Q&A: Brain Matters
Ever wondered why you forget last week’s dinner but remember lyrics from decades ago? Professor Alice Theadom answers your most common brain questions.
How do I know if I’ve suffered a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury?
A concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury. So they're actually the same thing. And what they refer to is when there's an impact to the head or to the body. And what that does is it causes the brain to shake within our hard skull, and that causes shearing of the brain tissue. It can cause bruising and it can cause inflammation. That's what leads to the signs of concussion. So things like loss of consciousness, not remembering what happened, or asking repetitive questions, for example. People can also find bright lights really overwhelming or get tired really easily. Those are the signs to look out for in case you've had a concussion.
Should bike helmets be compulsory given research shows that those who wear them tend to take more risks?
Helmets have a really important role to play in protecting our brains from really severe injury. They have a really hard edge, so they stop things like rocks and things really affecting our jelly-like brain inside our head. However, people think helmets protect against concussion. They don't. They can help reduce the impact that goes to our head that shakes the brain but unfortunately, a hard helmet on the outside of our heads doesn't stop that brain moving within the skull, which is what causes a concussion. And so people really need to take care of their brains and look out for brain injuries, even if they're wearing a helmet.
In the movies when someone suffers a brain injury, they’re usually made to stay awake. Is this necessary?
Well, we know that when we're asleep, that's when our brains repair and restore themselves. And so we really encourage people, if they've been cleared by a medical professional, to allow their brains time to rest and heal by getting a good night's sleep or taking a short nap. If someone hasn't been seen by a health professional, the key thing is to get them to seek help as soon as possible, but not if that means them driving themselves. We wouldn't recommend that.
Can we do anything to prevent dementia?
Whilst there's no cure or way of completely stopping dementia from happening to us there are things we can do to slow down the progression or reduce the risk of getting dementia. Not surprisingly though, it's the same old things such as a healthy lifestyle, watching what we eat, watching what we drink, keeping physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. But also for your brain health. It's really important we stay social, that we learn new skills, enjoy our hobbies, get out and about. It's also really important that we keep our hearing and our vision corrected, because this enables information to get to the brain so it stays active and keeps it healthy. Also, ensure you get a good night's sleep, because that will give your brain the best chance to repair itself for the next day.
Is it really a case of ‘use it or lose it’ as I get older?
Yes it is. As we learn a new skill, our brain develops these neural pathways that connect across different areas of our brain. And so when we learn something new, a new connection is built. As we practice that skill, that pathway becomes stronger. So it's really important for us to keep our brain pathways active and to do lots of different things to ensure that our neural pathways stay strong and healthy.
Can I really train my brain to become smarter with computer games or an app?
Well, just like physical exercise is really good for our bodies mental exercises are really good for our brains, and so activities like puzzles or word games, strategies, problem solving are really good for improving our ability to pay attention, to remember things and to respond quickly. However, it's really important we have a mix of activities in our lives because this creates lots of different strong neural pathways across our brain.
Unfortunately for my nephew, playing Minecraft all day only serves to strengthen a few neural pathways in our brain and so it's really important to do lots of different activities throughout our day to keep our brains healthy.
There’s a lot of talk about neuroplasticity. To what extent can our brains rewire?
Our brains are incredible and that's what really excites me about this area. Their ability to repair themselves, even after really severe injuries is amazing. Even after a severe brain injury, our brains can rewire and reorganise themselves. So people who have lost the ability to walk or talk can regain those skills over time as our brain makes these new connections. As we get older, it can take a bit longer for our brain to rewire itself, but it is still possible.
I’m becoming more forgetful and sometimes forget words I use often. Why is this?
This can be for many reasons. It can be due to a bad night's sleep. It can be due to feeling nervous or anxious. It may also be because you're feeling a bit unwell. As we get older, the way our brains store and process information changes just as our physical body changes as we get older. And this means it can take us a little bit longer to find names and words as we age. This can be frustrating, but it generally isn't anything to worry about.
However, if you are finding that it's affecting your ability to do things in everyday life, it can indicate a medical cause and so we do recommend seeking medical attention.
Why can’t I remember what I had for dinner last Saturday but I can remember song lyrics from 20 years ago?
Well, it would be impossible for our brain to remember everything that happens to us all the time, every day. And so what it does is it filters out the information that it feels will be most useful to us in the future or that is most important to us. The brain tends to remember things that have real meaning for us, or that evoke really strong emotions for us. Short term memory needs to be transferred into our long term memory for us to remember something that happened 20 years ago. If that process has happened, we can remember something from 20 years ago but not necessarily what we had for dinner last Saturday.
Why does alcohol affect my brain so much?
Drinking alcohol can change the neurochemistry of the brain. It affects how our brain cells function and how they communicate with each other. This can create things like slurred speech, struggling to remember things, reduced self-control and poor judgment. Excessive drinking over time can actually cause brain cells to die and for the brain tissue to shrink. So this can make it much harder for the brain to function in everyday life.
Does the size of the brain matter?
Well, as an academic, I never thought I'd ever be asked does size matter? However, in terms of the brain, the answer is not really. If you look at the brains and abilities of different animals, it doesn't seem to be the size of the brain, the number of neurons, or how big the brain is relative to the size of the animal. For example, if you look at a bee, it's got a very, very small brain. But actually they're very intelligent. They can learn new skills, find their way around, solve mazes and learn new things. So studies have shown that human brains actually vary quite a lot in size, but there doesn't seem to be a strong link between the size of a human brain and a person's intelligence. Indeed, people have different skills and abilities. Some people are really good with numbers. Other people are really good with words, for example. And it's this diversity in skills and abilities that really help us to thrive as a community.
As a parent, how can I help protect my sport loving kid’s brain?
Sport has so many benefits and it's really important that we encourage everyone to take part. However, we do need to watch out for each other in terms of whether there's going to be an impact to the head or body that can impact their brain. So, for example, people are more at risk of having another concussion after they've already had a concussion because it can affect your things like spatial awareness and your balance. Additionally, there's evidence that it can take the brain longer to heal than we actually notice our symptoms for. So it's really important that we follow the return to play guidelines that have been released, as this gives really good advice to make sure the brain has had enough time to recover, even if we don't feel it's having much of an impact on us. This gives the brain the best chance to recover fully before we return to sport, and then we can come back better and stronger.
What daily habits do you have for brain health?
Well, personally, I take fish oil, a good vitamin supplement and ensure that I eat healthily and keep active. I must admit though, I do have a passion for the risky sport of horse riding. However, I do try and look out for myself and my brain, so I make sure that I wear my helmet even when I'm just working around the horse, not just when I'm riding it. If I do fall off or if I get a knock to the head, I make sure I give myself the time to recover and enable my brain to heal. For me, it's about doing what we love, but just making sure we look after ourselves and do the right thing if we do get an injury.
Does learning another language help with brain function and plasticity?
Oui! Ja! Si! Learning any new skill will help our brain remain active and to regenerate and build these new neural pathways. And so yes, learning a new language is really good for your brain.
What excites you most about brain science?
Well, it's been amazing how far we've come in just the 15 years that I've been involved in this field. There's been developments in neuroimaging that means we're finally able to see what's happening in our brain. One of the difficult things with this injury is it's invisible. You can't see if someone has had a concussion just by looking at them. But these changes in neuroimaging mean we can finally make the invisible visible and see what's happening in our brain. And this really excites me.
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