Human Brain Essay

Deep Brain Stimulation Deep brain stimulation is a surgery that involves the implanting of electrodes in certain areas of the patient’s brain. Electrical impulses are produced by these electrodes to regulate any abnormal impulses in the brain. These electrical impulses can also affect certain chemicals and cells in the brain. The amount of stimulation that the brain receives in this procedure is controlled by a device, much like a pacemaker, placed under the patient’s skin in the upper chest. A…

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease where the immune system eats away at the protective, myelin or layer covering nerves. This disease is also known as MS, which is Multiple Sclerosis abbreviated. MS has a very big effect on a person and their family, knowing this because my aunt was diagnosed with MS before she passed away. Currently there is not a known cause from Multiple Sclerosis, but science have theories. Some believe that it is a result of combination of genetics, and some believe it is…

Brain Development (Ages 2-6) Scientist and psychologist agree, that the first three years of life are critical in a child’s brain development, however it is now known that the first six years of a child’s life has a major impact of their mental health, and behaviors for the rest of their lives. Why is this you important might ask? From birth to six years of age, a child’s brain is rapidly developing and increasing in size and weight. By two years of age a child’s brain weighs seventy-five…

disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that causes degeneration of brain cells, called neurons, in motor control regions of the brain, as well as other areas (NINDS, 2016). Huntington’s disease is caused by a mutation in the gene for a protein called huntingtin. The defect causes the cytosine, adenine, and guanine (CAG) building blocks of DNA to repeat many more times than is normal (NINDS, 2016). Huntington’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrolled movements, emotional…

The neurodegenerative diseases, or dementias, are characterized by progressive and irreversible degeneration of the neurons from specific regions of the brain. The pattern of neuronal loss is selective and compromises one or more groups of neurons, without affecting the others. An interesting aspect of these dementias is them arise without any apparent triggering stimulus and in patients with no history of neurological deficits. Alzheimer’s disease is the most prominent of these dementias,…

Music is an experience of emotion, defined as vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Though it sounds simple by definition, music is so much more. Our souls react to the beats and harmonies and our bodies move uncontrollably as we become excited or emotional over what we hear and feel. The emotions we experience from different styles of musical content vary widely, however one statement remains true, music will always…

Deep brain stimulation is a technique where an electrode is placed within certain areas of the brain. Electrical impulses are then created by the electrode to regulate abnormal impulses. Under the patient’s skin near the collarbone, the electrode is connected to a stimulator or pacemaker (Pluta, 2011). Deep brain stimulation requires locating the target part of the brain and then drilling a small hole in the skull to allow the placement of an electrode. During the implantation of the…

Brain development is when a child’s brain transforms during a period of development between utero and three. This development is crucial for many reasons, including the child’s relationships, their experiences and their surrounding environment, this continues throughout their life time. During the time of middle childhood (ages 7-11), there is a growth spurt which occurs in the brain around 8 or 9 which allows the organ (brain) to almost reaching its full size. The brain development during…

Aging in the brain is a complex process that involves several systems and structures. As the brain ages, there is a decreased activity in neurotransmission and increased risk for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Dysfunction of the central noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems is one of the biological characteristics of aging in the brain and may contribute to changes in cognitive and motor functions in old individuals. Furthermore, aging-dependent norepinephrine (NE) loss occurs…

The first chapter that I chose is chapter 2, The Brain and Behavior. This chapter focuses on the nervous system, structures of the brain and their functions, genetics and behavior, and more about how the brain works. The nervous system is talked about in this chapter as “the body’s electrochemical communication circuitry”. Within this subtopic, it talks about pathways and divisions in the nervous system. It also talks about neurons in the nervous system, which are the things that handle the…