Last night my mind also wandered into thoughts about neurodegeneration. How are our abilities impacted on the other end of the spectrum, and can any of the strategies be used to assist with the mental/neuro effects of the aging/hormonal/autoimmune brain? This led to more reading about the way inflammation markers can indeed cross the blood brain barrier (new information in the last several years) and the interplay between parts of the brain that were previously thought to be mutually exclusive. Is it possible the increased lack of organization in my physical world that seems to be part of my life nowadays could be as a result of working memory issues and/or chronic, systemic inflammation? Corticosteroids also have a negative effect on the brain, reducing gray matter over long time exposure. Not sure what that effects, but it doesn’t sound positive.
This reading led to reading additional studies about the effects of childhood trauma on the immune system, which seemed really relevant, too. It is clear that there is a strong relationship between the way the nervous and immune systems develop, the structures themselves, and the experience of significant childhood stress. Explains so much! That even when the previous experience is understood, “dealt with” cognitively (and emotionally) and let go, the structural, physical form of the brain and immune system connections is the same. Research has shown that chronic stress as a five year old plays out physically at age fifty. It just does, regardless of the way the experience is "processed" psychologically. We know that the brain is “neuroplastic” and can change based on environmental supports -- but how much? Which ones? Wouldn’t it be amazing if it was possible to induce changes to the physical structures that contribute to the systemic ones through conscious activity and environmental choice? Hmmm….more studies, please!
And, of course, all of this neuroanalysis brings on the artistic question. If our behaviors are so heavily dictated by our brains and the “way” they are wired, is artistic thought and action part of our personality or our physicality? Fascinating stuff. Fifty years from now, will people be given a test of some sort (physical or functional) and then provided with ways of “correcting” deficits, aiming at a “true normal” or “optimal”? Or, are our deficits part of what makes us who we are and how our strengths work? Hmmmm again!
Too much thinking for a Saturday morning at 6:30 when the pets need breakfast. And I need my steroids. Cheers.