Our Amazing Brain - YLAM230004

SPEAKER A This programme presents ways to optimise health and wellbeing when considering lifestyle changes. Please consult with your health care provider to ensure they are suitable for you. SPEAKER B Hello and welcome. I'm Kaysie Vokurka. The 19th century poet Emily Dickinson once wrote, the brain is deeper than the sea. Over 160 years later, this picture couldn't be more true. It seems that the more we know about the brain, the more there is to learn about it. Stay with us as we dive deeper into our understanding of the amazing brain. SPEAKER A This is your lifestyle as medicine, a production of 3ABN Australia television. SPEAKER B On this programme, we explore ways that you can shape your lifestyle as medicine. Today, we are going to learn more about the brain and I'm so glad you've joined us because we are once again speaking with health psychologist Jenifer Skues. Jenifer, welcome. It's so good to have you with us again. SPEAKER C Thank you. I really enjoy doing programmes and teaching, so I'm very happy to be here. SPEAKER B Good. We are very happy to have you and very happy for all that you have been sharing with us over the past nine years. Number of programmes and the last number of episodes, we are really focusing on the emotions and emotional part of our brain, but I think today we're going to go a bit broader than that. Is that correct? SPEAKER C That's correct. We're going to not just look at the brain, we're going to see how it connects to the body as well. SPEAKER B Interesting. So can you share with us a little bit more about other aspects of the brain to give us some context? SPEAKER C Okay, well, last time I did use this map of the brain and you can see. Hang on, I have to put it in vision. What have I done there? Okay, so here you can see, we have this area here, the neocortex, which is the part of the brain that you're sitting here listening to me. And then we have different parts of the brain that aren't. We're not conscious of, that are run in bands across in the back, and these include muscle coordination, touch, the visual area and of course, our auditory area as well. But it's really that this part of the brain we're interested in, because that's your conscious awareness and that's joined by a bundle of nerves called the corpus callosum, which fits between here and it connects left and right brain. And there are gender differences in how the brain actually works. And they find that females have multiple connections on that corpus callosum that sends information back and forth, back and forth, multiple times, whereas males have a dominant connection that they use so the male brain is more problem focused, problem solving, whereas the female brain is more emotionally focused and rapid thinking, which, with those gender differences, can be difficult sometimes if we don't understand them, the differences ring. SPEAKER B True and experience, that's for sure. So we know that that is definitely what we have as a reality. That was so interesting, what you shared about those different parts, because those parts, especially towards the back part of the brain, back at the brain, they tended to be more what controls our body as opposed to what we're conscious of. But, yeah, that was really interesting to highlight that. SPEAKER C Yes, because it's like they're on autopilot. We don't have to stop and think. I'll turn my eyes on to look at something. Automatic pilot. Just as well. SPEAKER B Thank goodness for that. SPEAKER C Same with muscle. We know there are things that can further down the track that can cause muscle problems in the brain and the body, but generally the muscles, again, we don't have to think to move, we just do it. The brain registers that. So a lot of it's autopilot, but we do have a lot of control over things. So that's where that neocortex comes into it. That frontal lobe, left and right brain, is what we're interested in, and we're going to talk a lot about today. So that will be helpful. SPEAKER B Yeah. Yeah. So I know there's been a lot of research that's gone into the brain, especially in the last number of decades, and I think we've learned a huge amount about the brain and how it works. So can you share with us just some key insights that have kind of surfaced in science over the last number of decades that have been really pivotal? SPEAKER C Well, even though science is amazing, you have a look at what they can do. And technology is incredible, but it's the least understood organ of the body, and it is, we only know maybe science knows maybe approximately 30% of brain function. So it's an unknown frontier and it's just amazing. It's like a wilderness area. People don't understand. But thankfully, God does understand. And that's where there is a very good Bible verse that I'm aware of, that I love. In psalm 130 914 says, I will praise you. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. So this is how we are created. The brain is an incredible organ. There's another interesting quote. You used a quote before, and this is an Oliver Wendell Holmes says, the human mind, once exposed to a new idea, never returns to its original dimension. So once it grows, it expands. And once we hear things. It changes, literally changes the brain and how it works and how we function with it, which is an interesting aspect of brain function. We're constantly growing and learning and adding new dimensions to the brain. SPEAKER B Yeah. And is that something that's been a more recent discovery? Because I know there's been a thought going around for a long time that, well, what you've got from birth, that's what you've got, you can't do much else. You just got to live with it and work with it, and that's it. But it seems like this concept is one that you can, I guess, do a lot with. What we do have. Is that that more or less what it is? SPEAKER C Well, it is. It's the brain. Even though not all the areas of the brain grow, there are two particular areas where we get the cell growth. So not all of the brain is constantly growing, but we are given trillions of cells, billions of cells throughout the brain, and that those cells, they will die out as a use it or lose it principle. So we need to really exercise the brain. Nowadays, you can do brain games and, you know, exercise the mind, so it's important to keep it active and busy. The brain deteriorates if we become a bit more sedentary and we just don't challenge ourself. We should be constantly challenging and growing the brain using those cells so the brain can change and grow until the day we die. So it's not setting concrete. SPEAKER B So there's no retirement phase? SPEAKER C Hey, no, no retirement phase. We've got to keep using it or lose it, basically, because cells that aren't used will drop out. And when you're born, the brain goes through what we call a pruning process. So that means the cells that we have, and there's about 50% genetically wired, and then the rest develop the other 50% we learn and grow the brain as we're talking about. But after birth, the cells that we're not going to use will be pruned out. They call it pruning brain pruning. So those cells drop out, Diana, eliminated. So the brain starts to develop in the direction that is based on what we're learning, the genetics that we have and how we develop, which is an interesting thing. SPEAKER B Yeah, yeah. And obviously, there's a huge amount of that shaping of the brain is happening, especially in childhood. SPEAKER C Absolutely, yeah. SPEAKER B Which, I guess, is why we can learn languages and things more easily when we're a child as well. SPEAKER C Absolutely. The fastest learning period for us and for the brain is the first seven years of life. As you look at what a baby is born, they have to learn to talk, to walk, to interact, to socialise. It's huge. Eat, think for themselves. So when you have a look at how we develop, those first seven years are the most rapid growth for the brain. The brain actually is physically fully developed at. For females, about 25 years of age, and that means it's fully grown in size, or for the male, it's about 23 years of age. They find female brains develop a bit more rapidly than the or mature more than the male, but it's in different directions and it doesn't mean it's not set in concrete, where everyone. When you look at gender, it's a generalisation where the majority of the gender will be like that. SPEAKER B Mmm. So when we're talking about brain growth and development, are we talking about various different areas, like emotionally, intellectually, physically controlling the body? Like, everything. SPEAKER C I think it's the whole package that we have to work with. And this is why, when we talk about lifestyle, it helps brain development. You know, activity versus being sedentary is essential for brain growth. Lifestyle, habits we have all challenge the brain. Children learn at a rapid age and they pick it up so quickly. What's the first thing they learn? Is how to say no, not how to say yes. They model from parents, so we've got to be careful how we educate and raise our children on that level. But this is where I think it's an exciting journey. Because of the unknown frontier factor of the brain, you can always learn something. I often go online and have a look and see what latest research is and how that's developing. The most important, because it's an organ of adaptation, it's built on experience. Even though we have a genetic factor, doesn't mean the genes will be activated. The way we think will activate or deactivate the gene pool, whether it be positives or negatives. So that's when we're looking more at that body connection. We'll talk about that a bit more. But about 70% of the brain structure is added after birth. So what is there is then built on and the structure develops. It's actually the last organ of the body to mature. SPEAKER B Wow. SPEAKER C So the brain is growing and maturing, not just in size, but also. And you think, well, do we all have a mature brain? Sometimes I wonder how mature my brain is. So you have a question there. SPEAKER B Yeah, I mean, I guess, as you say, all of us have really come through different experiences of life, haven't we? And that really does shape who we are. And I guess the good news is that we all have potential to grow and develop even more fully. So that's absolutely. SPEAKER C We should be getting wiser as we get older. SPEAKER B I guess that's the intention, isn't it? SPEAKER C Can you look at it? But if we're not, then we're going the wrong direction. What are we learning or not learning? And certainly this is where we know with wisdom. It's God's grace. God gives us wisdom if we ask for it, but we have to use it, because even with God, it's what he gives us. If we don't use it, we lose it. So it's a matter of working with that. SPEAKER B Yeah. So are there some other interesting insights of signs that have come through? SPEAKER C Okay, well, that frontal lobe, that left right brain and the connections, is the seat of all consciousness. That one third is the computer that runs everything, even though. And it's like in any computer, you have background programmes running. And that's some of the parts of the brain we talked about were on autopilot. The muscles, the eyes, the touch, the visuals, they're the autopilot at the back of the brain that is operational. We don't have to stop because it's about survival. If those things don't work, we can't survive. And the brain is about survival, but it's that 1st third of the brain that runs the show. And if something happens to that, people have an accident and brain damage, and it doesn't respond or recover, then of course we end up with taking them off of life support. The brain can become a vegetable, basically, and then they can't think, survive. The brain will shut things down. So we really need to look after our brain. It actually floats in a fluid type substance. And when we, we have to really protect the brain because when we actually hit the brain, hit the head or we have a, you know, whiplash or someone hits us, like particularly in sports, and that's a concern because it actually, the brain will then move forward, it pushes forward rapidly and hits the. That frontal temple and it causes damage, it bruises and damages the brain. So we really need to see our brain as a valuable commodity that we need to look after in every possible way. So it's something to remember. The other thing that's interesting, it's the brain is the source of thought, but science doesn't know or understand where that source comes from. So it's one of those unknown frontiers and we never stop thinking. The brain will think even when we're asleep. The subconscious brain, which is part of the thought process is highly active. Hence we have dreams or awareness at times of what's happening in our sleep cycle, if that makes sense. The other thing about the brain, science has also found that when the brain knows how it works, in other words, what I teach people and help them with about the brain, and this is today, people listening to this, the brain to work a lot smarter. So once we actually put information and we teach people how to use the brain and the mind, it will take that information and it will put it on auto, and you'll work a lot smarter. It changes the brain forever. SPEAKER B So this educational process of what we're talking about here is going to be beneficial? SPEAKER C Absolutely. It's going to help people have a smarter brain. That's awesome. SPEAKER B Yeah. SPEAKER C And I encourage people to do research. There's wonderful books on the brain. The Bible has a lot to say about the brain and our emotions and, you know, working with the brain or the mind to have the mind of Christ. So do a study on what does that mean? What sort of mind did he have? Because he had a perfect mind. He used it perfectly. So this is where we can follow those principles. The other thing brain scientists have found is that the brain doesn't like being broken. Okay? So what it does, it constantly repairs, cleans up and renews itself. And this repair work is particularly at night. So what's happening at night is when we sleep. This is why sleep is essential. A deep sleep, that fourth stage of sleep, is a major repair. And the brain has a lot of proteins, and during the day, with stress and wear and tear and all that's going on, the environment, those protein chains break down, and at night, the brain actually starts putting them back together and repairing the brain for the next day to be refreshed and ready to focus again. Wow. So it is interesting, isn't it? SPEAKER B Yeah, yeah, yeah. The way that all of what's going on, which you're not even conscious of when we're sleeping. SPEAKER C Absolutely. There's a couple of interesting examples I've heard of over the years, and this is from an excellent little book by an Eldon Chalmers called healing the broken brain. And he did a lot of work with children and adults with, you know, helping their brains. And I think he did surgery. He was a doctor. And he said, well, the question is, what happens if you're born with most of the brain missing? You know, I bet people have not thought about that one, because this is a situation where there was a little oriental boy who was born with little development from the brain stem now, we looked at. If you look at that, you've got your brainstem there. Okay, put it over here a bit more. And that is, he had very little development. There we go. I find it hard to orient here with my camera. So he had very little development above this area here. Okay. So that meant he had probably a cluster of cells attached to the brain stem, but there was no formed brain as such. Wow, that's pretty incredible, isn't it? Now, he couldn't hear, see or do anything. He could only lie there paralysed because the brain was missing. It wasn't there. And so his mother, the doctor said, take him home. He'll just be a vegetable. Look after him in bed till he passes away. They didn't think he'd live long. Now, the mother loved this child. She massaged its body, rubbed it. She did things quite constantly. She supported his body, his little body, to get him to move legs, and she'd move the legs and get him to do things to help him eventually crawl. And she also played beautiful music and made beautiful sounds for him. So she was appealing to the visuals, the body, those parts of the brain that weren't developed. And what happened? She actually, that stimulation started the brain stem developing a whole mass of what they call astrocytes, which are the brain cells. So what happened? Yep, that. So what it was releasing was that nerve growth factor and the chemicals and that. So new brain pathways and connections developed. Isn't that amazing? Amazing, yep. So he had started with new chemicals, enzymes, electrical impulses go through the brain. So his brain that was released, and he eventually used his limbs, his eyes and his hearing. So he did develop, and they did scans on his brain when he was born, but also when it developed and they found the brain was developing visually, you know, they could see it. So, I mean, that, to me, is amazing. So we think, oh, once that happens, there's no hope. So the brain constantly grows and develops. There's a lot we can do, and we've got healthy, supposedly healthy brains or intact brains. So imagine what we can do if we work smarter and learn things and, you know, don't, you know, do things that develop skills at any age? It doesn't matter. Try something new, because it challenges the brain to grow and develop, like this little boy. SPEAKER B Wow, that's an incredible story, because to think that so much function could develop from none just because the stimulus that was put in there, like, that's amazing. And I guess that's very interesting because we're going to talk a bit about how the brain is controlling the body. But that was an example where what she was doing with the body was influencing the brain brain to grow. Yeah. It's highlighting that there's this two way connection here. So tell us a bit more about how the brain is connected with the body and how it controls the body. SPEAKER C Okay, well, there is another good example, which probably is related to what your question is, because you can be born with only left or right brain, one side of the brain. And also there are people who've had to have, because of cancer, have had half the brain surgically removed. And what scientists have found, or doctors have found, that when that happens, what the brain does, whatever side's left, if the left side is left, it starts to rewire itself for both left and right brain, or the right brain rewires itself to operate as left and right brain. So isn't that incredible that the brain will do that? I mean, it's a smart organ, it knows what to do. It's very pathways. And this is a story of a lady in her early twenties. And see, this is the brain body thing again. Now, most of the right brain had been surgically removed and that included her musical brain, because it's part of the brain that has humour, music, all those different aspects. Now, surgeons thought she'd be paralysed and bedridden for the rest of her life. Again, that's their prognosis. But she insisted on learning the piano. And she actually, with determination, and this is the key and focused effort, she rewired the brain, because the brain can rewire what's not there if you lose it. Now you have a look at someone who has a stroke and cannot work with speech, for example, a speech centre is destroyed. The brain will actually. If we get them to mimic words and do speech therapy, the brain will develop because it's already had that function. It will redevelop it in another area of the brain. It will rewire the speech factor. So even though it's been lost originally, the brain can actually put it back in again if you challenge it to do that. So this is why we do rehab for things, because it gets the brain to challenge with the body and the brain. It works really well. So we must never give up on that. We can't. I can't do that. Well, give it a go. Because it's not about perfection, it's about give it a go. Because you might find you actually, with determination, effort and doing things, you can learn a lot more than you think you can. It really helps our life. SPEAKER B So challenging the brain then is. It's really a thing, isn't it essential? SPEAKER C It is. The brain also stores information in the five senses. Okay? And those are a video, a five sense around video. So your video in your brain isn't just like tv sight and sound, like we're doing now. It's actually sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. And those senses, any one of them can be triggered, and it brings up a memory. And we did talk a bit about, that's an emotional memory, but it can also bring up the memory of event. You say, oh, that smell. I remember when I was in Asia. And, you know, so we can actually recall the event, but it's triggered by walking by an asian shop and there's a particular herb or something that they smell. So you can see how the brain, I mean, you look at the possibilities once the brain's done in the five senses, and any of those senses can be activated to trigger memories and reactions. It's a pretty, you know, when you look at the logistics of that, it's a huge. Lots of possibilities there. So. And the other thing with that, they, I watched a video years ago on how they operate on the brain. They actually remove the skull of the brain. The brain doesn't have pain receptors. So the person is awake when they do this operation. And they, of course, have a screen that the person can't see what's going on, and they're not feeling anything. And they use a little electric probe to actually have a look and find the area of the brain that they need to remove because they don't want to damage any other part of the brain. And they found, when they started to do this, the person had experienced, they actually triggered those five senses. And some people could smell roses that weren't in the room. Some heard classical music or music. Some had visual scenes of childhood or memories, and they were only lying there with no sense of anything happening to the brain. So they found the parts of the brain that actually store those memories that we recall. That's the video player. So I thought that was amazing. I was fascinated with that one. So it's before we start to talk about, because this is about programming the brain, and this is the neuroplasticity. We sort of referred to that a little bit earlier. So the brain is neuroplastic, and it will continue to grow constantly. Right. It's a complex organ that we need to be active to develop the actual brain cells. We can make them and store them, exercise, lifestyle, joy, pleasures. All the things we do can grow the brain. So I encourage people to really work at growing the brain, having more memory cells every morning, get out in the fresh air, the sunshine. A walk will do it, a short walk will grow the brain and then we've got more brain to work with. SPEAKER B That's pretty cool when you think about it like that. SPEAKER C It certainly is. There's a lot that we can do. So we reinforce these pathways, we get mind habits, and it's these habits that we want, good, healthy habits. And that's why the work you and I do and why we're doing this programme is to help people to develop healthy habits, because, and this is. We are going to talk more of that is that brain body connection, but I know we don't have the time to do that right now. We're going to look at some of that in another session, which I think is a good idea. How can we reprogram the brain and the mind to be able to have a better quality of life, to be able to stay focused in the present and work with what we've got? SPEAKER B Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And I like how what you've explained here has just shown us just how connected the brain is with the body and everything that we do with it. It all seems to feed back into the brain in helping it develop. But of course, we're going to talk more about how it controls the body as well. And so, yeah, just to get this big picture of how the brain works has been such a valuable thing. So, thank you so much, Jenifer, for sharing with us today all about the amazing brain and about neuroplasticity and how the brain has this capacity to grow and develop in such incredible ways. It's been very, very interesting. Thank you. We have been talking with health psychologist Jenifer Skues about our amazing brain and how it grows and develops in the next few episodes. We are going to build on this as we look at the mind body connection and how this affects our health and wellbeing. I know these will be fascinating topics, so be sure to join us next time. If you have questions or comments about this programme, or if there is a topic you would like us to discuss, contact us on [email protected]. And remember to shape your lifestyle as medicine. SPEAKER A You've been listening to Your Lifestyle as Medicine, a production of 3ABN Australia television.