Secret Brain Review

nine months developing body parts, all things are formed, especially the brain. Even though the

In the article titled, “Secrets of the Brain” published in the February 2014 issue of National Geographic, we learn that there have been many advances in understanding the inner workings of our brains. One of the leading scentists, Van Weeden, is working hard to understand the connections that occur within our heads.

Brain chemistry is a detailed system that helps the brain to interact with the chemicals that moves important around the brain. Brain chemistry changes depending on what substance or how much of the substance is used. These changes can indicate signs of the beginning of an addiction over time if the drug use begins to get worst it can lead to dramatic changes in the brains over all chemistry. This example supports the theory of brain change ”‘when we elevated levels of ΔFosB in the NAc, the mice exhibited behaviors that are considered reliable indicators that exposing people to the same conditions would cause addiction: They showed more sensitivity to the drug (responded to doses one-third those required to produce a response in normal animals), self-administered more drug, and displayed greater drive (or craving) for cocaine (they worked two to three times as hard to get the drug) ().” The opposing side stated this as their disagreement “human psychology is simply the reflection of human neurophysiology. Thus, for instance, although the authors claim that their account of addiction is relatively 'skeptical,' and has less explanatory power than that of their opponents, they nevertheless seem to accept at least the possibility of a complete account, which will only come about as a result of 'further advances in biological and psychological science (Foxcroft, L. J.

It is believed that certain individuals are predisposed or vulnerable to addiction based on biological, psychological and social influences. The euphoric high produced by many addictive substances is the result of overstimulation of the “pleasure center” of the brain. This is the same area that controls emotions, fear, self-control and overall feelings of wellness. The presence of these foreign chemicals creates a response that the brain will crave as soon as it fades. The brain’s chemistry works against its own health, as it rewires its decision making faculties around the primary goal of finding and taking more of the drug” (1). Many people mistakenly believe that psychological addiction is somehow less serious or real than physical addiction. The psychological aspects of addiction are much more challenging to repair and recover from than the physical addiction. Psychological addiction can last for years or even a lifetime.

Babies grow and change so much in the first two years of life, and many of those growth are directly related to the brain. Brain grows so rapidly than any other organ and reaches 75% by the age of 2. Communication within the central nervous system and spinal cord begins with neurons. The final part of the brain prefrontal cortex matures.

I read the article, “Secrets of the Brain”, found in the February 2014 issue of National Geographic written by Carl Zimmer. I chose this subject because I have been fascinated with the brain and how it works. The research of the brain has been ongoing for many centuries now. The history in this article is interesting. It explained how scientists used to understand the brain and its inner workings. For example, “in the ancient world physicians believed that the brain was made of phlegm. Aristotle looked on it as a refrigerator, cooling of the fiery heart. From his time through the Renaissance, anatomists declared with great authority that our perceptions, emotions, reasoning, and actions were all the result of “animal spirits”—mysterious, unknowable vapors that swirled through cavities in our head and traveled through our bodies.” (Zimmer, p. 38)

By 24 weeks the vital organs of the fetus are well-formed and the brain has nearly its full complement of billions of neurons. Premature or full-term, at this age, the brain faces a lot of challenges. For that reason, a controlled environment helps them manage the world around them considering that what surrounds us affects the developing brain. The environment formulates on the developing brain but does not formulate on a blank slate. This also tells about the plasticity of the brain; how a developing structure is modifiable due to experience. I could tell that the special treatment baby Elizabeth received, made a difference to her brain. It influenced her reactions, sensations, and reflexes. The experiment the doctor did with her and a toy was an example of it when the toy really captured her attention. I think the doctors did a remarkable job with her and it was wonderful to see how connected they were. It is very interesting that the intensive care unit mimics the womb and that thanks to that the babies are able to confront the world and handle all these new stimulations a little bit better. They also emphasize the skin contact with the mother so they can feel close to her and relaxed at the same time which does her good because once the mother has the baby on her breast the brain and body connect and makes them feel

I have found my basic knowledge of the brain’s development extremely helpful, especially when working with teenage clients. It has assisted me in identifying the most suitable way of working with them.

Technology has allowed us to gain greater insight into the effects that these substances have on the body, and the research largely affected the ways in which I thought about addiction. The largest influencer on my opinions on addiction were the arguments originating in the research on neurobiology, with my interest focusing largely on neurotransmitters and processes such as the down-regulation of receptor sites in response to the overproduction or inhibited reuptake of certain neurotransmitters (Inaba & Cohen, 2011). To me it would make sense that these actions would encourage the user to continue using whatever substance caused the changes to happen in the first place. In their article arguing for medication-assisted therapy for inmates in the criminal justice system, Bruce and Schleifer (2008) summarized my ideas surrounding addiction: “In essence, the overwhelming physical and psychological reward that comes from heroin derails a neurobiological system designed to preserve the individual” (p. 18). Rather than being limited just to heroin, this was my opinion on all addicting psychoactive

The PBS special "The Secret Life of the Brain" took us through all different aspects of the brain and its formation through life. These five movies taught us that the brain is plastic and is always changing, cutting unused neurons and filling with different ideas and thoughts that you learn from your environment. The five videos go through the five stages of life; baby, child, teenager, adult and finally the aging brain.

Debates have been circling of when the human brain is developed new research from Sandra Aamodt and has shown brain development

The teenage brain is a work in progress. It is just like any body part of a child, it is still growing. The brain acts differently in the teenage years. It is stuck in a battle between impetuous desires and reasonable thinking. Studies have shown that his phase of the brain is needed and helpful to teenagers so that they can understand the world by themselves. Teenagers are influenced easily by peer and emotional pressure. A chemical called dopamine is responsible for this because it is produced when we get a pleasant feeling. High Dopamine levels are attained in adolescence years and this is why they have impulsive desires. The main leader of the brain is the prefrontal cortex. The qualities of this brain part increase over time with age.

Annie Murphy Paul said of fetal origins (2011), “it's based on the theory that our health and well-being throughout our lives is crucially affected by the nine months we spend in the womb.” This idea, that what babies learn in the womb affects the rest of their lives, would make the

A newborns brain growth is rapid and their growth and development reflects their experiences and social relationships (Berger,2014). From two weeks after conception until two weeks after birth the brain grows more rapidly than any other organ in the body (Berger,2014). We will now examine what biologically takes place inside the brain of an infant to better try to understand why development at this stage is so crucial. A newborns brain has billions of neurons, that are located in the portion of the brain called the Cortex, and they regulate and control thought, feeling, and sensation (Berger, 2014). In addition, research has found that children younger than

Brain development in the first two years is the most important and critical. Maria Montessori referred to this time as of the "absorbent mind" Early brain development is the frame work for the road ahead. When and how the brain develops in the first two years will play a critical role into adulthood. At birth, the brain is the only incomplete organ. The brain will continue to grow through childhood and adolescents.