I spend hours researching and reading articles and studies that reference the brain.
Specifically remapping. The brains amazing plasticity. Many of us have watched
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight video. I am not as interested in the nirvana stuff she talks about but the info about the abilities of the brain.
Until the answers to the questions of what causes multiple sclerosis, what will it do to me, and is there a cure? are not “don’t know” I am thinking (augh my brain may get bigger LOL) that it is up to me to do the best I can and learn whatever I can.
Functional MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to image the body. It can identify signs that neurons in a specific area of the brain are firing, processing information and giving commands to the body. Way cool wish I could have one done. Seems a better reason to spend time in the tube than checking on MS lesions.
Studies show that what we do with our minds alters the neural circuits and sometimes results in the building of brain tissue. This interests me greatly. If a part of the brain is damaged by lesions it is possible (maybe) to train another part – create new synaptic connections? I choose to believe so. Oh yeah the psychology of motivation with a bit of prayer and meditation throw in can hurt.
A few years back at the National Institutes of Health functional MRI was used to scan brain action in jazz musicians. When the musicians improvised the area of the brain that is involved in the integration of information to support complex goals and purpose (medial prefrontal cortex) became more active while the area that is involved in inhibiting behavior and monitoring thinking and associated with anxiety (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) became less active. There is even a study done on Taxi drivers showing that responsible parts of the brain for navigation – spacial relations (hippocampus) was bigger in cab drivers than in non cab drivers.
Lots of studies have been done on Neuroplasticity (also known as cortical re-mapping) mostly in involving stroke recovery. I leave the Google stuff to you for reference on this one.
The brain seems to be able to rewire itself and it grows in areas that are used. Gray does matter when counting brain cells. A study done at the Massachusetts General Hospital using MRI found that people who practiced meditation had more gray matter in the part of the brain linked with attention and sensory processing.
Of course exercise and what we eat influence our brains also.
Enough sleep is good too so if I have put you to sleep with what is running around in my play-doh mind I have accomplished something positive.
One of those mornings where I might just ramble . … about a grape, where my photo is, and well . …
grape,
I am already getting bored. Restless? Which ever it is that time of the year when school is over and it seems everyone else is out traveling. Kind of leaves me with nothing much to do really. I read, watch television, exercise, and talk to the dogs (they have not talked back yet so no worry). After that I get -well –bored!