Mutation In The Prefrontal Cortex

Mutation In The Prefrontal Cortex
It is believed that a mutation in the prefrontal cortex predisposes some people to violence. The
frontal lobe is what we use to make decisions and, when fully developed, allows us to think
carefully about our actions before we take them. An alteration in the prefrontal cortex may make us
susceptible to impulsive and rash behaviors. For example, teens tend to be more reckless than adults.
The teen frontal lobe is not fully formed, which is the reason for this outcome. Teens also tend to
rely on their amygdalas to make decision. The amygdala is the center for powerful emotions, such as
anger, jealousy, and guilt. For example, psychopaths have been found to be void of guilt and regret
as a result of "the amygdala [being] less activated when they
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

The Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury Essay
I. Introduction The focus of this study was to examine the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in
children and adolescents on prospective memory. The purpose of the study was to add to the scant
research on the effects of TBI on prospective memory in children and adolescents. The authors were
also interested in adding support to the existing theory that the prefrontal areas of the brain meditate
prospective memory. (Ward et al., 2005) The authors were, for the purposes of this study, assuming
that the brain's prefrontal regions are involved in prospective memory. The authors theorized that
younger children, with or without TBI, whose prefrontal regions are not fully developed, should
perform poorly on prospective tasks. It was also ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The participants responded by pressing a green key for a response to a word, or a red key for a
nonword. The lower level demand version of the task used longer words, and the higher level
version used shorter words. The participants were also shown italic letters, 12 total, within some of
the words and non–words presented to them, which are the prospective memory cues. Participants
were told to press the 6th key, in a row of grey keys, when they saw an italic letter appear. The
participants were also tested with the following tasks to observe executive functioning capabilities:
Self Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT), Stroop Color Word Inference Task, and Tower of London
(TOL). Responses were collected and data was created on each of the four groups (children and
adolescents with and without TBI), showing correct responses for both the high and low cognitive
demand levels of the task. The results of the study showed several outcomes. First, that in both
groups lexical–decision accuracies were higher in low demand cognitive conditions than in the high
conditions. Overall, those with TBI had lower overall prospective memory scores than the
participants in the control groups. In addition to this, adolescents performed better than the children.
However, as the cognitive demand of the tasks increased, there was a larger gap in performance
between

Analysis Of Neil Hughes 's ' The Crucible '
Neil Hughes grew up in Liverpool with his mother and father. He was a cheerful and active child,
who was very talkative and appeared to be the most joyful and comical of all the children in the film
7 Up. Yet after a dramatic turn to which the source is not completely clear, he ended up homeless by
age 21. With an in–depth look at his life considering environmental, biological and psychological
factors, it becomes apparent that his life was not a typical one, veering away from any standard
timeline and lacking any amount of stability. From a broad overview, Neil's life appears to
completely disregard the social clock and any standard timeline, however small parts of his life still
had a degree of normality. At seven, Neil was very active ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
At age 49 Neil moved to Cambria, and is a member of the local district council. He has his own
house in the countryside and seems to be happier than ever. He is very focused on his religion,
something that is typical of late adulthood, when people start searching for a meaning in life
(Santrock, 2015). At 56, when the typical man should be preparing to retire and expecting
grandchildren, Neil is just now able to keep his first job, as a counselor of Cambria. He continued
lay ministry and works for a church (Apted & Almond, 2013). Neil strived to make his life
normative; he went to a university for a short time, he tried to find a career, and expressed desire for
a relationships. Neil didn't accomplish things in the typical order of the social clock; and I think this
was a huge contributor to his depression. Neil was raised by his parents, whom he believed were
responsible for not addressing real world problems with him while he was young, or not setting
enough obstacles in his way (Apted & Almond, 2013). Maybe Neil's problem was more a lack of the
development of coping strategies. Perhaps he never had to deal with any negativity as a child and
therefore never learned to cope with stress. His parents also set high standards for him from a young
age and he felt like this pressure gave him a false sense of confidence and a large ego. He realized
he was completely

William Shakespeare 's Romeo And Juliet
Young lovers defy their families' long–established vendetta and jeopardize all they have to continue
their relationship. The violent commotion between the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, finally bring
peace to their feuding families, with their own death. Like with many suicide cases, there are
challenges and decisions being made that lead up to this decision. Often times, we question who
contributed to the suicide. Regardless, others argue that Romeo and Juliet should be held
accountable for their ultimate decision. Then again, there is no definite reason to assign fault to
Romeo and Juliet. Not only are their brains not fully developed, but pressures from outside forces
caused such stress within the relationship.
To begin with, teenagers, like Romeo and Juliet, don't yet have a fully mature brain to make wise
and reasonable decisions. In particular, the region of Romeo and Juliet's brain that assists in making
knowledgeable decisions, the prefrontal cortex, also recognized as the frontal lobes, are not
completely connected until the mid 20's. Dr. Adriana Galaván, a Director and Principal Investigator
of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, with an expertise in adolescent brain development,
commented in her Ted Talk that "the prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that helps you think
of the consequences or potential consequences of your actions before you do them, it helps you
regulate your behavior and your emotions". Throughout the book, Romeo and Juliet have

Teenage Adoletic Development And The Effects Of Teenage...
Humans are naturally inclined to explore the unknown and get to know more people. Some of the
people they meet they may feel attracted to and care to date them. This is completely normal for the
average human to do. Where it becomes a bit more complicated is in the teenage demographics.
Teenagers tend to try out relationships to see what it really takes to be devoted to someone and to
practice relationship skills for the future. These decisions made in adolescence will shape the
decisions that will be made in the future. Literature plays a fine role in displaying effects of teenage
romance. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet work to build a relationship at a
young age, but because of their complicated family problems, it ultimately ends in disaster. While it
lasted, their relationship serves to teach them newer concepts and helped them to grow new and
healthy traits. Despite the potential heartbreak, romantic relationships are a healthy part of teenage
development. When looking at the science behind the teenage brain, it is completely healthy for
teens to explore new romantic relationships. Numerous lab tests have been conducted to monitor the
decision making processes of young adults. Brown University's Michael Frank was able to explain
the key parts to an adolescent's brain development. Through studies, he was able to identify how the
prefrontal cortex, the decision maker of the brain, tends to lag behind in development. The
prefrontal cortex plays a

Understanding the Brain: The Case of Phineas Cage Essay...
What impairments would you expect to see following lesions to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex?
Compare and contrast with lesions affecting the dorsolateral prefontal cortex.
In 1948 Phineas Gage, an American railroad construction foreman, was involved in a terrible
accident during which a tamping iron was explosively forced upwards through his left cheek and
exiting the top of his head (Harlow, 1948). He stunned his colleagues by not only surviving the
event and swiftly regaining consciousness but by also by walking to a nearby cart. Gage regained
many of his physical and mental abilities but remained altered in his personality to the extent that he
was considered "gross, profane, coarse and vulgar" (Bigelow, 1851), having previously ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, results of studies with animals with focal lesions have been extrapolated to provide
insight into the functioning of the human brain.
The results of these studies have helped to generate a number of theories regarding the role of the
prefrontal cortex (PFC) in human thought and behaviour. Broadly, the PFC is the area responsible
for 'executive function' and is involved in complex planning, moderation of social behaviour,
expression of personality and decision–making. A key role is the integration of information from
other areas of the brain in order to ensure behaviour that is consistent with internal goals. To explain
how the PFC functions, Miller and Cohen (2001) propose the Guided Activation Theory, which
suggests that the PFC modulates activity flow along pathways in more posterior parts of the brain,
particularly enhancing flow along task–relevant pathways.
Some authors have argued strongly for localisation of function within areas of the PFC. For
example, Stuss (2007) argues that four dissociable functions pertaining to specific areas exist; 1)
executive cognitive linked the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), 2) behavioural–emotional self–
regulatory linked to the ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC), 3) energisation linked to the superior
medial frontal area and metacognitive processes

Social Emotional And Executive Function Defects Essay
Through the decades, researchers have tried to solve the mystery of the enigmatic prefrontal cortex.
Along with the famous case of Phineas Gage (Harlow,1848), many studies have attempted to answer
the burning question of either or not lesions to the prefrontal cortex lead to an antisocial behavior.
The PFC, which is found in the frontal lobe and has an executive function, helps us have an
appropriate response to social situations. Why is it important to study this matter? Because we are
social creatures and knowing how to act in society is one of our basic needs. The studies which will
be presented show that there is an obvious link between dysfunction of the PFC and an antisocial
way of acting.
In the developmental neuropsychology literature, it has been proved that social–emotional and
executive function defects are associated with early damage to the PFC. Piaget (1968) claimed that
children learn from experience and this is the way in which they obtain adaptive characteristics.
Therefore, studying patients such as children can give a lot of information about the effect of brain
maturation and social development.
The study conducted by Eslinger(2004) reveals 10 cases of patients suffering from early prefrontal
cortex damage highlighting "one of the most informative cases available in the literature on human
prefrontal lobe damage", the case of Acherly and Benton(1948). JP, the person who was being
studied, is particularly important because he was observed for a long

Does Dysfunction Of The Prefrontal Cortex Lead Antisocial...
Student ID number: 1704918
Does dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex lead to antisocial behaviour?
Word count: 984 Antisocial behaviour (ASB) broadly encompasses human character traits and
behaviours that are generally viewed as unpleasant or immoral, such as reduced empathy, aggression
and violence. Consequently, ASB is unconducive to forming healthy interpersonal relationships and
functional living and on a large scale is socio–economically detrimental to societies. Therefore,
research into ASB's aetiology is important for potentially informing its prevention and management
and in turn reducing its negative outcomes. This essay investigates the possible causal role of
prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction and structural abnormalities in ASB, focusing on specific PFC
subregions; as well as the roles of other brain regions, genetics and the environment. It argues that
there is significant evidence that the dysfunction of several brain regions, including the PFC and
areas of other lobes, can lead to ASB. The underlying reason(s) for the dysfunction may be brain
damage and/or genetic and environmental influences.
The PFC, the rostralmost region of the frontal lobe, as part of neural circuits that include other
cortical and subcortical regions, is widely regarded as the neural substrate for many executive
functions (EFs), at least some of which are impaired in ASB. EFs include working memory,
planning, decision–making and inhibition (Eslinger,

Prefrontal Cortex Research Paper
The prefrontal cortex is the most anterior region of the frontal lobe. It occupies one–third of the
cerebral cortex and is key for executive functions such as problem solving, working memory, and
emotional control. It is also crucial in decision making and the expression of personality. The
prefrontal cortex is imperative for efficient cognitive functioning; damage can result in severe
impairment to skills such as emotional regulation, moral behavior, and empathy. In addition, the
prefrontal cortex is a sub–region of the frontal cortex; this includes the primary motor cortex and
premotor cortex in addition to the prefrontal cortex areas, which are located more anteriorly. The
prefrontal cortex itself can be divided into three sectors– the

The Brain And Its Effect On Brain Development
Teenagers are susceptible to engaging in risky behaviors such as, unprotected sex, drug abuse, and
unhealthy lifestyles because of the natural sequence of our brain development. Myelination and
maturation of the neurons in the brain work from the back of the brain towards the front. This is
important because the prefrontal cortex is located at the front of the brain and is responsible for
problem solving, processing complex thoughts, a decision making. The limbic system is at the base
of the brain and is responsible for emotions such as fear and anxiety. Therefore, the limbic system
matures and is myelinated before the prefrontal cortex. The connections in the emotional center of
the brain are stronger and more efficient than the part of the brain that allows higher levels of
problem solving and the ability to regulate those powerful emotions. Once adolescence is reached,
hormones also play an important role in development by directly affecting the amygdala, which in
turn, results in a more active part of the brain. This development of the brain isn't fully completed
until years after the teenage stage of life. Consequently, teenagers are emotional because they are
extra sensitive to neurotransmitters like dopamine, the rewarding pleasure chemicals. Due to this,
decisions are often not well regulated by caution, refection, or planning. It isn't until after a decision
has been made that the negative effects are taken into consideration. So, engaging in risky behaviors
excites

Essay about Lesions of the Prefrontal Cortex
Lesions of the Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex is involved in a wide variety of functions. It is known as the area of the brain
which has
"executive control", taking input from other areas of the brain and combining and applying those
functions (Kalat 2004).
Lesions to the prefrontal area can greatly impair overt behavior of an inflicted individual. These
deficits are dependent upon the severity of the lesion and the specific region of the prefrontal cortex
in which the lesion resides (ventrolateral, dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and anterior prefrontal)
(Eslinger
2003).
Individuals with prefrontal lesions usually display emotional, social and moral deficits (Elinger
2003). Social ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Persons with left hemisphere lesions are often depressed and display inhibition which includes
apathy, flattened affect, withdrawal, narrowing of interests(Trauner 2001). Patients with right or left
hemispheric lesions may experience disinhibition which includes euphoria, impulsivity, and
irritability, inappropriate emotional responses and impaired judgment (Trauner 2001). Intellectual
capacities can remain preserved, and individuals with prefrontal damage can score normal–average
intelligence on standard IQ tests (Eslinger 2003). Cognitive deficits which do appear relate to
attention, self–regulation, inhibition, planning, problem solving, critical thinking, organization,
working memory, self–awareness and self– monitoring, and goal–directed behavior (Eslinger 2003).
Available cases of early prefrontal cortex damage provide evidence for the importance of this region
in psychological development (Eslinger 2003). Anderson (1999) discussed the important cognitive
and behavioral deficit differences between childhood onset of prefrontal cortex lesions and adult
onset lesions to the prefrontal cortex. Adults who experience a lesion to the prefrontal cortex have
had years of normal cognitive and social behavior development. A

Serial Killers: Biology or Upbringing?
Nikole Walden
English IV
Mr. Russell
1 November 2010
Serial Killers: Biology or Upbringing?
As people in today's society, we are constantly being bombarded with the crazy actions that mankind
is capable of. We watch the news and hear about murders, or even read a book about a mysterious
killer. As we go through these pieces of reality, one can't help but be struck by the thought––what
causes a person to act so violently? There have been many studies done to try and find an answer.
For a crime such as serial killing, there are two thoughts. The first idea is that serial killing is caused
by an abnormality in the frontal lobe of the brain. The other is that serial killers are bred by
circumstance which means they have certain genes ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Phychophysiologist Adrian Raine, Ph.D. has stated, "A lack of remorse is the hallmark of the
psychopath" (Stone 320). Having no care in the world about what they do is the main cause of serial
killers. They feel nothing for the people they kill nor will they ever feel something. Serial killers
show no emotion for the wrong they do. "They feel less fear and anxiety than normal people" (Scott,
par. 5). Thus, the reason why they kill. Having less anxiety than a normal person means if and when
they kill, they will not be scared of their consequences. Also stated by Adrian Raine, "'Callous
unemotional' children seem in many instances to be the psychopaths of the future" (Stone 319).
Children that show no emotion are known as Callous unemotional. This is a way of determining a
psychopathic trait in children. Showing little or no emotion is a huge trait in serial killers.
Serial killers are caused by biology rather than upbringing. "If you're antisocial but come from a
good home, the reasons for violent behavior may have more to do with biology than the upbringing"
(Raine, par. 2). Meaning a good home can mean nothing if that person already prone to becoming a
serial killer. Also means serial killing can be passed down the family tree. "Dysfunctional brain–not
dysfunctional families–explains murders, especially when the murderer comes from a 'good' home"
(Raine, par. 1). Something in these

The Fundamental Goal Of Buddhism
The first of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism is that life as we know it is unsatisfactory. Life is
filled with suffering; there is pain, old age, sickness and death. Nothing in the world is permanent, or
able to provide substantial satisfaction. This might seem like a very cynical outlook, but the three
remaining truths explain the cause of suffering and how it can be overcome. In Buddhist doctrine,
the key to overcoming suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. The first step of the Eightfold
Path is to see the world in the right way.1 Seeing the world in the right view is the key to
understanding and relieving suffering. The fundamental goal of Buddhism is to follow the Eightfold
path to reach a state of nirvana, or peace of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Instead, the brain is plastic, and our quota of happiness can be enhanced through mental training.4"
He is saying that happiness is determined by the way an individual views the world. The brain is not
set in its way of preserving emotion, and with practice, the brain can be molded to allow
constructive emotions to enrich the mind. This idea of brain training is located at the core of
meditation, and used as a way of fulfilling the Nobel Eightfold Path. Allan Wallace, one of the
attendees of the conference, has studied at Buddhist monasteries for many years, and has taught
Buddhist theory and practice across the world. During the conference Wallace, stated "When it
comes not just to understanding mental affliction and how to grapple with those, but also how to
move into exceptional states of mental health, Buddhism has an enormous amount to offer the
West.3"
Mental illness is the result of allowing destructive emotions to control balance in the brain.
According to the Dalai Lama, emotions become destructive the moment they disrupt the mind's
equilibrium. Destructive emotions can be everything from low self–esteem to overconfidence.
Constructive emotions would be things such as self–respect, integrity, compassion, and love.
However, even constructive emotions can turn destructive if they cause imbalance in the brain. For
example, if love weighs heavily in an individual's life it creates attachment. When the things the
individual loves are

Music Therapy Argumentative Analysis
"Music is the most unpolitical activity there is today. It doesn't matter what your gender is, what
your sexuality is, where you came from, or how you got here; all that matters is that we come
together and play like we've known each other forever." This was spoken by Jack Stamp and was
directed toward the musicians he was conducting in the Iowa All–State Honor Band in 2016.
Everyone hears music at least once a day; whether in the car or at a store. Music surrounds the earth
with an atmosphere of sound. It's in elevators, movies, the radio, television, and even used as
ringtones on cellular devices. Listening to these different sounds affect how the human body
functions. Music has many different effects on a person's body. Music ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This is a special type of hearing loss that causes ringing in the ears. Of professional musicians, 57
percent will suffer from tinnitus by the time their career is over. Professional musicians that have
hearing loss and tinnitus include Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young, and Phil Collins. Tinnitus is caused
by loud noises, constant exposure to loud music, or loud and sudden sounds. For these musicians,
it's from the constant exposure to loud music. Most professional musicians perform in concerts.
These concerts are the main cause of tinnitus and hearing loss.
Though people can suffer from hearing loss, music can help with common problems such as blood
pressure and mental health disorders. The positives of listening to music influence behaviors and
emotions that can influence how a day is going to go. Listening to classical music is a great way to
calm the body and mind while helping the physical health of the

The Value of Nature to Humans
The Value of Nature Humans project the value of nature because humans are the only beings that are
able to produce rational thoughts and are therefore, the only beings that value. Since humans are the
only beings that value, they are inherently the only things that determine the value of other things. In
addition to my main thesis, I will address where the value in nature originates by explaining the
disjoint relationship between humans and non–humans. Expanding on my thesis, I will prove the
projection view is correct by showing that all arguments for the recognition view appeal to
projection. Projection, meaning, humans project value on to nature rather than recognition, meaning,
humans recognize the intrinsic value of nature. The value of nature is a contentious issue that not
only concerns environmental ethicists, but also everyday people around the world. As our world
becomes more technologically dependent, it seems that we are becoming less concerned with nature.
In deciding the future of our planet, it is important that we explore the value of nature and the
consequence of destroying it. I will reference and utilize quotes by Holmes Rolston III from his
novel, A New Environmental Ethics, as I evaluate the Euthyphro Problem as it applies to the value
of nature. The recognition view of the value nature articulates that humans recognize the intrinsic
value of nature. Where does the basis for this argument originate? Rolston defends the idea that if an
organism performs

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
Structures and Function of the Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe contains two key structures that have a great impact on mood, behavior and
judgment. These structures are located in the outer area of the cerebrum towards the front of the
skull (Carlson, 2013). This paper will discuss the function and structure of the Ventromedial
Prefrontal Cortex (including the orbitofrontal cortex) and the Dorsolateral Cortex.
The Function of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
Many studies have concluded that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (or vmPFC) appears to provide
the inhibition of emotional responses (Carlson, 2013). This region of the brain provides the mind
with the faculties of self–restraint or self–control.
Behavior Affected by Damage to the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For example, a study conducted by the University of Iowa College of Medicine found that when this
portion of the brain is damaged, individuals were more susceptible to believing misleading
advertising, thereby triggering the person to make a purchase (Asp et al., 2012). Another study from
the University of Iowa found that damage to the vmPFC seems to be connected with patients who
suffer from drug or gambling additions (Bechara, 2003).
Neurotransmitters Associated with the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
Glutamate and Gamma–aminobutyric acid (or GABA) are the main neurotransmitters associated
with this part of the brain. Through the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) researchers
have been able to measure these particular neurotransmitters in order to predict human behavior
when it comes to value guided decision making (Jocham, Hunt, Near, & Behrens, 2012).
Connections Made to the Ventromedial Prefrontal

Prefrontal Cortex Summary
The Prefrontal Cortex is involved in planning of behavior, attention and judgment and the
orbitofrontal cortex plays an important role in emotions and impulse control. This is related to the
article because in order for people to feel empathy, their orbitofrontal cortex has to function. To act
the way people do when approached by their competitors, people need their prefrontal cortex to act
how they would. The article does not necessarily contradict any of the content we learned but it
gives examples of how there structures in our brain aid in our behavior and in the way we act. If
these parts of our brain weren't working, people would experience impulsiveness, antisocial
behavior, experience of various emotions and deficits in the ability

Symptoms And Symptoms Of Ptsd
PTSD in Adolescent Bullying Victims Turned School Shooters
Anna Llewellyn
Currently, the DSM–5 characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder as a disorder in which clients
respond with heightened arousal and reactivity to repeatedly experienced or revisited traumatic
situations (Posttraumatic). Individuals who have persistently witnessed or been a victim of great
violence, such as military veterans or victims of domestic abuse, often develop PTSD as a result of
their experiences. A population that has been largely overlooked in terms of their rates of PTSD is
adolescent victims of bullying. Bullying in middle and high schools has become an extremely hot
topic in today's society due to an influx of high–profile, severe cases that result in ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In order to understand how severe bullying can result in the development of PTSD in adolescents, it
is important to understand how the adolescent brain processes peer hostility and rejection, especially
in relation to how an adult brain would process similar situations. There is a large amount of
literature on the many unique factors of the adolescent brain. "The Adolescent Brain", an article by
BJ Casey, addresses limbic system development and prefrontal cortex development in adolescents,
both of which are extremely relevant to perceptions and reactions to peer aggression. The limbic
system is comprised of brain structures that are involved with emotional regulation, reward
sensitivity, and impulsivity. The prefrontal cortex is the portion of the brain that is responsible for
planning and decision making. In the article, Casey discusses how the limbic system matures at the
onset of puberty in adolescents, while the prefrontal cortex isn't mature until a few years later, at the
beginning of early adulthood. This means that adolescents are unique in their combination of high
levels of risk taking, impulsivity, emotional sensitivity, and reactivity to stress without the influence
of the prefrontal cortex's tendency for planning and reasoning (Casey 112). This gap in maturation
of neurological systems in adolescents provides an explanation for their perceptive and behavioral
differences when compared to adults. Catherine Sebastien explains in her article "Social brain

Prefrontal Cortex In Adolescence
The brain's white matter, prefrontal cortext responds to judgment and impulse control is different in
adolescent than adult. During adolescent, teenagers can easily be more frustrated and upset for no
reason, while the adult are calmer with the emotion. This also true because when I was in my
teenage years, if things wasn't going according to what I want, I would be upset with everything
around me.
In another experiment, young teenagers judge other's people's faces using part of the brain which
determine to recognize fear and alarm, this can be misjudge and reading the emotion wrongfully.
While in adult use more of the rational prefrontal cortex. This explains why when I was small and I
am doing something wrong, I believes that my parents is

Criminal Psychopaths
Psychopaths are social burdens Individuals with psychopathic personality are characterized by a
constellation of traits, including interpersonal–affective features such as superficial charm,
manipulation, lack of affect and emotion, and antisocial features such as impulsivity and aggression.
(Gao, 2011). These traits in turn have been linked to a disregard for laws and social mores, a
disregard for the right of others, a failure to feel remorse or guilt and a tendency to display violent
behavior (Kennedy, 1954). Furthermore, their interpersonal behavior has been described as selfish,
dominant, manipulative, and superficial; showing a lack of responsibility within relationships; and
inability to form long–lasting bonds. Psychopaths are described ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
. These personality changes in these patients are similar to the changes found in psychopaths. Antoni
Damasio and his teams highlights this similarity as they were able to show a 16 percent reduction in
the volume of the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (Raine, 148–149). This structurel impairment
to the ventral region of the prefrontal cortex is particularly implicated in antisocial, psychopathic
behavior (Raine pg 148–149]). Antonio Damasio was also able to associate this deformation in the
ventral prefrontal cortex with an array of deficits in emotion and decision making, lack of guilt,
shame and empathy, poor planning, irresponsibility, and irritability. Experimental studies were able
to reveal that both neurological damaged patients and psychopaths exhibited reduced emotional
charged stimuli, defects in economic decision–making skills, deficits in reversal learning and moral
judgment impairment (Koenigs, 2012). Blair's research also supports these findings as he was able
to prove his argument that the integrated functioning of the vmPFC enables the basics of care–based
morality and dysfunction within the region in psychopathy means that reinforcement–based decision
making, including moral and economic decision making, are impaired

The Fundamental Ability Of The Prefrontal Cortex
The fundamental ability of the prefrontal cortex is to represent information not currently in the
environment; its role within the temporal lobe is to create a mental sketch pad within an individuals
mind (Goldman–Rakic). It regulates short term and long term decision making and helps individuals
focus thoughts and houses active working memory. Due to the funtions that the prefront cortex
displays, damage to this area commonly leads to multiple problems such as the inability to plan or
even behaving in ways that are not seen as sociably acceptable. Individuals who have suffered
damage their prefrontal cortex are oblivious to future consequences and their actions tend to be
guided by immediate results (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994). The premotor cortex
is involved in learning and executing complex movements that are guided by sensory information.
Many studies suggest that the premotor cortex is involved in using arbitrary stimuli to indicate what
movement should be made. The relationship between stimuli and movement are arbitrary and must
be learned. For example Nowak et al (2009) found that participants would adjust the strength of
their grip when picking up an object based on the colour of a dot. Once again we look at how these
areas function after being damage. For example damage to the premotor cortex may result in a range
of problems such as apraxia, which is the inability to carry out actions that require skill that
previously could be performed.

Sleep Prefrontal Theta
Title: REM sleep, prefrontal theta, and the consolidation of human emotional memory.
Journal: Cerebral Cortex
APA style citation:
Nishida, M., Pearsall, J., Buckner, R. L., & Walker, M. P. (2009). REM sleep, prefrontal theta, and
the consolidation of human emotional memory. Cerebral Cortex, 19(5), 1158–1166.
A) Memory is a topic that has often been researched for various reasons. It has been found
throughout the years that memory has many aspects as well as related topics to it. One particular
type of memory that has been found to exist is emotional memory. Emotional memory can be
described as a memory that triggers an emotional response as a result. There has been, in the past,
studies that looked at the role that sleep may play in the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was found that in the nap group there was higher retention of the study pictures that showed
negative emotion in the first study session compared to those from the second study session. When
looking at the data collected from the non–napping group, researchers found that the retention of the
material form both study sessions was nearly the same. On the other hand, data also showed that
retention of the neutral pictures was about the same for the nap and non–napping groups. Analysis
of the data collected from the nap group participants during their nap found that there was a positive
correlation found between theta power and emotional memory retention, but no association was
found between theta power and neutral emotional

Social Communication And Rehabilitation Of Adolescents...
Social Communication and Rehabilitation of Adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury
Introduction Adolescence, the time between puberty and adulthood, is marked by a shift toward
greater reliance on the peer group that the family, resulting in a greater need for more complex
social communication. It is also the age group which reports the highest incidents of traumatic brain
injury (Turkstra, 2004). One could surmise the many reasons for this – increased risk taking or
increased participation in contact and/or extreme sports, for example. Because the adolescent brain
is still developing cognitive skills which support later–developing communication skills such as
figurative language, complex pragmatic functions , and receptive and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
297). Those cognitive processes include executive functions such as initiation, problem solving,
inhibition of behaviors, and planning as well as encoding and retrieval of semantic memory
(Siddiqui, 2008). It therefore stands to reason that "behavioral studies on tasks including inhibitory
control, processing speed, working memory and decision–making continues to develop during
adolescence... [and] developments in performance are linked to the pruning and myelination
processes occurring ... in the frontal cortex (Blakemore, 2006, p. 301). The prefrontal cortex, which
covers the anterior portion of the frontal lobe, has been associated with both awareness and theory
of mind, which are two very important functions that are necessary for effective social
communication (Blakemore, 2006). Additionally, the surge of hormones during adolescence, the
increased time spent with peers and the continued development of emotion processing contribute to
the rapid development and proliferation of social communication at that age.
Assessment Just as with adults, the impact that a traumatic brain injury has on the communication
skills and their underlying cognitive processes of an adolescent depends greatly on the nature,
specifically location, and severity of the insult. Closed brain injuries in adolescents tend to damage
the prefrontal regions. As a result,

Changes In Adolescents
Teenagers are often thought to act differently, or even more self–centered than other age groups.
Consequently, they are ridiculed through pop culture, and people wonder why these changes take
place in adolescents. Due to vast improvements in brain–imaging technologies like MRI, we can
now answer question like these that have been around for decades. What is taking place in the brain
of adolescents that adjusts their ability to think and perceive the world?
"One of the brain regions that changes most dramatically during adolescence is the prefrontal
cortex," says Sarah–Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neuroscientist. "It is proportionally much larger in
humans than any other animal." According to Blakemore, the prefrontal cortex plays an ... Show
The medial prefrontal cortex is a central region of the prefrontal cortex. In fact, this part of the brain
is more active in adolescents than other age groups, which is an important change to observe. "The
activity of the medial prefrontal cortex decreases through adolescence, and we hypothesize that is
because adults apply a different mental approach, a different cognitive strategy, to make social
decisions."
"So imagine you're a participant in one of our tests," says Blakemore. "You come in and see this
computerized task. In it, there are a set of shelves and behind them is a guy. But the guy can only see
some of the objects on the shelves because some are occluded with a sort of gray piece of wood." In
her test, you have to move objects around, but a man who can not see all of the objects is telling you
which and how to move the objects. "So if the guy says, "move the top truck left," you would
instinctively reach for the white truck, but then you would realize that he can't see it and you would
move the blue truck that he can see. Now, believe it or not, healthy adults actually make errors
around 50 percent of the time." According to her results, young children incorrectly move the
objects when faced with the social challenge about 80 percent of the time. This number decreases to
about 50 percent in adulthood. However, when there is no social challenge, they make errors around
20 percent of the time which decreases to about 8 percent in late adolescence, which then

Prefrontal Syndrome
Keywords: Prefrontal cortex, Hippocampus, depression, Alzheimer?s disease, cognitive dysfunction,
optogenetics, connectomics, imaging
The Hippocampal–Prefrontal ensemble connectivity in cognitive dysfunction of neuropsychiatric
disorders
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction is a hallmark feature in neuropsychiatric disorders. Especially, domains
including working memory, executive function, attention and information processing are
defective.Deficits are observed in multiple domains, including working memory, executive function,
attention and information processing. Disability caused by cognitive dysfunction are is frequently as
debilitating as the prominent emotional disturbances. Interactions between the hippocampus and the
prefrontal cortex are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hoover WB, Vertes RP. Anatomical analysis of afferent projections to the medial prefrontal cortex in
the rat. Brain Struct Funct. 2007;212(2):149–179.
10. Jay TM, Glowinski J, Thierry AM. Selectivity of the hippocampal projection to the prelimbic
area of the prefrontal cortex in the rat. Brain Res. 1989;505(2):337–340.
11. Russo SJ, Nestler EJ. The brain reward circuitry in mood disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci.
2013;14(9):609–625.
12. Maren S. Seeking a spotless mind: extinction, deconsolidation, and erasure of fear memory.
Neuron. 2011;70(5):830–845.
13. Wolff M, Alcaraz F, Marchand AR, Coutureau E. Functional heterogeneity of the limbic
thalamus: From hippocampal to cortical functions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015;54:120–130.
14. Floresco SB, Seamans JK, Phillips AG. Selective roles for hippocampal, prefrontal cortical, and
ventral striatal circuits in radial–arm maze tasks with or without a delay. J Neurosci.
1997;17(5):1880–1890.
15. Broersen LM, Uylings HB. Visual attention task performance in Wistar and Lister hooded rats:
response inhibition deficits after medial prefrontal cortex lesions. Neuroscience. 1999;94(1):47–57.
16. Godsil BP, Kiss JP, Spedding M, Jay TM. The hippocampal–prefrontal pathway: the weak link
in psychiatric disorders? Eur Neuropsychopharmacol.

Prefrontal Lobotomy Analysis
Frequently, it's difficult to maintain a certain procedure which benefits both the patient and
physician. The growth of The Prefrontal Lobotomy was sought out to assist patients with issues
regarding mental illnesses, and conditions of psychological disorders. The Prefrontal Lobotomy is
said to be successful, but there have been certain times where the procedure has caused death upon a
patient. It's a controversial procedure that has been done widely since it's prime era. It was widely
performed for decades to treat Schizophrenia, Manic Depression and Bipolar Disorder. (Lobotomy:
Definition, Procedure, & History; Lewis, 2014) The Portuguese Neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz is
said to be credited with inventing the Lobotomy in 1935, for which he shared the Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine in 1949. (Official website of the Nobel Prize, http://www.nobelprize.org/)
Before the procedure was tested on humans, it was actually tested on chimpanzees by a Yale
Neuroscientist John Fulton and his colleague Carlyle Jacobsen in 1935. Because of certain
behavioral and personality issues, the procedure was sought to adjust the way illnesses were
developed, and to eliminate them. The procedure was done by cutting holes in ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Today, mental illnesses can be treated with medication, surgery, etc. Rarely would you hear that a
physician is performing a Prefrontal Lobotomy to assist a patient with a disorder. Manic Depression
specifically is more so treated with medication. Other disorders such as Schizophrenia can be treated
with medication. There's also more extreme procedures today such as sending electric shocks
through the brain to cause a temporary seizure that'll calm the patient down. I would say in my
personal opinion that a procedure as such would be much more effective for Schizophrenia

Summary: What Ever Happened To Cool Kids
The papers my group discussed on Thursday were What Ever Happened to the "Cool" Kids? Long–
Term Sequelae of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior" by Joseph Allen et al., The Quest for
Identity in Adolescence: Heterogeneity in Daily Identity Formation and Psychosocial Adjustment
Across 5 Years by Andrik I. Becht et al., and Risk–taking and the adolescent brain: who is at risk?
by Adriana Galvan et al. However, the main two we focused on was and Risk–taking and the
adolescent brain: who is at risk and What Ever Happened to the "Cool" Kids? Long– Term Sequelae
of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior". We discussed specifically how these two papers fit
together in which growing up as a bad person coincides with risky behavior as an adolescent. The
paper ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The most common reason for this lies within the brain, the prefrontal cortex helps to determine the
adaptive value of pleasure recorded by the nucleus accumbens, and weighs the risks and benefits of
doing certain things (The addicted brain, 2009). The prefrontal cortex is like that voice in the back
of your head that tells you not to do something if it is unwise; it is the judgment area of the brain. If
the prefrontal cortex is not functioning properly, an addictive drug has more power to monopolize
the reward circuit. Recent research shows that the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed in
adolescence, which could explain why we often develop addictions at that time of life. The addictive
brain (2009) states, that "A person who does not become a smoker before age 21 will probably never
be addicted to nicotine." This research supports why children partake in risky behavior in their
adolescences. Adolescences' prefrontal cortex are not fully formed, therefore, they are unable to
evaluate the risks and benefits of things they may do. The only thing they focus on, are the
pleasurable rewards felt after completing the risky

Why We Should Not Raise Active Screen Time
In many ways I'm a normal teenager. One way i'm not a normal teenager is I play too many video
games. In fact after school I play 1 or 2 video games. During school if i have time I play games on
my phone. I think from all the videogames I play that my grades have dropped some not much but a
little. If we go over the amount of screen time then it could affect us later in life. If we have too
much screen time then the prefrontal cortex won't tell us if something is bad or good because the
prefrontal is not developed fully. The American Academy of Pediatrics should not raise the
recommended screen time from 2 to 4 hours. Your prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed until you're
20, so if you're online you can make more bad decisions. The prefrontal cortex matures later than
other parts of your brain so you could make bad decisions(Scholastic). If your prefrontal cortex
matures later than you will make more bad decisions. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The AAP should not raise the active screen time from 2 to 4. Neurons are another reason why we
should not raise the screen time. Neurons help us make decisions. In order for your brain to make
decisions, tiny specialized cells "talk" with each other through a series of neurotransmitters like a
circuit in a computer(Scholastic). If the tiny cells don't "talk" then we could make a bad decision
online. "White matter" is called myelin, and it coats the neurons and makes them "communicate"
more effectively to make the connection better, the axons wrap themselves in myelin through a
process called myelination(Knox). If we play too many video games or have too much screen time
than are communication could become worse and we could make more mistakes online. The
neurons are another reason why we should raise the screen time. Neurons will make us make bad
decisions online so if we raise the screen time teens will make bad

Prefrontal Cortex Research Paper
Creating the world's first Z–Bomb, would have to be the most dangerous thing that could happen to
humans. Turning them into Zombies, it would entirely change the characteristics of a human being
and its brain. Although both living, Zombies have drastic defects towards certain aspects of the
body. This Z–bomb won't necessarily turn humans into zombies, but rather give humans zombie–ish
characteristics. For starters, the Prefrontal Cortex would be affected. Meaning that it would be
harder for these 'Zombies' to have complex cognition as well as a properly functioning emotional
system. When stated that zombies have 'extraordinarily high pain tolerance', this means that their
nociceptors were damaged, which is responsible for pain tolerance.

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Case Study
Overview:
The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) is part of the frontal lobe, one of the most complex
parts of the brain and among the last areas to develop. According to numerous neuroimaging studies,
it may not be fully mature until a person's mid–20s. The DLFPC has numerous connections with
other parts of the brain and helps integrate information from different systems.
The DLPFC is involved in higher–order processing and executive functions like working memory,
planning, attention, and self–regulation. These functions are crucial for everyday tasks like learning,
decision–making, and socializing.
Location:
The Prefrontal Cortex lies in the frontal lobe anterior to the motor, premotor, and limbic areas and
makes up about ⅓ of the total neocortical area of the brain. The prefrontal cortex may be further
subdivided into the dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and (sometimes) ventrolateral cortices, though there
is some debate about these divisions. There is not a clear anatomical line where the DLPFC begins
and ends. One way of defining it is by its connection to the parvocellular subdivision of the
mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. Some authors say it includes Brodmann Areas 9 and 46 only,
others may include ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The whole group went through a normal daily treatment with deep transcranial magnetic stimulation
over the four weeks, then a subgroup continued with weekly maintenance sessions. This study is
based on previous findings that depression is associated with hypoactivity in the left DLPFC and
hyperactivity in the right DLPFC. All subjects showed improvement after the initial treatment, but
then declined if they did not receive weekly maintenance

Speech For A Introductory Speech On Procrastination
Introductory paragraph:
Hook: (I am sitting there) and I wonder about my homework then I say oh when I am going to be
presenting my speech and then I say oh I ran out of time.
Greeting: Good afternoon, judges, teachers, and fellow classmates
Introduction to topic: Today I will be talking about something horrible we have all done before.
Today I'm going to share with you some statistics that I can't believe affect us all. According to the
Brandon Gaille website in the article about 17 lazy procrastination statistics, they said that 85 to 95
percent of students in North America procrastinate and the number of chronic procrastinators has
quadrupled during the last thirty years?
What is procrastination?
I know some of you are sitting there wondering what procrastination is. Well, procrastination is the
action of putting off tasks that are planned to be done for tasks that are of lesser importance. So if
you think of it, you are actually trying to sabotage your success. There are actually two types of
procrastinators one is the situational procrastinator and the other is a chronic procrastinator. A
situational procrastinator usually procrastinates because of how they feel about a particular task
(usually because we don't like it). Chronic procrastinators procrastinate in almost every situation,
and that is "the normal" for them. So is procrastination laziness or an illness? Procrastination could
be a physiological illness if the person procrastinates because of

The Importance Of Keeping Secrets
Over the years, many individuals have kept secrets to themselves, whether it becomes a negative or
positive outcome. Everyone has secrets, it's all around us. Your brain doesn't like to keep secrets
since it increases the levels of stress hormones in your body. Many think that secrets should not be
kept hidden because it can result in health problems such as complications in your brain's orbital
prefrontal cortex. Keeping secrets usually results in a harmful way. It's not easy to keep something
important from the people you care about without telling a few lies. It's better to confess your
secrets as a result of feeling confident and not having to hide any information. Telling the truth is
generally a better thing to do instead of keeping secrets which leads to unnecessary amounts of
drama.
Keeping secrets are harmful because your health can be at risk due to high amounts of stress levels
which places you in a difficult position. For example, in the article, "Keeping Secrets Can Be
Hazardous To Your Health", it says, " your brain's orbital prefrontal cortex stimulates in your mind
just how bad sharing the secret will be" ..."the cortex becomes stressed." This quote is relevant
because it shows that your brain won't function in a proper way due to all the stress you're
experiencing. Keeping the secret private for a long time will cause severe damage to your brain and
mental health. Furthermore, in an article, " Science Shows Something Surprising About Adults Who
Still Keep

Consequences Of Underage Drinking
Underage drinking has been a growing concern among the public. As society idolizes the party life
style, adolescence seem to be more encouraged to join the movement. Because the youth of todays
generations are not aware of the responsibilities that come along with drinking, they are ignorant to
the fact that there are ramification that come along with underage drinking. Though there are factors
that play along with the juvenile party trend, as a community, we must come together and be aware
of the poor results these actions can cause. Underage drinking has become an outrage; its use among
teenagers has consequences such as brain damage, addictiveness, and safety risks. Teenagers can
tend to view alcohol as a conversation starter, helping them loosen up around people; but it can
cause harsh brain damage. In spite the reality that alcohol can affect several parts of the brain while
drinking underage, the Hippocampus and the Prefrontal Lobe, are especially susceptible to alcohol
damage. Hippocampus is in control of memory and learning, "Studies of adolescents show that ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As though the youth don't already make inferior choices without alcohol, with it, the results can be
fatalistic. "...about 1155 persons under 21 die every year in car crashes involving underage
drinking." (Consumer Information, 2013). This is proof of how alcohol is poison to the youth,
dominating their behavior, and becoming the cause to such young deaths. With the help of alcohol,
teens awareness is being altered. "In 2008, almost 40,000 youth ages 15–20 were admitted to
hospitals due to alcohol problems." (Consumer Information, 2013). The numbers review the risks
put in place by teens consuming alcohol. If the damage done is not lethal, it very well can still be
life changing. From broken bones, to possibly killing or injuring someone else, everything can
change in one

Prefrontal Lobotomy
As a student of psychology I have read about this procedure a few times during my studies. It seems
possible that the doctors who performed this type of surgery may have been more interested in
stretching the boundaries of medicine and gaining notoriety versus the actual care of the patient. The
term psychosurgery describes a surgical intervention to change another person's mood, thoughts, or
behavior. This procedure was coined the frontal lobotomy. The procedure involved cutting the major
connections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain. Lobotomies became part of a
new age treatment for neurological diseases in the early 20th century. The original procedure, also
known as a leucotomy, involved an injection of alcohol into ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
To irreversibly alter another person's personality was thought by many to overstep the bounds of
good medical practice, and disrespect that person's autonomy and individuality and in 1950, the
Soviet Union banned the practice, saying it was "contrary to the principles of humanity". Germany
and Japan soon followed and finally in 1967 Freeman was banned from surgery after performing a
third lobotomy on a patient whose brain hemorrhaged and died. Till his death Freeman stood by his
procedure and even traveled the country to visit the patients he operated on to prove that he had
helped

Essay On Brain Stimulation
At baseline, before stimulation, it was found that the more depressed an individual was, the less
activation there was in the prefrontal lobes and caudate nucleus (Teneback et. al, 1999). Teneback et.
al (1999) also noted that following high–frequency treatment, they noticed that the people who
responded to the treatment had increased inferior frontal gyrus activity compared to those who did
not respond to treatment and days later they also had decreased medial temporal activity. The
prediction is that while both the responders and non–responders showed changes in a Single–Photon
Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging is that responders had more normalization of
blood flow (Teneback et. al, 1999). These results support the idea that ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
al, 2012). It was also found that better outcomes occurred for patients that were younger with a
lower baseline depression (Carpenter et. al, 2012). Studies have found improvement in cognitive
functioning along with symptoms of depression. The improvement of depression symptoms was
linked with an improvement in visuospatial memory, verbal memory, long–term memory recall,
working memory, information processing speed, and orientation (Serafini et. al, 2015). It is
predicted that the improvement in cognitive functioning occurs due to the relief of symptoms, but it
is also postulated that the improvement of cognitive function improves depressive symptoms
(Serafini et. al, 2015; Kedzior et. al, 2015). However, more research needs to be done to determine
the temporal precedence and to better understand the cognitive improvement. Research is still being
done to determine the best techniques to have the maximum impact when using TMS to treat
depression. Currently, the length of stimulation and number of sessions is standardized, so little to
no research is being completed. Two weeks of daily sessions with a 30–second cycle, 2 seconds
stimulation and 28 seconds off, repeated 40 times per session. Since this protocol has been proven to
be effective in countless studies, there is not a rush to find a better alternative. It was found that
people who improve with low–frequency stimulation get worse with high–frequency stimulation,

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )
Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder is caused by Physiological Changes in the Brain
People who have been in combat overseas are usually involved in some sort of traumatic or life
threatening event. Therefore, the majority come home with some type of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder also known as PTSD. For the most part soldiers find a way of going around the question
and tell doctors they do not have PTSD, they are in good health. Consequently, for those in the
military there will always be the stigma of appearing weak for trying to get help. Soldiers will
always be concerned with the stigma of PTSD following them and tarnishing the rest of their career.
They truly need to be familiar with what is happening to their brain and the hazards of not seeking
help. Furthermore, scientific research will show Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is caused by
physiological changes in the brain directly correlated with a traumatic event. It does not mean
something is wrong with them. However, they should seek medical help from a doctor to see all the
option they have to get help though this tough transition.
In order to help our brothers and sisters, we must attempt to understand what Post Traumatic Stress
disorder actually is. We have to look at what areas of the brain are affected. There are three regions
of your brain that become agitated and begin to change due to post traumatic stress, the
hippocampus, amygdale, and the medial prefrontal cortex. The region that is affected the most from

Mindfulness Essay
FAQS
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a learnable skill. It is a capacity we all possess, by virtue of being human.
Mindfulness based therapy is the name given to an awareness that emerges when we focus attention
on particular aspects of our experience in the present moment.
Too frequently, we ride over and ignore much of human experience, ruminating on and rehashing
the past in our minds and/or worrying about the future. Mindfulness is a process of adopting an
attitude of acceptance and non–judging toward thoughts and sensations, including those, which may
be unpleasant. In this way, we then acknowledge and accept rather than turn away from the present
moment experience. This does, however, require re learning and practice. Paradoxically, ... Show
Mindfulness is a way of developing your inner resources for dealing with life's challenges.
There are a significant number of benefits to mindfulness, which you can view on this website by
following this link http://www.mindmymind.ie/benefits–of–mindfulness
Mindfulness is gaining so much popularity due to significant scientific breakthroughs. In particular,
it has been uncovered that the human brain has the capacity for neuroplasticity. In other words, it is
found that we have the ability to alter structures in the brain in a healthy way, using evidence based
Mindfulness practice.
What is neuroplasticity?
The term neuroplasticity is the term used to refer to the capacity of the human brain to adapt and
change in response to our thinking, behaviour, mood, emotions, environment, neural processes etc.
The neural pathways in the brain have the potential to adapt; they are flexible. The structure of the
brain can change through the experience of mindfulness. Through the practice of mindfulness, we
have the capacity to change pathways in the brain to develop new healthy habits. Extensive
scientific research has shown that mindfulness leads to activation in the left prefrontal cortex. The
change in the prefrontal cortex is a change associated with wellbeing, with an increase in positive
feelings and emotions, physiological sensations and a faster recovery time from exposure to
negative

Prefrontal Cortex Effect
There have been various studies which have attempted to investigate whether brain dysfunction can
lead to certain defects, and damage to the prefrontal cortex is an area of research that over the years
has shown to have negative effects on behaviour, cognition and emotions. The prefrontal cortex is
situated on the frontal lobes of the brain and the frontal lobes are generally concerned with
discouraging unsuitable and inapt behaviours. The prefrontal cortex usually play a fundamental role
in one's decision making, organisation of information and planning. Hence, any damage to the
prefrontal cortex leads to a lack in decision making and an inability to plan.
Two key components to an impaired prefrontal cortex are drugs and alcohol (Rogers et ... Show
The young adolescent experienced profound changes in his behaviour in terms of aggression and
agitation, nevertheless, he still maintained his cognitive abilities such as memorising and engaging
in political knowledge. This study is also based on a real life case study, which are unique and cause
some difficulties when making generalisations. However, this study supports the conclusions drawn
by Anderson S.W, Damasio H, Traeel D and Damasio AR (2000) who found that prefrontal lesions
in during early development can cause serious social problems, yet these individuals can have
ordinary cognitive capabilities such as academic attainment and good

Mutation In The Prefrontal Cortex

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Megan Foster

More from Megan Foster (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Mutation In The Prefrontal Cortex