Common Brain Myths - Debunked!
There is a new TV series coming on this fall (2015): Limitless. The premise is - a man gains the ability to use the full extent of his brain’s capabilities. This series is stirring up a lot of conversation about our brains, just as the movie ‘Lucy’ did a few years ago. So, of course I have to talk about Brain Myths!
I did an internet search over a number of sites to find out what are the most prevalent brain myths. There are some persistent myths always on the list but there are a few that surprised me. Let’s take a look.
We only use 10 percent of our brain.
Every day in every way we use our whole brain. Just think about what your brain does below your level of consciousness: breathing, seeing, hearing, and walking among a vast amount of other things. Then there are out conscious actions like planning, learning, and thinking. These functions are driven from different parts of the brain – so whole brain.
People are either left-brained or right-brained.
It has been held as a fact for many years that right-brained individuals are more artistic and intuitive; while left-brained people are more analytical. Image studies have shown something quite different. Both sides of the brain work together in complex processing. For example – language processing was once believed to be a left-brained function. As it turns out, this process occurs in both hemispheres: left side processes grammar and pronunciation while the right side processes intonation. (brainhq.com)
Drinking alcoholic beverages always kills brain cells.
I know quite a few people who will be happy to hear this is a myth! But it does come as a surprise to me. Bottom line on this is in the details. The amount of alcohol needed to kill brain cells would also kill the person drinking the alcohol. Moderate amount of drinking alcohol does not damage or kill brain cells.
Don’t get too excited however. There is another part of this story. Heavy drinkers can damage their brains. Alcoholics damage the dendrites (found at the end of the neurons). Dendrites are necessary for cell communication in the brain.
Alcoholics may also develop Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (another brain disorder) due to a thiamine deficiency because alcohol disrupts its absorption.
Brain damage is always permanent.
We have evidence that this is a myth by looking at the progress that Gabby Giffords has made since being shot in the head. The reason behind this myth dates back to old thinking about the brain’s ability to grow new brain cells. It was believed that we were born with a certain number of brain cells and when they died – they were gone forever.
Through the discovery of neuroplasticity (our brain can rewire itself through learning), and neurogenesis (new brain cells can be grown under the right circumstances) we are discovering that our brain is capable of making changes throughout our lifetime.
Doing crossword puzzles can keep your brain young.
Crossword puzzles help word-finding skills and Sudoku does the same thing with numbers. The problem is – there is no general overall benefit to brain function. The brain makes substantial changes through novel and complex environments. If you challenge the brain through unique experiences or stimulating multiple areas across your brain – you will cause your brain to change (yay!!).
Now each article had a few myths that they debunked that were unique to the article. There were a number on language and learning skills. SharpBrains listed a few noteworthy myths I thought were interesting.
Myth 1: Genes determine the fate of our brains.
Fact 1: Lifelong brain plasticity means our lifestyles and behaviors play a significant role in how out brains physically evolve.
Myth 2: We are what we eat.
Fact 2: We are what we do, think, and feel, more than what we eat.
Myth 3: Medication is the main hope for cognitive health and enhancement.
Fact 3: Non-invasive interventions can have comparable and more durable benefits, and are also free of side-effects.
Myth 4: There is nothing we can do to beat Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
Fact 4: While nothing has been shown to prevent the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, there is abundant research showing we can delay the onset of symptoms for years.
Myth 5: There is only one “IT” in Use It or Lose It.
Fact 5: The brain is composed of a number of neural circuits supporting a variety of cognitive, emotional, and executive functions. Using or exercising just one (like ‘memory’) is unlikely to be of much help.
Myth 6: Brain training can help reverse your brain age 10, 20, or 30 years.
Fact 6: ‘Brain age’ is a fiction. Some brain functions tend to improve, and some decline, as we get older. And there is considerable variability across individuals, which only grows as people grow older.
Myth 7: Brain training doesn’t work.
Fact 7: Brain training, when it meets certain conditions, has been shown to improve brain functions in ways that enhance real-world outcomes.
Myth 8: Brain training is primarily about video games.
Fact 8: Real, evidence-based brain training includes some forms of meditation, cognitive therapy, cognitive training, and biofeedback. Interactive media such as video games can make those interventions more engaging and scalable, but it is important to distinguish the means from the ends, as obviously not all video games are the same.
Myth 9: Heart health is brain health.
Fact 9: While heart health contributes significantly to brain health, and vice versa, the heart and the brain are each crucial organs with their own set of functions and preventive and therapeutic interventions. What we need now is for brain health to advance in a decade as much as cardiovascular health has advanced over the last several decades.
Myth 10: As long as my brain is working fine, why should I pay attention to it?
Fact 10: For the same reasons you should add gas to your car and change the oil regularly – so that it works better and performs longer. (SharpBrains, 2013)
Our brains are awesome! We are just starting to understand how powerful they are. There is one thing we can do to move this process along. If we live a brain healthy lifestyle (physical exercise, mental stimulation, nutrition, socialization, stress reduction, sleep) we can take advantage of all the amazing functions our brain can perform – even if we don’t know exactly how it all works!! That is powerful!!
Brain Mythology. Retrieved August 13, 2015 from http://www.brainhq.com/print/brain-resources/brain-facts-myths/brain-mythology
Fernandez,A. (March 11, 2013). Debunking 10 brain fitness and brain training myths during brain awareness week. Cognitive Neuroscience, Education & Lifelong Learning, Health & Wellness. Retrieved August 14, 2015 from http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2013/03/11/debunking-10-brain-fitness-and-brain-training-myths-during-brain-awareness-week-2013.
Gooden,R. (August 27, 2014). Alzheimer’s is not inevitable: myths of the aging brain. Retrieved August 14, 2015 from http://states.aarp.org/alzheimer’s-is-not-inevitable-myths-of-the-aging-brain.
Helmuth,L. (May 19, 2011). Top ten myths about the brain. Retrieved August 13, 2015 from http://smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/top-ten-myths-about-the=brain=178357288/?no-ist.
5 Common Myths about the Brain. (January 1, 2015). Retrieved August 13, 2015 from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/5-common-myths-about-the-brain/.