The human brain – new discoveries

A. Parts of the brain. Most of us learn basic facts about the human brain in our middle or high school biology classes. We study the sub cortex, the “old brain”, which is found in the brains of most animals and is responsible for basic functions such as breathing, eating, drinking, and sleeping. We learn about the neocortex, the “new brain”, which is unique to humans and is where complex brain activity takes place. We find that the cerebrum, which is responsible for all active thought, is divided into two parts, or hemispheres. The left hemisphere, generally, manages the right side of the body; it is responsible for logical thinking. The right hemisphere manages the left side of the body; this hemisphere controls emotional, creative, and artistic functions. And we learn that corpus callosum is the “bridge” that connects the two hemispheres. Memorizing the names for parts of the brain might not seem thrilling to many students, but new discoveries in brain function are exciting. Recent research is shedding light on creativity, memory, maturity, gender, and the relationship between mind and body.

B. Left brain/Right brain: creativity. Psychologists agree that most of us have creative ability that is greater than what we use in daily life. In other words, we can be more creative than we realize! The problem is that we use mainly one hemisphere of our brain – the left. From childhood, in school, we’re taught reading, writing, and mathematics; we are exposed to very little music of art. Therefore, many of us might not “exercise” our right hemisphere much, except through dreams, symbols, and those wonderful insights in which we suddenly find the answer to a problem that has been bothering us – and do so without the need for logic. Can we be taught to use our right hemisphere more? Many experts believe so. Classes at some schools and books claim to help people to “silence” the left hemisphere and give the right one a chance to work.

C. Memory – true or false? In the 1980s in the United States, there were many cases of adults who suddenly remembered, with the help of a psychologist, things that had happened to them in childhood. These memories had been repressed – held back- for many years. Some of these newly discoveries have sent people to prison. As people remember crimes (such as murder or rape) that they saw or experienced as children, the police have re-opened and investigated old criminal cases. In fact, over 700 cases have been filed that are based on these repressed memories.

D. However, studies in the 1990s suggested that many of these might be false memories. At a 1994 conference at Harvard Medical School, neuroscientist discussed how memory is believed to work. It is known that small pieces of memory (sound, sight, feeling, and so on) are kept in different parts of the brain; in the limbic system, in the middle of the brain, pulls these pieces together into one complete memory. But it’s certain that people can “remember” things that have never happened. Even a small suggestion can leave a piece of memory in the brain. Most frightening is that there may be no structural difference in the brain between a false memory and a true one.

E. The teen brain. Parents of teenagers have always known that there is something, well, different about the teen years. Some parents claim that their teenage children belong to a different species. Until recently, neuroscience did not support this belief. The traditional belief was that by the age of 8 to 12 the brain was completely mature. However, very recent studies provide evidence that the brain of a teenager differs from that of both children and adults. According to National Institute of Mental Health, maturation does not stop at age of 10, but continues into the teen years and beyond. In fact, scientists found that the corpus callosum continues growing into your 20s. Because, it is believed, the corpus callosum is involved in self-awareness and intelligence, the new studies imply that teens may not be as fully self-aware or as intelligent as they will be later. Other researchers have found that teenagers are not able (as adults are) to read emotions on people’s faces.

F. Differences in male and female brains. Watch a group of children as they play. You’ll probably notice that the boys and girls play differently, speak differently, and are interested in different things. When they grow into men and women, the differences do not disappear. Many scientists are now studying the origins of these gender differences. Some are searching for an explanation in the human brain. Some of their findings are interesting. For example, they’ve found that more men than women are left-handed; this reflects the dominance of the brain’s right hemisphere. By contrast, more women listen equally with both ears while men listen mainly with the right ear. Men are better at reading map without having to rotate it. Women are better at reading emotions of people in photographs.

G. One place to look for an explanation of gender differences is in the hypothalamus, just above the brain stem. This controls anger, thirst, hunger, and sexual desire. One recent study shows that there is a region in the hypothalamus that is larger in heterosexual men than it is in women and homosexual men. Another area of study is the corpus callosum, the thick group of nerves that allows the right and left hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other. The corpus callosum is larger in women than in men. This might explain the mystery of “female intuition”, which is supposed to give women greater ability to “read” and understand emotional clues.

H. Wired for music? It might seem logical to believe that our appreciation of music learned – that nurture, not nature, determines this. However, it is now clear that nature also plays a role; recent studies indicate that the human brain is “wired” for music. At the University of Toronto, Canada, psychologists have been studying infants age 6-9 months. Surprisingly, these babies smile when researchers play consonant (pleasant) music, but they appear to hate dissonant music. As adults, most people can remember only a few poems or pieces of prose but have the capacity to remember at least dozens of musical tunes and to recognize hundreds more. Even more interesting, perhaps, is the possibility that music might actually improve some forms of intelligence. A 1999 study proves that music can help children do better at math – not, oddly, other subjects, just math. It is probably not surprising that much of the brain activity that involves music takes place in the temporal lobes. It may be more surprising to learn that the corpus callosum is actually larger in musicians than in non-musicians.

I. The mystery of the mind-body relationship. There is more and more evidence every day to prove that our minds and bodies are closely connected. Negative emotions, such as loneliness, depression, and helplessness, are believed to cause a higher rate of sickness and death. Similarity, it’s possible that positive thinking can help people remain in good physical health or become well faster after an illness. Although some doctors are doubtful about this, most accept the success of new therapies (e.g., relaxation and meditation) that people with problems such as ulcers, high blood pressure, insomnia (sleeplessness), and migraine headaches.

1. What is the function of different parts of the brain?

2. How are human brains different from animal brains?

3. Why do some people seem to be more creative than others?

4. What is the difference between the left and right side of the brain?

5. Are the happiest memories of most people’s lives from their childhood?

6. Is it possible to have a memory of something that never happened?

7. How can we improve our memories?

8. Are teenagers’ brains different from adults’ brains?

9. How do men and women communicate with each other?

10. How does the brain influence a person’s ability with music?

11. Can the brain cause people to get sick or become well?