BRAIN NOTES

BY TONY PEREIRA

Tony Pereira is an Independent Consultant and Founder of SuperTrouper365

“ Stroke patients are one of the �enefi�i��ies of t�e �on�e�t of neuro- �l�sti�it� . When a �e�t�in ���t of the brain f�ils �e���se of a stroke , t�e ���in ��n rewire itself so that the ��tient ��n regain some , if not all , of t�ei� �o�nitive f�n�tions . ”

Scientists tell us that our brain is fully developed in our early 20s . After that , we only lose brain cells . The natural ageing process kills several cells daily .

Our lifestyle then adds to the number of neurons or cells that die daily . If we suffer chronic stress or smoke or drink , the number of cells that die are multiplied by some factor .

In medical school , trainees are told that the number of neurons a person has cannot be increased . But thanks to the research of Nobel Prize recipient , the late Dr Rita Levi- Montalcini , we know we can produce new cells through neurogenesis .

Another widely believed fact is that we cannot change the structure of our brain . But once again , thanks to research , scientists now believe that the brain ’ s structure can change . This process is called neuroplasticity .

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young was born in 1951 in Toronto , Canada , with a mental block . She could not read , tell the time , or know why people laughed at jokes .

Doctors told her parents that she would have to live with her disability . School was a nightmare . Just walking in her neighbourhood was a challenge -she would get lost . Her situation was so bad that when she was in Grade 8 , a teenager , she tried to take her life . She failed .

The doctors established that the left part of her brain was not functioning . They told her she could never lead a normal life .

Then something changed . In the summer of 1977 , she was told about the research of a scientist experimenting on rodents . The scientist found that the neural connections in the brains of these rats changed over time based on tasks that the scientists got them to do .

EXERCISING THE BRAIN

The late Mark Rosenzweig , an American research psychologist , found that putting rodents in a rich and stimulating environment enables these animals to develop larger brains than rodents kept in an empty cage . Arrowsmith-Young thought that if rodents can change the structure of their brain , can humans do the same ? She started exercising her brain .

She created 100 visuals of clocks , each telling a different time , and learnt how to tell the time by looking at a clock . She started with visuals of two-handed clocks , and then , to challenge herself further , she moved to three-handed clocks . She kept repeating this exercise over and over again . After months , she found that the brain had created new connections , and she could tell the time by looking at a clock .

She was not satisfied , though . Was this a fluke ? Had her brain changed ?

Since she could not read , Arrowsmith- Young borrowed a book on philosophy from the library . Much to her surprise , she found that not only could she read it , but she understood it . She borrowed another and another - over a short time , she read a hundred philosophy books and understood them all .

Arrowsmith-Young shared her experience

Mark Rosenweig ’ s work convinced Arrowsmith-Young that her brain could change .

in a TEDTalk in 2012 .

There are other examples of the brain rewiring itself to learn new skills . Jodie Miller was just three years old when doctors discovered that she suffered from Rasmussen ’ s Encephalitis , a rare and chronic inflammation of one side of the brain .

She suffered from frequent seizures and had to have someone by her side all the time because each time she suffered from a seizure , she would collapse . Doctors told her parents that if left untreated , she could end up paralysed and suffer cognitive deterioration . The only option was surgery to remove half of her brain .

Thanks to the brain ’ s ability to rewire itself , Miller now leads a normal married life and can live independently without constant supervision . The left-hand side of the brain took over all the activities from the removed part of the brain .

UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN

How does the brain change ? First , we need to understand a bit about the brain .

We have 87 billion neurons or cells in our brains . Each neuron has three parts . The first is the dendrite , a treelike branch that receives input from other neurons . The dendrite leads into a cell body , which sustains the cell ’ s life and contains its DNA .

And finally , there is an axon . The axon is our brain ’ s cabling network . It is so long that connecting each axon would be long enough to go around planet Earth four times !

A neuron receives either signals which excite it or inhibit it . If the neuron gets enough of the former , it will fire off its signal .

THE MORE PRACTICE , THE BETTER

Axons don ’ t quite touch the dendrites . A small gap exists between the axon and dendrite - we call this space synapse . Once a signal gets to the end of the axon , it releases a chemical called a neurotransmitter . This is what helps get messages from one neuron to another .

The brain can change in one of three ways :

1 . Through the release of these chemicals , neurons can connect . The more we practice the activity , the stronger the connection . As we grow from infant to adulthood , this process is happening and is active .

2 . Second , the brain ’ s structure can change , which takes more time . For example , the brain of a blind person who learns braille has larger sensory areas in their brains compared to those who are not blind . London cab drivers , for example , have to memorise the directions to numerous locations in London before they get their licence . Professor Eleanor Maguire of London University compared the hippocampus ( the memory ) in the brain of successful students and found that their hippocampus area and level of grey matter was greater than the average person .

3 . Different brain networks work together to encode the new skill during the learning process . Research has found that this can happen anytime and is not restricted by age . Stroke patients are one of the beneficiaries of the concept of neuroplasticity . When a certain part of the brain fails because of a stroke , the brain can rewire itself so that the patient can regain some , if not all , of their cognitive functions .

This requires patience and commitment for the rewiring process to have an impact . In 1969 , my grandfather suffered a stroke . He survived , but he never walked or spoke again because we did not know how to help him .

He was only in his 50s when he passed on . Had we known about neuroplasticity then , he would have had a better chance of recovering .

On a happier note , it is never too late to start if you have ever dreamed of playing the piano like John Lennon . Let neuroplasticity do the rest . – The HEALTH

Here are a few tips to increase the agility of your brain : 1 . Brush your teeth with the non-dominant hand on a regular basis . 2 . When at the dinner table , do not always sit in the same seat . Move around .

3 . In the supermarket , change the routine you normally follow . If you start at the bread counter and end at the meat counter , from time to time , do the opposite .

4 . Try shopping for groceries without a grocery list . Let the prompt be the isle which you are in . This will challenge your brain to recall what is needed . By doing both steps ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) you not just improve memory , you improve plasticity of the brain . 5 . Shower with your eyes closed . 6 . Sit in the back seat of the car for a change . 7 . Take a different route to work if driving . 8 . Learn a new skill . You do not have to be an expert . Be competent in it . 9 . Practice simple games which help sharpen the brain . 10 . Read aloud .