Optimizing Brain Fitness Flashcards
What part of the brain is used for sequencing things, foreseeing consequences, executive control, drive, conscious thinking?
Frontal lobes
What is the most important mental operation of the human brain?
Working memory
What type of processing is used for things we do without being aware of them?
automatic processing
According to Alfred North, how does civilization advance?
By extending the number of things we can do without thinking about them
What causes us to shift from automatic to controlled processing?
Something unexpected or having to teach something to someone else
What happens if we rely too much on automatic processing?
Impulsive behavior
What type of processing is conscious thinking?
Controlled processing
What happens if we rely too much on controlled processing?
Paralysis, inability to make decisions
What are the 3 lobes where automatic processing occurs?
Occipital, parietal, & temporal
What are the 2 parts of the brain where controlled processing takes place?
Prefrontal & frontal lobe
How are brain cell connections like cell phone connections?
- Connected but not physically
2 signals can be strong or weak
What does entanglement mean?
Neurons & branches are tightly entangled with each other
What are the 2 stages of message transmission?
- Electrical
2. Chemical
What type of processing do the occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes do?
Automatic processing
What type of processing do the frontal and prefrontal lobes do?
Controlled processing
Where does electrical transmission occur?
Along length of axon
Where does chemical transmission occur?
In synapse
What are synapses?
The space between neurons
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemicals that carry messages across synapses
What happens in chemical transmission?
Neurotransmitters carry messages across synapses where they connect to receptors on the membrane of the dendrite of the next cell
Why are receptors called dynamic?
They can increase or decrease very rapidly.
What do receptors have to do with addiction?
Addiction happens when receptors greatly increase in number & call out for more chemicals
How long does it take for neurotransmitters to cross synapses?
1/1000 of a second
What does structural imaging show?
The locations where things are happening
What type of tests are used for structural imaging?
CAT Scans, MRI
What does processing imagery show?
Electrochemical activity
What kind of tests are used for process imaging?
Functional MRI, PET
At what age does the brain achieve the maximum # of brain cells?
3-6 months
What percent of infant synapses are lost by adulthood?
40%
How many more synapses do animals in enriched environments have?
25%
At what age does individualization peak?
Age 3
At what age does concrete reasoning start?
age 7
At what age do hormones influence the brain heavily?
Age 11-12
At what age do abstract reasoning & judgement start?
Age 15
What is the cerebral cortex?
Outer part of the brain
What type of cells outnumber neurons 6-1?
Glial cells
What are basal ganglia?
Islands of grey matter suspended in white matter
What type of behavior is the basal ganglia involved with?
Automatic
What is neurogenisis?
Creation of new nerve cells
What encourages neurogenisis?
Enriched environment
What 4 things inhibit neurogenisis?
Depression
Stress
Sleep deprivation
Anxiety
What is grey matter?
Brain cells
What is white matter?
Connections
How many more words will a child of a talkative mom know by age 20 months?
130
How many more words will a child of a talkative mom know by age 2?
300
What age do musicians need to start training by to have perfect pitch?
7
What age do students need to speak a language’s phonemes by to speak without an accent?
Puberty
As we age, which increases, brain cells or connections?
Connections
As we age, which decreases, brain cells or connections?
Brain cells
What are 6 actions that can increase intelligence?
- Solving math problems
- Interpreting literature
- Finding on the spot solutions
- Assimilating science
- Practicing wisdom
- Seek challenging environment
What are 4 examples of plasticity in the brain?
- Neurogenisis
- Increases in efficiency
- Remapping of functional connections
- Alternative circuits
What are 4 things studies with rats suggest could cause us to grow up smarter?
- More challenges
- More opportunities for sensory stimulation
- More physical exercise
- More socialization
What are oligodendrocytes?
Type of glial cell that produce myelin to insulate axons.
What changes does working on a skill produce in the brain?
Repeated firing of circuits stimulates oligodendrocytes to produce more myelin along axons being fired. More myelin increases the speed of transmission.
What is the simulation hypothesis?
Use of motor memory to interpret what someone else is doing. For something one knows well, seeing someone else do it causes the same neurons to be activated as if you are the one doing it.
What 5 changes in our thinking patterns is technology causing?
More:
- Scanning
- Skimming
- Idea shopping
- Browsing
- Multitasking
What are harmful cognitive effects of obesity?
- Diets high in saturated fats lead to underperformance on memory tests
- High cholesterol & obesity are risk factors for Alzheimer’s
How are obesity & addiction linked?
High fat/calorie diet decreases responsiveness of pleasure centers
What are free radicals?
Molecular fragments with 1 unpaired electron
How do free radicals damage the body?
They attract electrons from body tissues, destroying the cell membranes. This partially causes aging.
What can protect the body from free radicals?
Antioxidants
How much less do we sleep than a generation ago?
45 minutes
What are sleep spindles?
Brief bursts of electrical activity in regions of new memory formation.
What are 4 benefits of naps?
- Finger dexterity increases 16%
- Creativity & learning are improved
- Increase offline learning
- Increase sleep spindles
What are 3 tips for napping?
- Must be short - ex. 20 min
- don’t force it
- Set aside 20 mins on a regular schedule & just try to relax. Eventually brain will figure out this is a time to shut down.
What are 7 ways the brain benefits from exercise?
- Increased blood flow around neurons
- Neurogenesis
- Connections between neurons
- Protection of dopamine neurons from neurotoxins
- Elevations of nerve growth factors
- Affects prefrontal executive practices
- Positive balance of neurotransmitters
How much does a daily walk of 1 mile reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s?
50%
What 3 lobes benefit the most from exercise?
Parietal, frontal, & occipital
What do frontal & parietal lobes focus our attention on?
What we are thinking about
What do parietal & temporal lobes focus our attention on?
What we are doing
How many miles of walking a week has been shown to maintain brain volume?
6-9 miles
How are brains of fitter children different?
Larger basal ganglia
What is a larger basal ganglia Important for?
Attention and executive control
