1.
"Emotions are not the intangible and vaporous qualities
that many presume them to be. Brain systems work
together to give us emotions just as they do with sight and
smell. If you lose the ability to feel, your life, and the lives
of people around you, can be devastated”.
- Antonio R. Damasio
By: Dr. Lydia C. Medina
Ana G. Méndez Health Symposia Director
Vice Presidency for Planning & Academic Affairs
Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez
Introduction
The history of our search to understand the brain is certainly as long as human history itself. The mystery begins
in the womb, only four weeks into gestation the first brain cells, the neurons, are already forming at the
astonishing rate: 250,000 every minute. Billions of neurons will create links with billions of other neurons and
eventually there will be trillions and trillions of connections between cells. Every cell is precisely in its place,
every link between neurons carefully organized. Nothing is random; nothing arbitrary.
One way a newborn is introduced to the world is through vision. The eyes and the visual cortex of an infant
continue to develop after birth according to how much stimulation the newborn can handle. What happens to the
brain when a baby is born with a visual abnormality? For example, infant cataracts pose an interesting challenge
to scientists of how to remove the visual obstruction without compromising the child’s brain development.
When we are babies, our brains are more open to the shaping hand of experience than at any time in our lives.
In response to the demands of the world, the baby's brain sculpts itself. The adult brain, on the other hand, is the
apotheosis of the human intellect, but what about emotion? The study of emotion was once relegated to the
backwaters of neuroscience, a testament to the popular conception that what we feel exists outside our brains,
acting only to intrude on normal thought. The science has changed: Emotion is now considered integral to our
over-all mental health. In mapping our emotions, scientists have found that our emotional brain overlays our
thinking brain: The two exist forever intertwined. There is a critical interplay between reason and emotion. We

2. are well aware of how brain malfunctions can cause pain, depression, and emotional paralysis. We must also
understand that the brain affects positive emotional responses such as laughter, excitement, happiness, and love.
The latest discoveries in neuroscience present a new view of how the brain ages. Overturning decades of
dogma, scientists recently discovered that even into our seventies, our brains continue producing new neurons.
Scientists no longer hold the longstanding belief that we lose vast numbers of brain cells as we grow older. The
normal aging process leaves most mental functions intact, and may even provide the brain with unique
advantages that form the basis for wisdom. The aging brain is also far more resilient than was previously
believed.
Streff
Syndrome
This syndrome is a classic problem of stress. Occurs when there is a breakdown between the visual motor
function and the sensory function due to stress. Named after Dr. John Streff, Streff Syndrome is also known as
Functional Bilateral Amblyopia or Non-malingering Syndrome. The onset of this disorder can be triggered by
physical or psychological trauma or an alteration in the demands put on an individual. Streff syndrome is a
different type of amblyopia labeled psychogenic. Psychogenic means the origin is in the mind or more
accurately in the parts of the brain that process vision. It usually occurs around the age of puberty, which is
when stress-induced disorders are most prevalent. This visual condition is primarily exhibited by children under
periods of visual or emotional stress.
The act of seeing starts when the lens of the eye focuses an image of its surroundings onto a light-sensitive
membrane in the back of the eye, called the retina. The retina is actually part of the brain that is isolated to serve
as a transducer for the conversion of patterns of light into neuronal signals. The lens of the eye focuses light on
the photoreceptive cells of the retina, which detect the photons of light and respond by producing neural
impulses. These signals are processed in a hierarchical fashion by different parts of the brain, from the retina to
the lateral geniculate nucleus, to the primary and secondary visual cortex of the brain. Therefore, in Streff
Syndrome the child might receive the visual stimulus correctly but the brain is unable to interpret adequately
that information. Somehow these individuals are unable process what they are seeing.
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3. A simple explanation of this condition revolves about the understanding of the fight or flight response. When
confronted with a stressor, a living organism generally chooses either to fight (to stay involved in the event and
to continue to deal with or confront the stressor), or to fly away from the stress to resolve the conflict. The
Streff Syndrome appears because the individual is conflicted about how to resolve the stress. The conflict in the
visual process becomes all consuming and effectively creates a variable blockage in the neural systems that
normally handle the processing of the detailed part of our central vision.
The onset of the vision problem can be quite sudden. Children who manifest this syndrome are often shy,
unsure and hesitant individuals. They also will tuck their chin down and may have a dull facial expression.
During the examination, it is noticed that the harder the child tries, the worse the condition seems to get. Visual
acuity is equally reduced to less than 20/30 in both eyes and at all distances.
Parents need to understand the reasons behind the onset of this condition. It is important to reassure the parent
and child that this condition is generally self-limiting. The main clinical treatment of this condition is the use of
a low plus eyewear prescription. This may be in the form of reading glasses or multifocal lenses. The effect of
this prescription reduces the visual stress by just enough to allow the visual system to re-engage, organize and
process information efficiently. Most patients recover normal distance vision within approximately six weeks.
Other treatment options include vision therapy and actively reducing the stress-causing factors in the patient’s
lives.
“When vision is working well it guides and leads in all that we do.” (Dr. John Streff)
Visual Pathway
Glossary:
Visual perception: is the ability to interpret information from visible light reaching the eye. The resulting
perception is also known as eyesight, sight or vision. The various physiological components involved in vision
are referred to collectively as the visual system, and are the focus of much research in psychology, cognitive
science, neuroscience and molecular biology.
Amblyopia: lazy eye is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by poor or indistinct vision in an eye
that is otherwise physically normal. It is a term used to describe an uncorrectable loss of vision in an eye that
appears to be normal. Before treating amblyopia, it may be necessary to first treat the underlying cause. Some
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4. causes of amblyopia include: strabismus (crossed or turned eye), congenital cataracts, cloudy cornea, droopy
eyelid, psychological, unequal vision and uncorrected nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Signs and
symptoms include the following: poor vision in one or both eyes, squinting or closing one eye while reading or
watching television, crossed or turned eye and turning or tilting the head when looking at an object, among
others. Visual Cortex: All visual information that the human mind receives is processed by a part of the brain
known as visualcortex. The visual cortex is part of the outermost layer of the brain, the cortex, and is located at
the dorsal pole of the occipital lobe; more simply put, at the lower rear of the brain. The visual cortex obtains its
information via projections that extend all the way through the brain from the eyeballs. The projections first
pass through a stopover point in the middle of the brain, an almond-like lump known as the Lateral Geniculate
Nucleus, or LGN. From there they are projected to the visual cortex for processing.
Sources:
College of Optometrists in Vision Development Conference, 2008
Press, Leonard. Applied Concepts in Vision Therapy, St. Louis: Mosby 2007
Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 2, No. 4, 205-208 (1969)
Interconnection
of
the
Brain
&
Music
The influence of music on society can be clearly seen. Every known culture on the earth has music. Music
seems to be one of the basic actions of humans. In modern history it is reported that music helped Thomas
Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence. When he could not figure out the right wording for a certain
part, he would play his musical instrument. Music helped him get the words from his brain onto paper. Another
excellent example is Albert Einstein who is recognized as one of the smartest men who has ever lived. In his
early childhood, Einstein was perceived by his teachers as having learning disabilities, therefore they suggested
that Einstein be moved to a vocational program. Instead his mother bought him a violin. Albert became
proficient at the violin. Music was the key that helped Albert Einstein express his intelligence to become one of
the most brilliant men. Einstein himself attributed his intellectual capacity to playing the violin. He loved
Mozart’s and Bach’s music. A friend of Einstein, G.J. Withrow, said that the way Einstein figured out his
problems and equations was by improvising on the violin.
Response to music is easily observed in the human body. Classical music from the baroque period causes the
heart beat and pulse rate to relax to the beat of the music. As the body becomes relaxed the mind is able to
concentrate more easily. Furthermore, baroque music decreases blood pressure and enhances the ability to learn.
Music affects the amplitude and frequency of brain waves, which can be measured by an electro-
encephalogram. Music also produces changes in the breathing rate. It has been observed to cause the pupils to
dilate, increase blood pressure, and increase the heart rate.
The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozart's music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per
minute pattern, activate the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning
and retention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the
right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument
or singing, causes the brain to be more capable of processing information. According to The Center for New
Discoveries in Learning, learning potential can be increased a minimum of five times by using this 60 beats per
minute music.
A renowned Bulgarian psychologist, Dr. George Lozanov, designed a way to teach foreign languages in a
fraction of the normal learning time. Dr. Lozanov's system involved using certain classical music pieces from
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5. the baroque period which have around a 60 beats per minute pattern. He has proven that foreign languages can
be learned with 85-100% efficiency in only thirty days by using these baroque pieces.
Recall is better when the same music used for learning is used during recall. Also, tempo appears to be a key of
music's effect on memory. One simple way students can improve test scores is by listening to certain types of
music such as Mozart's Sonata for Two Piano's in D Major before taking a test.
One cannot deny the power of music. High school students who study music have higher grade point averages
that those who don not. These students also develop faster physically. Student listening skills are also improved
through music education. The top three schools in America all place a great emphasis on music and the arts.
Hungary, Japan, and the Netherlands, the top three academic countries in the world, all place a great emphasis
on music education and participation in music. Napoleon understood the enormous power of music. He summed
it up by saying, "Give me control over he who shapes the music of a nation, and I care not who makes the
laws”.
Sources:
Jourdain, Robert. Music, the Brain and Ecstasy. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1997.
Lundin, Robert W. An Objective Psychology of Music. Malabar: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1985.
The Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov
Harvard Gazette Archives
Mind
Illusions:
Do
you
know
what
the
world
looks
like?
The process of seeing begins with the presence of light, an image being formed on the retina, and an impulse
transmitted to the brain, but there are many other factors that play a part in how we perceive visually. Our
perceptions are influenced by our past experiences, imagination, and associations.
The eye is made up of some of the most amazing tissue in the body. The lens, for example, is perfectly clear,
perfectly curved and is capable of focusing on an incredible amount of data. But vision has only partly to do
with the retina, lens, and cornea. Understanding what we see mostly happens in the brain, which is why a
person with perfect vision is still susceptible to optical illusions. Do we know what the world looks like? We
know approximately what it looks like, which is enough to get by, but our perception of the world is not without
a certain amount of 'misreading.' Our visual nervous system approximates color, shape, and dimension.
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6. Some scientists say that face recognition occurs in a particular section of the brain. To the brain, this image of
Lincoln's face looks normal when viewed upside down, but when turned around becomes clearly distorted. This
is because our brains recognize a face only when it is right side up. When it is presented upside down, the brain
no longer recognizes it as a face but rather as an object, which is why we do not respond to its distortions. It is
evident that there is more than meets the eye!
Glossary:
Optical Illusions: visually perceived images that differ from objective reality.
Sources:
Pylyshyn Z. Is vision continuous with cognition? The case for cognitive impenetrability of
visual perception. Behav Brain Sci 1999; 22:341-65; discussion 366-423.
Shepard. Mind Sights: Original Visual Illusions, Ambiguities, and other Anomalies. New York: WH Freeman
and Company, 1990.
Gelotherapy
Gelotherapy is the use of humor as a form of therapy in the treatment of illness. Humor is a wonderful stress-
reducer and antidote to upsets. It is clinically proven to be effective in combating stress. Experts say a good
laugh relaxes tense muscles, speeds more oxygen into your system and lowers your blood pressure.
Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, have
produced carefully controlled studies showing that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortisol levels,
increases the amount of activated T-lymphocytes, increases the number and activity of natural killer cells, and
increases the number of T-cells that have helper/ suppresser receptors. In short, laughter stimulates the immune
system, off-setting the immunosuppressive effects of stress.
We know that, during stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids (quickly converted to cortisol in the
blood stream) and that elevated levels of these have an immunosuppressive effect. Berk's research demonstrates
that laughter can lower cortisol levels and thereby protect our immune system.
The emotions and moods we experience directly affect our immune system. Laughter positive emotions can
create neurochemical changes that will buffer the immunosuppressive effects of stress. A person's interpretation
of stress is not dependent solely on an external event, but also depends upon the perception of the event and the
meaning he or she gives it. So, how you look at a situation determines if you will respond to it as threatening or
challenging.
Modern neurophysiology states that laughter is linked with the activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex,
which produces endorphins after a rewarding activity.
6

7. Principal fissures laterally.
(Frontal lobe is blue, Temporal lobe is green, Parietal lobe is violet & Occipital lobe is orange)
Research has shown that some structures of the limbic system are involved in laughter. The limbic system is a
primitive part of the brain that is involved in emotions and helps us with basic functions necessary for survival.
Two structures in the limbic system are involved in producing laughter: the amygdala and the hippocampus.
While purely emotional responses such as laughter are mediated by subcortical structures, especially the
hypothalamus; the cerebral cortex can modulate or suppress them."
Humor perception involves the whole brain and serves to integrate and balanced activity in both hemispheres.
Derks, researcher at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg has shown that there is a unique pattern of
brain wave activity during the perception of humor. EEG's were recorded on subjects while they were presented
with humorous material. During the setup to the joke, the cortex's left hemisphere began its analytical function
of processing words. Shortly afterward, most of the brain activity moved to the frontal lobe which is the center
of emotionality. Moments later the right hemisphere's synthesis capabilities joined with the left's processing to
find the pattern, to 'get the joke'. A few milliseconds later, before the subject had enough time to laugh, the
increased brain wave activity spread to the sensory processing areas of the brain, the occipital lobe. The
increased fluctuations in delta waves reached a crescendo of activity and crested as the brain 'got' the joke and
the external expression of laughter began. Derks' findings show that humor pulls the various parts of the brain
together rather than activating a component in only one area.
Solid scientific research demonstrates that laughter offers the following benefits:
• Lowering blood pressure.
• Strengthening cardiovascular functions.
• Reducing stress hormones.
• Improving circulation.
• Increasing muscle flexion.
• Oxygenating the body by boosting the respiratory system.
• Boosting immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called
Gammainterferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies.
• Triggering the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.
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8. Humor gives us a different perspective on our problems. If we can make light out of the situation, it is no longer
threatening to us. Humor allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and provides moments of
joy and delight. So tune into your favorite sitcom on television. Read a funny book. Call a friend and chuckle
for a few minutes.
Glossary:
Dacrygelosis: A condition of alternating between crying and laughing.
Gelotology: A psychological and physiological study of laughter. The study of humor and laughter, and its
effects on the body.
EEG: Electroencephalogram; Brain wave test. Brain cells communicate with each other by producing tiny
electrical impulses. In an EEG, this faint electrical activity is measured by putting electrodes on the scalp.
Sources:
Fun Is Good: How to Create Joy & Passion in Your Workplace & Career. Mike Veeck & Pete
Williams. Rodale. 2005.
Humor and the Health Professions: The Therapeutic Use of Humor in Health Care. Vera M. Robinson. SLACK
Incorporated. 1991.
The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success. Malcolm L. Kushner. Simon & Schuster. 1990.
The Laughter Prescription: How to Achieve Health, Happiness, and Peace of Mind through Humor. Laurence J.
Peter and Bill Dana. Ballantine. 1982.
Union
of
the
Senses:
Synesthesia
We depend on our sensory organs—eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue—to organize and navigate the world
around us. The nervous system typically handles each sense input independently and discretely. But for as many
as 1 in every 100 people, scientists now estimate, there is cross-talk between sensory perceptions. The
condition, known as synesthesia, is understood to be harmless and can result in some fascinating perception-
mixing. Synesthetes may see colors when hearing sounds or strongly associate flavors with shapes and
language. A low note on the piano may look dark purple.
Research into synesthesia began in the 19th century with a classic report by Sir Francis Galton, in which he
outlined the experiences of several synesthetes he had studied with color associations. Melissa Saenz, Ph.D., a
neurobiologist of California Institute of Technology Brain Imaging Center has been working with synesthesia
and normal sensory experiences in brain-imaging experiments. Her work is focused on activating the parts of
the brain's cortex (the "gray matter") where vision and sound are processed. Her hypothesis is that our brains
routinely transfer visual information over to the auditory section to "predict" the associated sound. That is, our
eyes provide a preview of what a motion will sound like.
A normal brain requires the actual sound to complete the perception of hearing. But a synesthetic brain may be
able to "hear" the visual cue. Learning that the visual and auditory areas of the cortex have such a strong
connection is big news in the brain world. It's long been assumed those two functions worked independently.
Currently, each sense operates within its own closed system until it reaches a multi-sensory region where
perceptions are integrated.
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9. Psychological research has demonstrated that synesthetic experiences can have measurable behavioral
consequences, while functional neuroimaging studies have identified differences in patterns of brain activation.
Synesthesia has influenced many artists in various fields. Composer Alexander Scriabin, in his orchestral work,
Prometheus: The Poem of Fire (1910), included a part for a "clavier à lumières". This instrument was played
like the piano, but produced colored light instead of sound. We can infer now that Alexander Scriabin may have
been a synesthete. The color system he described and which he used in pieces such as Prometheus, was also
influenced by his theosophic readings, and based on Sir Isaac Newton's Optics.
“When I see equations, I see the letters in colors -- I don't know why”, says Nobel Prize winner Richard
Feynman. To a few, however, it is an indication that Feynman may have possessed synesthesia. Synesthesia
literally means `union of the senses' and is defined as the stimulation of one sensory modality by another.
Feynman appears to have exhibited grapheme-color in which synesthetes see black and white he perceives
letters or characters (graphemes) as colored. Other more exotic types of synesthesia exist where smells are
associated with shapes, or tastes with colors.
While we wait to learn more, those with synesthesia can enjoy their enhanced soundtrack. Turn on, tune in …
taste an adjective.
The visual cortex (located in the back of the head, illustrated in red) responds to the image of the bell, while
auditory cortex (in blue) responds to the sound of the bell. Neurons in the superior temporal sulcus
(in green) integrate auditory and visual information.
Glossary:
Synesthesia: the word synesthesia is a hybrid of Latin and Greek the Latin syn (together) + esthesia, from the
Greek aisthesis (sensation or perception). It is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one
sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive
pathway. A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of
a sound produces the visualization of a color. Grapheme: color synesthesia is a form of synesthesia in which an
individual's perception of numbers and letters is associated with the experience of colors. Color synesthesia is
one of the most common forms of synesthesia, and because of the extensive knowledge of the visual system,
one of the most studied.
9

10. Physical Synesthesia: A sensation felt in one part of the body as a result of stimulus applied to another, as in
referred pain.
Functional neuroimaging: is the use of neuroimaging technology to measure an aspect of brain function, often
with a view to understanding the relationship between activity in certain brain areas and specific mental
functions. It is primarily used as a research tool in cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology,
neuropsychology, and social neuroscience.
Sources:
Ward, J., Simner, J. (2002), `Phoneme-taste synesthesia: Linguistic and Conceptual Factors' Downey, J.E.
(1911), `A case of colored gustation'. American Journal of Psychology, 22, pp. 528-539.
Baron-Cohen, S., Wyke, M., Binnie, C. (1987), `Hearing words and seeing colors: an experimental
investigation of synesthesia', Perception, 16 (6), pp. 761-7.
“Science progresses best when observations force us to alter our preconceptions”. Vera Rubin
“Intuition is the source of scientific knowledge”. Aristotle
Recommended
Reading
 Discoveries Shed New Light on How the Brain Processes What the Eye Sees
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
 Men are From Mars, Neuroscientists Find that Men and Women Respond
Differently to Stress. http://www.sciencedaily.com
 Coping Skills May Reduce Teen Depression. http://www.medicinenet.com
 Staying Sharp: New Study Uncovers How People Maintain Cognitive Function in
Old Age. http://www.sciencedaily.com
 Fish Really is “Brain Food”: Vitamin D May Lessen Age-Related Cognitive
Decline. http://www.sciencedaily.com
 Growing Greatness. http://www.psychologytoday.com
 Arts & Crafts: Keys to Scientific Creativity. http://www.psychologytoday.com
 Imaging Pinpoints Brain Regions That See The Future.
http://www.sciencedaily.com
 Recommended Musical CD: Music for Accelerated Learning by Steven Halpern
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11. YouTube.com
From neurons to brain wiring, Dr. David Walsh gives an easy-to-
understand tour of children's and teens' brain development and the
impact of experience on the "wiring' of their brains.
Press here to watch video
Researchers are finding that exercise can not only keep you fit, but
make you smarter. A school in Illinois has developed a program that
gets students moving and learning.
Press here to watch video
Eat
Healthy
The American Heart Association suggests an intake
of 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) per day of plant-
based omega-3 fatty acids. One ounce of walnuts
has 2,570 mg of omega 3 fatty acids (1oz.).
Go ahead and treat yourself to a healthy snack!
You may contact us at: agmushealthsymp@suagm.edu
copyright 2009©Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez
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