5 Myths about the Brain
The brain is truly an amazing organ. It is extremely intricate, and without it, we would not be able to function. While the brain has many interesting facts about it, there are many misconceptions that seem to be accepted as fact. These brain myths are often exposed in our mainstream society. Some of these myths are completely wrong, and some of these are simply misinterpreted. Here are five interesting myths about the brain.
1. We Use 10% of Our Brains: This is arguably the biggest and most common misconception about the brain. It has been linked to many sources, including Albert Einstein. However his take on it was taken out of context. It is somewhat emphasized in mainstream media, and it is a sexy topic for cinema. Those are the reasons so many people believe it. In fact, some movies and books say if we access the other 90% of our brains, we can gain psychic abilities. Lets just say there is zero scientific evidence of that. The fact is we use every part of our brain virtually all the time, including when we are sleeping.
2. A Person is Either “Right Brained” or Left Brained”: With this myth, there many online quizzes you can take that tell you if you are “right brained or left brained.” According to this myth, right-brained people are supposedly more creative and artistic. On the other hand, left brained people are more logical and analytical. The fact is we use both sides of the brain equally, and the sides are co-dependent of each other.
3. Brain Damage is Permanent: This is only applicable if the brain is severely damaged. With severe damage, surgery is always required. However, with minor to moderate brain injuries, we can usually recover from them. Brain injury can be defined as an injury of the brain regardless of age at onset. Brain injuries can result in a substantial handicap to the person who sustained the brain injury and can cause various forms of cognitive impairments and symptoms such as concentration, memory or motor disorder. In most cases, people usually recover from a mild concussion.
4. Alcohol Destroys Brain Cells: Moderate alcohol intake doesn’t kill neurons, or even damage them. That’s because the amount of alcohol needed to kill brain cells would kill the person drinking it first! That doesn’t mean that alcohol can’t damage the brain, though. A high alcohol intake can have detrimental effects on the brain. Alcohol kills dendrites, which are connections of neurons that connect to other neurons. These dendrites help neurons send messages to each other. With the dendrites damaged, heavy drinkers cognitive abilities are impaired. However, these dendrites can be repaired with therapy.
5. Drug Use Can Lead to Having Holes in Your Brain: We have all seen the drug commercials about the debilitating effects they have on the brain. While severe drug use can have negative side-effects, it does not lead to having holes in your brain. This myth may have been created to scare people about the consequences of drug use. The truth is, only physical trauma can do this.
