It’s no secret that the human brain is a marvellous thing. From the movements you rely on every day to the emotions you express, the dreams that feel real and the thoughts that whizz through your mind, the brain controls it all. Centuries of study have yielded many answers to its countless mysteries. We know about the synapses and neurons that make up the brain, and leading surgeons can now map someone’s brain and perform once impossible operations. But there is still so much that we don’t understand. What does it really mean to be conscious? Why do we have cognitive biases when the facts contradict us? And why are some people psychopaths who see the world in a totally different way? In this book you’ll explore some of the answers to these questions, chart the life of a pioneering neurosurgeon and relive some of the most bizarre experiments ever conducted in the endless quest to understand the brain.
Welcome
Understanding The Brain
Biology
Your brain explained… • The human brain is the most mysterious – and complex – entity in the known universe
Parts of the brain • So what are the parts of the brain? According to Olds, there are almost too many to count – perhaps a hundred or more, depending on who you ask. However, there are some key areas that control certain functions and store thoughts and memories.
Functions of the cerebral cortex • The cerebral cortex is the wrinkling part of our brain that shows up when you see pictures of the brain
Neurons explained • Neurons fire like electrical circuits
What is my brain like?
Brain maps • TrackVis generates unique maps of the brain
How do nerves work? • Nerves carry signals throughout the body – a chemical superhighway
What does the spinal cord do? • The spinal cord actually is part of the brain and plays a major role in the body
What is muscle memory? • How neural shortcuts in your brain make practised activities feel familiar
Athlete accuracy
How do muscles ‘remember’ movements? • The repetition of movements creates a strong connection between the muscles and brain
5 muscle memory tactics to try
Unravelling the nervous system • Explore the electrically charged network composed of billions of cells that coordinates your thoughts, feelings and actions from head to toe
Divisions of the nervous system • Learn the hierarchies of nerve structures that keep our bodies running and safe from harm
Regions of the brain
The reflex arc • Your nervous system rescues you from imminent harm using hard-wired reflex actions
Types of neurons • Not all neurons play the same role
Relaxing or taxing • How we feel can affect our body in many ways
5 ways cortisol affects us • As the connective network coordinating our body, damage to the nervous system can be debilitating
Pinched nerve • Excessive pressure from nearby tissue, including spinal discs, can ‘pinch’ nerves and interfere with their signalling. This results in pain, tingles, weakness or numbness as the nerve misfires
Bell’s Palsy
Multiple sclerosis
Peripheral neuropathy
Parkinson’s
The gut-brain axis • How does the bacteria in your gut act like a ‘second brain’?
Bacterial boost
Gut feeling • How can your microbiome influence your brain?
Probiotics and prebiotics
The science of pain • Our internal alarm system works around the clock to keep us safe from harm
Sensing danger • The pain pathway is the body’s built-in alert system
The different types of pain
Can we measure pain?
Acute vs chronic pain • Spot the difference between these two major types of pain
Treating chronic pain
Killing...
