Look--A post that's NOT about my mental health!!
Started a new project today. Combing through an advanced book on neural science. It's old, 1991. Chapters are short, though, the workload is managable if I keep at it, and it's hella interesting.
I learned today that phrenology was based on the idea that specific areas of your brain, when used repeatedly, would get larger, like a muscle, and that would lead, ultimately, to lumps in your noggin. I guess I always assumed it was pure made-up superstition, like astrology.
I learned that there were areas of the brain that could be damaged and impair your ability to interpret tone of voice and other emotional aspects of language, and this is in your right brain.
Broca's area, in the left brain, governs one's ability to produce language, to translate thought into words. Wernicke's area, also in the left brain, governs one's ability to interpret language. So, I knew that. What I learned is that the areas parallel to Broca and Wernicke's areas in the RIGHT brain governed parallel functions related to emotion. In other words, Broca's Parallel (not called that, but I'll coin the term here) governs the ability to express emotion through vocal tone, and Wernicke's Parallel governs the ability to sense emotion through vocal tone. In other words, someone with a damaged Wernicke's Parallel could not tell whether a person was telling about a happy experience or a sad experience. That's neat, that they're parallel like that!!
I also learned that epileptic seizures can produce permenent changes in personality (maybe). I googled around and found that there is some opposition to this idea, but thought it was cool anyway.
And I learned that people who get panic attacks have abnormal activity, all the time, in areas of the brain where anxiety is associated in healthy brains. The question is, since panic attacks are often associated with life experiences....did the experience change the brain? Does the biological abnormality constitute a sensitivity that is then triggered by the experience? How do those two things work together?
I feel like a million bucks today. :)
I learned today that phrenology was based on the idea that specific areas of your brain, when used repeatedly, would get larger, like a muscle, and that would lead, ultimately, to lumps in your noggin. I guess I always assumed it was pure made-up superstition, like astrology.
I learned that there were areas of the brain that could be damaged and impair your ability to interpret tone of voice and other emotional aspects of language, and this is in your right brain.
Broca's area, in the left brain, governs one's ability to produce language, to translate thought into words. Wernicke's area, also in the left brain, governs one's ability to interpret language. So, I knew that. What I learned is that the areas parallel to Broca and Wernicke's areas in the RIGHT brain governed parallel functions related to emotion. In other words, Broca's Parallel (not called that, but I'll coin the term here) governs the ability to express emotion through vocal tone, and Wernicke's Parallel governs the ability to sense emotion through vocal tone. In other words, someone with a damaged Wernicke's Parallel could not tell whether a person was telling about a happy experience or a sad experience. That's neat, that they're parallel like that!!
I also learned that epileptic seizures can produce permenent changes in personality (maybe). I googled around and found that there is some opposition to this idea, but thought it was cool anyway.
And I learned that people who get panic attacks have abnormal activity, all the time, in areas of the brain where anxiety is associated in healthy brains. The question is, since panic attacks are often associated with life experiences....did the experience change the brain? Does the biological abnormality constitute a sensitivity that is then triggered by the experience? How do those two things work together?
I feel like a million bucks today. :)