TJ's Baby

-Daniel Amen, M.D., PhD [PBS program and book]

Dr Amen, MD, PhD, has done thousands of SPECT brain scans of healthy and unhealthy brains

Actually an old technology, using radioactive isotopes, that shows a dynamic, not static, image

Isotopes in the blood are absorbed by different brain sections, depending on blood flow

Much aberrant behavior can be explained by physical damage or malfunction of the brain

Difficult or impossible to behave properly or effectively if brain is not functioning right

Unhealthy brains look like swiss cheese—black holes for all the dead sections of the brain

Worst damage is from drugs, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, toxic fumes

Other: Heredity, brain injury, heart disease, overweight, diabetes, depression, A.D.H.D., cancer treatment, sleep apnea, cosmetics, lack of physical and brain exercise

Scans show proof brain cells can be regenerated with proper treatment

Brain can grow new cells, adapt for dead ones, and grow new synapses among existing cells

Also possible to correct brain function by various types of remedies, including diet, supplements, psychotherapy, and medication [which may be temporary or may need to be permanent]

General Rules to improve the brain, reduce brain loss, and encourage growth of new cells:

Protect your brain physically: Avoid potential injury, get enough sleep, avoid brain toxins

Drugs, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, toxic fumes, cosmetics

Eat brain foods: Lean protein, salmon, tuna, turkey, complex carbs, vegetables, lots of water, blueberries, broccoli, decaf green tea, oatmeal, oranges, spinach, walnuts, vitamins, iron

Exercise your brain: Learn something every day – work it hardat new things for 15 minutes

Exercise your body: Aerobic workout that requires coordination and results in heavy sweating

Coordination exercises the brain; sweating rids the body of built-up toxins

Amen recognizes five sections of the brain [Note: These are somewhat arbitrary classifications, based on his brain scans, diagnoses, and pragmatic treatments. His “fixes” listed below do not include his recommended medications. Amen compares a couple of brain areas to a car, so a complete metaphor has been developed, as a memory aid, and is included in italics under each brain section outline.]

1. Prefrontal Cortex: The “Executive”. [30% of human brain; very small in animals]. The part that makes us human: Forethought, impulse control, maturity, empathy, cooperation

If underactive: Poor judgment, short attention span, weak conscience, lack of persistence, thrill junkie. A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. [Note: I would also assume sociopathy]

To fix: Recognize problem and consciously compensate, focus on what you want, write out detailed goals and read them daily, exercise 4 times weekly, eat high protein/low carb diet, fish oil.

[Prefrontal Cortex is the Driver.It is the executive, responsible for decisions and judgment. Depending on its condition, it may or may not display responsibility and prudence.]

2. Limbic section: Bonding and Mood control. Processes emotions, happiness, pain, libido.

If overactive, negative emotions are heightened: Depression, negative attitudes, low self esteem, anger, guilt, low [or excess] libido, low energy, ANTS [automatic negative thoughts]. Bipolar.

To fix: Practice “anteaters” [Challenge negative thoughts- argue with yourself], write 5 things each day you’re grateful for, exercise [it’s usually better than drugs for clinical depression], eat high protein diet, fish oil, expose self to pleasant smells, have social and physical contacts.

[Limbic is the Accelerator. It is responsible for energy, moods, and emotion. It makes the car go, and determines its speed: too fast, too slow, or correct.]

3. Cingulate section: Adaptability. Changes focus and shifts attention among various thoughts and behaviors, encourages cooperation, sees options, detects errors.

If overactive: Worry, over-focus, micromanage, hold grudges, argumentative, perfectionist, rigid, tend to addictions, get stuck on thoughts / attitudes / behaviors, road rage. O.C.D.

To fix: Consciously set up options, increase Serotonin [e.g. a high-carb snack], get up and move to distract yourself, exercise, low protein/high complex-carb diet.

[Cingulate is the Gear Shifter. [Amen came up with this.] It changes focus and adapts. It looks for and evaluates options to fit appropriate needs and circumstances, or gets stuck in one gear.]

4. Basal Ganglia: Anxiety level and muscle control. Modulates, coordinates and integrates emotions and movements.

If overactive: Leads to fearfulness, panic attacks, conflict avoidance, “freezing” in emergencies, headaches, low or excess motivation, poor coordination, tics. Parkinson’s.

To fix: Kill the ANTS, breathe deeply from the stomach, meditate daily, learn to deal with conflict, eat high protein/low carb diet.

[Basal Ganglia is the Brakes. [It sets anxiety level, so Amen calls it the “Idle speed adjustment”]. It causes the car to slow down when caution demands, or come to a screeching halt or lose control.]

5. Temporal Lobes [left and right]: Memory and temper. Determines learning, emotional stability, and social skills.

If overactive or underactive: Aggression [external or internal], violent thoughts, oversensitive or paranoid, emotional instability, moody, poor temper control, difficulty reading / understanding / learning / remembering, difficult recognizing faces, difficult word recall, can’t read body language and verbal tones, poor social skills, poor rhythm.

To fix: Create and remember great experiences, sing, dance, listen to classical music, get enough sleep.

[Temporal Lobes are the Navigator. They are responsible for memory, learning,  and temper.  With Prefrontal direction and Cingulate input of options, they can set and follow the route, if functioning properly, or get lost, if not. In combination with an overactive Cingulate and weak Prefrontal, they can cause road rage if thwarted.]

Serious aberrations usually result from brain damage or defects in multiple sections

Even these have shown remarkable response to diagnosis and prescription based on SPECT scans

Usually requires a multi-drug “cocktail”. Examples:

Criminal and violent behavior usually shows a brain scan that includes:

Decreased Prefrontal activity [less “executive”authority], increased Cingulate activity [stuck on negative thoughts], markedly increased or decreased left temporal lobe activity [short fuse], increased activity in the Basal Ganglia or Limbic system [anxiety and moodiness.]

Suicidal behavior usually demonstrates a multi-issue brain scan similar to violent behavior:

Decreased activity in the Prefrontal Cortex, increased Cingulate and Left Temporal Lobe.

Alzheimer’s can be reversed if caught in very early stages

Normal, as age, to lose 85,000 brain cells per day. To some extent this can be slowed.

Early signs of Alzheimer’s: Difficulty smelling strawberries, pineapple, lemons, natural gas

To fix: Avoid brain toxins, exercise body 4 times weekly, exercise brain every day, eat brain foods, sleep enough and well.

[The book also has an excellent chapter on the effects of brain physiology on intimate relationships, which is not included in this outline.]

 

Comments:

The book is very well organized and written [one of the very few, unfortunately]. I think the book is substantially correct, and valuable, subject to certain questions and caveats:

Like all books of this type, there is a tendency to identify personally with far more of the discussed conditions than could possibly be the case!

Is there a “chicken v egg” issue? I.e., does the aberrancy in the brain cause the behavior, as Amen insists, or does the behavior, continued over a period of time, cause the aberrancy? Some of both? Just because two phenomena occur together does not prove one necessarily caused the other, or even that they are necessarily related [tho, in this case, there seems to be enough data at least to support the latter].

Since this is Amen’s hobby horse, does he see thru an exaggerated focus? Does he see more than is really there?

If you accept Amen’s findings as absolute “gospel”,then there is a very limited basis for free will or for personal responsibility for misbehavior, or even for crime and sin. It gives virtually everything an excuse in brain physiology. Amen embraces this idea. [Perhaps that should make it easier to forgive others!]

Amen’s recommended “home remedy” fixes, which are listed above in the outline [a Twinkie for an overactive Cingulate, for example], seem a little like spitting at a forest fire.

Amen does make a good case for medication [Suggested medications are not included in this outline]. I have always thought that mental dysfunction is far, far overmedicated, particularly by Psychiatrists, who are western civilization’s version of witch doctors. If little Johnny is hyper, for example, give him Ritalin or some other chemical lobotomy—it’s so much easier than being an effective parent or counselor and providing proper discipline and guidance. American kids are 6 times more likely to be doped than British kids. But Amen’s diagnoses are different. They are based on very specific diagnoses of very specific problems, with the expectation, supported by evidence, of a very specific positive outcome.

There is one practitioner in South Sound: Robert Sands, MD, 3609 S 19^thSt, Tacoma. 253.752.6056