thoughts on the brain

Of everything God created, I think the human brain might be the most amazing of all.

I just finished reading a book on the plasticity of the brain. Meaning, when a part that controls function X is injured, other parts can begin to slowly take over that function.

Being a doubter and a pessimist, and also working with people with severe brain injuries, I find it hard to believe most brains will just heal themselves. But this book has helped me understand cases where it does happen, and that as science improves, researchers are finding ways to help facilitate it happening more often. It's pretty amazing to think about.

A few examples:

A healthy 29 year old girl who was born without a left hemisphere. Yes, that's right, an entire half of her brain missing. You would think she would not even be able to live. But she has lived to 29 and lives with only mild disabilities, because the right hemisphere took over.

A woman who was given a huge overdose of a drug to fight a simple infection ends up with severe vestibular deficits (i.e. she can't even stand up without feeling so dizzy she falls down and is essentially bedridden). Using technology, scientists are able to "re-program" her brain to respond to an artificial receptor. And she was given her life back.

Worry. Something some of us are familiar with (me)! There are three parts of the brain at work when we worry. Essentially (in my way dumbed down understanding): 1. We detect a mistake or a problem, which sends a signal from the brain to the stomach and heart (why we physically feel dread or that "pit" feeling). 2. We fix the problem and 3. We move on. But in excessive worriers, step three can't happen easily, and since the cycle isn't complete, more and more happens of step 1 and 2.  Isn't that crazy and doesn't it just make sense? And, apparently therapists can teach you to re-train your brain so that step 3 does occur and the cycle does in fact complete. Hmmm. Perhaps I should look into that. :)

Stroke victims. People who have no sensation or feeling on, say, the left side of their body, will automatically use and become dependent on their right and have a "learned non-use" of the weak side. But, new research has shown that if they are not allowed to use the strong side at all and  are forced to use the weak, they will get  better results. So they put the good arm in a sling so they can't use it at all, for an intense period of therapy. And supposedly they have gotten great results. And it can work for speech, too.

Anyways. Just some thoughts after reading this book. I am no where near smart enough to even understand 5% of what real smart people know about the brain. But I just think it's so fascinating, the way it all works together, and when it doesn't, that it can fix itself. And that there are such intelligent minds who do understand this stuff and can make these scientific breakthroughs.

Some people say that this is all random, and evolutionized, but I can't help but think there is a mighty, genius, powerful mind behind our minds.

Kind of puts me into a state of awe...