Brain

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Nicola Tesla saw the earth as the Brain, an infinite capacity system. The hardware, the organ of socialization, it civilizes us. It is the operator, the processor of information. Paired with the body. No single brain is the same, varying in borders and size. Shapes or brain maps depend and change upon our experiences. Keeping us active and alive, using our own interneurons to process sensations and cause volitional movements, where neurons in the brain initiate movement, sending impulses to the spinal cord and then to the motor nerves. The human brain is the most complex object in the universe, capable of ongoing, massive micro-structural changes and genetically mutating gene pool variating valuable survival traits. Primal instincts and standard brain modules. We have 98% same DNA as chimps but differ by our regulatory gene, which determines when the process of cell division will stop. Creating new wholes and greater sums of parts. Sublimation of senses forming new perspectives. The powers of the brain are unaltered limits with infinite capabilities

1) Memory 

2) Processing Speed 

3) Intelligence 

New Brain Development: (Birth-1 yr) the brain mass increases 3x. (2yr-adolescence) Increased neuronal synapse connections, the cerebral cortex connects sensory cortex, temporal, and frontal cortex, increased myelination

Old Brain: Decreased mass and number of neurons. Decreased memory and commitment to make new memories, making time seem to fly by

Dementia: Loss of neuron in prefrontal cortex. Amyloid plaque tangles. Tau protein clumps  

Brain's response to any demand. Stress Early exposure to stressful events actually sensitizes pepople to stress later in life, greater incidence to all mental illness as in adults and is especially harmful for those who have a genetic predisposition (serotonin opiod system, glucocorticoid, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalmus) neural response 

Nature (enviroment) vs. Nurture (in born qualities) Response to stressors 

1) Biological 

2) Psychological. Increased stressors are any physical or psychological stimuli or event that provokes stress response in organism 

Psychological Distress: 

1) Depression 

2) Anxiety 

3) Neuroticism 

Lead to behavior, autonomic, endocrine (adrenaline/cortisol) and immune response issues 

Psychological Resources: 

1) Social Support 

2) Coping 

3) Self Esteem 

4) Optimism Perception 

5) Reaction. Alarm. Resist. Exhaust

Gas: Degree of stress. Exhaustion. Tending and befriending. Women have lower corticotropin releasing, so are naturally more stressed

Eustress: Positive beneficial energy. Motivates resulting in feelings of happy and hopeful. Purposeful movement. Downtime and positive perception

Distress: Negative draining energy that results in anxiety, depression, confusion, helplessness, hopelessness, and fatigue

Acute Stress: Uneasy. Concerned. Sad. Suppression of immune system. Increased metabolism, using body fats for energy. Increased blood pressure. Impotence. Decreased memory/learning. Increased risk of blood clots and strokes. Increased cardiopulmonary tone

Chronic Stress: Anxiety. Panic attacks. Depression. Anorexia/Overeating. Decreased resistance to infection. Insulin resistance. Amenorrhea. Increased fatigue. Irritability. Increased risk of angina, MI's, respiratory issues

Stress life should be short

Long Term Stress Effects: 

1) SAM: High resting heart rate. Heart disease. Platelet aggregation. Reactive BP. HIgh cholesterol. High triglycerides. Renal/Hepatic. Glucose intolerance. Muscle tension. Hyperventilation. Digestive issues. Chronic anger/anxiety 

2) HYPAC: Immune system compromised. Atherosclerosis. Depression. High blood pressure. Insulin insensitivity. obesity. High blood lipids. Protein break down. Osteoporosis. Immunoglobin

Created in (1967) as a perception of life stressors, using a 6 month score, where 300-500 more increased stress circumstances that cross that threshold, cause disruptions in the somatic (involuntary) activity and alters thought process

Ex. of Scoring: (74 points) Kept in bed a week or more, like long hospital stay (119 points) Death of spouse (123 points) Death of child (102) Death of sibling (100) Death of parent (96) Divorce. Not all events are perceived to have same degree of intensity or disruptiveness. Culture may dictate whether/not and how much stress over events

Uncertainty or dread resulting from real or perceived threats (vagueness of dread) Erodes feelings of self esteem and personal worth. Normal anxiety energizes and motivates

Types of Anxiety: 

1) Separation 

2) Phobias 

3) Social 

4) Panic Disorder 

5) Agoraphobia 

6) Generalized Anxiety Disorder 

7) OCD 

8) Body Dysmorphic 

9) Hoarding 

10) Trichotrillmania (hair)   

11) Excoriation (skin)

Anxiety Disorders: Rigid, repetitive, and ineffective behavior to control anxiety

Dread: Memory of terror and fear projected outward into a future

Fear: Reaction to danger

Panic: Unable to attend environment (depersonalization and derealization) sympathetic disorganization, irrational reasoning

Terror: State of intense or overwhelming fear. Someone or something inspiring fear

1) Joy 

2) Surprise 

3) Sadness 

4) Anger 

5) Disgust 

6) Contempt 

7) Shame 

8) Fear 

9) Guilt 

10) Interest/Excitement or Pride/Love

Hard Wired Emotions: Basic Emotions corresponding to a distinct and dedicated neurological circuit (instinct) 

1) Joy 

2) Sadness 

3) Anger 

4) Fear 

5) Trust 

6) Mistrust 

7) Surprise 

8) Anticipate  

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Brings messages from sense receptors to spinal cord and brain carries message to muscles and glands

Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain, spinal cord. Integrated and control system. PNS nerve fibers conduct impulse to CNS and skeletal muscles. Somatic and visceral nerve fibers. Afferent

Somatic Nervous System: Voluntary motor nerve fibers conduct impulses from CNS and skeletal system

Somatosensory system: Network of cells, fibers, organs that receive, transmit, and interprets. CNS

1) Transduction 

2) Transmission: Nerve fibers, myelination 

3) Perception: Thalamus (nosciomatic) frontal, parietal of limbic system interprets 

4) Modulation: Midbrain releases endorphin, serotonin

Visceral Autonomic Nervous System: Involuntary motor nerve fibers conduct impulse from CNS to cardiac smooth muscle and glands

Enteric Nervous System: Brain/Gut arousal of sympathetic response. Ritualistic 

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Sacral Vagus, long cranial nerve. Parasympathetic and sympathetic systems work together to regulate internal organs

Sympathetic: Mobilize body systems during activity. (Fight or Flight) Eyes dilate. Inhibits saliva. Increased lung and heart rate. Decreased activity in Stomach. Pancreas. Liver. Gallbladder. Adrenal glands release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Bladder relaxes. Genitals promote ejaculation and vaginal contractions. Nerve fibers everywhere in heart

Parasympathetic: Conserve energy. Promote house keeping functions (Rest and Digest) Eyes. Salivary. Decreased heart rate and contractitility. Lung activity. Bronchi Constriction. Stomach, Pancreas. Liver. Gallbladder. Bladder. Erections. Genitals. Vasodilation. Glycogenesis. Dry skin. Nerve fibers on to SA and AV nodes

Bodily Response: 

1) Excitability 

2) Conductivity 

3) Contractility 

4) Adaptability 

5) Adjustability 

6) Inhibition

We are born with billions of neurons, but it’s not the number of neurons itself that determines our mental characteristics but how they are connected. They deliver fast acting, short living, localized messages through our nervous system. A computer mathematically analyzed this message firing pattern, and found the pattern of neuronal firing always occurs 300 milliseconds before actions are performed. 300 milliseconds for the brain to send a command down the spinal cord to the muscles. The time it takes to turn thought into action. An electrical signal lasting 1/1000 of a second

Neurotransmitters: Release in synapse to excite or inhibit neurons. Excite: Receive to fire off own signal. Inhibit: Receive to be less likely to signal fire off

Serotonin Race Track: Hypocampus 

1st) Dopamine 

2nd) Norepinephrine 

3rd) Serotonin

Neuromodulators: (Hormones) enhance or diminish effectiveness of synaptic connections and bring enduring change

Myelin: Protects neurons and helps conduct electrical impulses quickly

Neuroglia: Nerve Glue

Axon: Conducting region of neuron. Generates nerve impulse transmitting. Segretory regulation. Chemical Confersation that depends on cell body either renew necessary proteins and membrane components and be efficient transport mechanism distribution

Trigger Zones: Reflex arcs. 3 types: 

1) Multipolar: Cell to muscle 

2) Bipolar: Eye to brain 

3) Unipolar: Spinal to skin

Electrical Synapse: Rapid axonal synapses in hypocampus: emotions and memory

Chemical Synapses: Neurotransmitters. Synaptic vessicles to receptor region. Neuromuscular (Ca+ and Na)

Synapse: Being reassorbed

Inhibit: Receive to be less likely to signal fire off 

Excite: Receive to fire off own signal

Serotonin: Self esteem and sleep acetylcholine: alertness oxytocin: trust melatonin: r and r norepinephrine: excitement phenylethymine: bliss and infatuation dopamine: reward endorphins: pain killer 

Peptides: 

1) Tachykinins: Excite. CNS, cortex. Pain. Mood. Respiratory. Cardiac 

2) Somastatins: Inhibits. CNS, pancreas. Growth hormone w/ GABA 

3) Cholecytokins: Excite. CNS, small intestine. Pain. Anxiety. Memory. Enteric Gut Brain connection

Purines: 

1) ATP: Excite or Inhibit. CNS. Pain. Sensory. Neuron. Ca+ waves. Astrocytes 

2) Adenosine: Inhibit. CNS, PNS. Dilates. Caffeine

Gas Lipids: 

1) Nitrous Oxide: Excite or Inhibit. CNS, spinal, adrenal, penis nerves 

2) Carbon Monoxide: Excite or Inhibit. Neuroglandular system 

3) Endocannabinoid: Inhibit. Throughout. Memory. Weed

Limbic System: Reward system. Interactions with 100 different neurotransmitters, mainly 

1) Epinephrine 

2) Norepinephrine 

3) Dopamine 

4) Serotonin 

5) Gaba 

In the 

1) Amygdala 

2) Hippocampus 

3) Prefrontal Cortex 

Cognitive Processing: Reasoning function. Intellectuality. Express Personality. Purposely interact with environment. Advanced brain. Problem solving 

Noradrenergic: Role in mood, emotions, energy, drive, anxiety, focus, metabolism

Serotonin and Serotonergic System: Involved in regulation of pain, depression, pleasure, anxiety, panic, arousal, sleep cycle, carb craving, premenstrual syndrome

Biogenic Amines: 

Dopamine: Excites or Inhibits. Midbrain, hypothalamus. Parkinson's (Ldopa), schizophrenia. Pleasure center. Brain believes we should make strong note of current behavior. Survival/addict. Reinforces reward. Amphetamines'. Determination. Obsession. Motor function. Compulsion. Involved in plastic change consolidating neuronal body connections. Responsible for behaviors leading us to accomplish our goals. Breaks through blood brain barrier

Serotonin: Inhibits. Midbrain, hypothalamus, limbic, pineal, spinal. Memory. Sleep. Appetite. Learning. Memory. Sex desires. Stimulates increased dopamine and decreased Gaba

Histamine: Excite or Inhibit. Hypothalamus. Learning. Wakeful. Appetit. Memory

Amino Acids: Produce proteins

Glutamate: Inhibits. Cortex, thalamus, olfactory, spinal. Benzos. Fibers. Mood. Affect. Memory formation. Widely in brain. Lowers anxiety and effects memory

Gaba: Excites. Spinal. Main exciter transmitter. Calms neurons down. Alcohol disrupts body and brain function, as one synaptic firing. Learning. Memory. Strokes. Ischemias. Hormonal

Norepinephrine: Inhibits or excites. Brainstem, limbic system, cerebral Cortex. Main transmitter in sympathetic system. Increased amphetimines. Feels good. Coke block is dopamine and norepinephrine. Depression. Move. Learn. Attention. Emotions. Behavior. Adrenaline. Stress hormones. Squeezes all the blood back to vital organs. With epinephrine used for problem solving. coping, our stress response. Increased blood pressure and heart rate

Endorphins: Inhibit. Widely in brain. Pain. Immediate Modulators

Vasopressin: Hormone produce by posterior pituitary. Serum osmolarity. Regulates tonicity of body fluids. Increased kidneys excrete too much water (ADH) Control. Increased urine, thirst. Loss of water from diabetes insipidus. Released when you become a father

Oxytocin: Commitment modulator. Release allowing existing neuronal connections to melt away. Reinforces bonding. Released with orgasms. Released in prairie vole urine making them pair up for life. Calm. Warm mood. Guard down. triggers trust. olfactory bulb releases imprinting offspring scent. Ability to wipe out learned behavior. Melts down existing neuronal connection which underlie existing attachments, so new attachments can be formed

Glycine: Inhibits of Excites. CNS, spinal cord, brainstem, retina. Convulsions. Respiratory distress

Acetylcholine: Inhibits or Excites. Nicotine leverages effect of glutamate. Cerebral cortex, brainstem, hypocampus. Alzheimers. Neuromuscular functions helps brain tune in. Sharpen memory

Hebbian plasticity: Competitive change in brain maps. Neurons that fire together, wire together. Experiences reorganize neural pathways (adverse childhood experience) leads to unmyelinated sympathetic and ventral vagus, decreased dorsal vagal dampens, increased heart rate and respirations, hyperarousal (depression/anxiety)

Plasticina: "Play-Doh" Rearranging molecules with similar behaviors, performed at different times using different circuits. Molecules will never rearrange to their original self ever again. Perpetually altered by every encounter

Long term, to life long neuro-plastic change in the brain. Fos B is a protein produced by addictive drugs that accumulates in the neurons, this accumulation throws a genetic switch affecting which genes are turned on and off, causing change persisting long after the drug is stopped. Irreversible damage to the dopamine system  

Mental Tracks: Like a hill you are sledding down, never sliding down the exact same path, but close to, and the more times you go down the path, the speed increases as you make a smooth grooved path, that you tend to slide into patterns of addiction. An easy quick way down, a tested process to process our senses to perform actions

Tolerance: Increased levels of stimulation, that lead to withdrawal, then addiction

Sensitization: Increased want. Decreased creativity. Differs from tolerance. Ex. Porn

Synthesis is a composition or combination of parts or elements to form a whole; mixing, melding and making molecules. Mental synthesis is conjuring up an image without ever actually seeing it before. Like a pink pony riding a bike. Imagination allows us to visualize this. Everything the mind imagines, leave’s material traces in the brain. Imagination of actions engages the same motor and sensory programs that are involved in actually doing the action, improving actual performance. The faster you can imagine, the faster you can do. It is conscious purposeful synchronization, uniformed conduction time in the brain. This conduction velocity depends on the amount of myelin surrounding neural fibers. The more fatty myelin, the faster the electrical signal. A bunch of myelination happens during childhood, children have a way to change conduction velocity. We are born with up to 15,000 synapses to each neuron. Adults have 1/2 as many synapses as we did at 3 years old. Shrinking when we are stagnant, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Beautiful imagination is more important than any ancient text 

Retention and recall past experiences and learn neural subsystems. Ability to consciously learn and recall information. There are 5 types of memory

1) Declaritive/Episodic: Events and terms

2) Senantic: Memory of knowledge, words, facts • Long term memory

3) Immediate: Attention span • ex. phone numbers 

4) Working: Small amount of information • actively maintained/manipulated

5) Procedural: Retention and retrievable of motor skills • Long term to Moderate information • Visio spatial cognition is the capacity to comprehend/retain and use spatial relationships 

The ways we acquire and retain knowledge. Memory is key to learning, essential to pre literature cultures, it shapes our hypo-campus, and alters structure of our brains at a cellular level, it’s like a computer growing new circuits acquiring new facts and association, affecting neurons and rewiring brain maps. New skills recruit operators devoted to other activities, increasing processing power if they can create a roadblock between operator they need and its usual function. Education is dauntlessness and devotion to human life

Plays a crucial role in reinforcing plastic change made in the brain during critical developmental periods. It consolidates connections between certain neurons, wiring them together to in the future fire together. Promotes myelin growth, which speeds up transmission of electrical signals. During critical periods, it turns on the nucleus basalis, which allows us to focus our attention and keeps it on throughout the entire critical period and when it's completed, strengthening key connections and helps close down the critical period. Stability and plasticity. Massive premature release of BDNF during critical periods of development causes Autism. Reinforces all connections, leading to developmental disorders because their hyperexcitability and hypersensitivity

People with autism don't have a sense that "other minds" exist in the world. Perceptual processing problems, with hypersensitivities to 

1) Sound 

2) Touch 

3) Stimulation overload 

They tend to have bigger brains because of the increased fatty coating around neurons. Undifferentiated cortex leads to more confusion and difficulties paying attention