Neurology Medicine

Archive for the ‘Neurology’ Category

Although the brain only weighs 2% of body mass, consumes over 20% of oxygen and nutrients that we take during the day.

Inside the brain are concentrated about 10,000 billion neurons , and memory, among other powers of the brain, which works because these neurons are connected by tiny electrical impulses.

It seems that at age 27 is when the brain begins to deteriorate. Thus, scientists have demonstrated the University of Virginia in the United States. It is believed that the increased alertness of humans enjoy over 22 years of age and about 5 years later is when the brain begins to lose skills, the thoughts are slower, costs more to reason and remember worse. That does not mean we are going to suffer dementia or something, but we do need to start taking care of our

he ongoing fear of growing old before their time

According to studies, remember the 5% of what we hear, 20% of what we see and 90% of what we do. Not currently be more awkward than before, but we live in a world too machining in which almost everything we wrote. So when something is strictly dependent on our memory is easy to fall into oblivion. Back when the machines were limited to a few companies, almost all had to memorize it. And even more so in small towns. Maybe that’s why people in a small population, there are hundreds of seniors who are able to converse with amazing agility and brilliance that many young people want for themselves.
The brain is almost like an internet network

Recent scientific advances have discovered that the brain is constantly processing and which is developed over the years a network as if it were computer connections. At birth, a minimum of connections which are increasing and becoming more complicated as a birthday. The brain is moving from the simple to the complex, with one caveat, if you do not care, nurture and maintain each of these connections our mind goes numb. Hence we have to keep it active, because the more work the younger minds will continue.

Encode and store to recover after

Apparently, the act of remembering something does not cost us any work, at least at the stage of youth. But until we put in words what is remembered, the brain sets in motion an elaborate protocol: Identifies the petition seeks the answer in the right place, connects this response with other data if needed and remembers what verbalized.

This circuit acts mechanically and apparently unintentionally, may be altered by many circumstances, one being age.

Keep in mind that some cognitive impairment of the mind is inevitable with the passage of time. But if genetics with us and take care of our brains, as we do with other parts of our body, we can enjoy a young and agile mind for a long time.

The consequences vary from one person to another and are associated with whether the condition was diagnosed earlier or later in the life of that individual.

In the case of persons (children and / or youth) of school age, a common result is poor academic performance. Due to the short attention span, level of uptake is lower. Sometimes teachers are not prepared to handle such situations grade students lazy, lazy or unwilling to learn, when the reality is another. With this behavior, all they do these teachers is negatively condition the students who suffer from this condition.

In the psychological realm many children who have LD have difficulties in the development of his personality. As poorly qualified, have problems with self-esteem, feelings of invalidity (“no good”) and frustration (which can lead to depression).

In the social area, many of those with LD have difficulties in social integration due to the lack of understanding of those around them. That means trouble getting along with others, which leads to isolation, disciplinary problems, feel and cause social rejection and discrimination often made simply because the adults with whom they interact not understand or are unwilling to understand what happens in the lives of those who react that way.
What cope with ADHD?

If you suspect a child, youth and adult attention deficit suffered in the appropriate field is required a primary diagnosis to determine if you meet some of the features associated with this condition.

In establishing the possibility of the presence of DA must refer to a specialist. This case is a clinical psychologist who apply the respective tests to determine whether the person needs therapy or medication, in this case should be referred to a physician specializing in neurology or psychiatrist, so they can determine what type of drugs are needed to the patient’s treatment. It is important to understand that the DA is not always caused by neurological problems.

In many cases, a combination of medical treatment with psychotherapy, especially in cases where the consequences of the deficit may have caused psychological problems.

Conclusion

It is not easy living with AD, however, is a condition with which to live. However, it is necessary not only be aware of the disease but to receive adequate and competent professional help.

A condition that many children, youth and adults have, and often not well diagnosed or understood.

Sometimes, not adequately disclose this condition for some people, are often discriminated against or misunderstood, not only by family members, but also in education and employment centers.
What is ADHD?

The attention deficit (AD), also known as attention deficit disorder (SDA) is a condition that causes alterations in attention span and concentration.

It manifests itself in children and adults , regardless of gender. Not related to cognitive abilities because most people with this condition have normal intelligence.

In some cases it is associated with hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. However, it occurs in all cases. However, a person with LD have more often this type of behavior than other individuals of the same age.

The psychologist Arbieto Kenny Torres notes that “from the neurological point of view, it is assumed that attention deficit disorder is a brain function in children, adolescents and adults, characterized by the presence of persistent behavioral and cognitive symptoms such as attention deficit , hyperactivity and impulsivity. “

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

The American Psychiatric Association in its Diagnostic Manual of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (DSM-IV) in the edition of 1995 says that people with AD are characterized by:

Do not pay attention to the details, so that tasks can produce errors in school and / or work.
Have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks (work or school) and recreational activities.
Show absent and giving the impression of not listening when spoken to directly.
Have difficulty following directions and completing tasks and duties (both school and work).
Show difficulty organizing tasks and activities, both personally and in groups.
Avoid activities that require constant mental effort.
Losing important items or materials to perform assigned tasks or activities.
Constantly susceptible to being distracted by irrelevant environmental stimuli.
Show careless conduct daily activities.

Sometimes tends to be more important in ADHD children, relegating to a secondary level to adults who suffer.

While studying the problem of attention deficit in children since the early twentieth century, only in the 1970s began to be diagnosed adults with the same condition, albeit with slightly different etiologies.
Statistics

According to Dr. Jorge Gonzalez , Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Chile:

The ADHD affects approximately 8% of children and 5% of adults.
It causes problems in adulthood 60% of those who suffered in childhood.
There is a genetic relationship occurring in 50% in first grade and 92% among monozygotic twins.
80% of adults have diagnosed mood disorders, anxiety, substance abuse, personality disorders, antisocial behavior and learning disorders .
The risk of substance abuse decreased by 25% in patients treated with drugs.
Adults with ADHD have more difficulty in school, relationships and work, which is independent of their intellectual abilities.

Symptoms of attention deficit disorder in adults

Our brain looks for symmetry and when he finds it identifies what he sees as something beautiful.

What is beauty? When we consider that a person is beautiful? Beauty is relative and subjective concept, no doubt, but has a brain anatomical basis. It is shown that our brain shows desire for symmetry. Not to do brainy research to such a conclusion, just go to the fashion magazines and contests Miss Universe . The standards of beauty are always the same!
Beauty and brains

In 2003 scientists of the department of neuroscience at University College London tried to find the existence of brain centers of beauty and brain centers associated with ugliness. This attempted to find differences in the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging in subjects labeled a work of art as “ugly” or “beautiful”. Do not found! The conclusion of their study is that there is no brain centers for beauty and ugliness, things beautiful and the ugly are perceived in the same brain regions (orbitofrontal cortex and motor cortex). Now, beauty is subjective or objective, neurologically speaking?

In 2007 Cinzia Di Dio, Emiliano Macaluso and Giacomo Rizzolatti, a neuroscientist at the University of Parma (Italy) and Neuroimaging Laboratory in Rome, made a further series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging. To carry out the scientists selected a group of people who had no special training in art, which asked them to see images of classical and Renaissance sculpture. Some images were original and others had been altered on purpose. While participants viewed the images are analyzed brain activity. The images of the original sculptures guarding the canonical proportions, whereas these proportions were altered images changed, thereby degrading the aesthetic value of the same.

The researchers found that when participants were shown the original images-with-golden proportions in their brains were activated cortical neurons and at the level of the right insula (a brain region involved in emotions). These regions could be classified as areas of objective perception of beauty. By contrast, when asked to judge whether that also saw the sculptures were beautiful or ugly areas that were activated were different. Thus, when the images were judged to be pretty brain area was activated was the right side of the amygdala-area beauty subjective

Why your brain likes symmetry?

You could say that our brain is lazy, looking for symmetry less work because you recognize the shapes symmetrical asymmetrical forms. Evolutionary psychologists argue that our genes are programmed to survive, and this is basically achieved by playing and being prepared to face any danger. We could say that the emotional response to life images is vital to our survival.

May we be able to recognize a healthy person, with whom we feel like “mixing our genes”, of a patient is essential. Our brain interprets any deviation from symmetry is a health deficit and, ultimately, the reproductive capacity of that person! For this reason our brain looks for symmetry.
Above all, the simplicity

They are well known Peter Winkelman studies about the reactions that a person experiences when shown a geometric figure outlined with dots. When is a prototypical figure (square, diamond …) there is activation of the cheek muscle. It is the way in which the person signaled his satisfaction and pleasure: “easy.” While the more distorted is the figure the person takes longer to classify. The brain has a harder time recognizing what lies behind those graphs. In other words, our brain looks for simplicity. The known unknown is positive and negative.

In short, no brain areas of the beautiful and ugly, but it does have beautiful areas of the brain to objective and subjective beauty.

Yawning, a sign of boredom, social inappropriateness gesture or just a touch with our primitive instincts.

The yawn is a gesture uncontrollable urges us to open your mouth as possible, while we do the contraction involving inhalation, in most cases a large number of muscles, not only face but also on the trunk, as the stretching of the arms, back or neck.

Although it may seem, is not only a human action, since most vertebrates include it in their behavior patterns.

But despite this always raises the question of why the yawn to try to give explanation to this fact, there have been several theories :

Yawning as a way to achieve an increase in blood oxygen

One theory suggests that this practice serves to make, given the existence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the body generates the need for a deep breath to give more oxygen to the body portion.

But despite having his logic, this theory does not explain most of the yawns are given in a state of weariness, boredom or lack of sleep.
Yawning as a way to maintain alertness

The latest scientific research published in the journal “Evolutionary Psychology” and carried out by psychologists at the University of Albany in New York, suggests that yawning acts as a defense mechanism of our body to get us to stay alert to avoid the arrival of dream.

This would be achieved because yawning cools the blood vessels in the nasal cavity that send blood to the brain. This will keep the brain clear.
Other theories of yawning

In addition to the above exposed there are other hypotheses that have been shuffled to give a convincing explanation for this phenomenon, among them the idea that it is a gesture inherited from earlier times which allows us to show its teeth as a form of intimidation.

Other research argues that the act of yawning is a simple mechanism notice would indicate that we must change the activity or rest of the currently do.
Why is yawning contagious?

Apart from its role in our lives, there is another even greater mystery is the contagion of yawning gesture.

We’ve all had the feeling hopeless to imitate an animal person and even when yawning. To explain this behavior there are two theories:

The spread is due to safety reasons: if within a group of individuals begins to bite sleep, yawning will make you stay awake and alert to potential hazards that may exist.

The spread is based on survival instincts: if we see someone yawn, your brain interprets psychologically we are stealing the air and our bodies decide to imitate the behavior the largest collection possible if the existence of that need.

The truth is that despite the everyday gesture, science still has not managed to give a conclusive explanation and today it remains one of those mysteries that have not been able to resolve.

In fact, in some societies, is still considered an improper gesture and tend to hide it by hand or trying to keep the momentum going.

Testable only thing is that it is a common gesture that affects not only every individual of the human species but a large number of animals, besides being completely unavoidable, especially in situations of fatigue or boredom.

Although the brain only weighs 2% of body mass, consumes over 20% of oxygen and nutrients that we take during the day.

Inside the brain are concentrated about 10,000 billion neurons , and memory, among other powers of the brain, which works because these neurons are connected by tiny electrical impulses.

It seems that at age 27 is when the brain begins to deteriorate. Thus, scientists have demonstrated the University of Virginia in the United States. It is believed that the increased alertness of humans enjoy over 22 years of age and about 5 years later is when the brain begins to lose skills, the thoughts are slower, costs more to reason and remember worse. That does not mean we are going to suffer dementia or something, but we do need to start taking care of our brain young.

The ongoing fear of growing old before their time

According to studies, remember the 5% of what we hear, 20% of what we see and 90% of what we do. Not currently be more awkward than before, but we live in a world too machining in which almost everything we wrote. So when something is strictly dependent on our memory is easy to fall into oblivion. Back when the machines were limited to a few companies, almost all had to memorize it. And even more so in small towns. Maybe that’s why people in a small population, there are hundreds of seniors who are able to converse with amazing agility and brilliance that many young people want for themselves.
The brain is almost like an internet network

Recent scientific advances have discovered that the brain is constantly processing and which is developed over the years a network as if it were computer connections. At birth, a minimum of connections which are increasing and becoming more complicated as a birthday. The brain is moving from the simple to the complex, with one caveat, if you do not care, nurture and maintain each of these connections our mind goes numb. Hence we have to keep it active, because the more work the younger minds will continue.

Encode and store to recover after

Apparently, the act of remembering something does not cost us any work, at least at the stage of youth. But until we put in words what is remembered, the brain sets in motion an elaborate protocol: Identifies the petition seeks the answer in the right place, connects this response with other data if needed and remembers what verbalized.

This circuit acts mechanically and apparently unintentionally, may be altered by many circumstances, one being age.

Keep in mind that some cognitive impairment of the mind is inevitable with the passage of time. But if genetics with us and take care of our brains, as we do with other parts of our body, we can enjoy a young and agile mind for a long time.

Overview of the different systems of memory available to the human brain.

Human memory has been one of the aspects that have brought them from head to contemporary psychologists. Memory now understand the phenomenon of the human mind brain that allows us to encode, store and retrieve information.

The first dilemma came when trying to delimit, since what information we can remember (or forget), not only based on events, but also in semantic content, sensory, emotional meanings …. In addition, throughout the study of different people who have had different brain injuries , has been discovered that certain types of injuries affect the memory of some of these features and not the other.

Given this evidence, psychology began to consider that there is a single memory system, but according to the type of information that is stored, leading to either system memory (each located in a different brain area) .

Memory Types

The three main memory systems are sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory .

Sensory memory is one that stores information about the stimuli captured by the sensory organs after stimulation ceases. This type of memory, operating unconsciously, has a “short life” since all stimulation is stored for a median time of 12.5 “.

The types most studied sensory memory are “iconic memory” (referring to the visual stimulation) and “memory Ecoles” (referring to the auditory stimulation).

The short-term memory is one in which it holds any information that we just happened and where it is assimilated and categorized.

George A. Millner (1956), attempted to define the ability of this type of memory. In his famous article called ” magic number “, a formula that we are able to store between 5 and 9 stimuli simultaneously for 10 seconds. The relevance is given to such stimulation is what will decide if transferred to long-term memory or fall into oblivion.

The procedure to be considered relevant information can be either unconscious (which the body itself gives importance to such information) or conscious (self-repeating information over and over again, to enter with greater severity).

The long-term memory is one that contains all kinds of information and events that occurred that have passed the MCP filter.

The long-term memory is divided into declarative memory (or explicit) that is about knowledge and own experiences and non-declarative memory (or implicit), which deals with knowledge about the performance of certain skills or cognitive strategies. Declarative memory is dependent on the hippocampus (brain structure found in the medial temporal lobe) and may be activated consciously, while non-declarative memory usually activated unconsciously.

Declarative memory is divided into semantic memory, which refers to the meanings and signifiers of words and encouragement we receive, as well as episodic memory, which is the record of the experiences of each person.

The declarative memory is divided into procedural memory, which refers to the memory of motor skills and executive functions to perform a certain task and perceptual memory (or perceptual representation system), which improves the identification of words and objects by processing and representation of information regarding its form and structure.

Memory is fallible, make mistakes and may even sworn to the suffering of degenerative diseases whose hero is forgotten.

Memory can be defined as brain function, through synapses or connections between neurons allows us to recall facts, objects, sounds and sensations past.

Punset Eduard says: “Without memory there is life” since the last unites memory with this offering the subject a sense of continuity in time. But not only that, it also allows us to imagine the future based on various elements that are associated stored causing a reality that has occurred.

Sensory memory stores its data in different parts of the brain and are unified by the hippocampus .

“Do not store them in the head that you fit in a pocket.” Albert Einstein

Daniel Schacter, a psychologist at the University of hardward, is author of The Seven Sins of Memory, which explains why the memory is not totally reliable since it depends on several factors, including care provided at the time lived. If we look at several things at once is more likely to fall into oblivion.

The brain must select the data most important to save, to make room for what’s important. This is an adaptive need “You need to forget some things to move forward in life,” says Schacter.

Although memory has a very high storage capacity, connections that neurons make less available the more ancient they are. It is also harder to remember the more memories accumulate

Memory errors

The misattribution is to remember a certain aspect but take it out of context and invented a story that can mix elements lived in different situations.

Also influence knowledge in memory, feelings and beliefs today. That is why Punset gives importance to unlearn, as it allows access to new possibilities.

Memory fails, mainly when evoking the details, but essentially keeps well.

Memories can also be induced and stolen. It is possible to believe a person who remembers something lived in reality and also that of winning the role of a fact that has only been a spectator.

If you want to remember is to pay attention to the information at the time of capture it. A good trick is to repeat, out loud, the contextualising data to preserve or at the site has been acquired.

Memory is a faculty that can be lost due to age or illness, however, recent studies indicate the possibility of exercising, maintaining and even increasing through either physical training, manual or intellectual. In this sense, can be found in the Red j ames memory to maintain the necessary activity of neurons.
Mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s

According to studies recently carried out by Spanish researchers, the loss of short-term memory and mild cognitive impairment , characterized by missing objects, forgetfulness of scheduled tasks and the difficulty in finding the right word to communicate, could herald the condition of Alzheimer’s disease.

The number of Alzheimer patients has increased as people enjoy more years of life. Its early onset is due to heredity, at least 1% of cases, and shares the brain lesions that characterize the most common form of the disease whose onset is presented in most cases, after 65.
Research

Scientific studies to guide their efforts to detect the disease even before symptoms manifest. Thus, in Mexico, have begun clinical trials with drugs and vaccines in a range of people with a family history of the disease or carry the gene that predisposes to this disorder.

The great difficulty which is prevention research is that it is costly and time demonstrating that a product prevents disease do patients with obvious symptoms.

On the other hand, advances in imaging the brain and its processes enables a better understanding of the factors and functioning of this organ, suggesting a promising future to compensate when the most serious disease of memory.

Oblivion, often want and need, sometimes becomes a burden make it difficult reaching function in most trivial tasks.

What to do to control stroke risk factors modifiable: hypertension, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, arrhythmia, cholesterol and addictions.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and can cause serious disability if not treated urgently and effectively. It is essential to be informed about those behaviors and modifiable risk physical conditions, to acquire better habits and make appropriate medical checks.

A stroke occurs when blood flow stops to part of the brain (ischemic) or when it causes bleeding inside the head (hemorrhagic). In both cases, as the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, brain cells weaken or die.

Serious consequences of a stroke

According to ” How to reduce stroke in Latin America? “, it is estimated that by 2024 deaths from ischemic heart disease and stroke will triple in the region.

On the other hand, the brain controls our movements, thoughts, feelings and behaviors, it is easy to imagine how a stroke can affect us. Of course, the long-term sequelae depend on several factors: first the skill and speed with which the patient meets the acute, but also will affect the severity of the stroke, the brain area affected and rehabilitation therapy .
What to do to prevent a stroke

Although there are factors beyond our control such as age, gender, heredity and personal history, there are others in which we can influence, these are: hypertension, atrial fibrillation, the addiction (to snuff, alcohol and cocaine), high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity.

Monitor blood pressure regularly and maintain a low sodium diet. As hypertension usually has no symptoms, is a more dangerous condition that must be carefully monitored as it is the most common risk factor for stroke. According to the INECO Vascular Neurology Clinic , is present in almost 80% of patients who suffer a stroke in Argentina.
Learn to take your pulse to detect atrial fibrillation (AF) , cardiac arrhythmia that increases fivefold the risk of stroke. You should consult your doctor when you notice an irregular pulse, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. However, as in many instances this anomaly in heart rate without symptoms, it is always advisable to conduct an annual inspection visit to the health professional who, if deemed necessary indicate the performance of an electrocardiogram.
Get help to treat addictions. The tobacco , alcohol and illicit drug use and cocaine increase the risk of stroke. As addictions have psychological and physical components, it is very important to seek professional help to overcome and control.
Check your cholesterol with medical treatment, physical activity and proper nutrition that includes fiber and fruit. It is appropriate to leave the junk food that provides nutrients. The body requires a lot of cholesterol, but if the concentration of fats in the blood is too high is deposited in the arteries, increasing the risk of stroke.
Get moving. To leave behind a sedentary lifestyle will have to make regular physical activity at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Walking, swimming, biking and dancing are recommended exercises.
Control your blood sugar levels and a high amount accelerates the narrowing and hardening of the arteries. That’s why diabetics and others who have hyperglycemia are at increased risk for stroke. Unfortunately, it is estimated that at least half of people with diabetes are unaware, when the doctor may diagnose with a simple blood test. Then, to control diabetes is important to maintain a healthy diet and avoid foods high in sugars, fats and calories. It is also advised to reduce alcohol consumption, maintain weight and physical activity.
Watch your weight and measure your waist. Obesity is a key factor that enhances other factors. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight and physical activity, waist circumference is important: the woman should not be greater than 80 inches, while the man must not exceed 90.

Tips from the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization summarizes: “The daily intake of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, reducing salt intake to less than a teaspoon a day and physical activity 30 minutes 3 ​​times a week, can help preventing heart attacks and strokes. “

There are many risk factors for stroke are modifiable, is in our hands to be aware of the risks and get into the adventure of changing habits.