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QUESTION: Hello. I have a question that is somewhat difficult to categorize, but I had thought if anyone could give me a clue to an answer, someone in your field perhaps could, or come close. I was wondering if you could give me an idea about a possible explanation of something I used to experience years ago…
The study conducted by researchers at McGill University in Montreal and published in January issue of Nature Neuroscience showed that the music increased dopamine levels in certain areas of the brain. Various types of music were shown to be effective depending on individual preferences. >> More at Brainfuels.com
Historically, the teachers, researchers and caregivers of mentally retarded children and adults paid their attention to intellectual development, while the role of physical fitness stayed uncertain. The interest in recreation activity has been increased in 1990s however, the practitioners are still reluctant to use fitness programs in their students’ curricula, although motor skills development had been emphasized.
Researchers Drs Cabler-Halle, James W. Halle, and Barry Chung at the University of Illinois in their review tried to find causal relationships between aerobic fitness and improvements in mental, emotional, ans social scores of retarded children and adults.
They examines (1) the effects of aerobic exercise on intellectual, behavioral, and self-conceptual changes in persons with mental retardation and comcludes that in spite of many methodical flaus and insufficiant statistical data, a clear effect of improvement was observed — often immediately — after aerovic exercising for as little as 10 minutes or as long as 2 hours. Few data have been reported positive effects of aerobic exercise on IQ scores. It’s been suggested (2) that children with developmental delays are more sensitive to the effects of interventions designed to affect mental function than individuals who are not developmentally delayed
The authors concluded “Perhaps physical fitness programming for those with developmenral disabilities would have wider appeal and application if it were embedded in the bTOadeT contexl of psychological and behavioral change (i.e., engagement in exercise produces generalized changes beyond direct improvement in physical well-being).”
Sources:
1. Res Devel Disabil Vol. 14, pp. 359-386, 1993
2. Educ Psychol Rev (2008) 20:111–131
The Netherlands and UK researchers reported their results of attention task studies (Religion and the Attentional Blink: Depth of faith predicts depth of the blink. Frontiers in Cognition, September 2010).
They worked with two groups similar in cultural upbringing, with no group differences for age, mood, personality traits and IQ. One groups consisted of Atheistic, the other of Dutch Calvinists. The tool researchers measured what they called “Attention Allocation” was Attention Blink (AB):
Participants had to identify and report two digits presented in a rapid stream of letter distractors. The second digit was presented wither immediately after the first, or could be separated by several distraction cards.
The First digit was reported equally well by both groups with more correct results when the two digits were separated by longer time lags. However, the second digit, though equally well reported by short and long lags, was correct in 75% presentations in the Atheist group but only in 60% presentations in the Dutch Calvinists group.
The authors offer a very interesting discussion from the standpoints of East-West, collectivistic-individualistic, and wholistic-reductionistic cognitive differences between theri experimental groups.
• Alzheimer’s affects approximately 4.5 million Americans and is
expected to affect up to 16 million by 2050.
• Alzheimer’s affects approximately 5 percent of men and women
ages 65–74.
• Nearly half of people 85 and older have Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer’s must be distinguished from mild cognitive impairment
and normal age-related memory changes.
(National Institute of Aging. Alzheimer’s Disease Information, May 9, 2006)
Research evidence is accumulating, showing that many of the same strategies for maintaining physical health are also applicable for maintaining brain plasticity and good cognitive functioning throughout the lifespan. These studies reinforce the message that exercise—physical and mental—is an essential part of any comprehensive health program (ALTERNATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES—OCTOBER 2006 pp 222-227)
Exercise can help maintain balance, and balance in the elderly has been highly correlated with performance measures of mental abilities such as general intelligence, memory, and reaction time. Balance thus serves as a biomarker of cerebroarterial blood flow
and age-related global neurophysiologic status (Neuropsychologia 2006;44:1978–1983).
Magnetic resonance imaging to assess cortical thickness revealed that brain areas—such as the prefrontal cortex involved with memory, attention, and sensory processing—were approximately 5 percent thicker in the subjects who meditated compared with those who did not. This difference was most pronounced in older participants, suggesting that meditation might offset agerelated cortical thinning (Neuroreport 2005;16:1893–1897)
Related:
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Read also Brain rewards, endorphins
The best of the few known conventional theories on acupuncture belongs to a team of theoretical biologists working under Dr. Dmitri Chernavski, an academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, in Moscow. The group approached the problem from the point of view of concept of neurocomputing.
Since mid-century, using a model based on human neural structures, a whole new class of computers, possessing so called ” artificial intelligence”, has been developed – the ones that can learn, recognize objects, and correct their own mistakes. In somewhat of a paradox, the reverse logic has been used now, in order to explain the mechanisms of a live brain using the known electronic models. Thus the theory of self-diagnostic function of an organism was developed. Most of these self-diagnostic (recognizing the “image of a disease”) processes take place in the spinal cord. In the gray matter of the spinal cord, the neurons are organized into what are called “Rexed laminae” and their functions are well-known.
The signals from the inner organs, as well as from the skin and muscles first go through the first lamina, separate from each other. Then the signals move through the second lamina, third one, and so on, while increasingly interacting with each other and, after ten laminae, finally reach the brain in the form of one integrated set of information about the body’s state of being. The computers that recognize objects have basically the same laminar structure and function of signal integration. In both cases, an omitted signal from an internal organ, or one that is not strong enough, will be compensated for by the other one (e.g. from the skin), thus correcting the mistake.
According to Dr. Chernavski, skin stimulation at the point of acupuncture accomplishes the same goal. The process of integration in the Rexed laminae increases the flow of “signals of illness” from an organ, or points out a body’s mistake in recognizing the disorder. It is as if you wanted to send a letter to someone down the stream with little or no water using a miniature ship to carry it. Add some water, and the ship will get there. Neither the way of adding the water nor the water itself has any effect on the content of letter sent.
Once the body has the stronger, clearer information about the injury or disease, the natural healing powers of the body take over. What happens when the disease is recognized, the above theory does not explain, stating that the body has enough resources to battle the disease on its own. Conventional medicine neglects that statement, while holistic medicine is based on it.
Nevertheless, conventional medicine may be missing an opportunity in dismissing this explanation too quickly. Within the limits of the West’s strict paradigm, there has been collected a large number of facts on natural ways of fighting diseases. We offer to discuss one of the most universal mechanisms to restore body’s balance.
It is known that a number of physical actions in excess of average intensity, including pain, stress, bleeding, acupuncture, sex, laughing, drugs and even highly palatable foods can trigger the release of endorphins (Fig. 5). Pain reduction , in it’s turn, is the most common result associated with the release of endorphins. It has been concluded recently, that any intense skin stimulation will cause a significant release of endorphins.
Another effect is the curious state the body falls into after the endorphin concentration has gone up: a number of other physiological regulators are released into the bloodstream such as growth hormone and insulin. Each one of those regulators changes a number of different body functions. As a result, it is not surprising that many serious diseases are linked to the abnormalities in the endorphin system including may kinds of addiction, schizophrenia, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease as well as PMS and weight problems. We believe that there may be some linkage between abnormalities in the endorphin system and various conditions such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and may kinds of addiction.
Thus, skin stimulation, even not necessarily as accurate as in acupuncture, but intensive enough, does two things:
1. Provides additional information on the nature of the disorder to the body’s self-diagnostic system
2. Helps to create a new physiological state which is more adequate and favorable to the healing process
From the book Reflexo-therapy From Kuznetsov’s Applicator to Shakti Mat
There are quite a few so called “axes” where the brain is involved. The most studied is hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dealing mostly with stress and the sleep/wake cycle and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis reproduction, life cycle, and sexual dimorphism & behavior. Recently, emerging evidence supports the existence of communication axes between other organs as well, with the central role of the brain remaining. The gut-brain-skin axis is thought to be responsible also for the stress challenge that, if not managed, can cause skin inflammation and the hair growth inhibition. The good news is, there are ways to deal with the challenge by improving of the microflora of the guts by probiotics (Exp Dermatol. 2010 Jan 25).
For example, myocardial infarction (heart attack) causes the release of pro-inflammatory substances that may affect the function of other organs including various structures brain where they result in an increase in cell death (J Psychopharmacol 2009, 23, 451–459; Biol Psychiatry 2006, 59, 430–433) while the friendly probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum taken in combination reduced these adverse effects (British Journal of Nutrition (2009), 102:1420-1425).
A spectacular result proving the gut-brain axis influence on the quality of life has been presented in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007, 61, 355–361). Those participants of the double blind controlled trial who reported themselves to be constipated infrequently were more clearheaded, confident and elated. When the participants prone to be depressed at the onset of the trial where treated with probiotics, they responded by reporting themselves as happy rather than depressed while these changes were not observed in the control group taking milk drinks containing no probiotics.
“Something is wanted — either a constitution or a piece of sturgeon under horseradish sauce.” M.E. Saltykov-Schedrin (19th Century)
In the late 50s, the classic experiments by Dr. Olds shook the world. He implanted electrodes into certain regions of rat brains and taught the rats how to press lever to stimulate these regions with weak electric currents. Rats stopped doing anything but pressing the lever till their death from complete starvation. The Positive Reward theory was born. It turned out that anything pleasurable in life did related to these “Centers of Pleasure” — sex, alcohol, drugs of abuse — all that mankind has invented in its hedonic journey, were but attempts to stimulate these brain regions.
We know that eating will produce a pleasant sensation so often we eat even though all we need is comfort. The truth is, exercise, sauna, cold shower, massage, pleasant odors, and mental efforts (workoholism is real!) — all increase Endorphin level while only eating, especially when your body does not need it, will cause extra pounds of fat to collect in your body’s store.
“A mechanism for opiate [e.g. endorphin] mediation of food intake was postulated. It starts with a feeding initiating signal, which produces activation of the receptors, thereby inducing eating. Eating produces a circular reaction starting with hedonic input from the eating [process]. This, in turn, produces reward, which causes further eating, completing the circle” [Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 18:369; 1992].
Fasting can be as rewarding
The tricky thing with endorphins is that there are pairs of releasers resembling a thesaurus’ antonyms: exercise does the same os its antonym sleep, pleasure goes together with pain, local blood flow increase does the same to endorphin release as the local lack of oxygen. The eating-fasting pair also exists. Many people reported elation when they skipped breakfasts. Religeous fasters experience euforia.
“Severe food restriction produces opiate activity, which is reinforcing. Feeding interrupts the opiate activity and, thus, produces withdrawal. Not eating, therefore, is rewarding.” [Appetite 19:1-13; 1992].
Next time you crave anything, ask yourself “What is it I really need? A glass of water? A walk? A hug?”
Before eating whatever you think you crave, try other rewards. Buying fresh flowers can be a better answer than a bowl of Rocky Road. Exercise, go to sauna, take a cold shower, invest in a massage device, buy a vail of perfume, enjoy a book…
Try periodic fasts. After resuming eating, your taste buds will be satisfied with lesser taste intensity thus reducing the taste influence on the body weight set point.
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The great clinical success of the at least 37 studies of the “Relaxation Response”, conducted starting as early as 1970s serves for scientific support of this idea. Dr. H. Benson, one of the authors of the best-sellers “The Relaxation Response” and “Beyond the Relaxation Response” wrote in 1975:
“The frequent elicitation of the physiologic changes associated with the emergency reaction has been implicated in the development of diseases such as hypertension. Prevention and treatment of these diseases may be through the use of the relaxation response, an integrated hypothalamic response whose physiologic changes appear to be the counterpart of the emergency reaction” (Int. J Psychiatry Med. 6 (1-2): 87-98,1975). [The hypothalamus is a structure in the basis of the brain, which controls many important body functions]
It has been shown that this technique, including breathing awareness as a major component, yet simple, is efficient in solving many somatic and psychological problem, reducing hypertension, insomnia, anxiety, pain, and medication use across multiple populations, diagnostic categories, and settings. It has been also concluded that this approach also can be used to treat certain common pediatric problems, such as headaches, enuresis, acute and chronic pain, and habit disorders.
This is how the relaxation response is scientifically defined recently:
“The relaxation response is an integrated psycho-physiologic response originating in the hypothalamus that leads to a generalized decrease in arousal of the central nervous system. As such it is the physiologic antithesis of the stress response” (Mandle C.L .et al., “J. Cardiovascular Nursing” 10 (3): 4-26,1996).
This is how simply you can elicit the relaxation response:
1. Choose a short phrase or a word that holds great meaning for you, or perhaps a phrase with religious meaning
2. Sit down on a chair in a quiet environment with your spine straight
3. Close your eyes
4. Use progressive relaxation technique:
5. Breathe slowly and naturally. As you do, focus on your word or phrase. Repeat it to yourself each time you exhale. If your thoughts distract you, simply return to your word or phrase.
6. Continue the technique for 10 to 20 minutes. Use this technique upon waking in the morning and just before going to bed at night for optimum results.
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