BRAIN DOMINANCE

BRAIN DOMINANCE

SESSION TWO

BRAIN DOMINANCE

• As we talked last session, a great deal of activity takes place in the brain-

• The most activity and concentrated group of nerve fibers, axons, dendrites, is in the cerebellum

• The next largest concentration is where the two hemispheres join.

BRAIN DOMINANCE

• The left and right hemisphere perform vastly different functions.

• Yet, if given enough time, often the one hemisphere can compensate and learn to perform these new functions.

• New research shows that much of the beliefs about right and left brained people is false and just stereotypes

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• The different sides of the brain do perform some different functions

• The Scientific term for the different sides of the brain is relative Lateralization

• Scientist now believe that it is more likely that each side of the brain works together to process information. First one side then another. For most people, they use most of their brain most of the time.

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• The previous models are oversimplifications.• What we do know is this– The left Brain processes “parts” Language an it does it

sequentially– The right Brain Processes “wholes,” spatial information

and it does it randomly• Events in one hemisphere can influence

developmental events of events occurring at the same time in remote parts of the other hemisphere.

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• One example of how this works is as follows.• Take for example someone speaking – The left side process words, definitions, and language – The fight side processes inflection, tonality, tempo

and volume

• Further the female brain process both language and feelings at the same time far more quickly than men.

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• New research says that it is not true that one side of the brain is logical and the other is creative, again, this is an oversimplification

• Left brain systems help with creativity and• right brain functions help with logical steps• It is often hard to decide what side makes a

person be what they are, is a musicians are logical or creativity ( music is math and precise)

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• PET (Positron Emission Topography) scans have revealed gender differences

• PET scans have also revealed that the right brain is more active when the learners that are stressed or depressed

• The right Hemisphere is dominant in the perception of emotions– However, when it is overly active, the experience is negative– The emotional experience is more positive when it involves

the left hemisphere to some extent.

• Relative Brain Lateralization review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6VTvxkhFs

Rhythms of the Brain


• Each of us have different internal rhythms or time structures ( chronomes) that we should be aware of

• Sleep cycle

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/interactive/circadian


• The Brain varies throughout the day, the week, the year.

• Understanding these cycles or rhythms can help you in the classroom.


• Types of different rhythms– Ultradian – repeated throughout the day– Circadian- 24 hours– Infradian- More than a day– Ciraseptan- about a week– Circadiseptan- about two weeks– Circatrigintan-about a month– Circannual- a solar year


• The relevance of these rhythms is that there are times during the day that students are not good for classwork and times that they are good for classwork

• Some rhythms we have influence over and many we have no influence

• The sleep/wake cycle is the most dominant cycle


• Types of Rhythms– Circadian- are related to the sun and happen once

a day– Ultradian happen many times a day- every hour or

so– Infradian – are monthly- death and illness happens

at the second half of these, ex. Menstrual– Circannual- are yearly


– Circannual- are yearly- can you think of examples of how this effects people- what happens every year to some people?


– Every two hours hormones are released into the bloodstream and they alter mood and readiness to learn

– Based on measurement of the brain during school activities,• The brain peak performance for thinking and problem

solving is late afternoon-• Comprehension increases as the day goes on• Reading speed decreases• Short term memory best in morning• Long term memory best in the afternoons


– So if a students takes mood modifying medication, it is best to take them two hours before your blood pressure rhythm peaks


– Most people have attention highs and lows throughout the day

– We have 16, ninety minute cycles that we go through each day

– You may see a student in one class perform much different than in another class and it is related to the attention cycle- stretching and standing help this

– Testing during these low cycles results in lower scores.


– This is one reason that alternative assessments such as portfolios are a good idea.

– Brain breaks every ninety minutes are helpful– Block scheduling ( at the secondary level) is also

supportive of the ninety minute brain cycles, with a ten minute brain break


– Ultradian Rhythms or BRAC ( Brain rest Activity Cycle) is a biocognitive cycle that corresponds with our REM ( rapid eye movement) and non-REM when sleeping

– Most of the time sleeping is dominated by this cycle between REM and Non REM. This body/ brain continues during the hours you are awake.

– It regulates hunger and attention- ( people go for coffee in cycles- get snacks in cycles


– Ultradian Rhythms or BRAC ( Brain rest Activity Cycle) is a biocognitive cycle that corresponds with our REM ( rapid eye movement) and non-REM when sleeping

– Most of the time sleeping is dominated by this cycle between REM and Non REM. This body/ brain continues during the hours you are awake.

– It regulates hunger and attention- ( people go for coffee in cycles- get snacks in cycles


– One cure is exercise that crosses over the hemispheres. Helps cure the brain lulls or counteracts trying to learn when you are at the bottom of the cycle.

– Deep breathing also helps


– Circadian Rhythms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFfAbMbrZrA

Sleep

– The human brain has a built in time piece that can get you to bed then up again with flawless accuracy

– It is embedded in the hypothalamus and is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

Sleep

– Cave studies- Scientist put willing people in “Cave-like environments for weeks. They found many interesting facts

– You don’t need the rising and setting sun for you body to follow the cycle

– The SCN still worked, the people followed the regular circadian cycle except many followed a 25 hour cycle rather than a 24 hour

Sleep

– Lack of sleep has consequences– Loosing a bit of sleep every night results in a sleep

debt– Sleep Debt causes several problems such as

inability focus and irritability– No Sleep for days ( ten or so) can cause

Hallucinations and confusion, but no long term effects

Sleep

– Short term sleep deprivation can cause:• Attention , lack of concentration, inability to focus.• Reaction time people slow down, less coordinated,

slurred speech• Mood- , quick tempered, depressed irritable• Weight Gain

Sleep• Stages of sleep

– Stage One-semi conscious, breathing slows- some hynagogic imagery-

– Stage Two- light sleep, brain activity slows but is punctuated with brief spikes of activity called sleep Spindles- fifty percent of the time asleep is spent in this stage

– Stage three this is a transtionary stage to deepening sleep– Stage Four The deepest stage of sleep, Heartbeat and blood

pressure have slowed, the brain shows signs of a great deal of delta waves

Sleep• REM ( Rapid Eye Movement)- The brain activity causes

the brain to experience significant delta waves, Eyes move quickly under the eyelids,– The rest of the body is paralyzed- almost as if it present the

body from reacting ( moving physically) to what the mind is hallucinating

– When the body does not get REM, it plunges into quicker the next chance it goes to sleep and spends less time in other stages

– There is correlation between REM sleep and brain development, babies almost half the time in REM, adults about 20% and the elderly 15 %.

Sleep• Sleep manages emotions, good sleep stabilizes

emotions– Scientist believe that REM stabilizes emotions– People with depression have very different pattern of REM

» Do not know if it is the lack of REM causing depression or vice versa.

» * most adults experience themes in dreams that are recurring,

» Often predictable- students not ready for school etc.

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BRAIN DOMINANCE