Healthy Nervous System
The nervous system includes the central part - brain, brain stem, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus. It connects to nerves throughout the body.
The cerebrum is the biggest part of your brain, and has two parts that complement each other, the right and left. It is the core for thought and perception abilities. The cerebellum is responsible for kinesthetic sense-balancing and positioning. The brain stem controls autonomic responses like breathing. The pituitary, although not part of the brain interacts with the nervous system chemically via hormones. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature.
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- Q How true is it that older siblings have higher IQs?
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Dr. Michele Borba, PsychologyFirstborn sons have higher IQs than their younger brothers because of how they are raised. It is NOT genetics! In a study lead by a psychologist, Petter Kristensen, researchers took a decade to meticulously analyze IQ scores of 250,000 men. All... Full Answer
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- Q How does the human nervous system develop?
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The human nervous system develops from a small, specialized plate of cells along the back of an embryo. Early in development, the edges of this plate begin to curl up toward each other, creating the neural tube-a narrow sheath that closes to form the... Full Answer
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- Q What are some natural ways to increase your brain's serotonin level?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyAlthough some prescription drugs are prescribed to elevate serotonin levels by blocking degradation or inactivation of this neurotransmitter, natural methods-relaxation techniques and eating so-called happy foods, including turkey and chocolate-can... Full Answer
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- Q What is BDNF?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyA neurochemical that plays a significant role in memory is called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, or just neurotrophins if you prefer), which works like Miracle-Gro for your brain. During infancy, BDNF helps develop nerves that help us... Full Answer
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- Q How does shaking my body keep my brain healthy?
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Research shows that gentle bouncing of your knees and shaking out of your limbs reduces cortisol, the brain-sapping stress hormone. It also triggers alertness that keeps your brain sharp and relaxation. Do it for a few minutes in the morning and at night. Full Answer
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- Q What is the central nervous system (CNS)?
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The spinal cord and the brain together make up the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS controls most functions of the body, but is not the only nervous system in the body. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) includes the nerves that project to the... Full Answer
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- Q What is non-vision time?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyAs we started to take on more cognitive abilities in our evolutionary history, we needed the restorative process of sleep even more. That's because vision is extremely expensive cognitively, meaning that when you're seeing things and processing the world... Full Answer
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- Q How can pleasure motivate me to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
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- Q Why is it important to my brain for me to avoid high blood pressure?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyYour blood feeds your brain nutrients. No nutrients, no brain. No brain, no Super Bowl party this year. So one of your big goals should be to keep your arteries clear and flowing. Reducing high blood pressure to normal improves cognitive function and... Full Answer
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