The Impact of the Brain

     Our brain has about 100 billion neurons that allow many networks and connections within the brain, making its storage capacity virtually unlimited. The brain is a remarkable and complex organ in our bodies. It holds great importance regarding our body communicating and reacting to the external environment. There are many factors that could potentially damage the brain. For example, drugs, infections, genetic disorders, brain injuries, and many other lifestyle factors. Because there is much of the brain that has not been studied, we don’t know all of the potential causes of certain diseases or disorders and the risks that could occur. What we do know is that these illnesses impact society from the social misconceptions that are placed upon people who have these issues to the way we treat them.  Brain diseases could really impact different aspects of someone’s life. 

    To start off, each part of the brain has different roles that allow us to function and comprehend different situations. For example, the cerebrum initiates and coordinates movement. It is also separated into different lobes that enable speech, judgment, problem-solving, emotions, vision, touch, and other senses. There is also the cerebellum which is able to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and maintain posture, balance, and equilibrium. There have been new studies that explore the cerebellum’s roles in emotions and social behavior, as well as the possibility of involvement in addiction, autism, and schizophrenia. The last part is the brainstem which connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. It is divided into three sections: the midbrain, pons, and medulla. The midbrain has a span of different neuron clusters and pathways that help with hearing and movement to calculate responses and environmental changes. The pons is able to do many activities such as chewing, blinking, focusing, and facial expressions. Lastly, the medulla is at the bottom of the brainstem and is essential for survival. It is able to regulate many bodily activities, such as heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The medulla also produces reflexive activities such as sneezing, vomiting, and swallowing. With a healthy brain, our body is capable of doing many different functions. 

The way our brain and body perform could be negatively impacted by different factors. These factors could lead to serious diseases that could change someone’s life drastically. As of now, about 300 mental illnesses have been identified. Some factors that could lead to these illnesses are genetic disorders, infections, congenital problems, and other health/lifestyle factors. Unfortunately, some of these factors are unpreventable and can occur at different stages of an individual's life. One of the neurological disorders that I found interest in was Parkinson’s disease. In Parkinson’s, the midbrain’s substantia nigra, a critical region for dopamine production, is affected. This area enables movement and coordination. Because of the lack of dopamine, people with Parkinson’s experience tremors, difficulty walking, and a sense of slowness. They also experience “on” and “off” periods where the medication works really well, however, the body ends up getting used to the medication and the symptoms slowly begin to creep back in. Most neurological diseases could lead to dementia. This disease deteriorates intellectual abilities such as memory, judgment, concentration, and emotional instability. One of the most common forms of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Although we have millions of  neurons that can combine to one another, they can become damaged and stop working which significantly affects memory. The cause of this disease is still not known because of its different variations however, it can be inheritable and external factors could also increase the chances of getting the disease. 

    Alzheimer's disease really hits home for me because I used to work as a certified nurse assistant(CNA) in the memory care units of assisted living homes. I worked with dementia patients for five years and although it filled me with joy being able to interact and build relationships with the patients, it was not always easy. Every day was a new experience dealing with the patient's moods and irrational behaviors. There were some patients that thought they lived in a different time period. Some of them couldn’t remember whether their spouses had passed away or not, which would lead me to say a white lie once in a while. Some of them would constantly remember and ask about their families, which would make them really upset. Some patients would have outbursts or cry because they would forget where they were and what CNAs were there to do. Some had even lost the capability of eating on their own or going to the bathroom on their own. It was definitely a challenge because each dementia patient is different. Some of them were on a more severe level of Alzheimer’s which meant they needed extra care and patience when it came to doing simple daily activities. Alzheimer's is a really tough disease because it really turns a person's mind into one of a child again. The individuals are not themselves anymore because their brains are not properly working, and they don’t retain any information. It was heartbreaking to see that many of them lived a life of confusion. Each day was a question of where am I? And as much as I wanted to explain and answer their questions, the next day would be the same thing all over again.                        

Other types of disorders that occur in the brain are schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. These disorders involve mood and personality and could develop due to different factors such as life experiences, trauma, genetic inheritance, and brain injury. One major cause that I would like to focus on is trauma. Researchers believe that early trauma can increase hyperactivity in the amygdala, which is the emotional and survival center. It can also reduce activity in the hippocampus which helps distinguish between the past and present. Unfortunately, trauma can cause your brain to remain in a state of survival mode and strong emotional reactivity. I think this is an important factor to know because many people deal with mental disorders and are not well understood. There are many disadvantages when it comes to having mental disorders because it affects someone's social life and they have a harder time dealing with certain experiences. It is hard for someone to recover from a traumatic experience which is why physicians are dealing with neuroplasticity or finding a way for the brain to form new connections in order to reverse some of the trauma’s effects. This is something that I have learned more about due to my job. I work at a treatment center for girls. Many of these girls have dealt with a lot of trauma in their life and it has definitely impacted the way they view and handle life situations. Some of them have dealt with physical or mental abuse or have experienced rough moments in their life such as the death of a parent or close family member. Many of the girls have also dealt with suicidal thoughts, drug and alcohol abuse, and unhealthy relationships. One of the ways the girls receive help is through therapy which includes brainspotting. I had never heard of brainspotting before until I started working there. Brainspotting is a new type of therapy that is able to reveal a client's unprocessed trauma through specific eye positions that link to their own “brain spot.” In each brain spot, there are thoughts and opinions that are kept there and they're able to be accessed and processed. I think that although this therapy is still somewhat new it can be very helpful for individuals to understand some of the reasons why they have their traumas and negative emotions. Some people who have had rough life situations decide to block those experiences and the feelings that came along with it because they don't want to remember the experience. However, this therapy will help them analyze these deep feelings so that it can help them overcome the feelings and possibly help with their mental disorder. The goal is for individuals to potentially overcome and heal from their mental disorders like anxiety and depression. I think that this type of therapy should be used because it can significantly improve someone’s life and I can see that many girls that graduate from the program, leave with a better mindset, better relationships, and with better decision-making skills. 

When it comes to drugs and their impact on the brain, there has always been a social stigma against them. People usually associate the word “drug” with something bad such as leading to violence or addiction. Drugs affect our brains in different ways. Some disrupt the communication between neurons in the brain, while others can help better communication in the pathways. Each class of drugs interacts with the brain differently therefore also altering a person’s behavior and mood. Each drug has a specific chemical composition which serves as a key to unlocking the barrier in the brain. Neurotransmitters also play a big role in inhibiting or exciting a signal which spreads across the neuron networks in the brain. This signal will allow the body to function depending on what we need. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin helps regulate behavior, body temperature, digestive process, breathing, and more. Drugs can highly impact the levels of different neurotransmitters. All hallucinogenic drugs block the release of serotonin which allow the regulation of mood and impulsivity. Other factors such as perception and learning can also be affected. This is why some drugs are illegal. If they are used often, they can eventually change and rewire the brain; this could potentially affect the way a person thinks, makes decisions, and their memory. 

One of the common reasons why drugs are seen as dangerous is the potential to become addictive. Addiction can arise due to different factors such as peer or family influence, early use, and mental illnesses. It is interesting to me that drug addiction is considered a disease because of how the drug has modified the brain to want the drug as often as the person can get it. This changes my perspective on addiction because I know some people who struggled getting over an addiction. They could not stop “cold turkey,” they had to slowly limit their drug intake until eventually, they did not crave the drug as much. I think that it must be a difficult journey when it comes to getting over addiction because the drug has modified the brain to need it. It is also interesting how family and genetic makeup could impact the risk of addiction. According to an article called “The Role of Genes in Drug Addiction,” scientists state that genetic factors are responsible for 40-60% of a person’s vulnerability to addiction. They have figured out that by mapping DNA sequences in drug addicts, they can isolate the DNA sequences that indicate a risk of becoming addicted to drugs. These sequences have info that code for specific proteins which help with the body’s functions. Depending on how well the protein can function represents how vulnerable a person is to become addicted. 

People do not realize the long-term effects of drug addiction and the impact it has on someone’s life. It can increase health issues such as the risk of a stroke, cancer, and mental health conditions. It could potentially lead to death if there is an overdose of the drug in the body. Unfortunately, drug overdose rates continue to increase as the decades pass. Drug addiction can also contribute by affecting the social aspect and lifestyle of someone. People tend to distance themselves from others. They have trouble committing to their everyday responsibilities. Some also have financial problems because they are too invested in buying the drug that they would rather buy the drug than food or other items they may need. It is unfortunate that many people fall into poor habits and most of them can't help it because the drug has already programmed their brains to want the drug. 
In conclusion, I was able to find and learn more about the brain and different factors that can be detrimental to the proper functioning of the brain. Drugs can have both positive and negative effects on the brain. There are many individuals with mental disorders that take medications, however, overdoing medication can lead to codependency. It can also lead to addiction with could negatively change someone’s life. I was able to learn more about some brain diseases and disorders and related them to my life. Unfortunately, I have seen many people who deal with mental diseases, and it shows how important it is to learn and research about brain diseases. Because we don’t know much about the brain, I think it would be beneficial to keep studying the brain, and hopefully find better ways to prevent these diseases/disorders. The main concept that I got from all of this information was that brain diseases and drugs not only have a big impact on our brains and body but our environment. They are capable of controlling someone’s life which can be dangerous for the individual. 

References

Herculano-Houzel, S.The Remarkable, Yet Not Extraordinary, Human Brain as a Scaled-Up Primate Brain and Its Associated Cost. In the Light of Evolution. Vol.VI.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207181/

Neurological Disorders. (n.d). Montana DPHHS. https://dphhs.mt.gov/schoolhealth/chronichealth/neurologicaldisorders#:~:text=The specific causes of neurological,cord injury or nerve injury

Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works. (2021, July 14). John Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain

Sartor R. The social impact of drug abuse on community life. Med Law. 1991;10(2):205-8. PMID: 1886469.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1886469/

The Role of Genes in Drug Addiction. (2021, December 14). Heads Up Scholastic. https://headsup.scholastic.com/students/the-role-of-genes-in-drug-addiction/

Smith, I. (2021, September 22). How Does Trauma Affect the Brain? - And what it means for you. Whole Wellness Therapy. https://www.wholewellnesstherapy.com/post/trauma-and-the-brain