Intricate Workings of the Brain

 

The Brain

          Two lobes of wrinkled mass that is the main tool humans used in order to get to the top of the food chain. It requires a certain amount of sugar, and if it does not get that certain amount of sugar then it will lapse into basically conservation mode making it hard to think. The brain is the most intricate tool that humans have ever been able to find, but it is extremely vulnerable. When damaged it swells to reduce damage that has been caused. Before modern medicine was created this swelling would more likely than not contribute to the death of the individual. When these brain injuries happen with the majority of them being caused by motor accidents, it can lead to a strong change in the personality of the person. Genetics play an important role as well because when it comes to explaining certain disorders people suffer such as autism or borderline personality disorders have certain genes that increase potential side effects.

            These personality changes can range from either having a stronger disposition to anger and rage, or it could be that the person will laugh at the most inappropriate times as if all social cues have been lost to them. According to one of the papers brain injuries can be expected to effect up to 80 percent of people, and they will experience some change in their personality. This change could be minor or major but some change will show itself most likely. When we look at ways to treat these types of disorder, and it seems like a good course of action is first establishing the behavior that has change. After this has been discovered, tell the patient what is believed to happened due to the incident. This will allow them to become aware of the behavior, and it will allow them attempts to stop or mitigate it. One reason that TBI or traumatic brain injury has come to light in the recent years is mostly because of professional football players that have suffered concussions through their career of high school, college, and the NFL. These repeated concussions have caused multiple injuries to the brain of a decades. These stacking slams will cause the brain to heal differently each time. One of the papers we read talked about the evolution of concussion protocol over the past decades. It has gotten significantly better compared to the early 90’s of concussion protocol in an attempt to let the brain fully heal before getting back on the field. For example, just this last year a known Denver Broncos super star Demaryius Thomson died of a seizure in his home. It was confirmed post-mortem that he was suffering from Stage 2 CTE which could have either been the reason that he suffered from the seizure that led to his death. Many more examples of players confirmed after death to have suffered from CTE, and this begs the question of are these players in total control of their actions. A lot of former players show increased signs of aggression and violence after the league that gets them in trouble with the law. I am not excusing their behavior because some of the cases are domestic abuse and extreme cases of battery, but I do believe that an awareness of these players suffering from a greater likely hood of personality change should come to light.

            Genetics play a significant role in the development of certain diseases. When we look at borderline personality disorders, we can see that like one of the papers mentioned said that the hippocampus is affected by stress. Some people have disposition to dealing with stress badly which could increase the amount effected. These genes can lead to a increase amount of affected brain disorders, but the brain is also malleable. It can be shaped and formed at an early age and into the early twenties. This means that environment plays just as large a part in is these diseases such a personality disorders can take root with the changing of the brain.  Genetics and environment are two sides of the same coin when it comes to development of the brain, and it leads us to believe that some people have greater risks to develop a disease if it runs in their blood line. For example, Dementia and Alzheimer’s are two diseases that have been linked to the genetic linage. People that have parents or grandparents with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease. I believe that this is cause most of genes passed from mothers and fathers are the baseline for creating proteins and running systems. For example, most people that develop Alzheimer’s have things called plaque which are a protein needed for neurons function. However, plaque is caused by the over production of this protein leading to people developing lesion on the brain limiting neuron function. This means that the genetic code given to you through your parents cross matching could potentially carry the same code that over makes this protein.

    Nature vs Nurture is a very important concept when it comes to the brain and it's development. This means that even though genetically you are built to be a certain way, the way you are raised can change the very genetic makeup of a human. When puppies are raised during their childhood, and a mother licks these puppies and cleans them, it will lead to those puppies developing a greater maternal and paternal attitude later in life. When the brain is first developing between birth and the first 3 years of a human life, it creates more synapses than it needs. However, synapses that are used constantly are strengthen and those that are left alone wither and die. This means that those first couple years are so important to have a base line of those brain connections that will be carried into adult life.

    In conclusion, the brain is probably one of the most complicated things on earth. Humans have used it to become the strongest species on the earth, and using it to shape the very environment that is around us. This complicated organ the rules the very being of us has been is so powerfully built, but it is at the very mercy of the surroundings. The power of disease and genetics play a huge role in the brain, but even greater than that it has been shown how someone grows up has just as large an impact on it. All of these things have a large impact on the development of the brain, and exactly how disease might affect a person. 

References

Dowling, John E. The great brain debate: nature or nurture?. Vol. 15. Princeton University Press, 2011.

Gable, Sara. “Nature, Nurture and Early Brain Development.” University of Missouri Extension, University of Missouri, https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/gh6115.

Weaver, Ian CG. "Integrating early life experience, gene expression, brain development, and emergent phenotypes: unraveling the thread of nature via nurture." Advances in Genetics 86 (2014): 277-307.