Blending cutting-edge research and beautiful storytelling, Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon is a vital resource on the best ways to boost your memory, control stress and emotions, minimize pain, unleash your creativity, raise smart kids and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This is a deeply practical and readable book, which will take you on an expedition through the anatomy of the most fascinating - and mysterious - of organs. Create habits such as intermittent fasting or consumption of mostly vegetables can help promote brain health. symbols, and visual images that paint alternative realities,” Flynn has written. “We have evolved to deal with a world that would have been alien to previous generations.” The author keeps being surprised by the resilience of the human brain after having witnessed different patients recover from brain tumors, head traumas, and other severe injuries. Although you might never end in the operating room, it is good to know that making healthy decisions are helpful in maintaining healthy cognitive function all through life. When it comes to the nature versus nurture debate, it’s clear that environment plays an important role in the development of cognitive health. And it’s parents’ job to make sure children get what they need to develop healthy brains. Though the human brain continues maturing well into a person’s late twenties, the early years, when brains are most malleable, are particularly important when it comes to parenting.

Therefore, what do we know about the human brain? These chapters will describe the recent scientific understandings into this complex organ, dismissing any popular myths along the way. Also, you will get to know the role of memory, creativity as well as language and you will also see the simple advice on how to make sure that your brain is healthy all through your life. The book opens with some basic neuroanatomy. Jandial gives the reader a brief understanding of the different areas of the brain. The rest of the book is a mix of case studies from Jandail's professional career, combined with him outlining some of the science involved.

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Once upon a time dreams were taken as omens from above. Until, in 1899, Sigmund Freud asserted in his book The Interpretation of Dreams that they throw up symbols of our fears, repressed childhood memories and desires. Although Freud catapulted psychology into the twentieth century, not all his theories have held up to scientific research. “That’s not to say dreams aren’t cool and fascinating. Sometimes they do reveal an unexpected solution to a vexing problem or at least a fresh insight. Scientifically speaking, though, we still do not really understand why we dream – not in the same way we understand why we breathe, eat and have sex. It remains, as the journal Science noted in its 125th anniversary issue, one of nature’s great unsolved mysteries,” writes Jandial. A compelling insight into that special organ that surgeons cannot replace Professor Stephen Westaby, author of 'Fragile Lives' Another fascinating case was Marina, a 33 year old Chilean language teacher, with a tumour (meningioma) the size of a peach who had to choose whether to lose her ability to speak Spanish or English after brain surgery. The tumour was located in her left frontotemporal region, the seat of language. She chose to lose English, as her first language, and her family’s was Spanish. So what do we know about the human brain? These blinks will take you through the most up-to-date scientific insights into this complex organ, dispelling popular myths along the way. You’ll learn about the function of memory, creativity and language, and get simple advice on how to keep your brain healthy throughout your life. Want to be happier, feel younger AND stave off dementia? Then try a leading neurosurgeon's brilliantly simple workouts for your little grey cells with this ingenious "BOOTCAMP FOR YOUR BRAIN" Daily Mail

Scientists have long attempted to discover ways of improving cognitive functions like memory. A great leap forward on this front was made in 1984 when the New Zealand academic James R. Flynn discovered that, from the beginning of the twentieth century, overall IQ scores had been rising by three points per decade. Flynn argued that his discovery proved that humans have adapted to an increasingly cognitively challenging world. Today, most scientists agree that the “Flynn effect,” as it has become known, suggests that the widespread adoption of new technologies, like radio and television and, later, the internet and smartphones, over the last century has made us evolve cognitively. Under the bright lights of the operating room, the iridescent surface of the brain is densely punctuated with ruby-red arteries and hyacinth-blue veins. This is a deeply practical and readable book, which will take you on an expedition through the anatomy of the most fascinating - and mysterious - of organs.Therefore, if that’s true, where does creativity originate from? Although the executive functions controlled by the frontal lobes do contribute, this section of the brain isn’t the only one accountable for our innate creative skills. It was revealed by recent studies that the cerebellum which fine-tunes muscle movement is also in control of coordinating creative problem-solving. However, by using functional MRIs that captures moving images of the brain at work, scientists now understand that creativity needs neurons in different parts of the brain to light up concurrently. This means that creativity stems from harmonious activity across the whole brain. Although there is still a lot to find out about the brain, it is a proven fact that you can actually boost your natural cognitive abilities by making your brain think and learn. Having healthy eating habits, staying active and committing to lifelong education will make your brain remain healthy for the next decades. This book covers a lot of territory: memory, intelligence, language, creativity, smart drugs (and others), sleep, head injuries (a constantly changing field at the moment), diet for the brain, implants, stem cells, how the brain differs in youth and old age. Turns out the real science of peak performance is pretty much the same as the prescription for general good health: get enough sleep, eat healthy, do what you can to reduce stress, avoid head injuries, and don’t take street drugs or the ones touted on line as ‘smart drugs’. And hope that new treatments for dementia come down the pipeline before you get it. Neurologists and neurosurgeons are doing some amazing things, but there is still so much that can’t be fixed. Hedge your bets by following his prescription. Forget supplements and pricey potions - these easy, doctor-approved exercises and lifestyle upgrades can help boost your brain at any age New York Post The book also features a decent bit of writing on Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment for bipolar and massive depression.

We are the first of our species to live in a world dominated by categories, hypotheticals, nonverbalThe cerebral cortex is the most delicate layer of the brain and the top layer controls the majority of the brain’s gray matter. It is bent like an accordion and the cortex is divided into four parts or lobes with each one performing range of activities.