Bonding with your future child begins before conception! Life is in love with itself. As William Blake said, "eternity is in love with time." What we call bonding is just that, which begins with mother and her infant and expands to embody the entire universe. - M. Mendizza
Testing how form of dementia limits embarassment. Embarassment is just one of several complex emotions along with pride and envy -- that are critical to preventing people from making social gaffes. We are talking about much more primitive parts of the brain that are in charge, says Robert Levenson, director of the psychophysiology lab at UC Berkeley. There are few helpful treatments, and no cures, for any form of dementia, but researchers said they expect drug therapies to become available in the next few years. And it will be critical to identify dementia patients early in the disease before irrevocable brain damage is done. E-mail Erin Allday at eallday@sfchronicle.com
Have you heard of Soma Energetics? Learn about the new DNA/RNA Worshops coming up in August, Hot Springs, AR. www:SomaEnergetics.com
It is known that cell phones have an effect on the brain. You can read about the study here: http://goo.gl/XvbJ5. What exactly that effect is, however, is still unclear. This is a story worth following, as researchers try to determine if the impact on certain regions is harmful. This article is accompanied by a video which further explains the issue.
You already knew that stress is not desirable. But it may be more harmful than you thought, as explained in this Scientific American article: http://goo.gl/9fgJf. While it may be disconcerting to learn about another potential cause of Alzheimer's, at least this is one you can control.
Stress and Ageing - a question of attitude. The link between chronic stress and a marker of old age is being disentangled. Recent research suggests that stress management not only stops telomeres from shortening, it actually promotes their repair. Telomeres are to chromosomes what plastic caps are to shoelaces--they stop them fraying at the ends. Unlike shoelaces, though, chromosomes replicate themselves from time to time as the cells they are in divide. The study found that counseling on women who have been treated for cervical cancer worked, both mentally and physically. The quality of their lives have improved. They also showed improvements in the strength of their immune systems. If this study is replicated succesfully it will shine more light on the ill-understood relationship between the health of the mind and the health of the body. Nothing actually changed in the lives of the women, they were still under stress, still had cancer, nothing that is, except their attitude. The Economist, 4/9/11.
Life is not always a bowl of cherries...... For information on stress management techniques, visit:
American Institute of Stress at.....................................www.stress.org
American Psychological Association at.....................www.apahelpcenter.org
Mayo Clinic at ...............................................................www.mayoclinic.com
Yale Stress Center at....................................................yalestress.org
Brain Awareness Week 2011. To search for celebrations in your area or to learn how to become involved in Brain Awareness Week please visit:www.dana.org/brainweek.
The Daddy Brain, article in The Scientific American, May 2010. Mental skills compared in bachelor California Deer Mice with their daddy mice counterparts--who cared for their babies--- found more ocytoxin and vaopressin (hormones normally found in mom caregivers).
Did you know that many football players suffer concussions as the result of helmet-to-helmet collisions with teammates in practice? Read more in: Head Games, Concerns About the Long Term Effects of Concussions Prompt Companies to Redesign Football Helmets by Jonathon Starkey. November 2009. Did you know watching TV won't turn your baby into a genius? "The thing that really makes the difference for a baby is interaction with a caregiver, and there is nothing we can invent as a people substitute." Martin Ward-Platt, M.D.
In France-- broadcasting authorities banned the airing of TV shows aimed at children under the age of 3. Also, programs must issue a warning statement before airing shows---This comes as the result of psychologists in France determined that TV undermines the babies' development, encourages restlessness and reduces concentration.
In Britain-- advertising junk food is banned from children's programs and they are working on expanding that concept to all TV programming.
In Sweden-- all advertising has been banned that is aimed at children under the age of 12. Presently Sweden is campaigning for a similar move throughout EU.
Learn more in an article written by, Helen Rumbelow and Chloe Lambert in Arts Education in the News, December 2009.
Did you know that DNA makes protein----makes music? Read more in the Cyberbiochemist or visit http://www.molecularmusic.com
12/2009
Did you know video games are good for the brain? Emily Anthes of the Boston Globe quotes: Cheryl Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital."You would never hear a parent say we don't allow books in our home, but you will hear parents say we don't allow video games in our home. Games are a medium. They're not inherently good or bad." Read Emily Anthes' entire article in Brain in the News, November 2009.
'Therapeutic Hypothermia' can protect the brain in the aftermath of cardiac arrest. This technique has been practiced successfully by emergency room doctors, cardiologists and rescue paramedics. They use ice and other coolants to moderately lower a patient's body temperature by about six degrees for as long as twenty minutes before slowly warming the body to normal temperature over a twenty-four hour period....... Read more in the Wall Street Journal, October 2009. Article by Ron Winslow.
Did you know scientists are using neuroimaging tools to discover how the brain works when it is hypnotized? Their findings are mesmerizing. Read more in Science News, October 2009 article by Susan Guidos.
Did you know that at last there is hope of a cure for tinnitus: the noise that annoys? Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing and/or humming sound in the ears. Recent research shows that this disorder is not limited to aging patients but can occur as a result of prolonged exposure to loud noise. Read about possible cures for tinnitus in an article by Enjoli Liston reproduced in Brain in the News.
Level of Oxytocin in Pregnant Women Predicts Mother-Child Bond by Ruth Feldman. Initial levels of oxytocin ( the natural hormone that stimulates labor, also called the "cuddle hormone") at the first trimester predicted bonding behavior. Mothers with a high level of the hormone at the beginning of the pregnancy engaged in more bonding behaviors after birth. Also, mothers who had high levels of oxytocin across the pregnancy and the postpartum month reported more behaviors that support the formation of an exclusive relationship (e.g. singing a special song to the infants, or bathing them or feeding them in a special way). From Psychological Science. For a copy or access to other findings contact Catherine West at cwest@psychological science.org
Miraculous Breastmilk Reveals Even More Miracles! by Mark Cregan-molecular biologist. Mark Cregan says, "We already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advantage and that there's a raft of other health benefits." His hunch was that if breast milk contains all these cells, surely it has precursors, too? His team cultured cells from human breast milk and found a population that tested positive for the stem cell marker nestin. They have shown these cells have all the physical characteristics of stem cells. What they plan to do next is see if they behave like stem cells. If so, they promise to provide researchers with an entirely ethical means of harvesting stem cells for research without the debate of harvesting of cells from embryos. This could be the key to unlocking treatment from conditions as far reaching as spinal injuries, Parkinson's disease and diabetes.From The APPPAH Newsletter, ScienceNetwork, Western Australia, Feb '08.
There have been a number of "aha" moments in brain research. Here are some highlights in the music area:
If some of the thousands of sound-receptor hairs in our ears become damaged, the brain can correct for missing frequencies.
In most people, if hearing is lost in one ear, the brain will partially compensate over time by creating a a fake stereo effect.
Musical memory is so deeply embedded in our memories that even advanced
Alzheimer's patients can respond to music from childhood. Some advanced
Parkinson's victims can overcome immobility or tremors and even dance when
they hear favorite pieces of music.
The Heartmath Solution, by Doc Childre & Howard Martin. * Immediately lower stress hormones * Raise anti-aging DHEA hormone levels * Improve your heart rate for maximum longevity
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Why Girls Starve Themselves: New Research in Anorexia Nervosa by Arine Kaplan. "Despite our social obsession with dieting and weight," Dr. Kaye, professor of psychiatry and director of the eating disorders program at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), "the prevalence of anorexia subtypes is low (0.25% for AN-restricting type and 0.25% for AN-binge-eating/purging type)' which indicates that factors beyond culture are at work.""He described clinical studies from 3 different continents showing that between 60% and 80% of individuals with AN or BN have an anxiety disorder during their lifetime and that the onset of the anxietydisorder usually precedes the onset of the eating disorder." Psychiatric Times 1/2008
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT:
*Our preference for consonant over dissonant music is hard-wired in our brain, not acquired.
*The relationship between musical pitch and mood is also hard-wired.
*Our affinity for certain types of rhythms is culturally acquired.
*Physical movement affects how we perceive rhythm.
How Deep Brain Stimulation Works:Pacemaker-like devices deliver electrical
stimulation to targeted areas in the brain, blocking signals that cause disabling
motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.
1. A surgeon drills two holes in the patient's skull and threads a lead, or insulated
wire, with electrodes at the tip to the brain, such as the globus pallidus or
subthalamic nucleus.
2. A lead is threaded under the skin from the brain to the upper chest.
3. The lead is attached to two pacemaker-like devices called neurostimulators
that are surgically implanted in the chest and provide electricity to stimulate the brain.
4. An external programmer adjusts the settings of the neurostrimulators to ensure
the right amount of electricity is delivered to the brain and to minimize side effects.
5. Because the neurostimulators each contain a battery with a limited life span,
they must be surgically replaced every three to five years. Sources: Medtronic Inc., Star Tribune Research.
According to the theosophical tradition, all of the angels and nature spirits associated
with preconception and prenatal life retreat into their own realm at birth. As the
prenatal angels leave the scene at birth, a great angel called the World Mother
creates a thought-form of her image and projects a vivifying presence of her
life force, infusing the mother and atmosphere with spiritual qualities of power,
love, peace, and reverence. Parenting Begins Before Birth,
by Carista Luminare-Rosen.
The energy of the heart, right down to the DNA, is musical and rhythmic in nature.
Genetecist, S. Ohno at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope
in Duarte, California, has translated four nucleotides on the strands of DNA.
He transposed adenine, ganine, cytosine, and thymine to musical notes,
encoding "do" for cytosine, "re" and "mi" for adenine, "fa" and "so" to ganine,
and "la" and "ti" for thymine. With the help of his musician wife, the result
was a melodic cpmposition. When performed by musicians, listeners
compared it to the music of Bach, Brahms, and Chopin. Many listeners were
moved to tears. The Heart's Code, by Paul Pearsall, Ph.D.
Although new and therefore not yet proved by a large body of tests, Neurobics is based on solid scientific ground; it is an exciting synthesis of substantial finding about the brain that provides a concrete strategy for keeping the brain fit and flexible as you grow older. Keep Your Brain Alive by Lawerence C. Katz, Ph. D. & Manning Rubin.
"It's possible that music, or something like it, once was the human language
and maybe it still is the language of birds and animals. One thing that
makes me believe this is high-functioning autistic people who've told me
that when they were children echoing sentences they'd heard on TV,
they didn't know that the meaning was in the words. They thought all
the meaning was in the tone. I can relate to that, because tone of the
voice is the only social cue I pick up easily. I also know of at least
one parent who could communicate with her autistic daughter only
through singing."Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin
and Catherine Johnson, National Bestseller.
Energy for the Body: Physical, occupational and movement therapists
are probably the health care practitioners who make the most use
of the energizing effect of sensory stimulations in clinical settings.
Through different kinds of massage techniques, music and voice,
different lights and odors, they stimulate the nervous system using
our senses. Through rocking, rolling and other movements, they give
a privileged place to stimulation of the vestibular system---the ear of
the body.When Listening ComesAlive by Paul Madaule.
The biology of our bodies might well be called cellular sociology. Each organ
in our bodies is made up of many different types that must live side by side
as good neighbors, just as individual people in any human society must
tolerate each other and work together if that society is to be harmonious.
The different types of cells perform specialized functions...Cells also talk
to other cells nearby, suggesting to their neighbors that they increase or
decrease their activities for the common good. Peter W. Nathanielsz, M.D.
Ph. D. Life in the Womb, The Origin of Health And Disease.
The power of expectancy on people's experience? "Our conduct is influenced
not by our experience but our expectation," said George Bernard Shaw,
the great English dramatist. Now, more than a half-century after the his death,
brain imaging is proving that the old master was right, at least regarding our
reactions to past stimuli such as bitter taste or pain. Expectations Trump Reality
"Nature depends on genes, too, and genes need nurture. Genes not only
predetermine the broad structure of the brain, they also absorb formative
experiences, react to social cues, and even run memory. They are
consequences as well as causes of the will." Matt Ridley, author of the
national bestseller, Genome on Nature Via Nurture.
Using primarily his own artworks, which have earned him international acclaim,
Siler shows how the brain is what the brain creates; how all models of the world
model some aspect of the brain's world of processes; how its workings
reflect the workings of its creations, whether machines or art or ideas. J
ust as the physical universe imposes its dynamics on everything we
make---from the tools we use to explore the world to the models we employ
to test our knowledge and experience.Breaking The Mind Barrier:
The Art-Science of Neurocosmology by Todd Siler.
The Funny Thing About Laughter, by Jeffrey Kluger with reporting by Carolina Mirranda & Sora Song. It's no joke; laughing may be one of nature's cleverest tricks for keeping us healthy and safe. Of all the absurdly silly things human beings do, laughing ought to be among the hardest to explain. If early homo sapiens were told they were going to be loaded with behavioral software that would cause them to convulse, pant and emit loud whopping noises when amused or touched in particular ways, they would probably have held out for Human 2.0. But the fact is, laughing makes a lot of sense.
"You have an aura - your life color. A life color can tell you your basic habits and
why you have them. How you deal with them instead of justifying or excusing
them. A great tool for learning more about you and how you operate...Everyone
has a frequency in which you live this life."Understanding Your Life Through
Color, by Nancy Ann.
The nature of nurture; waves make waves. Any slice of creation will vibrate if you
strike it, or bow it, or holler into it. The ensuing vibrations---even from an object
that seems to be all of a piece, like a guitar string--are actually nested layers
of ever faster (and even smaller) vibrations. The reason there are so many levels
of vibration is that matter naturally divides itself into segments, smaller and smaller
connected fragments, in various configurations according to form...Taken
together, the sum of these sounds illuminates the object's inner structure,
its hidden canyons, propensities, and singularities. The Musical Life,
by W.A. Mathieu.
We can create safety by generating a kind of force field through our intentions.
We can call upon all sorts of protection in the form of prayers. We can also
create a sphere of safety through imagining protection as a gold ball
surrounding the child or perhaps calling an angel of protection. Thoughts
and intention are energy. While science cannot yet directly observe or
measure it its power has already been established. Tobin Hart, Ph. D.
The Secret Spiritual World of Children.
Both of you can raise your child with spiritual skills---love, patience,
sharing, generosity, prayers, meditation, truth, honesty, goodwill, and
reverence for life---and so bestow her with a lifetime connection to
divine self. This in turn will assist your child in effectively meeting
the challenges of life, as well as enhancing the meaningfulness of your
relationship together, and all your child's relationships. Carista Luminare-Rosen, Ph. D.
Parenting Begins Before Conception.
What experts are saying about The Biology of Transcendence, by Joseph Clifton Pearce. "This is a masterpiece of science and spirit, love over law, and the stunning
biological truth of the capacity for transcendence that the universe hasplaced within us.
There is much in this work that can solve the problems of history. Here, in brilliant and
incisive words, is the foundation for a new mind and a new world." Jean Houston,
author of A Passion for the Possible and Jump Time: Shaping Your Future
in a World ofRadical Change.
"The Biology of Transcendencewill transform your worldview and change forever
your understanding of our past, present and future. Riveting, insightful, and penetrating.
Pearce has laid out one of the most startling and powerful visions of our future...
You won't be able to put this book down, and when you've read it, you won't be able to
stop talking about it with everybody you know." Thomas Hartmann, author of
The Last Hoursof Sunlight.
"New research shows that chronic anger and anxiety create as great a health risk
as chain smoking. Lack of emotional intelligence can sabotage the intellect and
ruin careers. Perhaps the greatest toll is on children, for whom risks include
depression, eating disorders and unwanted pregnancy, aggressiveness
and violent crime." Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, author of Vital Lies, Simple Truths.
Mind Matters -by Michael S. Gazzaniga describes how the mind and the brain
are bound together. Dealing with subjects that range from pain to passion, from
depression to delirium, from anxiety to addiction, Dr. Gazzaniga takes the reader
on a breathtaking tour of the latest research showing the myriad ways the mind
interprets the chemical changes in the brain and thereby provides the substance
of human consciousness. After reading this book, your sense of self will never
be the same.
Improving Memory:
1. Pay careful attention to an event, situation or information when it first occurs.
2. Rehearse or practice things that you want to remember. Try spaced retrieval:
Repeat an item shortly after hearing it, and then again at gradually longer intervals.
3. Think about information in a meaningful way and relate it to other things you know.
4. Think about how new information relates to your experiences.
Source: Betty Glisky, UA memory researcher, Brain in theNews.
Teens' Brains Not Fully Wired for Reason. OHSU's Second Brain Awareness Lecture Explores the Late-Developing
Frontal Lobe. "When teenagers sulk behind slammed doors and turn up
their iPods, parents are likely to chalk the behavior up to surging hormones
or the need for adolescents to carve out some independence. But new
diagnostic tools are allowing scientists to see that typical teenage behavior,
from thrill-seeking to tearfulness, is at least in part because teenage brains
"Contrary to popular opinion, memory loss and other brain dysfunction are not
inevitable with aging. Dr. David Perlmutter tells you exactly how to prevent--
even reverse--the effects of stress and 'aging' on your brain." Christiane Northrup, M.D. - The Better Brain Book by David Perlmutter, M.D., FACN and Carol Colman.
New Perceptions of Damaged Brains. Study Finds Surprising Level of Awareness
in Minimally Conscious Patients. "Using advanced neurological imaging, researchers
have found that minimally consciouspatients, who at times can appear unaware of
their surroundings, actually display brain activity similar to healthy individuals when