Vehicle Traffic Metaphor

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Recently a friend and I were discussing the various theories about that question. Then we wondered, which came first, the brain or the mind? Does the brain create the mind or does the mind create the brain? Is the mind an organ of the brain much as the stomach is an organ of the digestive system? What is your take on this?
 

There will likely never be 100% consensus, seeing as every brain on the planet is different. There is some emerging consensus, however, that the brain creates the mind and that this process can begin quite early in gestation. For purposes of discussion, let’s say that the brain creates the mind; but then the mind can impact and even change the brain. I like the ‘vehicle-traffic metaphor’ to describe that phenomenon. Vehicles create traffic. In turn, the vehicles can be hampered or impeded by the traffic—something the vehicles created to begin with. More tomorrow.

Brain Size & Household Chores

Researchers found that doing household chores can improve the brain health of older adults. Household physical activity was positively associated with larger gray matter volume in older adults. The more time people spent on household chores, the larger their brains. Household chores translate as a light workout, which is known to be beneficial to the brain. Participants doing household chores are less likely to be sedentary, which is linked with poor brain health. Shrinkage of brain tissue has been linked with a higher risk for developing dementia. The first author said, “Scientists already know that exercise has a positive impact on the brain, but our study is the first to show that the same may be true for household chores.” At the end of the 10-year study, researchers concluded that regular moderate exercise—including doing household chores—was enough to slow brain aging by the equivalent of 10 years. You might view household tasks as an anti-aging strategy that is helping you to have a larger brain and better cognitive health. Watching TV hour after hour? Maybe not so much. Just saying.

Household Tasks & Brain Aging

Researchers followed 876 people over age 65 for more than 10 years. The study was designed to identify links between household physical activity and brain health in older adults. Participants were asked how much time they spent cooking, shopping, cleaning up, caregiving, and doing housework and yard work, etc. After five years, participants were given tests of memory and thinking skills along with brain scans. Participants who were at least moderately active could remember more words from a list and could perform simple tasks more quickly. Regardless of how much exercise they did, people who did more household chores had larger brains. The study was designed to identify links between household physical activity and brain health in older adults. Participants who were at least moderately active could remember more words from a list and could perform simple tasks more quickly. Regardless of how much physical exercise they did, participants who did more household chores had larger brains. This was identified in the hippocampi, the brain’s two search engines, vital to learning and memory—and in the two frontal lobes of the brain, involved in many areas of critical thinking including executive functions such as making decisions, solving problems, accessing willpower, etc. More tomorrow.

Cognition & Household Tasks

I am so tired of doing all the household chores for six people. Exhausted, really. None of the other family members are inclined to help—usually they are on the edge of their seats in the family room watching sports on TV. I can’t force them to help. What can I do?

 Part of successful and healthful living involves knowing what you can and cannot control. It appears you cannot control their failure to help with household tasks. What can you control? Your decisions about household chores and your mindset. I suggest that you can evaluate the chores and decide which ones are absolutely essential to family life and those that are not completely essential—and stop doing those. If family members complain, kindly say that you have reached your max and they will need to do those chores. Then, stick to it. Next, I suggest you could  reframe your perception of doing household chores. Think differently about the household chores you have decided to do. More tomorrow.

Gray & White Matter & Brain Damage

According to the first author on the study, they found that damage to gray matter hubs of the brain that are really interconnected with other regions did not show much about how poorly people would do on cognitive tests after brain damage. Conversely, study participants with damage to the densest white matter connections did much worse on cognitive tests. Apparently, this is a rather revolutionary finding since in the past, both scientists and clinicians have tended to focus almost exclusively on the role of gray matter in traumatic brain injuries including stroke. According to the researchers, the take-away from this study is that the connections between brain regions might matter as much if not more so in terms of cognitive ability post brain trauma than the brain regions themselves. Bottom line:  Damage to highly connected regions of white matter in the brain following injury is more predictive of cognitive thinking impairment than damage to highly connected gray matter hubs.
 

Gray or White Brain Matter

The results of a study by researchers at the University of Iowa have challenged the commonly held idea that when it comes to brain health and function, gray matter (the neurons that form the cerebral cortex) is more important than white matter (the myelin covered axons that physically connect neuronal regions in the brain) This new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the US reported on the analysis of brain scans and cognitive or thinking-function tests from over 500 people with localized areas of brain damage caused by forms of brain injury, including strokes. Looking at the location of the brain damage, also known as lesions, the UI team correlated the level of connectedness of the damaged areas with the level of cognitive or thinking disability the patient experienced. Their findings suggest that damage to highly connected regions of white matter is more predictive of cognitive or thinking impairment than damage to highly connected gray-matter hubs. More tomorrow.

The Brain's Gray Matter

 

The left hemisphere of the brain contains more gray matter. Gray matter is brain tissue that has fewer of the neuronal axons wrapped with the whitish insulation known as myelin. This contributes to the slightly pinkish-gray color of the left hemisphere. Gray matter sends messages at a slower rate than white matter. Some estimates are that gray matter transmission speeds in the left hemisphere are up to 275 mph approximately, while white matter transmission speeds in the right hemisphere can reach 600 mph. Convention wisdom has been that when it comes to brain health and brain function, gray matter (the neurons that form the cerebral or thinking  cortex) is more important than white matter (the myelin covered axons that physically connect neuronal regions in the brain)—perhaps because left-hemisphere functions are more valued in many industrial societies over right-hemisphere. More tomorrow.

The Brain's White Matter

I just heard on the news that after a stroke or other traumatic brain injury, the damage to the white matter is a better predictor “of outcome” than gray matter. What does this mean? I’m not even sure I know the difference between gray and white matter. Actually, I'm pretty sure I do not know!

 

Great question! Let’s start with the difference between gray and white matter. The largest projection from a neuron or thinking cell is the axon, by which information leaves the neuron. The right hemisphere contains more white matter. That is, it has more neuronal axons that are wrapped with a whitish insulation (think fiberoptics) known as myelin. Reportedly, this helps prevent electricity from leaking out and increases the speed at which information messages fly along the neuron highways. This also gives the right hemisphere it’s slightly pinkish-white color.  More tomorrow.

Blue LIght from Electronics

According to Anne-Marie Chang, PhD, associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, blue light (short-wavelength enriched light) interrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythms were interrupted by the short-wavelength enriched light, otherwise known as blue light, from these electronic devices. It suppresses the production of melatonin and apparently can reduce the time spent in REM sleep. There is some evidence that links chronic suppression of melatonin secretion by nocturnal light exposure with the increased risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. Suggestions include using glasses that block blue light and turning off all digital media equipment and E-readers for 30-60 minutes before going to bed. 

Tips for Digital Media

Tips from pediatrician and former filmmaker Dr. Michael Rich, aka “The Mediatrician”® 

 Beware of digital media distraction. Half of all kids and three-quarters of parents feel the other is distracted when talking to each other. 

Have regular sit-downs, screen-free meals with your children.

Put down your device. Be present with others. Observe the world around you. Let your mind wander.

Avoid blue light-emitting screen use before bedtime.

Play online games with your children rather than forbidding them. Learn how to play from them and, as you play, help them think about what they're seeing and doing on screen.

Help your children plan how to spend their time, focusing on important and favorite activities to avoid sliding into the screen abyss.

 Screen Time and the Brain | Harvard Medical School 

Early TV Viewing & Brains

During this pandemic isolation, we live with the TV on. What’s this I hear about toddlers should not watch any TV? Give me a break. It’s a great baby-sitter!

It may be a great baby-sitter—depending upon your definition of what makes a “great baby-sitter.” However, what their brains take in tends to return as behaviors. And the more passive mental picturing takes place the higher the likelihood of synapses disappearing from nonuse. According to Harvard, in “Screen Time and the Brain,” digital devices can interfere with everything from sleep to creativity. The first three years of a child’s life sets the tone and direction for as long as they life. A child an “recover from poor parenting to some degree,” as one brain-function specialist put it. However, the less they must recover from the better. Some tips tomorrow from pediatrician and former filmmaker Michael Rich, MD, aka “The Mediatrician”®  

 Screen Time and the Brain | Harvard Medical School

Fun Sayings from a Friend

Retired and under new management. See spouse for more information.

 I find that sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.

 One minute you are young and carefree. The next, you are turning down the car stereo to see better.

 Losing weight does not seem to be working for me. Therefore, from now on I plan to concentrate on getting taller.

 Some people are like clouds. Once they disappear, it turns out to be a beautiful day.

 I came. I saw. I forgot what I was doing.

 Some people I am glad to see coming. Some people I am glad to see going.

 I have decided that common sense is not a gift—it is a punishment. I think that is because you must deal with those who does not have that gift. 

Early TV Viewing

For those of you interested in the pros and cons of early TV viewing, you an do an internet search.

Conclusions seem to revolve around no TV for the first two years of life and carefully selected educational TV after that. 

What can the family watch together from age 3 of children and onward for those who do want to follow recommendations from the American Association of Pediatrics and others? Personally, I like the BBC Planet Earth series, some of the National Geographic offerings, and programs about behind the scenes at the Zoo. These are interesting as well as promoting life on Planet Earth and what is being done to reduce the rate that species are becoming extinct in this world.

Early Childhood & TV

I do not understand all the hype about toddlers and little kids NOT watching TV. Good grief! Everyone watches TV! Where is this coming from?

 
These recommendations are by no means new. Studies have been reporting problems for close to 15 years. There are some enlightened parents who understand more about brain development and who are following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation about no TV until age three and then only up to 2 hours per day—preferably of educational-type television programs. Watching TV and movies is a “passive mental exercise,” as the brain only processes what another brain has created. Active mental exercise is what builds dendrites on the thinking cells or neurons and prevents pruning of axonal connections because they are not being used. More tomorrow.

Affirming Self-Talk

Affirmations for yourself are a form of personal self-talk and every human being uses it. Appropriate self-talk is one of the most effective, least-utilized tools available to master the mind, foster success, and overcome fear, and achieve your goals.

Your inner self-talk voice takes shape in early childhood and persists lifelong. As with most other brain functions, self-talk may be misused, becoming a source of painful rumination or even psychosis, or it can enhance your success. Thoughts create your mindset and mindset creates your self-talk. A series of groundbreaking studies have found that how people conduct their inner self-talk has an enormous effect on their success in life. More tomorrow. 

Awareness & Affirmation

Increase your awareness. Learn to listen in on what you say, silently and aloud. When you recognize a negative style (e.g., don’t, can’t, won’t, hopeless), stop, think, and restate in a positive can-do manner. Bottom line, stop talking about what you do not wish to have happen. Tia Walker said affirmations are our mental vitamins, providing the supplementary positive thoughts we need to balance the barrage of negative events and thoughts we experience daily. And researcher Candace B. Pert PhD, pointed out that each receptor molecule remembers how many times it has been stimulated and whether it was over or under stimulated. This memory affects the flow of information through the brain and the body. That’s why abuse is lethal and affirmation so powerful. 

Affirmation Formula

There are some general guidelines that could be considered a basic formula for affirmations. First, use short words and phrases so they are easy to recall. Second, state the words and phrases in a positive form. You are creating a 1-step picture of what you want to have happen. (As a point of interest, the famous “Lord’s Prayer” is written in positives: it tells you what to do; not what not to do.) Third, always use present tense to motivate the brain to get on board now as in “this is a done deal.” When you speak in future tense the brain may think “when that future time comes if you still want to do this I’ll help you.” The words ‘I’m going to’ is future tense and may never arrive. And last but not least, be genuine and truthful to yourself and others, avoiding insincerity, flattery, manipulation, or a word picture that can never happen. For example, telling a person who is five feet tall: “You are six feet tall” is unhelpful unless you also help them learn to use stilts. 

Affirmation—An Art and a Science

As with anything else, the effective use of affirmations is both an art and a science that is honed through practice. Yes, it’s a learning curve if you were not showered with helpful self-worth-building comments growing up so failed to learn that skill. As with most everything else worth honing, it requires information that your brain can turn into knowledge and apply on a daily basis. Since each brain is unique, so will be the affirmations it directs toward the self and toward others. An affirmation simply involves a style of speaking. The Free Dictionary defines it as a solemn declaration; an assertion; a positive statement or judgment about the truth of something; a statement intended to provide encouragement, emotional support, or motivation. Jean Marie Stine referred to affirmations as the mind’s programming language. 

NPD & Energy

My mother has a NPD and being around her is simply exhausting. What can I do?

Dealing with NPD can be exhausting and can negatively impact your energy. What type of interactions exhaust your brain? People to talk nonstop about their problems but respond with ‘that won’t work’ every time you make a helpful suggestion? How is your energy level after spending a relationship encounter with them? Do you feel drained or energized? It’s one thing to voluntarily do a random act of kindness, it’s another to spend your time dancing to someone else’s needy tune. No relationship is 100% functional and affirming all the time. Sometimes you give more, sometimes they do, especially when it ‘rains’ on your parade. There needs to be a balance, however, over time. If you are your friend’s primary resource or they get your attention through bad behavior or unwise choices, rethink the relationship. Relationships that are not healthy and reciprocal are like a mild headache. You grow accustomed to the pain and accept it as ‘normal’ over time, failing to recognize the increasing painful headache, sometimes until it produces a 'brain tumor,' metaphorically. Remember: nutritious food gives you energy; so do nutritional relationships.

NPD & Energy

My mother has a NPD and being around her is simply exhausting. What can I do?

Dealing with NPD can be exhausting and can negatively impact your energy. What type of interactions exhaust your brain? People to talk nonstop about their problems but respond with ‘that won’t work’ every time you make a helpful suggestion? How is your energy level after spending a relationship encounter with them? Do you feel drained or energized? It’s one thing to voluntarily do a random act of kindness, it’s another to spend your time dancing to someone else’s needy tune. No relationship is 100% functional and affirming all the time. Sometimes you give more, sometimes they do, especially when it ‘rains’ on your parade. There needs to be a balance, however, over time. If you are your friend’s primary resource or they get your attention through bad behavior or unwise choices, rethink the relationship. Relationships that are not healthy and reciprocal are like a mild headache. You grow accustomed to the pain and accept it as ‘normal’ over time, failing to recognize the increasing painful headache, sometimes until it produces a 'brain tumor,' metaphorically. Remember: nutritious food gives you energy; so do nutritious relationships. 

Dealing with NPD Behaviors

How do I even start figuring out how to deal with NPD Behaviors?

What can you do when confronted by a person exhibiting symptoms characteristic of Narcissistic Personality Disorder? First, recognize that it involves their self-absorption, inability to manage anger, low self-esteem, low levels of Emotional Intelligence, failure to be empathetic, tendency to blame others, learned styles of coping (or not coping) with the ups and downs of life, low motivation for improvement, and so on. Refuse to accept blame or responsibility when it isn’t yours. When I encounter narcissistic behaviors I ask myself: will this matter in 12 months? If the answer is no, I simply get through that one encounter as soon as possible and find something for which to be grateful. If the answer is yes, then I address the issue functionally. Meaning, I set and implement appropriate boundaries to protect myself. When the narcissist is an adult family member, you can still choose to limit your exposure, set and implement appropriate protective boundaries, and avoid taking their narcissistic behaviors personally. More tomorrow.