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YOUNG & OLD / MENTAL FITNESS

Byhumanityupd

YOUNG & OLD Brain scans reveal the different ways young and old brains process information. When young and old test subjects look at pictures, the young brains experience most activity in the right hemisphere, in a region known as the right visual cortex. Older brains activate the visual cortices of the right and left hemispheres…

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CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE

Byhumanityupd

CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE Nevertheless, some decline in brain function is inevitable as we age. The first system to show its age is memory. Brains begin requiring more time to learn and store information in late middle age. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex experiences a drop in its ability to hold information in so…

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A MATURE VISION / THE AGING BRAIN

Byhumanityupd

A MATURE VISION SHE WAS BORN on a New York farm before the Civil War, when high technology meant steam railroad engines and telegraph lines. By the time of her death, America had sent rockets into space. In between those events, Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses learned to adapt, not only with the changing times…

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MATURITY – FINDING BALANCE AS THE BRAIN AGES [ REGISTERING EMOTIONS ]

Byhumanityupd

MATURITY – FINDING BALANCE AS THE BRAIN AGES AFTER ADOLESCENCE, the brain transitions into adulthood. A fully functioning prefrontal cortex is the highest expression of the human brain. The balance of reason and emotion marks the emergence of the adult brain. Only in functional adulthood does society expect a person to have the ability to…

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SCHIZOPHRENIA – RESEARCH & TREATMENT [ WAVES OF CHANGES ]

Byhumanityupd

SCHIZOPHRENIA – RESEARCH & TREATMENT [ WAVES OF CHANGES ] RESEARCH & TREATMENT Research for treatment and a future cure focuses on imbalances of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain’s neural networks. In particular, the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is believed to play a significant role in schizophrenic episodes. Imbalances damage brain cells, and the…

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ADHD – CAUSES & TREATMENTS [ WAVES OF CHANGES

Byhumanityupd

ADHD – CAUSES & TREATMENTS [ WAVES OF CHANGES ] Research points to a lack of efficient dopamine use in the brain of those with ADHD. Medications such as Ritalin, Cylert, and Dexedrine increase the amount of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, either through introducing more of them into the synapses or inhibiting their reuptake so…

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ATTENTION DEFICITS [ WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN ]

Byhumanityupd

ATTENTION DEFICITS [ WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN ] Much scientific research has historically focused on the brain of infants as they begin to develop their mental abilities, and on diseases that begin to sap the brain power of elderly. Only recently has the adolescent and teenage brain gotten its proper due. Neuroscientists…

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ATTAINING MATURITY / WINDOWS OF VULNERABILITY [ WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN ]

Byhumanityupd

ATTAINING MATURITY / WINDOWS OF VULNERABILITY [ WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN ] ATTAINING MATURITY The frontal lobes, last to receive their myelin coating, playa crucial role in choosing proper behavior, inhibiting inappropriate behaviors and selecting the best actions for meeting goals. If not fully myelinated, a teenager’s brain may not be well…

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DEVELOPMENT RATES / GENDER DIFFERENCES / GAINING CONTROL ( WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN )

Byhumanityupd

DEVELOPMENT RATES / GENDER DIFFERENCES / GAINING CONTROL ( WAVES OF CHANGES – AN ADOLESCENT BRAIN ) DEVELOPMENT RATES As the child grows into an adolescent, different regions of the brain develop at different rates. For example, the regions that govern reflexes and the ability to process new information are as mature in a teenager’s…

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YOUTH & PLASTICITY / SPECIALIZATION [ A NEW BRAIN ]

Byhumanityupd

YOUTH & PLASTICITY The younger the brain, the more plastic it is. Young brains have the ability to learn and adapt with great ease. Young brains even have the potential to rewire themselves, and are thus able to overcome severe trauma, such as damage to an entire hemisphere. For example, a seven-year-old named Michael in…