Tag: brain health

Curiosity Saved the Cat

I grew up with cats – not house pets, but the outdoor-mouse-catching kind. They were a source of hours of play and intrigue. I learned curiosity and considerable caretaking from my stray-cat collection. Why anyone believes that “Curiosity killed the cat” does not know felines. Curiosity saved cats. Curiosity is a necessary ingredient for effective problem-solving which requires generating alternative possibilities. Catching a mouse takes alternative strategies, as first attempts may fail. Curiosity is helpful not just for cats, but for stray humans.

Of course I was curious about the phrase, “Curiosity killed the cat.” Originally, phrasing was “Care killed the cat!” Care represented worry, sorrow, or grieving, with the connotation of excessive worrying is detrimental for one’s health. William Shakespeare used this “care” version. However, by late 19th century phrasing, “curiosity” took the place of “care,” referring to nosiness!

Lead researcher Charan Ranganath and his colleagues published a study at University of California (Davis) in Neuron using fMRI scanning of human brains while participants were reading trivia questions. Participants rated how curious they were to know correct answers. Those with intense curiosity about trivia answers had 2 brain areas that “lit up”: the dopamine-releasing midbrain as well as the hippocampus. Dopamine-releasing neurons have many functions – controlling voluntary movements, processing rewards, as well as regulating motivation and cognition. The hippocampus is key to  memory functioning. The super-curious responders were better able to recall unrelated information presented during their curiosity about trivia questions. Better cognition depends on oiling your neurons with curiosity!

The message is clear – rewire your curiosity if you have forgotten how to be curious.

Developmental psychologist Susan Engel at Williams College tracked how many questions children ask per hour. She found that the average 5-year-old asks 107 questions per hour! Why is Grandpa’s hair white? Why is the sky blue?  These are just a sample of the questions from astute 5-year-old curiosity experts. Then the inquisitive beings go to school. By age 6 and in first grade, Engel found that one entire class asked 2-3 questions per hour combined. And by 5th grade that number dropped to .48 questions per hour. Described another way, a room of 11-year-olds asked less than 1 question every 2 hours.

Engel recalled her observation in the back of a science classroom where students were running experiments to test weights with a balance scale. The teacher squashed curiosity when abruptly saying, “Enough of that. I’ll give up time to experiment at recess. There’s no time for experiments now. We’re doing science.” Engel made a scary conclusion: if you lose your curiosity by age 11, you probably don’t get it back. Does schooling kill kids’ curiosity?

If cats are capable of alternative problem-solving, can’t kids recalibrate their curiosity? I have a lot of curiosity and I hope that you, dear reader, do too.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

526. When did any adult curb your curiosity?

527. How curious do you see yourself at your present age?    

Brain Inventories

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Do you need help checking your brain’s inventory? I recently met “Tally” making cooing noises while she gracefully glided down the paint aisle at Lowe’s; she was checking shelf inventory. My curiosity ever present, I inquired if Tally might replace a worker. The answer was yes.

How long will it be before the Tally’s of the world (or out of this world) are AI responsible caretakers for all the individuals who need careful checking just to make it through a day? Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is spreading unchecked. According to the World Health Organization, the world-wide number of people expected to have an AD diagnosis is 82 million by 2030. Alzheimer’s Association reports 7.4 million Americans have AD currently; U.S. AD deaths doubled since 2000.

While AD symptoms can vary, personality and behavior changes often include apathy, disorientation, memory loss, and cognitive impairment. Brain confusion and/or physical decline can make it impossible for living independently. The caretaker role for a loved one with AD is a major time commitment. As a person journeys through the 7 stages of AD, increasing close attention is required.

Early memory loss may indicate Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) which may not be a sign of later dementia, as there are various causes for MCI. An individual can be aware of their MCI which often includes exhaustion in addition to mild memory loss. Moderately severe cognitive decline involves a drop-off of abilities to handle finances and other tasks of daily living. Agitation and aggression may show up when previously these emotions were not frequent. Perhaps having a blinking Tally, murmuring close by, would be a blessing.

Most people are not educated in dealing with AD and/or challenging personalities. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of gerontologists; geriatric medicine is one of the least popular specialties among new physicians.

Proactive educational help is developing. The Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University (GW in D.C.) has established an “Expanding the Pipeline to Graduate Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (EPGRAD) Program” as a fully funded 8-week summer education and research training program for undergraduates. The goal is to encourage students in the majors of medicine, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to consider careers in AD and related dementias. New GW projects include a “Black Male Dementia Caregiver Burden Study” and a “Brain Health and Microbiome Study.”

What might you do to improve your own brain health? One health tip stands out for psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD (author of both Healing the Modern Brain and Eat Complete), who finds that many individuals in his practice are undernourished when considering brain health and mental health: eat a handful of leafy greens in one of your daily meals.

Multiple rabbits in my yard munch on greens all day. They are unlikely to need Tally.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

504. How might you educate yourself about your brain health? 505. Have you considered how your own diet contributes to brain health?