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a) CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta talks to The Doctors about how the brain develops
The Doctors • September 24, 2010
How the brain develops
A gestating fetus develops 250,000 neurons, or brain cells, per minute. By the time the baby is born, he or she will have close to 100 billion neurons that will create approximately 10,000 neural connections – each. These neural connections create networks that allow electrical impulses and chemical interactions to occur. As the child grows, so does the brain. By the time a child can walk, those 100 billion neurons will have created 1,000 trillion connections and by age 5, the overall structure of the brain is complete.
If parents find themselves perplexed by their teenaged children, there’s a reason for that. The frontal cortex, the area responsible for judgment and rational thought, is the last part of the brain to develop. “The ability to think about things before you act hasn’t fully developed in many teenagers,” Dr. Gupta explains.
Additionally, the amygdala, considered the emotional center of the brain, is fully developed in adolescents; so many teenagers will act on emotion rather than rational thought. “Teenagers will tend to think out of fear or irrational thought, out of emotion instead of just good judgment,” Dr. Gupta explains.
Pruning
If a learned behavior, language or skill is not utilized, the human brain will begin to prune itself. “They will lose that function at some point,” Dr. Gupta explains. “Things you stop doing, you lose. Things you keep doing, you gain and even get better at.”
The aging brain
The brain can be affected by changes in hormone levels. This phenomenon can help explain
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hot flashes that women experience during menopause, a time when hormones are in flux.
Another phenomenon that affects changes to the brain is the amount of blood flow it receives. People who suffer illnesses such as dementia and http://thedoctorstv.com/main/procedure_list/433">Alzheimer’s have a decreased blood flow to their brains.
http://thedoctorstv.com/main/procedure_list/1963">Keeping your brain active can help keep your brain healthy as you age. “It goes back to that whole thing with pruning,” Dr. Gupta says. “If you use [your brain], you can really maintain it. Learning some new activity or hobby makes a huge difference.”
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b) Develop your creativity
http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20101008/HEALTH/10100305/Develop-your-creativity
Laura Hoxworth • October 10, 2010
Are you the creative type? Shelley Carson, Ph.D., thinks you are. “We are all creative,” says the author of Your Creative Brain. Creative thinking and problem-solving play a big part in all areas of life — so artists, scientists, athletes, parents and business leaders can all benefit from enhancing their innate creative potential. The first step: developing an environment that encourages creativity. Here's how:
Increase your exposure. Surround yourself with creative people and creative work to inspire and challenge your inner creativity. Attend concerts, visit art galleries, volunteer at a museum or join a book club or writers group.
Be open. “Don't let premature judgments poison your creative environment,” Carson cautions. Recognize your judgmental thoughts and the negative comments of others — and challenge both.
Find time to be alone. Creativity flourishes when you make time to relax and contemplate the events in your life. Try a reflective exercise such as journaling. “Connect the pieces of your daily life into a meaningful mosaic,” Carson suggests.
Appreciate nature. “The effect of natural beauty on the mind inspires creativity,” Carson says. Mountains, forests and beaches aren't the only options — escape to nature in city parks or even your own backyard.
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c) Protect yourself from eye injuries
The Doctors • October 10, 2010
Every year more than 2.5 million eye injuries occur — and nearly half happen at home. Ninety percent of those injuries can be avoided by using protective eyewear. Rule No. 1 for all eye injuries: Do. Not. Rub. You could scratch your cornea (the clear protective outer layer of your eye), or worse.
(Jose Luis Pelaez, Getty Images)
Here's how to help treat common eye injuries:
Debris in your eye
It doesn't take much for a fleck of dirt, grain of sand or any other speck to make its way onto — or into — your eye. To protect your eye, blink it out; the movement and subsequent tears can flush out the foreign material. Another trick: Pull your upper eyelid over the lower one; the lashes on the bottom lid may brush out whatever is underneath the top lid. But don't force it out. If the particle stays put, or if it's embedded, fight the urge to grab tweezers or swabs. Instead, use a clean cloth to cover the injured and uninjured eye — doing so helps prevent eye movement that can cause more damage — and call your doctor.
Cut or punctured eye
Minor scratches can heal by themselves, but if your eye or eyelid has been cut, seek medical attention. In the meantime, apply a patch. The bottom of a paper cup taped around your eye works just fine. Do not rinse or apply pressure. Don't take aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs; they thin the blood and may increase bleeding.
Chemical burn
Household cleaners, gardening chemicals and even laundry detergent can cause burns that require medical attention. Flush your eye immediately: Turn your head so the eye is down, then gently run lukewarm tap water directly over it for at least 20 minutes. If you wear contact lenses, remove them after flushing. Don't bandage your eye. And don't use eye drops unless emergency personnel tell you to.
THE DOCTORS are Emmy-winning daytime TV show with pediatrician Jim Sears, OB-GYN Lisa Masterson, ER physician Travis Stork and plastic surgeon Andrew Ordon.
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