Interesting Facts

Scientists from universities in China and New York have pieced together a “love map” of the human brain. (Using MRI scans they have been able to monitor the physical effects of love, resulting in the first empirical evidence of love-related alterations to the brain. They have found that several areas of the brain show increased activity in people who are in love, including in the parts of the brain linked to reward, motivation, emotion regulation, and the social cognition network. These results shed light on the “underlying mechanisms of romantic love” and could pave the way for a brain scan that could act as a “love test”. So the next time someone says, "I love you", you can answer, "Prove it", put on this brain scanner.)

According to research at the California Institute of Technology, parts of the human brain are hard-wired to respond to other creatures. (The study indicates that the brain's right hemisphere evolved to deal with unexpected and biologically relevant stimuli and that covers a positive reaction to animals like fluffy kittens, as well as a negative response to creepy crawlies. Brain activity was stronger when the people studied looked at cats or snakes versus buildings or people. Maybe that is why more people view my animal vocabulary page , than my building vocabulary page .) Source

According to research published in Research in Nature Neuroscience, people with a busy social life appear to have more volume in a specific part of the brain called the amygdala. (The amygdala region of the brain is already linked to emotional and mental well being, and now it appears to be larger in people with complex social networks.  So it looks as if size does matter.) 

There are no pain receptors on the surface of the brain. (According to the Royal College of Nursing web site, some patients undergoing brain surgery have volunteered to have their exposed brain stimulated with electrodes during surgery. When not under general anesthesia, they can even report their sensations to the experimenter.  Volunteered!  I'm feeling queasy again.)

According to a study published in Science Translational Medicine, a patient's belief that a drug will not work can become a self fulfilling prophecy. (Studies showed the benefits of painkillers could be boosted or reduced by manipulating expectations. The power of the brain should never be underestimated.)

According to research carried out at University College London, the human brain only matures fully when you are middle aged. (In the research scans showed that the prefrontal cortex – the area just behind the forehead – continues to change shape into the 30s and 40s.  The prefrontal cortex is a key area of the brain and is often thought said to be key to what makes us human.  It is said to be involved with decision making, social interaction and many other personality traits.  Which goes to prove my "teenagers are another species" theory.)

According to scientists at Oxford University, juggling can produce changes to the structure of the brain. (The white matter of an area of the brain that has been shown to contain nerves that react to us reaching and grasping for objects in our peripheral vision was enlarged by learning to juggle. All I need now is to find out what exercise will actually improve my juggling skills.)

A detailed simulation of part of the brain has been constructed. (The Blue Brain project was set up to simulate an entire human brain, down to the molecular level, they have now announced that they have constructed a region of the brain, the the neocortical column, molecule by molecule and they say they have observed the first indication of thought. Allegedly scaling it up is only a matter of money. I guess this brings the old adage of "I think therefore I am" into question.)

According to a study by the Max Planck Institute, the brain makes some decisions 10 seconds before they become conscious thought. (Hence the saying, "Look before you leap.")

Listen to this Week's Podcast Here The brain can turn down its ability to see in order to listen to complex sounds like music. (Dr Jonathan Burdette, who led the study, said: "This is like closing your eyes to listen to music. Imagine the difference between listening to someone talk in a quiet room and that same discussion in a noisy room - you don't see as much of what's going on in the noisy room." Actually listening to some people talk can make me want to block my ears with my fingers and shout, "La la la" very loudly.)