary.

Trying to convince others that one’s thinking is the only correct way.

Feeling discomfort when discussing oneself or speaking to someone who disagrees.

Reacting with hostility to constructive, gentle or perceived criticism.

If one is facing cognitive dissonance, how to manage it?

Cognitive dissonance can be a challenging experience, but it also presents an opportunity for personal growth and development. Here are some strategies to help manage cognitive dissonance:

Identify the Source of the Dissonance – The first step in managing cognitive dissonance is to identify the source of the conflict. This can involve reflecting on your beliefs and values and the actions or behaviours that are inconsistent with them.

Challenge Your Beliefs – Challenging your beliefs to determine whether they are still valid is essential. This may involve considering alternative perspectives or seeking out new information. Doing this lets you better understand your beliefs and whether they align with your values and actions.

Take Action – To resolve cognitive dissonance, it is necessary to take action that aligns with your beliefs and values. This may involve changing your behaviour, modifying your beliefs, or finding a way to reconcile the conflicting beliefs.

Seek Support – Navigating the experience of cognitive dissonance can be challenging, and seeking support from others can be helpful. This may involve talking to a friend or family member, seeking advice from a mental health professional, or joining a support group. By sharing your experiences with others, you can gain new insights and perspectives to help you manage cognitive dissonance.

In conclusion, cognitive dissonance is the discomfort or mental stress that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. It can lead to discomfort, anxiety, guilt, and frustration and lead individuals to modify their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours. By identifying the source of the dissonance, challenging beliefs, taking action, and seeking support, we can reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance and feel more aligned with our beliefs and values. Managing cognitive dissonance can lead to more positive outcomes, including greater consistency between our beliefs and actions, improved decision-making, and a greater sense of personal integrity.

References

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.

Harmon-Jones, E., & Harmon-Jones, C. (2007). Cognitive dissonance theory after 50 years of development. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 38(1), 7-16.

Aronson, E. (1992). The theory of cognitive dissonance: A current perspective. Advances in experimental social psychology, 25, 1-41.

Cooper, J. (2007). Cognitive dissonance: Fifty years of a classic theory. Sage.

Cooper, J., & Fazio, R. H. (1984). A new look at dissonance theory. Advances in experimental social psychology, 17, 229-266.

Festinger, L., & Carlsmith, J. M. (1959). Cognitive consequences of forced compliance. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58(2), 203-210.

Gawronski, B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (Eds.). (2006). Theory and explanation in social psychology. Guilford Press.

Harmon-Jones, E., & Mills, J. (1999). Cognitive dissonance: Progress on a pivotal theory in social psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Harmon-Jones, E., & Harmon-Jones, C. (2017). Cognitive dissonance theory. The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of social theory, 1-5.

Stone, J., Aronson, E., Crain, A. L., Winslow, M. P., & Fried, C. B. (1994). Inducing hypocrisy as a means of encouraging young adults to use condoms. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20(1), 116-128.

Sixth Sense and Beyond

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 12:13:49 +0000

How many senses do we have? Most of us would say that we have five senses – taste, sight, smell, touch, and hearing. What if I say in addition to the traditional big five, there are sixth, seventh and eighth senses as well. Some of you would have thought of sixth sense when I asked, “How many senses do we have?”. But do you know what sixth sense actually is? No, it’s not the ability to perceive something which isn’t actually there or a gut feeling.

A new study suggests that the sixth sense is the awareness of one’s body in space or sense that deals with how our brain understands where our body is in space. This sense is called proprioception. It plays an important role in balance, coordination, and movement control. It allows us to move smoothly and precisely, and to make quick adjustments to our movements when necessary!

Confused?

Don’t worry, in the series of blogs, we will try to understand the senses beyond the big five. In the current blog we try to understand the sixth sense.

Now, let’s try to feel our proprioceptive senses.

Close your eyes and touch your left knee with your right hand.

It was easy, right? Most of us would have easily accomplished this small task. Why? Because of proprioception – our sixth sense.

If you actually did this task, you would have noticed that you did not use your sense of sight to locate your knee, your eyes were likely closed. You didn’t smell your knee or hear it, or taste it. You already knew where it was before you touched it. This sense of our own body, its position and its movement is called “proprioception.” The proprioceptive sense seems like a mystery because we are largely unaware of them though we are using it every day.

Simply put, proprioception is the ability to sense the orientation of our body in the environment or our ability to sense exactly where our body is. It works unconsciously in our body and allows us to move quickly and freely without having to consciously think about where we are in an environment.

There are several factors that will weaken our proprioceptive senses. Brain injuries, stroke, and arthritis can lead the proprioception sense to work weakly. Proprioception capabilities can also be impaired when joints are injured, such as with ligament sprains, or a joint injury. Also, ageing has been shown to reduce proprioception sense.

All the above factors can happen to us or at least ageing. So, to keep up with our proprioception sense we can involve ourselves in,

Balance training: Exercising using foam or Harbinger can help in moving limbs and the whole body.

Passive movement training: Moving the body passively by an apparatus or machine

Somatosensory stimulation training: This type of training employs external stimulation upon our body such as electrical and magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, and vibration. These are a few techniques mentioned that will aid us in improving and keeping up with our sixth sense.

Further, by knowing about the sixth sense, proprioception, and ways to improve we should also know that the understanding of senses beyond the big five is still growing. There is some debate about exactly what falls under the definition of proprioception. Some researchers define proprioception narrowly, as the ability to sense the position and movement of the body, while others define it more broadly, to include other types of sensory input that contribute to movement control. There is debate about how to apply findings from proprioception research to real-world contexts, such as rehabilitation or sports training. Overall, these debates highlight the complexity of the concept of proprioception, and the ongoing efforts to better understand how it works and how it can be applied in various settings.

In summary, the sixth sense- proprioception is mysterious and involves a complex signalling process in our body. Without proprioception, we wouldn’t be able to sense our body parts precisely. It affects our daily lives. Although there are ways to improve proprioceptive senses, it is still very limited. Scientific understanding of it is still narrow and much of it is still waiting to be discovered.

References

“The Role of PIEZO2 in Human Mechanosensation” Journal Article. 201 New England Journal of Medicine Alexander T. Chesler, PhD, Marcin Szczot, PhD, Diana Bharucha-Goebel, M.D 1355-1364, 375 10.1056/NEJMoa1602812 [doi] ,https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1602812 New England Journal of Medicine October 6, 2016, 375(14):1355

“Multimodal MR-imaging reveals large-scale structural and functional connectivity changes in profound early blindness”. PLOS One (2017). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0173064(opens in new tab)

Simon Gandevia and Uwe Proske, “Proprioception: The Sense Within,” TheScientist, Aug 31, 2016, https://www.the-scientist.com/features/proprioception-the-sense-within-32940

Khanacademy, “Proprioception and kinesthesia”, https://www.khanacademy.org/science/health-andmedicine/nervous-system-and-sensory-infor/somatosensation-topic/v/proprioception-kinesthesia

Prakash Jha, Irshad Ahamad, Sonal Khurana, Kamran Ali, Shalini Verma and Tarun Kumar, “Proprioception: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review,” Res Inves Sports Med. 1(2). RISM.000506. 2017, p14, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60b0/e483e5b17f2ffec286dedfc38bba79d384bb.pdf?_ ga=2.34305953.1453459681.1588401674-1888949605.1588401674

Prakash Jha, Irshad Ahamad, Sonal Khurana, Kamran Ali, Shalini Verma and Tarun Kumar, “Proprioception: An Evidence-Based Narrative Review,” Res Inves Sports Med. 1(2). RISM.000506. 2017, p15, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60b0/e483e5b17f2ffec286dedfc38bba79d384bb.pdf?_ ga=2.34305953.1453459681.1588401674-1888949605.1588401674

Science of Reading

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2023 04:45:43 +0000

Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

We all want our children to build the habit of reading. We all believe that reading will help children know facts, learn the right thing and at last, help them be more successful. Yes, reading habits make children smart and accomplished. But, did you know, according to neuroscience, reading doesn’t just fill children’s brains with information and make them bright but also changes the way their brain works for the better? A growing body of research has shown that reading activates different brain regions and strengthens their functions (learning, memory, attention, emotion processing, speech) by improving nerve connections. In this blog, we will learn about the neuroscience of reading, the benefits of reading, and a few tips on how we can help children improve their reading habits.

Today, the advancement of neuroimaging techniques (EEG, CT, fMRI) has improved the understanding of the brain areas involved in reading and the reading processes.

Several brain regions are involved in reading. Major regions are the temporal lobe (responsible for phonological awareness and decoding sounds), Broca’s area in the frontal lobe (governs speech production and language comprehension), and the angular and supramarginal gyrus (connects different parts of the brain) to put letters together to form words.

While we read, the sub-process, such as the visual sensory processing of letters (the way each letter looks), speech motor processing (the ability to plan to say something), comprehension, working memory (immediate memory), and long-term memory, take place. This sub-process helps in an overall improvement in a child’s learning, and it also activates different areas in the brain. More regions will be activated for more complicated reading tasks. For example, one-word reading takes place in the inferior frontal gyrus, while sentence reading requires the activation of more areas like the parietal and temporal lobes.

Fig 1: Image showing brain regions that get activated during reading

Different brain regions are connected through neural pathways that get strengthened during reading. Information obtained from one brain region is projected and distributed to higher-order associations (perception, logical thinking, reasoning, focus). These processes make it possible to derive meaning from individual letters, words, sentences of increasing structural complexity, and discourse.

Now, let us see how reading helps the brain and the reader.

Recent studies show that building the habit of reading at an early age helps create new white matter. This will boost processing speed and improve problem-solving capacity and focus. White matter also activates grey matter and makes it work faster. This will help in decision-making, muscle control, and perception). Like any other learning activity, reading depends on the interconnectivity between cognition, emotion, memory, and physiology. Listening to or reading stories can stimulate feelings that will help children build and maintain social relationships and improve cognitive abilities such as attention and memory.

A study at Yale University in 2012 showed that deep reading, over an extended period, builds the ability to focus and grasp complex ideas. Harvard professor Joseph Henrich said learning to read and reading regularly can permanently rewire the brain. It will activate the occipital, temporal region of the brain (helpful in face recognition, processing emotions, language, and memory formation), and thicken the corpus callosum, the information highway that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain (helpful in effective learning, and information recall).

Along with improving cognitive functionalities in children (memory, attention, focus, and more), reading also strengthens their ability to imagine alternative paths, remember details, picture detailed scenes, and think through complex problems. In short, reading makes them more knowledgeable and functionally smarter, as it can increase their brain power. As we ask our children to play sports or games to keep their physical health, regular reading improves their cognitive functions by giving the brain a good workout.

A study by Robert S. Wilson and colleagues in 2013 showed that regular reading might help slow the age-related cognitive loss and help keep minds sharper for long.. Further, getting lost in any good novels can make it easier for children to relate to others. It has the power to make them understand what others are thinking about people’s emotions, and it will improve emotional intelligence and social behavior.

Reading also helps in maintaining children’s cognitive functions, social behavior, and emotional and intellectual quotient. Apart from these, it will also help children learn novel words and improve their language association skills, the fundamentals of the language, and the ability to learn across all subjects.

As a child is learning to read, or if they struggle with reading on their own, there are many things that a parent or a teacher can do to help improve the habit. A few things that can be followed are here.

Establishing a reading routine: Research indicates that setting aside some regular daily time to read to children and read with children can substantially increase their reading abilities in many areas, including comprehension, vocabulary, recognizing words, and understanding.

Encouraging children to read regularly: We need to keep books available everywhere in the home. Having books at different places they can easily access like in the drawing room, next to their bed, and next to the TV, will signal to children that reading is important and easily accessible. Another way to encourage your child to read is to lead by example.

Parents are important role models for their children, and they emulate the behaviour that parents display. If a child sees a parent reading before bed every night, they are likely to do the same.

Help them find books they love: If a child is uninterested in reading, it may not be because they do not like to read. The source of the problem could simply be that they do not want to read the books that they have.

Finding the right genre or type of story could be the key to finally sparking a child’s interest. We should expose children to many different kinds of stories. Mysteries, science fiction, and adventure stories are particularly popular with young boys and girls with adventurous imaginations. If a child is wildly curious about animals, outer space, or construction machines, parents should provide them with material about those subjects.

Stay involved in your child’s reading habit: Few children may struggle to read, but some may get into the skill quickly. With constant attention and care, parents can help struggling readers. They can break down reading skills into manageable components and outline practical strategies that can be utilized to strengthen those components. For example, suppose a child is not able to read because of difficulty in pronunciation. In that case, parents can focus on their phonemic awareness (the ability to identify individual sounds when others speak). This will help children understand the individual sounds that makeup words.

Above all, if a child is struggling with reading, the best thing that parents can do is to support them as they strive to improve.

In summary, reading is essential to a child’s learning and development. Helping them to improve their comprehension, literacy, language, and spelling skills will set them up for future success. Reading is also a mental activity; making it part of daily routine will boost brain power and cognitive abilities.

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References

Beaucousin,V., Lacheret,A., Turbelin,M.-R., Morel,M., Mazoyer,B., &Tzourio-Mazoyer,N. (2007). FMRI study of emotional speech comprehension. Cerebral Cortex, 17, 339–352.

Binder, J.R., Desai, R.H., Graves, W.W. & Conant, L.L. (2009). Where is the semantic system? A critical review and meta- analysis of 120functional neuroimaging studies. Cerebral Cortex,19, 2767–2796.

Buchweitz, A., Robert A. M., Leda M.B., & Marcel, A.J. (2009). Brain Activation for Reading and Listening Comprehension: an fMRI Study of Modality Effects and Individual Differences in Language Comprehension, Psychology Neuroscience, 2(2), 111-23.

Corbetta, M., Miezin, F.M., Dobmeyer, S., Shulman, G.L., Petersen, S.E. (1991). Selective and divided attention during visual discriminations of shape, colour, and speed: functional anatomy by positron emission tomography. The Journal of Neuroscience, 11(8), pp. 2383–2402

Fadiga, L., Fogassi, L., Gallese, V., & Rizzolatti, G. (2000). Visuomotor neurons: ambiguity of the discharge or ‘motor’ perception? International Journal of Psychophysiology, 35, 165–177

Embick, D., Marantz, A, Miyashita, Y, O’Neil, W. & Sakai, K.L. (2000). A syntactic specialization for Broca’s area. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences off the United States of America, 97(11), 6150-6154.

Friederici, A.D., & Weissenborn, J. (2007). Mapping sentence form onto meaning: The syntax—semantic interface. Brain Research, 1146,50–58.

Lem, L. (1992). Beyond Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas: a new perspective on the neurology of language, Issues in Applied Linguistics, 2, 213-35.

Robbins, S.L. (1992). A Neurobiological Model of Procedural Linguistic Skill Acquisition. Issues in Applied Linguistics, 2, 235-65.

Neuroscience of Story Telling

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:41:32 +0000

“The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story.”

~Michael Margolis

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Goldilocks and The Bears. Little Red Riding Hood. Panchatantra. The Hardy Boys. nCinderella. Tenali Raman. Akbar and Birbal. Sounds familiar?

Stories incite ideas. They make us feel excited, inspired, frightened, angry, happy, and all sorts of emotions we can ever imagine. And what else controls these emotions? Our BRAIN.

Our brains love stories. A fascinating research showed that during a storytelling session, the listener’s brain patterns and activities started mirroring that of the storyteller’s with negligible delay! What was more surprising was that the synchronization of the brain’s patterns between the listener and the storyteller appeared in basic language processing areas as well as the higher networks responsible for conceptual understanding. The findings of this research show that we are excellent at visualizing and predicting other people’s emotional connections and motivation.

Evidence of shared emotions and interconnectivity with people also comes from an evolutionary point of view. Researchers say that stories have always been an essential part of our survival. Be it the stories our ancestors told each other sitting by the fire after a hunt or the childhood stories that are often shared in family gatherings; they have been instrumental in passing down wisdom from one generation to the other.

Stories definitely help in promoting social skills, thanks to the lasting feeling of empathy that stories create. But did you know that stories significantly affect our brain structures and functions apart from emotions? Yes, you read that right!

Stories affect our brains in the following ways:

Our brain releases a particular hormone called oxytocin when we connect with the characters in a story. Oxytocin is also called the love hormone. The increased flow of oxytocin while reading about a fictional character can make us feel close to them despite not having any physical or personal contact with them.

As the name suggests, “mirror neurons” mirror other people’s feelings (their neurons) and make us feel the same as the person is feeling at that moment. A crucial neuro-phenomenon for empathy, our mirror neurons get activated while we are reading, watching, or listening to a story. That’s why we feel the fear that some fictional characters feel in a story or cry during a sad scene in a movie. Technically, the fictional character’s emotions get mapped onto our brain’s sensory domains.

Stories increase our neural activity by connecting two halves of our brain—the left and the right. The left half (or the hemisphere) is facts and data-driven, while the latter takes charge of creativity and feelings. Good stories present both data and creativity. As a result, our brain is completely at work, thereby increasing neural activity and making more connections between the existing and the presented knowledge.

Stories also have the superpower of consolidating memory through emotions. Stories make us feel emotions, which signals the brain that whatever we are experiencing is crucial. This increases our brain’s attention power and starts storing information (filled with emotions) in the deeper regions of our brain. Our degree of relatability to a story also predicts the recalling of the information presented in the story. Simply put, stories enable our brains to store information easily for later recall or retrieval.

Much of what stories do to our brains depend on the art of storytelling. What exactly should be in a story to create an impact in our brains?

A trigger for attention: Attention is the forefather of all major cognitive areas. Only when we pay attention do we remember and feel related emotions. A story that creates a stir will likely attract the brain’s resources to attend to the new information. Hence, stories with nice plots and suspense usually are remembered better than the ones that are simply put.

Empathy: Like in the real world, empathy is the key to creating connections in the story wonderland. A sense of contact between the listener and the story is accomplished through empathy. Create elements of empathy and interconnectivity in the story and have the audience be the guide in your story. This will help the audience experience transportation—an entry into the land of your stories.

Have an element of novelty: The audience remembers new stories that are not aligned with the existing plots. Scientifically, novelty improves memory. The reason behind this connection is attention. When we are presented with something new, we pay more attention to understanding, subsequently improving our memory consolidation process. Though the basic elements of a story are similar, what a unique story presents are the novelty in its content and the way that content is presented to an audience.

Thus, attention, empathy, and novelty are the key ingredients for an effective storytelling experience. The neuroscience of storytelling has far-reaching implications. From top brands for marketing to academicians for their research dissemination, submerge themselves in understanding the art of storytelling and its neuroscientific consequences.

References

Aldama, F. L. (2015). The science of storytelling: Perspectives from cognitive science, neuroscience, and the humanities.

Cormick, C. (2019). Who doesn’t love a good story?—What neuroscience tells about how we respond to narratives. Journal of Science Communication, 18(5), Y01.

Martinez-Conde, S., Alexander, R. G., Blum, D., Britton, N., Lipska, B. K., Quirk, G. J., … & Macknik, S. L. (2019). The storytelling brain: how neuroscience stories help bridge the gap between research and society. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(42), 8285-8290.

Functions of our Brain

admin — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 18:30:00 +0000

Sandhya Basu

You have seen in the previous blogs that our brain guides most of our behaviors. From emotions, to stimulating cognitive growth like memory, concentration, etc., our brains just take care of it all! But how does the brain, single-handedly, be responsible for all our behaviors?! It does so with the help its various regions. Each region of the brain is responsible for a specialized function, that in turn, guides our actions in every aspect of our life.

Whether you are studying in school, preparing for an entrance exam, or just simply curious about the grandiosity of our brains; this blog will help you understand the various parts of the brain and its functions.

The brain is an important organ of our body because of its ability to serve us physiologically and emotionally. On one hand, the brain is responsible for our movements, posture, breathing, etc. While on the other hand, it is also responsible for attaching meaning to our environment and guides our behaviors. It controls our thoughts and emotions by, for example, determining how we respond in a stressful situation. It acts as our body’s control tower!

Given the vastness of its functions, the brain is divided into many compartments. All these compartments are made up of a billion nerve cells that keep communicating with the body to perform various functions. The spinal cord acts like a ‘telephone cord or wire’ and relays information from the brain to the various body organs.

Let us now look into some of the important brain structures that make us who we are: humans!

The Cerebrum: It is the largest part of the brain. All our thoughts and actions are determined by the cerebrum. It is further divided into the following four lobe-

Frontal Lobe: this is the decision-making center of the brain. It is responsible for planning, reasoning, problem-solving, and related functions. It is located in the frontal area of the brain (near our forehead).

Parietal Lobe: it is located behind the frontal lobe. It is majorly responsible for our visual functions, understanding languages, and space orientation.

Occipital Lobe: it is located at the back of our head and controls all visual-related information like colors, shapes, and angles of everything we see through our eyes.

Temporal Lobe: located at the sides (near our ears), it processes auditory stimuli and helps with memory and speech.

The Cerebellum: It is a smaller version of our cortex. It is responsible for our everyday tasks like posture, movement, coordination in our limbs, balance, etc. It contains the highest number of neurons.

The Limbic System: Also called the ‘emotional brain’, it is found inside the cerebrum and consists of the following structures-

Amygdala- it plays an important role in understanding and regulating all our emotions, especially fear. So, the next time you get scared of a barking dog, know that its your amygdala at play!

Hippocampus- all our memories are consolidated and stored with the help of hippocampus. It transforms short-term memory into permanent ones. Thank the hippocampus, if your memory game is strong!

Hypothalamus- this brain region is responsible for our sleep-wake cycles and hunger. It also helps in releasing hormones in our body.

Thalamus- all our senses pass through the thalamus to get processed and get categorized as touch, sight, and smell. If you can process these senses, then its your thalamus that’s doing the job!

The Brain Stem: It is located at the extreme back of the brain and connects the spinal cord with the brain. All messages are passed through the spinal cord with the help of the brain stem. It is also responsible for the basic life sustaining functions like our heartbeat and breathing.

These brain regions form just the tip of the iceberg! There are many more regions of the brain that perform super-specialized functions like enabling us to speak (Broca’s area) to regulating the nerves in our face, eyes, and ears (pons)! Though explaining all brain regions is beyond the scope of this blog, we will nonetheless give you a glimpse of all brain regions through a simple concept map.

Figure 01: Concept map of brain regions

The forebrain, midbrain, and the hindbrain together perform various life sustaining functions. Apart from these regions, there are other structures that make sure that the brain is able to do its job!

For instance, the skull houses the brain and protects its soft tissues from trauma and other environmental toxins. The meninges (another brain region) act like cushions to the brain. They protect the brain from displacement, clean waste secretions, and transfer food and waste from the brain to the body. They do so by adding three layers of tissue to the brain—known as the dura matter, arachnoid, and pia matter. Also, the arteries of the heart supply blood and oxygen continuously to the brain. Given the brain’s vast functions, its cells need oxygen and other nutrients all the time. In fact, the brain consumes approximately 20% of the body’s blood supply!

The human brain is an incredibly hardworking organ of our body. It oversees most of our functions in both physiological and psychological domains. Knowing this three-pound five-star organ is extremely important as it is responsible for our very own survival!

References

Ackerman, S. (1992). Discovering the brain.

Bechtel, W. (2003). Modules, brain parts, and evolutionary psychology. In Evolutionary Psychology (pp. 211-227). Springer, Boston, MA.

Johnson, M. H. (2003). Development of human brain functions. Biological psychiatry, 54(12), 1312-1316.

Tucker, D. M. (1981). Lateral brain function, emotion, and conceptualization. Psychological bulletin, 89(1), 19.

Where does the gut feeling come from?

admin — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 05:37:49 +0000

Evolutionary theories suggest that our gut feelings or intuition is an innate survival mechanism, allowing us to make rapid decisions based on subconscious processing.

Another factor that leads to this gut feeling is our gut microbes. They are usually responsible for our digestion and immunity. Research shows that people’s anxiety and depression levels often depend on the type of gut bacteria in their system. Certain strains of gut bacteria can produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in regulating emotions. Imbalances in the gut microbiome, often called dysbiosis, have been linked to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Fun fact: 13 types of gut bacteria play a role in depressive symptoms!

Here are a few tips for understanding your gut feelings:

Be aware of your emotions: When you’re anxious, fearful, or excited, your gut feelings may be more frequent.
Pay attention to your physical sensations. If you’re having physical symptoms like stomach aches, nausea, or diarrhoea, it could be a sign that something is wrong with your body.
Listen to your intuition. Sometimes, you know something is wrong, even if you can’t explain why. Trust your gut feeling and act accordingly.

References

Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of gastroenterology: quarterly publication of the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203.
Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and practice, 7(4), 987.
Lach, G., Schellekens, H., Dinan, T. G., & Cryan, J. F. (2018). Anxiety, depression, and the microbiome: a role for gut peptides. Neurotherapeutics, 15, 36-59.
Limbana, T., Khan, F., & Eskander, N. (2020). Gut microbiome and depression: how microbes affect the way we think. Cureus, 12(8)

Multitasking and Brain Health

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 07:41:53 +0000

Sandhya Basu

Take a moment and observe all the things you are doing right now. You could be reading this article with your phone in hand, scrolling through social media or awaiting work emails or calls. You may also be listening to music or watching TV while reading this article—all at once!

Basically, you are engaging in multiple things at the same time, also known as multitasking. If you introspect closely, are you really multitasking or just very quickly shifting your attention from one activity to the other?!

While it may look like we are capable of accomplishing many tasks at once, research shows that our brains don’t agree with us. So much so that our brain’s productivity may reduce to as much as 40% due to multitasking! The breaking news is that our brains help us in ‘serial-tasking’, rather than ‘multitasking’.

Some of us can be proud multitaskers. We may have seemed to perform various tasks successfully, at a given time. Whereas, on the other hand, we have research suggesting otherwise. Such a paradoxical situation can be eased by defining what we mean by multitasking. It may indicate-

Carrying out two or more activities at the same time (reading a book while listening to music);

Switching back and forth from one activity to the other (having email conversations while completing a work assignment); or

Carrying out many activities one after the other, in rapid succession (making a presentation, cooking dinner, reading through a work email–one after the other)

Given the different nature of multitasking, our brain gets affected due to an increased cognitive load. Though in the past, people believed multitasking to be equivalent to “accomplishing more”; recent research says a big NO to multitasking!

Findings from research in Stanford University found that multitasking decreases productivity as participants experienced trouble organizing their thoughts, filtering in relevant information, and became slower at task switching.

The neuroscience behind multitasking also suggests the same!

Our brains do not have the required cognitive architecture to perform two or more activities simultaneously. Neuroimaging studies show that frontoparietal control network, dorsal attention network, and ventral attention network are the brain networks that determine our multitasking skills.

The frontoparietal control and ventral attention networks are responsible for identifying a goal (example, to send an email), select suitable information (content of the email), and side-line irrelevant information (content for a presentation, irrelevant to the email). In this particular task, the frontoparietal control network guides the brain to allocate attention to the necessary information through dorsal and ventral attention network. The catch is that all these brain networks are limited in their capacities. So, when we multitask, these brain networks come under pressure because of the competing information waiting to get processed.

All this information may seem a bit strange because in our daily lives, we multitask activities that are simple and routine. We listen to music while walking or talk while watching TV. Our brain networks get compromised when we involve ourselves in complex tasks. Such a habit can negatively impact our brain health in the following ways:nn

Permanent brain damage: Research from the University of Sussex shows that regular and high multitaskers have decreased brain density in the anterior cingulate cortex—a region responsible for empathy and emotional control.

Reduces mental efficiency: Earl Miller, a neuroscientist from the MIT, believes that every time we shift from one task to another, our brain indulges in “cognitive cost”—a popular term indicating wasting brain’s resources. A study from the University of California reinforces Miller’s point by discovering that our brain takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds, on average, to refocus on an activity after a break.

Reduced focus and concentration: Because of the limited capacities of our brain networks, we often tend to lose focus while multitasking. This happens because multitasking rewards the brain for losing focus through “dopamine rush”. In other words, the brain feels good when it’s distracted with multiple tasks at once so much so that it constantly searches for an external stimulation, eventually leading to loss of focus and concentration. Continuously scrolling through Facebook while working is a famous example of dopamine rush!

Creates stress: Multitasking increases the brain’s ability to produce cortisol—the stress hormone. Stress affects our productivity, which in turn, causes mental fatigue and anxiety for not completing the designated task.

Leads to burnout: Our brain needs oxygenated blood to stay on a task effectively. But when we multitask, the brain shifts attention from one activity to the other, causing the brain regions to consume oxygenated blood. Simply put, multitasking causes the brain to burn through fuel at a rapid rate that leaves us feeling exhausted after a short duration.

Multitasking, especially when successful (mostly after a cup of strong coffee, yes, we know the trick!), feels good. But is it worth your brain health?

Managing brain health is important. One of the best ways to preserve your brain health is to take one task at a time. Take a break after 45 minutes and regain your energy. Work in an environment far from distractions with media devices out of sight. Such practices encourage good brain health and prevent premature cognitive aging.

There are also other ways of improving brain health. Brain gym exercises, meditation, lifestyle techniques, etc. are some of the broad exercises that are promoted by the Restart program of the Brighter Minds. If you are interested in improving and maintaining your brain health, then log on to: nhttps://www.restart.brighterminds.org

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References:

Madore, K. P., & Wagner, A. D. (2019). Multicosts of Multitasking. Cerebrum : the Dana forum on brain science, 2019, cer-04-19.

Rosen, C. (2008). The myth of multitasking. The New Atlantis, (20), 105-110.

Spink, A., Cole, C., & Waller, M. (2008). Multitasking behavior. Annual review of information science and technology, 42(1), 93-118.

Change is a Choice: Nurture brain plasticity (part 2)

admin — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 18:30:00 +0000

Jeevitha Ramesh

A brain injury, like a stroke, can happen to anyone.

During the stroke, the areas of the brain related to certain functions could be damaged. For example, when a stroke affects an individual’s temporal lobe, he can experience issues with communication. Scary, right? But the good news is that, eventually, healthy parts of the brain take over those functions and the abilities of damaged regions!

How do you think it is restored? What do we scientifically call the brain’s ability to move functions from damaged to undamaged areas?

To know the answer, you should read Part 1 of this blog: What is brain plasticity and why is it important?

Found the answer?

Yes! It’s called Functional Plasticity. The previous blog deals with the basics of brain plasticity/ neuroplasticity, its function, and types with simple examples.

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Now, in our current blog let’s understand the benefits of brain plasticity, ways to improve it, and discuss some limitations of brain plasticity.

We are all aware that human brains are extraordinary, unlike robots, built according to certain specifications and periodically receive software updates. Our brain can receive hardware updates in addition to software updates in a split of a second!

Wondering how?

It is by creating new neural pathways! Different neural pathways are created every day, exciting pathways may go dormant, or even get discarded, according to our experiences and new learning.

When we learn something new, our brain creates new connections between its cells (neurons). With new situations and circumstances, our brains rewire and adapt to them. This happens daily, but most importantly it is also something that we can encourage and stimulate.

Several studies by neuroscientists like Kempermann and Vemuri in the past decade

helped us know the ways that neuroplasticity benefits the brain. In our last blog, we read that neuroplasticity allows our brain to adapt and change.

This characteristic of our brain with the help of neuroplasticity supports us in learning new things very effectively, be it a new language or to drive. This happens because neuroplasticity increases and strengthens the connection between the neurons and helps in information exchange between them. By this our cognitive capabilities such as attention, memory, and reasoning also get strengthened. Neuroplasticity helps the brain recover from events like strokes and traumatic injuries by helping brain cells rewire and re-establish the neural connections in response to damage, for example, functional plasticity.

From the information given above, it is clear that neuroplasticity is one of the most important abilities of our brains. Overall, it helps in improving our cognitive capacity, learning, and recovery from brain damage. The neural generation by neuroplasticity also helps in keeping our brain fit.

Now, understanding all the basics of neuroplasticity and its benefits, let us address the most important question: how to improve brain plasticity?

We can follow many proven methods and practices to strengthen and facilitate neuroplasticity. Let’s dive in and see what they are.

A Study in 2017 showed that one’s environment profoundly impacts brain plasticity. fMRI imaging showed increased activity in the hippocampus region (involved in learning and memory) of individuals involved in brain games (sudoku), painting, and playing a musical instrument. A rich learning environment aided the hippocampus region to work very effectively. Which also positively influenced overall brain health, behavioural and cognitive performances.

So, we can say that enriching our environment with activities such as learning a new language or playing an instrument, travelling and exploring new places, creating art, and other creative goals can boost introspection, memory, empathy, attention, and focus. These stimulate positive changes in the brain. This is highly significant during childhood and adolescence; nevertheless, the learning environment can provide brain rewards in adulthood as well.

The next important practice to improve plasticity is to get good sleep. A study conducted by Neurologist Nguyen in 2016 showed that getting good sleep helps improve dendritic growth and its connection in our brain (dendrites help to transmit information from one neuron to another). This will encourage greater brain plasticity. Sleep also has important effects on our physical and mental health (you can visit our blog on Sleep and Brain).

How can we forget the importance of regular exercise when it comes to the brain and plasticity? Following and being involved in regular physical activity has several brain benefits. A research study (2011) by the neuroscience department at Cambridge University infers that exercise might prevent neuron losses in critical areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus (responsible for memory). Further, aerobic exercise is also said to play a role in neurogenesis (generation of new neurons) in the brain’s hippocampal region.

Other ways of improving brain plasticity include travelling and exposing our brains to novel stimuli and places. Keeping our non-dominant hands active by exercises helps form new neural pathways and strengthen the connectivity between neurons. Further, including activities like dancing can increase neural connectivity and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Altogether, these activities help improve plasticity by activating neurons and opening up new pathways in the brain.

Moving on, we can’t deny that all good things have a bit of a limitation. So does neuroplasticity. The human brain is not infinitely malleable. A few regions of our brain are particularly responsible for specific functions and actions. For example, there are areas of the brain that play critical roles in things such as movement (motor cortex), language (Wernicke’s area), speech (Broca’s), and cognition (prefrontal area). Injury to these areas causes lasting damage because other regions of the brain simply cannot fully take over those affected by the damage. Hence, neuroplasticity also has a limited capacity to replace critical areas and functions.

This series of two blogs helped us understand a very vast and complicated topic of brain plasticity! We learned about brain plasticity, how the concept evolved, its types and characteristics, the benefits, limitations, and ways to improve it.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this very brief journey through the topic of neuroplasticity!

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“Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his brain.”

-Santiago Ramón y Cajal

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References

Vemuri P, Lesnick TG, Przybelski SA, et al. Association of lifetime intellectual enrichment with cognitive decline in the older population. JAMA Neurol. 2014 Aug;71(8):1017-24. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.963

Li W, Ma L, Yang G, Gan WB. REM sleep selectively prunes and maintains new synapses in development and learning. Nat Neurosci. 2017;20(3):427-437. doi:10.1038/nn.4479

Liu PZ, Nusslock R. Exercise-mediated neurogenesis in the hippocampus via BDNF. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:52. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00052

Voss P, Thomas ME, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani É. Dynamic brains and the changing rules of neuroplasticity: implications for learning and recovery. Front Psychol. 2017;8:1657. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657

Ball, K. K., Berch, D. B., Helmers, K. F., Jobe, J. B., Leveck, M. D., Mariske, M., …, & Willis, S. L. (2002). JAMA 288, 2271-2281. PMID: 12425704

Campbell, C. (2009). What is neuroplasticity? BrainLine. Retrieved from https://www.brainline.org/author/celeste-campbell/qa/what-neuroplasticity

Joo, E. Y., Kim, H., Suh, S., & Hong, S. B. (2014). Hippocampal substructural vulnerability to sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic primary insomnia: Magnetic resonance imaging morphometry. Sleep, 37, 1189-1198.

Kempermann, G., Gast, D., & Gage, F. H. (2002). Neuroplasticity in old age: Sustained fivefold induction of hippocampal neurogenesis by long-term environmental enrichment. Annals of Neurology, 52, 135-143.

Nguyen, T. (2016). 10 proven ways to grow your brain: Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. HuffPost Blog. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/10-proven-ways-to-grow-yo_b_10374730.html

Rodrigues, A. C., Loureiro, M. A., & Caramelli, P. (2010). Musical training, neuroplasticity and cognition. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 4, 277-286.