BRAIN MYTHS

The results of research studies in fields such as neuroscience, pharmacology and psychology are
providing the scientific and educational communities with a wealth of new knowledge and
debunking widespread myths about the brain that have persisted for decades. Here are some of
the most famous myths about the brain:

Do we only use 10% of our brains?

The myth of the 10 percent brain has been promoted for about a century. Its spread is often linked
to the belief that human beings have many more abilities or capacities to exploit. However, we
use far more than 10 per cent of our brains.

E.g.: Movement is provided by the motor cortex, located at the back of the frontal lobes, which
allows conscious muscle movement, and coordination, a capacity provided by the cerebellum, the
second largest part of the brain, which controls balance and posture. Recognition and
understanding of visual information is processed in the occipital lobes, located at the top of the brain
towards the back of the brain.
Odours travel from the nasal cavity to the limbic system of the brain. The temporal lobes process
the sounds of the voice. The temporal lobes also contain Wernike's area, which is responsible for
language comprehension. Thanks to Broca's area of the motor cortex, which is involved in speech
production, we are able to respond. Sensory receptors from the skin travel to the sensory cortex
of the brain (parietal lobes).
The hippocampus, which is responsible for transferring short-term memory to long-term memory,
as well as the frontal cortex, which is responsible for retrieving those memories.

We use virtually every part of our brain every day.

Are you left-brained (logical, linear, deductive and mathematical) or right-brained (creative,
artistic, visual and imaginative)?
This right/left brain myth probably took root in the 19th century, when it was discovered that
damage to one side of the brain often caused a loss of specific abilities.
The myth was reinforced by Roger Wolcott Sperry's work on "split brain" patients, in an effort to
reduce the severity of his patients' intractable epilepsy. Dr. Sperry divided the corpus callosum of
his patients, thereby reducing the severity and violence of their seizures. The corpus callosum
(more than two million nerve connections) joins the two halves and provides a means of
communication between them. The result of removing the corpus callosum and related nerve
pathways decreased seizure activity in many patients, but also created a fascinating situation: the
two separate hemispheres functioned individually, like two brains in one body. Once the
connection between the two hemispheres was severed, any new seizure could occur.
As the two hemispheres no longer worked in unison, it was as if the individual was functioning
with two separate minds, sometimes producing a Jekyll and Hyde effect.

Fortunately, most of us have not had a hemispherotomy, our corpus callosum is intact and our
two hemispheres are united, communicating and cooperating continuously as a seamless whole.
Multitasking saves time

Multitasking is the ability to concentrate and perform two or more tasks simultaneously. According
to neuroscientists, this is not possible. In fact, they can see, in real time, images inside our brains
as we perform specific tasks. According to these recent studies, it seems that we have no choice
but to perform the next cognitive task only after we have completed the last one. The brain
processes information sequentially, one task at a time, so when trying to concentrate on more than
one thing, the brain is forced to switch tasks. This switching process may last only milliseconds, but
milliseconds can be crucial, depending on the situation (e.g. driving and concentrating on a
stressful phone conversation).

Every time you shift your attention from one task to another, you not only lose valuable time, but
also double the chance of making mistakes. Then, on top of the many existing tasks, come the
uninvited tasks: interruptions. "Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50% longer to
complete a task" and "makes up to 50% more mistakes" (as they require additional switching).

Drinking alcohol damages brain cells

"Most of us probably remember this unfortunate warning: could it really be true, could such
irresponsible behaviour be causing a deliberate neural massacre, could it be so serious that one
"runs out" of brain cells, what a relief it would have been to know that it was a myth! Drinking
alcohol does not kill brain cells.

However, too much alcohol can cause damage to the dendrites of your cells, thus damaging
communication pathways. It appears that alcohol can destroy the end branches of nerve cells,
slowing down intercellular communication and disrupting vital brain functions such as the growth of
new cells.

This altered cell growth is suspected to cause long-term deficits in the hippocampus (seat of long-
term memory) of moderate or heavy drinkers. It is possible to reverse the cell damage when
alcohol consumption is restricted, but this repair process is not always complete.

Still, there are some doctors who are not totally against alcohol, as long as it is consumed in
moderation. Dr Andrew Weil suggests that moderate alcohol consumption, at least for those
under 65, is no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men.

New brain cells cannot be grown in culture

Until the late 1980s it was believed that we could grow new cells in other parts of the body, but
not in the brain. Essentially, this meant that we are born with a finite number of neurons for life.
Therefore, it was felt that if brain cells died (as they often do) or were damaged or destroyed by
brain injury, we would simply have to endure a shortage of neurons for the rest of our lives.
Then came the welcome discovery that adult humans are the proud possessors of a process
called neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is responsible for the growth of new neurons not only in the
prenatal stages of development, but also throughout adulthood. It seems that the most promising
area of neurogenesis is the hippocampus, the centre of memory and learning.
Want to increase neurogenesis in your brain? Exercise more and reduce your stress levels, and
you'll be well on your way to celebrating the birth of your delicate new neurons.