Sep 12, 2006
Use It or Lose It: what is It?
By: Alvaro Fernandez
Who has not heard “Use It or Lose It”. Now, what is “It”? And, is “It” only one thing or a number of integrated elements, each of which are heavily involved in specific “brain exercises”, and all of which are important to maintain Brain Fitness.
Let’s review at a glance:
The brain is composed of 3 “brains” or main sub-systems, each named after the evolutionary moment in which the sub-system is believed to have appeared, and after which species we share that structure with.
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A) Neocortex, or Human Brain, is the most recent area, where we perform high-level thinking and complex integrative tasks. Other mammals do have this part too, but in much smaller proportion of the whole brain volume. B) Limbic System, or Mammalian Brain, critical for emotions and for memory, C) Cerebellum and Stem, or Reptilian Brain, that regulates basic vital variables such as breathing, heartbeat and motor coordination (Credit for pic: Arnold Keyserling and R.C.L.) |
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B) Limbic system: emotions are generated here, as well as the appetites and urges that help us survive. For instance, the amygdala gets triggered to prepare us to deal with a threatening situation, resulting in our feeling of fear. The hippocampus is key in the formation of memory. (Credit: Sandhills College) |
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A) The Neocortex is composed of
-Frontal Lobes: or the CEO of the Mind, for sophisticated brain functions such as planning and conceptualizing. -Parietal: deals with movement, the senses, and some forms of recognition -Temporal: auditory processes and language -Occipital: visual processing center (credit: Morphonix) |
