Only a third of our cerebral cortex is visible when viewed from the outside, the remaining two-thirds are "hidden" in the grooves. Indicator. Ru explains why our brains are like walnuts, how they become, and how this relates to aging and Alzheimer's.
A new study by scientists from the University of Newcastle (UK) and the University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), reported in PNAS, describes how the folds of the human cerebral cortex form and shows how the gyrus changes with age.
Without convolutions - completely stupid
If we take and straighten all the folds and grooves of the cortex of one hemisphere of the brain of an average adult, it will occupy an area of about 100,000 mm², which is about one and a half times more than a sheet of A4 paper.
The folding of the cerebral cortex is one of the key characteristics of our brain. It sounds almost geologically, but this is how evolution has learned to save space inside our skull by increasing the area of the "working surface". After all, it is in the cerebral cortex that the very gray matter is contained - the bodies of neurons, our nerve cells.
In the course of evolution of mammals, the expansion and complication of the organization of their cerebral cortex took place. Go "against the mainstream" can only tupaya - a fluffy representative of the eponymous detachment of animals from the Malay archipelago and the surrounding area, whose cerebral cortex is absolutely smooth. It cannot be said that it is hard for them to live without convolutions, except that in early childhood, which lasts less than a month - they do not raise cubs and cannot even recognize them without their scent marks, but feed them once every 48 hours. But to compensate for the absence of convolutions, the tupai had to change the ratio of brain mass to body mass, which became larger than human, but this did not make them smarter than us (about whether brain size matters and what advantages it helps to get among representatives of our species, the site already ).
Tightened "seams" of nervous tissue
Previous studies have shown that in mammals the formation of grooves and convolutions obeys a single law in the course of physical self-organization, which confirmed the guesses of 19th century scientists - the German anatomist Gies and the Englishman Thompson. In 1997, neuroscientist David Van Essen of the University of Washington in St. Louis published an article in Nature, where he suggested that neurons not only exchange information, but can create tension, which causes them to be attracted and repelled. In his opinion, in the first 6 months of human intrauterine development, neurons, on the basis of these interactions, form the cerebral cortex as we are used to seeing it. Where the signals are more intense, there are more connecting processes of neurons, axons, and therefore the tension is stronger.
Due to the tension between the axons, the nerve fibers collect folds on themselves, like a thread threaded through tissue, if pulled on it. Based on Van Essen's hypothesis and the knowledge available to science about the physics of membranes, a formula was derived that allows one to calculate the ratio between the layer thickness, the area of the outer (located on the convex surface of the convolutions) region of the cortex and its total surface area. This pattern was deduced for mammals in general, but how well it was observed within a single species, as well as how individual, gender and age differences fit into it, remained unclear.
"Softening the Brain"
To fill this gap, an English-Brazilian team of researchers collected magnetic resonance imaging data from the brains of thousands of people.
“By mapping the folds of the cerebral cortex of more than 1000 people, we have shown that our brains are formed according to a simple universal law,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Yujiang Wang of Newcastle University. "We have also shown that a parameter of this law, called intracortical tension, decreases with age."
It turned out that the tension of the bonds, due to which convolutions are formed, becomes weaker with age, as happens, for example, in the flabby skin of an elderly person. Also, weakening of connections occurs in neurodegenerative diseases.
“In the case of Alzheimer's disease, this effect is observed at an earlier age and is more pronounced. The next step in our work will be to test whether these brain changes can be used as an indicator to detect disease at an early stage, ”said Dr. Wang.
What didn't work out for women?
Despite the fact that the formation of furrows and convolutions in women and men obeys the same rule, in men the cortex of the hemispheres turned out to be slightly more folded than in women of the same age. It was also shown that the area of the cortex is slightly different in representatives of different sexes.
However, the study’s lead author, Dr. Wang, said the differences were small. In general, during life in healthy people, regardless of gender, the folding of the cortex changes gradually and uniformly, while in Alzheimer's disease they manifest themselves much more sharply. So, with age, in healthy people, the curvature and slope of the convolutions monotonously change, and in patients suffering from Alzheimer's syndrome, the curvature is immediately lower than in healthy people, and remains at this level for a long time, but the slope changes.
"More work needs to be done in this area, but this seems to imply that the Alzheimer's syndrome that we see in the cerebral cortex is associated with aging mechanisms."
Created on 06/04/2012 08:27Throughout its history, humanity has experienced serious difficulties in research. Both the ancient Egyptians and early thinkers like Aristotle underestimated the mysterious substance found between the ears. The famous anatomist Galen assigned the brain the role of the leader of motor activity and speech, but even he ignored the white and gray matter, believing that the main work in the brain was done by the fluid-filled ventricles.
The human brain is big ...
On average, an adult's brain weighs 1.3-1.4 kilograms. Some neurologists have compared the structure of a living brain to toothpaste, but neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik says a better analogy can be found at your local health food store.
“The brain does not spread or stick to fingers like toothpaste,” Firlik writes in his memoirs. "A better comparison is soft bean curd."
The skull is about 80 percent full of the brain. The remaining 20 percent is equally accounted for by blood and cerebrospinal fluid, which protects. If you mix all this - brain, blood and fluid - the volume of the resulting substance will be about 1.7 liters.
... but it gets smaller
You shouldn't really brag about your almost 2-liter brain. About 5 thousand years ago, the human brain was even larger.
“From archaeological data obtained all over the world - in Europe, China, South Africa, Australia - we know that the brain has shrunk by about 150 cm3, before its volume was 1350 cm3. That's roughly 10 percent, ”says paleontologist John Hawkes of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Researchers don't know how the brain shrinks, but some speculate that it evolves and becomes more efficient. It is also believed that the skull is shrinking, since the current human diet consists of softer foods, and large and strong jaws are no longer needed.
Whatever the reason, the level of intelligence does not directly depend on the size of the brain, since there is no evidence of greater intelligence in ancient people in comparison with modern humans.
The brain is a concentration of energy
The brain of a modern person is extremely energy-intensive. It weighs about 2 percent of body weight, but uses about 20 percent of the oxygen in the blood and 25 percent of the glucose (sugar) circulating in the bloodstream.
These energetic requirements have sparked debate among anthropologists. Scientists set themselves the task of finding out what became the source of energy for the development of the large brain. Many researchers have argued that meat was such a source, citing the hunting skills of our early ancestors as proof. According to other experts, meat would be a very unreliable source of food. A 2007 study showed that modern chimpanzees can dig up calorie-rich tubers in the savannah. Perhaps our ancestors did the same, replenishing the energy of the brain with vegetarian food.
There are three main hypotheses about what caused the spherical shape of the brain: climate change, environmental requirements, and social competition.
Folds make us smarter
What is the secret of our species' intelligence? The answer may be folds. The surface of our brain, called the cerebral cortex, is covered with convolutions and grooves. It contains about 100 billion neurons - nerve cells.
Such a folded and sinuous surface allows the brain, large in area, and therefore requiring a lot of energy, to fit into a small cranium. The number of convolutions in the brains of our primate cousins is different, as is the case in other smart animals such as elephants. In addition, the study found that the convolutions of the brain in dolphins are even more pronounced than in humans.
Most brain cells are not neurons
The conventional wisdom that we use only 10 percent of the brain's capabilities is wrong, but we can definitely say that neurons make up only 10 percent of all brain cells.
The remaining 90 percent, which is about half the weight of the brain, is called neuroglia or glia, which means "glue" in Greek. Neurologists used to think that neuroglia were just a sticky substance holding neurons together. But recent researchers have found that her role is much more important. These subtle cells clean out unnecessary neurotransmitters, provide immune protection, and promote the growth and function of synapses (connections between neurons). It turns out that the passive majority is not so passive.
The brain is the place for the elite
The cells in the brain's blood system, called the blood-brain barrier, act like nightclub bouncers, allowing only a few molecules to enter the nervous system's holy of holies - the brain. The capillaries that supply the brain are lined with tightly bound cells that hold onto large molecules. Special proteins in the blood-brain barrier carry essential nutrients to the brain. Only a select few get inside.
The blood-brain barrier protects the brain, but it may also prevent life-saving medications from entering. Doctors looking for ways to treat brain tumors can use drugs to open up connections between cells, but this temporarily makes the brain vulnerable to infection. Nanotechnology can be a good way to get drugs through the barrier. Specially designed nanoparticles can pass through the barrier and attach to the tumor tissue. In the future, the combination of nanoparticles and chemotherapy may become a way to destroy tumors.
The brain begins as a tube
The brain is born early. Three weeks after fertilization, a layer of embryonic cells called the neural plate coils into a brain tube. This tissue will become the central nervous system.
The brain tube grows and changes during the first trimester. (When cells change, they turn into various special tissues needed to create body parts.) Neuroglia and neurons begin to form in the second trimester. Brains appear later. At 24 weeks, magnetic resonance imaging shows only a few incipient convolutions, the rest of the surface of the fetal brain is smooth. At the beginning of the third trimester, at 26 weeks, the convolutions become deeper and the brain begins to look like a newborn.
Your teen's brain is not fully formed
Parents of stubborn adolescents can rejoice, or at least breathe a sigh of relief: the disadvantages of adolescent behavior are partially related to the vicissitudes of brain development.
The gray matter peaks right before puberty, the excess is removed during puberty, and the most significant changes occur in the frontal lobes - the seat of judgment and decision-making.
The parts of the brain responsible for multitasking are not fully developed until the age of 16-17. Scientists have also shown that adolescents also have a neural rationale for selfishness. When considering actions that will affect others, adolescents are less likely than adults to use the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with feelings of empathy and guilt. According to scientists, teens learn empathy through socialization. This may well justify their selfishness before the age of 20.
The brain is constantly changing
Scientists once stated that as soon as a person becomes an adult, his brain loses the ability to form new neural connections. This ability, called "plasticity," is believed to be associated with childhood and adolescence.
It is not true. A study of a stroke patient revealed that her brain had adapted to changes in the nervous system and began to transfer visual information, receiving similar data from other nerves. After that, a number of studies were carried out, as a result of which it was revealed that new neurons are formed in adult mice. Later, additional evidence was found for the creation of new connections between neurons in adults. At the same time, research on meditation has shown that vigorous mental activity can alter both the structure and functioning of the brain.
Women did not fall from the moon
It is believed that men and women have different brain structures. It's true that male and female hormones have different effects on brain development, and imaging studies have shown differences in the brain that cause men and women to feel pain, make decisions, and deal with stress differently. How much of these differences depend on genetics or life experience - a long-standing controversy over the topic of "Nature or nurture" - is unknown.
But for the most part, male and female brains (and abilities) are the same. In 78 percent of gender differences reported in various studies, the effect of gender on behavior is virtually zero. Recently, the myth of differences in ability of different sexes has also been debunked. In the course of the study, about half a million girls and boys from 69 countries of the world demonstrated almost the same mathematical ability. Our differences can only be the basis for catchy book titles, but in neurosology, everything is much simpler.
Last updated: 30/09/2013
The human brain is still a mystery to scientists. It is not only one of the most important organs of the human body, but also the most complex and poorly understood. Find out more about the most mysterious organ of the human body by reading this article.
"Brain Introduction" - the cerebral cortex
In this article, you will learn about the basic building blocks of the brain, as well as how the brain works. This is not at all some kind of in-depth review of all the studies of the peculiarities of the brain, because such information would take up stacks of books. The main purpose of this review is your acquaintance with the main components of the brain and the functions that they perform.
The cerebral cortex is the component that makes the human being unique. The cerebral cortex is responsible for all the features inherent exclusively to humans, including better mental development, speech, consciousness, as well as the ability to think, reason and imagine, since all these processes take place in it.
The cerebral cortex is exactly what we see when we look at the brain. It is the outer part of the brain that can be divided into four lobes. Each bulge on the surface of the brain is known as gyrus, and each notch is like furrow.
The cerebral cortex can be divided into four sections, which are known as lobes (see image above). Each of the lobes, namely the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal, is responsible for certain functions, ranging from the ability to reason and ending with auditory perception.
- Frontal lobe located in the front of the brain and is responsible for reasoning, motor skills, cognition, and speech. In the back of the frontal lobe, next to the central sulcus, lies the motor cortex of the brain. This area receives impulses from different lobes of the brain and uses this information to propel parts of the body. Damage to the frontal lobe of the brain can lead to sexual dysfunctions, problems with social adaptation, decreased concentration, or increase the risk of these consequences.
- Parietal lobe located in the middle of the brain and is responsible for the processing of tactile and sensory impulses. This includes pressure, touch, and pain. The part of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex is located in this lobe and is of great importance for the perception of sensations. Damage to the parietal lobe can lead to problems with verbal memory, impaired ability to control gaze, and problems with speech.
- Temporal lobe located at the bottom of the brain. This lobe also contains the primary auditory cortex, which is needed to interpret the sounds and speech we hear. The hippocampus is also located in the temporal lobe, which is why this part of the brain is associated with memory formation. Damage to the temporal lobe can lead to problems with memory, language skills, and speech perception.
- Occipital lobe located in the back of the brain and is responsible for interpreting visual information. The primary visual cortex, which receives and processes information from the retina, is located in the occipital lobe. Damage to this lobe can cause vision problems such as difficulty recognizing objects, texts, and the inability to distinguish colors.
The brain stem is made up of the so-called hindbrain and midbrain. The hindbrain, in turn, consists of the medulla oblongata, the pons varoli and the reticular formation.
Hind brain
The hindbrain is the structure that connects the spinal cord to the brain.
- The medulla oblongata is located just above the spinal cord and controls many vital functions of the autonomic nervous system, including heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure.
- The pons Varoli connects the medulla oblongata to the cerebellum and helps in coordinating the movement of all parts of the body.
- The reticular formation is a neural network located in the medulla oblongata that helps control functions such as sleep and attention.
The midbrain is the smallest area of the brain that acts as a kind of relay station for auditory and visual information.
The midbrain controls many important functions, including the visual and auditory systems, and eye movement. Parts of the midbrain referred to as " red core" and " black matter", Participate in the control of body movement. The substantia nigra contains a large number of dopamine-producing neurons located in it. Degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra can lead to Parkinson's disease.
The cerebellum, also sometimes referred to as " small brain", Lies on the upper part of the pons of varoli, behind the brain stem. The cerebellum consists of small lobes and receives impulses from the vestibular apparatus, afferent (sensory) nerves, auditory and visual systems. He is involved in the coordination of movement, and is also responsible for memory and learning ability.
The thalamus located above the brainstem processes and transmits motor and sensory impulses... Essentially, the thalamus is a relay station that receives sensory impulses and transmits them to the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex, in turn, also sends impulses to the thalamus, which then sends them to other systems.
The hypothalamus is a group of nuclei located along the base of the brain next to the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus connects to many other areas of the brain and is responsible for controlling hunger, thirst, emotions, regulating body temperature, and circadian (circadian) rhythms. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland through secretions that allow the hypothalamus to exercise control over many bodily functions.
The limbic system consists of four main elements, namely: tonsils, hippocampus, plots limbic cortex and septal region of the brain... These elements form connections between the limbic system and the hypothalamus, thalamus and cerebral cortex. The hippocampus plays an important role in memory and learning ability, while the limbic system itself is central to controlling emotional responses.
The basal ganglia are a group of large nuclei that partially surround the thalamus. These nuclei play an important role in controlling movement. The red nucleus and the black matter of the midbrain are also associated with the basal ganglia.
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Anyone at least once in their life has heard sharp expressions about the convolutions in the head and their relationship with the intellect, but few people know that, contrary to popular belief, a frequent and far from original phrase about the fact that “how many convolutions in the human brain - so much in it and mind ”is completely unfounded. So is the number of convolutions of the brain an indicator of any characteristics of the human body, and is there a certain “ideal” number of them? Is there any difference between the normal number of furrows in the brain of a woman and a man? This article will provide answers to these questions.
Brains of the brain: what they are and why they are formed
The human brain is the most complex organ. It consists of over one hundred billion neurons. This is not surprising, because it is this organ that is the main governing center that controls all the processes in our body, it gives self-consciousness, which makes a person a person, an individual.
Keeping in itself all this number of elements in a limited space, the surface of the brain, called the cerebral cortex, is naturally covered with an innumerable number of furrows. This anatomy is a consequence of the adaptation of the body to "crampedness", that is, the limited space of the skull.
The mechanism of the formation of convolutions is easy to illustrate as follows: it is easier to push a square leaf into a small round box, crumple it up. In this case, the lump, into which the once square sheet has turned, becomes a set of furrows, similar to those found in the cerebral mass, when the organ is compactly located in the cranium.
Contrary to popular belief, the number of grooves on the gray matter in a person can neither increase nor decrease, regardless of what activity he is engaged in throughout his life. The structure of the brain, outwardly similar to the kernels of a walnut, is formed in a person while still in the state of an embryo. So, the smooth surface of the gray matter begins to be streaked with grooves at the twentieth week of pregnancy, and they cease to appear in a child at the age of one and a half years. That is, from that time on, the number and position of the folds have been formed completely and for life, so the talk that the gyrus can straighten over time is completely unfounded.
Interestingly, the normal weight of a newborn's brain is about 0.3 kg - this is about 1/8 of the total weight of his body. In a mature healthy person, the weight of the head organ should increase five times with an average area of 2200 cm 2.
What determines the number of convolutions and can they be counted
According to the latest data obtained in the course of research by Brazilian scientists, the number of convolutions in a person depends on two main variables: the area of the cortex and its thickness. This discovery fits well into the general theory, because a large area is more difficult to locate in the cranium, as well as it is more difficult to form folds in a thick layer of gray matter.
Interestingly, folds inherent in the human brain are almost not observed in other mammals. The exception is the whale, pig, dog, cat and some primates. A dolphin, for example, has significantly more convolutions than a human.
It is impossible to find out the number of grooves for sure, and there is no "absolute" for this parameter. The view of the cerebral cortex is individual for everyone, and upon external examination it is not possible to see the total area of its cortex: approximately 2/3 of the convolutions are located in deeper grooves.
Nevertheless, for a person, you can name the main convolutions present in the head of one and all:
- toothed;
- tape;
- occipitotemporal;
- lingual;
- parahippocampal;
- straight;
- hook of the brain.
Well, the total number is not at all impressive, but we can say with confidence how many convolutions in the human brain are guaranteed to end up in the head of anyone in the same place.
Does the number of convolutions affect the level of intelligence?
To date, it has been scientifically proven: the number of convolutions, as well as the mass of the brain, cannot in any way affect the mental development of a person. And even if you read the works of ancient Greek philosophers from morning to night, convolutions will not add at all the same way as grams of weight. This is logical, because the convolutions of a person in the form in which they remain all life are formed during the period of intrauterine development, and the weight of the brain depends on the complexion of the body.
Some scientists and ordinary citizens who donate their bodies after death to science have repeatedly conducted studies that found that the physiological differences between the brains of ordinary people and scientists do not correlate with the intelligence demonstrated during life.
Is there a connection between a person's gender and the number of convolutions?
The long-known fact that the male brain is heavier than the female brain has given rise to many ridiculous jokes and stereotypes. However, scientists gave a decent answer to the jokers, who found that the female brain, in contrast to the male, has a more complex structure with a significantly larger number of convolutions, which compensates for less weight. For the same reason, the neurons in the head of men are located at a greater distance. Thus, the area of the human brain, regardless of the gender of its owner, is equal.
Studies have found that the gray matter content in the head of men is 20% less. Accordingly, the difference in the number of convolutions or brain mass does not give any advantage to the genders: in the level of intelligence, both sexes do not differ.
The human brain is the largest element of the central nervous system, which determines the complexity of its structure. It is he who makes a person himself, gives him the miracle of consciousness. Naturally, scientists have long been interested in whether there is a connection between the appearance of the brain - and what kind of person it makes its owner. So far, we can say for sure: neither its mass, nor how many convolutions a person has in the brain, does not define an individual as smart or stupid. The grooves in the gray matter are just folds of a huge organ squeezed into a human skull. Attempts to count their average are meaningless, because for each person this number is individual, and in terms of structure and appearance, they can be both deep and barely distinguishable to the eye, which makes the counting process impossible.
“There is no mind - you cannot put your own mind,” they say about those whose brain does not produce brilliant results. This is true: we all live with the brain that we got at birth. This means that all that remains is to create conditions for its optimal operation.
The brain likes a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough sleep, eating on time and with good quality is the first thing a person should do for his brain before demanding normal work from it. But there are other, more "advanced" ways to increase brain activity.
Sports for gyrus
Many studies show that exercise is beneficial for more than just muscles. Carl W. Cotman, director of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, conducted research on rats with his collaborators. The animals trained actively for three weeks - they ran in the "wheel". Scientists expected that changes would occur only in those parts of the brain that are responsible for motor skills. However, it turned out that the activity of genes in the hippocampus, the structure responsible for the processes of remembering and thinking, changed. These changes improved the ability of rats to respond to external stimuli and increased adaptability.
This institute, in particular, is studying Alzheimer's disease, which currently affects four million Americans, and the number of diagnoses is constantly growing. Further research in this direction may show what kind of physical activity can help maintain the health of brain cells and, as a result, memory, that is, find new ways to combat Alzheimer's disease.
A study by Columbia University Medical Center confirms the benefits of regular exercise. A team of scientists led by Professor Scott A. Small has found that exercise has a positive effect on the dentate gyrus - part of the hippocampus. It is here that a person over 30 years of age undergoes changes that cause age-related memory impairment. It turns out that regular exercise reduces this unpleasant effect. Recently, it was found that the dentate gyrus is responsible for recognizing objects and determining whether they are "new" or "old". If this part of the brain is malfunctioning, it creates a sense of déjà vu.At first, the research was carried out on mice: thanks to "training" they increased the production of new cells in the brain. It is interesting that for the experiment the mice were not specially trained in any way, they simply put "running wheels" in the cages of the test group, but not in the cages of the control group, and the mice did "fitness" on their own initiative.
Then it was the man's turn. Eleven volunteers underwent tests assessing both their physical fitness and their ability to remember information; a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain was also performed. After three months of exercise (one hour four times a week), the subjects improved not only physical fitness, but also mental abilities. They re-passed tests and brain scans on a magnetic resonance scanner, and it turned out that they had improved blood supply to the areas of the brain associated with memory function, and they passed memory tests with significantly better results than they showed before the experiment. Now scientists have to figure out what type of training will be most effective in the fight against age-related brain changes.
Strive for something new
However, the brain itself can and should be trained. The renowned American neuroscientist Lawrence C. Katz (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) proposed a system of simple exercises to help develop the brain at any age. Since learning is the creation of new connections between brain cells, and at the same time most of the brain is busy processing signals from all senses, he suggested giving the brain a job: regularly introducing something new into our daily habits. New experiences force the brain to create new connections between cells, activating previously inactive areas. Thus, a person who goes to work on a different road trains the brain, which has to process new signals: colors and silhouettes of houses, unfamiliar advertising posters, assess the flow of cars on the streets, and analyze noises.
The principle of neurobics (as Laurence Katz called his brainchild) is simple: you need to add some new activity to your daily routine, using at least one sense organ. Here are some of his constructive suggestions:- When you wake up, smell the vanilla to diversify the smell of freshly ground coffee that is familiar in the morning. Adding a new scent to your morning routine triggers new circuits of neurons.
- Doing the usual morning rituals - brushing your teeth, combing your hair, and so on - with the wrong hand from your usual one.
- Get a set of different fragrances and, dialing a certain phone number, smell the fragrance chosen for this number (as a result, the number associated with the smell should be easily remembered).
- Buy unfamiliar products and, whenever possible, order unknown dishes in a restaurant.
- Once abroad, try to master the new reality as much as possible: get away from well-known tourist routes, drive your own car, following only road signs, communicate with locals who speak a different language.
Meditation Strengthens Attention
It is known that people who regularly practice meditation are calmer and happier than those who ignore this achievement of oriental medicine and philosophy. This is due to the fact that in their left frontal part of the brain, which is responsible for positive emotions, there is always a higher activity than in people who do not practice meditation.
However, it turned out that meditation affects the brain to a significantly greater extent than previously thought. A group led by Bruce O'Hara (University of Kentucky at Lexington) tried to find out what influences the effectiveness of perception to a greater extent. They used a well-known test: the subjects had to press buttons when pictures appeared on the LCD screen. It is known that this usually takes 200-300 milliseconds, but if a person does not get enough sleep, his reaction slows down significantly. Ten subjects were asked to take tests before and after 40 minutes of sleep or light conversation or meditation or reading. Each of the volunteers went through all four activities in turn. The subjects showed good results after 40 minutes of sleep, but, which stunned the researchers, absolutely all participants in the experiment performed better after 40 minutes of meditation. However, none of the volunteers had practiced meditation before. Thus, even a one-time meditation has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain.
Another study by Sara Lazar's group (Massachusetts General Hospital) suggests a possible explanation for this phenomenon. After selecting fifteen meditation practitioners and fifteen non-practitioners, the team examined their brains with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. It turned out that the cerebral cortex in the areas responsible for attention and processing signals from the senses is thicker in those who practice meditation. A similar effect has been seen previously in musicians, linguists and athletes. As Lazar explained, "The cerebral cortex becomes thicker not because of the growth of new neurons, but because of wider blood vessels and more developed supporting structures."The benefits of music and the dangers of red
Canadians, led by Professor Laurel Trainor, McMaster University, have found that music practice has a beneficial effect on brain development in preschool children. It is not surprising that one year after starting music lessons (whether it be singing or mastering a musical instrument), specific musical skills progress markedly. However, it turned out that there are improvements in other areas, and they are associated with more productive memory.
The experiment involved twelve children aged 4 to 6 years, divided into two groups: the first attended music lessons (and the training was conducted "from scratch"), the second did not study music. A year later, the success of the group of musicians in mathematics, memorizing new words, and reading was noticed. In addition, these children performed better on IQ tests. It is important to note that especially gifted children were not chosen for music lessons.
The same study previously revealed that music lessons are more useful for school-age children than lessons in a drama club: "musicians" showed better results both in school (general subjects) and in passing IQ tests. And now it turned out that music lessons also help preschoolers' brains to develop.
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The brain loves company
An amusing result was shown by a study led by Patrick R. Laughlin, University of Illinois professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If, despite all the "training", your mind is still not enough to solve any problem, you should call your friends for help and unite your intellectual efforts.
760 students took part in the tests. Groups of three, four, or five people performed better on test problems than the same number of students who worked on a problem individually. Two were able to solve the problem as effectively as the best of the "individuals", but worse than groups of three or more people. “We found that groups of three, four, five people gave the best results. This is probably due to the ability of people, when working in a team, to effectively absorb information, generate ideas, choose the right answers and cut out the wrong sentences, ”said Patrick Laughlin. Thus, scientists have confirmed the validity of the saying "one head is good, and two is better."
