Brain Facts
How does our brain store memories differently than a computer?
Your brain doesn’t store memories like a computer. Instead, memories are spread across different areas of the brain and can change over time. Memories exist as connections between neurons that are created, maintained, and can sometimes be influenced by new information or experiences. Neurotransmitters in the neurons which hold the memories cause these events, and they can be far more subtle (and changeable) than those in a computer.
How is your brain involved in your love life?
The brain creates all of your behaviors, including your romantic feelings and other emotions, ability to plan for the future and execute those plans, your memories, movements and much of the work your heart and other organs do. The main job the brain has is to keep us alive both as individuals and as a species. Therefore, whole sections of the brain are devoted to controlling our eating habits and our romantic life!
Tell me some facts about teens and addiction.
Addiction at its core is compulsive drug seeking due to loss of control over drug use despite negative consequences. It results from changes in the brain caused by repeated, high level use of certain drugs (alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, stimulants, opioids). Many factors influence the risk of developing a substance use disorder including genetics, environment, early trauma and family history.
Does the brain change over time?
Yes, it does. The structure and the neurochemistry of the brain change all the time. The biggest changes occur during childhood and adolescence when the brain increases to its maximum number of connections right as children enter adolescence. During adolescence, a big pruning event occurs where synapses that are not being used are eliminated - the “use it or lose it” principle. The brain continues to develop, and processing becomes faster and more efficient. As we age, however, we lose some neurons and our “gray matter” declines.
Why do teens seek out rewards and new experiences?
The brain develops from the back to the front and continues to develop into early adulthood (around 25 years old). Adolescents focus more on rewards and pleasure and less on potential punishment because the brain’s “reward center” matures before the parts of the brain that contribute control of decision making. The increased dopamine activity of the reward system encourages teens to seek out new experiences and form social connections with peers, but it can also lead to riskier choices. The growth of the decision-making areas in the cortex lead to gradual improvement in decision making and decrease in risk-taking behaviors over time.
Why do teens need more sleep than adults?
Yes, teens need more sleep than adults — around 8 to 10 hours per night. We know that physical growth, mental health, school performance, and general cognitive function suffer in adolescents who don’t get enough sleep. Recent research has told us what happens in the brain. The communication between parts of the brain involved in the reward system with the cortex is insufficient, gray matter (think neurons) volume is actually less, and these differences correlate with the amount of sleep deficit. This need for more sleep results in part due to shifts in their circadian rhythms as teens tend to feel more alert at night and sleepy in the morning, which can clash with early school start times.
How can what you eat affect your brain?
Not only does what you eat affect your brain, but your brain affects what you eat! The brain, like all of your organs, works best with a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Healthy eating (low simple sugars, less saturated fat, adequate protein intake) results in optimal cognitive function in most people. The brain is a major center that monitors and helps to control what nutrients and how much of each you eat. The brain has some special nutritional needs including the amino acids tyrosine and
phenylalanine as well as choline to make the neurotransmitters catecholamines, serotonin and acetylcholine.
Why is sleep so important for your memory?
Brain and body renewal occur in specific stages of sleep. We cycle through several sleep stages at night, each of which contributes to renewal. After first falling asleep, we usually enter a very deep sleep, which is when our muscles relax completely – this restores the body. We next progress into a somewhat lighter stage when brain activity occurs in repeated bursts (called spindles). This activity is key for memory consolidation and may even reflect the reactivation of brain activity patterns occurred while learning when awake. Finally rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep) is when we dream and perhaps tackle the emotional issues left unresolved at bedtime.