The Human Brain: A Delicate Balance Interrupted by Drugs and Injury

As we have discussed in class over the course of the semester, the human body is compiled of a very intricate balance of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health… which we can more easily summarize as the holistic term of “ayurveda”. Many people often think of this balance as homeostasis, and while this is important, this term refers to the balance that our physical well-being is achieved by. In order to fully discuss ayurveda and the holistic balance of one’s well-being, we must understand the location physical location within the body where our mental, emotional, and spiritual components reside… which is the brain.

The human brain is one of the most, if not the most, important organ within our body. The structures located within the brain are responsible for our motor functions, memory, personality, emotions, thought processing, etc. To add to the complexity of the brain, there are approximately 100 billion neurons all communicating with one another which allow our body to accomplish the incredible movements and functions that it does. The brain is the most important organ that we have, and without it, our heart would be unable to beat, our lungs would be unable to provide oxygen to our blood, we would be unable to accomplish metabolic processes, etc. Despite its importance and the immense workload that this organ carries, our understanding of the brain is surprisingly limited and continually growing.

With the brain being responsible for basically every single process that happens in the body, the balance that it must maintain is vital. The brain, despite its relatively small size, uses the largest amount of oxygen, calories, nutrients, etc. of any organ in the body. As such, if anything disrupts the supply chain, being the bloodstream, many issues can occur. Another scenario is if something disrupts the complex chemical and electrical signaling that occurs within the brain, instructing the rest of the body as to what needs to occur. And completely different from these two issues, is that of physical trauma to the brain, which brings its own host of difficulties and disruptions. While the brain is capable of withstanding a decent amount of disruption to its processes, the balance that it must maintain through its various biochemical processes is relatively delicate.

            The most fascinating and innovative discoveries about the human brain have seemingly come at the expense of individuals. One of the driving cases that spurred neuroscience into the forefront was that of Phineas Gage, with one of the most fascinating, yet traumatic medical cases still to this date. Phineas Gage was the foreman of a railroad crew who was working in Vermont. On a seemingly normal day, he was tamping powder into a hole, so that rock could be removed, and a railroad built in its place. While tamping, the powder ignited and sent his tamping bar through his left cheek, through his frontal lobe and skull, and was found some distance away. Despite this traumatic injury, Gage was conscious and got himself back to town to be seen by a doctor. While this injury and case ultimately taught us that the frontal lobe and prefrontal cortex are responsible for personality, the processing of emotional matters, decision-making, etc., it also shows us the resiliency of the human body to trauma… and how the brain had to adjust.

            One way of “restoring” the wholesome, ayurvedic balance of the brain after an injury such as this (or any brain injury for that matter) is through a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to create, “re-map”, and “re-wire” its neural pathways processes following injury or after learning. This is done to create more efficient and total pathways (in learning) and to reattach a “lost network” to the rest of the brain (which can be the case in a physical brain injury). This helps restore the functions that can be separated from the brain, especially in an injury such as that which occurred in the case of Phineas Gage. For example, Gage may have had a change in personality and become unable to work on the railroad, but after a few years he made his way to Chile to drive stagecoaches. This shows the incredible healing ability of the brain, as shortly after that horrific injury, Gage began working a job that requires high levels of planning, thought, multitasking, etc. Neuroplasticity shows us just how important maintaining that state of balance is, as it will completely rewire itself in order to restore a system of balance.

            With the brain being composed of so many structures, pathways, chemicals, etc. it is no surprise that physical injuries (as discussed above) cause changes. On the other hand, however, when the hormones, neurotransmitters, electrical signals, etc. are interrupted/changes, we see immense changes to a person’s holistic self as well. The brain houses the controls for mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health and well-being of the entire organism. External stimuli and components play an important role in our brain’s function and development of these different areas of health. External stimuli cause “shifts” in these areas, which can be either good or bad, and the brain has the means to “correct” these changes as needed. This being said, external stimuli presented too often or in large amounts can cause difficult to change, or even irreversible, damage to the delicate balance that our body is held to.

            Of the most common and prolific external stimuli on the brain is that of drugs, both those that are deemed prescription (legal) and recreational drugs (most of which are illegal). Drugs are small molecules introduced into the body that resemble the structure of biological chemicals produced by the body. Both the drugs and self-made molecules can bind specific receptors and sites on cells within the body, allowing for certain drugs to activate different pathways in the body. There are multiple different ways that drugs can be introduced into the body, with each route varying in: their effectiveness, duration, metabolism, etc. Some of these routes include intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, oral, intranasal, and inhaled (among others).

Drug use makes both anatomical and physiological changes in the brain, which impacts a person in a holistic manner. Additionally, drug addiction further complicates manners after prolonged, and increased, drug use. Changes to important brain locations, such as the prefrontal cortex, often occur with drug use. This occurs as drugs cause changes to the neural pathways found within the body, impacting neurotransmitters and signals sent by the brain. Drugs “hardwire” the brain, as drug use immediately increases dopamine levels within the brain. As drug use is prolonged, the amount of dopamine produced by the brain, and the effectiveness of our natural dopamine levels on the brain, decreases. This causes the brain/individual to believe that drugs are required for survival. Not only this, but drugs cause damage to our memory (via hippocampus damage), emotions, and decision-making areas of the brain. As an individual becomes tolerant to the “desired effects” of a drug, they must use an increased amount (or higher concentration) in order to have the same effect as before. As individuals use more drugs, they can make the mistake of using an excessive amount, which could lead to overdosing and even death.

Changes in neurotransmitter and/or hormone levels and effectiveness in the body can quickly lead to imbalances that affect a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. As such, practices such as exercise, social interaction, yoga/meditation/prayer, etc. are things that individuals can do in order to help maintain this balance. This is also where prescription drugs and medical treatments come into scene. Drugs (even illegal ones), when used under the proper supervision and guidance, can be used to restore balance and ayurveda in an individual. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, birth control, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, vitamins, antihistamines, cold medicines, etc. are all everyday drugs that are used in order to help maintain the balance that allows us to live our lives. There are many medical instances in which illegal drugs can be used by healthcare providers in order to alleviate and help treat medical issues (cocaine for nosebleeds, ketamine for depression, marijuana for chronic pain, etc.). The reason that many of these drugs are even considered illegal is because they should not be used without evaluation or under the supervision of a healthcare professional. However, when they are used appropriately, illnesses and diseases can be treated (and in some instances cured) through the use of drugs and their ability to alter the physical and chemical aspects of the brain.

The state and balance of the brain is vital to the overall well-being of the individual. When the brain is in a state of balance, our relationships, emotions, mental facilities, and physical health are all in a much healthier state. It is when imbalances occur (whether by injury, changes in neurotransmitters, drugs, or even everyday events) that we see areas of our well-being begin to crumble. As mentioned above, there are many failsafe mechanisms in place by the brain and body to help ward these unwanted issues away, however, sometimes we need external assistance in order to restore ayurveda. Some assistance may come in the form of therapy/counseling, physical activities, mental exercises, etc. which shows the importance of these different activities in our lives. Maintaining each of these pillars of health is crucial, as we cannot disregard one area of our health and expect the rest to stand sturdy.