The Neuro-Protective Lifestyle

Ok so maybe don’t forget sex, try brainwave entrainment in addition too, not instead of, or maybe along with, sex- but still try it tonight.

But wait, what I’m I even talking about? Call it “neurofeedback“, “brainwave synchronization”, or “thalamo-cortical resonance”, it’s all the same thing.

photo credit: Brymo

In case you haven’t noticed, the mammalian brain is happiest when it is resonates at about 7.8 cycles per second. In fact all of nature, “mother-earth” included, resonates at about 7.8 Hz. In the fourth century BCE, the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi developed a “philosophy of mind” based on the “natural order” of the universe - Taoism. In Taoism, man’s central goal is to live harmoniously or “resonate” perpetually with the universe. The concept of wu wei - roughly translated as “effortless doing” is the mind-set required to achieve this natural state of resonance.

If you think I’ve gotten too “new age” for you, consider this. In 1905 the Croatian physicist Nikola Tesla described global electromagnetic resonances, a theory that was later expanded upon and predicted mathematically in 1952 by Winfried Otto Schumann. Schumann was in fact able to measure the frequency of the band of waves that circumnavigated the globe - 7.8 Hz.

You will remember from a previous post that the brain itself is an electromagnetic power-house and oscillates at a variety of frequencies. For example, alpha-waves are associated with “restful alertness” and are present when brainwaves are in the - no surprise, 7-8 Hz range. More importantly, when the brain is subjected to external sound waves, it spontaneously begins to oscillate at the same frequency. Neuroscientists know this phenomenon as “frequency following response” (FFR). This is where the fun begins.

A good deal of the dissonance in our lives is reflective of the loss of resonance with our natural environment. From the Taoist perspective yin and yang forces are not in balance. From a neurobiology point of view, day to day decision-making depends on complete coordination of a variety of brain structures. For example, the hippocampus must resonate with the prefrontal cortex via theta waves in order for “spatial” information to be properly communicated.

Brainwave Entrainment, is all about applying this principle to a number of medical disorders including: depression, generalized anxiety, OCD, ADD to name just a few. Insomnia responds remarkably well to “medical resonance” therapy. Autism, eating disorders, addictions, learning disorders, all can benefit from “sound therapy”.

So how do you do it? The technology is vast and varied, but in essence it all boils down to the same thing - frequency training. A forty-five minute session utilizing acoustically acceptable headphones and an mp3 sound file that is able to generate alpha, theta, delta or beta waves is all that is needed to get started. Binaural beats are a special effect consisting of two sounds with a slightly different pitch played in two separate ears. A third pitch is then generated in the auditory cortex as the brain attempts to resolve the difference in pitch. It is well known for example that pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus resonate happily in response to binaural beats thus encouraging memory consolidation and peak learning performance.

Better than sex? Maybe not, but better than drugs and endless psychotherapy sessions of questionable benefit. Remember, the brain is fully capable of healing itself, if first we get out of the way.

If you want to know more, check out the link in the side-bar (MIND STEREO) and do as the Taoists do - resonate freely!

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photo credit: o2ma

Myth #1

Alcohol kills brain cells.

It does a number on your limbic system and disrupts communication between message-carrying dendrites in your cerebellum - but it doesn’t kill them. The greater the alcohol intake obviously, the greater the amount of disruption. Over time, chronic alcohol ingestion (it takes a lot of alcohol - Zane Lamprey and Steve McKenna-style lots) depletes thiamine levels in the body and brain causing Wernicke-Korsakoff disease. W-K patients develop a profound amnesia, a characteristic eye-movement disorder and persistent confusion - that’s when you know (or don’t) you’ve gone too far!

Myth #2

Brain cells (neurons) are fixed from birth and never regenerate.

This is a hang-over (pun intended) from the 19th century when Spanish histologist (Nobel Prize winning histologist), Santiago Ramon y Cajal, pontificated freely on the structure of the brain. We now know however, that neurons in vital areas of the brain - the hippocampus for one - are constantly regenerating. Survival of brand-new baby neurons is tenuous, so caution is warranted. Loss of sleep and excess stress all serve to decrease survivability. Blueberries on the other hand - give neurogenesis a boost!

Myth #2

Our brains are just massive super-computers.

Nope. Complex neural-networks we are not. Believe it not, what separates the human brain from super-computers is not the ability to learn - but the capacity to forget. Once a neural-network “learns” something, it is hard-wired into the system forever. No going back. You may now start singing the virtues of a volatile memory. No, wait, forget that!

Myth #3

The brain does not change.

On the contrary, this IS the dawning of the age of “plasticity” neuroplasticity that is. Neuroplasticity happens when all of your brain cells (neurons, glia), join forces with your circulatory system to increase your capacity for learning and memory. As a result, the absolute number of synaptic transmissions increases as does the nature of the synapse itself. Remember, synaptic transmission is the “business-end” of the neuron and is critical to enhancing brain function. But get this, overtime more neuronal refinement occurs through “synaptic pruning”. Synaptic pruning eliminates weak synaptic connections thus reinforcing the stronger ones. If that’s not brain changing, then I don’t know what is!

Myth #4

Memory loss is a “normal” part of aging.

Difficulty learning new material and a slightly longer recall time, can be seen as part of the normal aging process. Dramatic memory loss, difficulty following directions, repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation however, should not be considered normal. A simple two-minute screening test can help distinguish between the two.

Myth #5

We only use 10 percent of our brains.

Ok it’s time for this one to go. This fallacy continues to survive despite an abundance of evidence to the contrary. Everyone from Sigmund Freud to Albert Einstein is invoked to lend credibility to this myth. More recently a UK documentary by Professor John Lorber of Sheffield University featured a handful of pediatric patients with remarkably little brain tissue and yet average or even above-average intelligence. CT scanning confirmed it. This may seem convincing at first blush, but CT scanning is now ancient technology. Functional MRI images consistently show that we use all of our brains - all of the time. And with that, it’s time for the ten-percent myth to go!

Look for more brain myths to be busted. Paradigm shifts are an essential part of the scientific process - just ask Thomas Kuhn.

Strange is the new normal.

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If you’re worried that a loved one may be developing Alzheimer’s or another neurodegenerative disorder, this two minute test may be just what the doctor ordered. Administering the test is easy - but I can tell you as a physician and supposedly impartial third party, there is nothing more heart-wrenching than the look of dismay on a son or daughter’s face when an aging parent’s failing memory is finally revealed.

But first a word of caution.

The brevity of the test dictates that questions be cutting and candid. Also, for some, (especially those with mild memory impairment) the simplistic nature of the test questions may be taken as a personal affront. And remember, the answers must be timely and “spot-on” for the test to be properly interpreted.

Here we go.

First find a quiet familiar area without distractions. I always tell my patients before hand that I will be asking a series of questions designed to test their memory. I caution, that they may seem like “simple” questions, but to answer them anyway. If they are not sure about an answer, I encourage them to relax and just do their best.

ORIENTATION TEST

1. What year (month, day, date, time of day) is this?
The answers must be exact. Early memory impairment often reveals itself right here.

WORD REPETITION AND RECALL

2. Repeat after me: apple, table, penny (they must repeat the words clearly and recall all three within three minutes when you prompt them) See question #5.

LANGUAGE AND MEMORY LOSS

3. Name as many different vegetables/animals as you can. Say, “I will tell you when to start and stop”. (Time them for 1 minute, but don’t tell them that - fewer than 10 in one minute is an indication of early memory loss)

ATTENTION AND MEMORY

4. Spell “world” backwards or alternatively ask them to subtract 7 from 100 and then 7 from their answer (93) and so on. Trouble shows up early with this one (the third sequence) if memory impairment is present.

FINAL AND TOTAL RECALL

5. Ask them to recall the list given to them earlier (apple, table penny). Minimum acceptable recall is 2 out of 3 items.

That’s it! Practice on someone else ahead of time. The timing for recall of the list of items is important, as is the one minute limit on listing animal or vegetable names. Record the results and take them to your family member’s physician. He or she can help with proper interpretation of the test results.

Congratulations! You’ve just made a difference.

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