Our Brain 'Personalities' Affect Our Mental Abilities

For years, scientists have tried to answer why the intelligence and memory vary between different people. Delving into the mysterious realms of the human brain, scientists have always tried to unearth the peculiar association between various brain areas and the cognitive human traits like memory and intelligence. However, the scientists have been unable to integrate the structure and functions of human brain in a single study. The questions like why are some people more intelligent than other people, why do some people have more profound memories as compared to others, why does the intelligence quotient fluctuate between individual of comparable age, educational status and gender etc. have frequently gone unanswered.

Recently, a research team led by Aron K. Barbey, professor of neuroscience at the University of Illinois and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology affiliate, did an in-depth study of the structure of human brain in 190 test subjects. They measured the size and shape of the whole of the human brain including individual nerve fiber bundles, white matter tracts, brain volume, thickness of the cortex, flow of blood through the vessels supplying the brain etc. using multiple cognitive tests and neuroanatomical variables.

They also examined the cognitive characters like working memory and executive functions like planning, and organizational skills, simultaneously. They put the associated factors into four different categories using a statistical method called hierarchical independent component analysis (hICA). These four traits were established as the determinants of the differences in brain structure. These differences were said to be influenced by various features like size, shape and even the age. They also studied the brain dissimilarities that were unexplained by the four traits.

When studied together, the researchers were able to establish a particular pattern between the brain anatomy and the cognitive traits. This association has opened new doors in cognitive neuroscience. Each brain, the study says, has its individual “personality” and this personality affects not only the brain anatomy but also the level of intelligence, memory and other cognitive functions.

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The study has helped identify the factors that influence the cognitive distinctiveness between individuals. The researchers were also able to determine the main brain area that is imperative for human intelligence as the fronto-parietal cortex. The brain was, therefore, described by the researchers to have distinct “faces” which lead to the cognitive-anatomical variation in healthy young adults.These traits are the determinants of the degree of intelligence and memory of a person. 

These 4 distinct brain phenotypes or “personalities” determine the differences in the mental capabilities of different individuals, especially intelligence and memory. They determine how smart you are, how well you are able to retain and recall stuff, how outgoing you are, how much mental strength and integrity you possess, whether you have an anxious personality etc. This study has proved to be a major breakthrough in the field of cognitive neuroscience and has paved the way for further research. The day is not far when scientists will be able to unravel all the secrets of the human mind.

Cognitive Deficit Following Disruption Of Brain Connectivity Explained

Contrary to the popular belief that cognitive functions are controlled by individual brain areas, various cognitive functions are governed by complex, interconnected brain circuits and disruption of these circuits following traumatic brain injury can lead to cognitive deficit in humans.

Ever since scientists found an association between brain anatomy and its cognitive functions, researchers have been striving to discover relationships between the structure and functions of the brain. A recent study carried out by scientists at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas was published in the Journal of International Neuropsychological Society. In this study, the researchers studied the high order cognitive functions in 40 patients who were at least six months post-injury by analyzing their MRI scans and comparing them to 17 healthy individuals of comparable age group, gender and the level of education.

The ages of the participants in this trial were between 19 and 45 and they had no previous history of any significant, clinically-diagnosed neurological or psychiatric disorders before encountering the traumatic brain injury. The bulk of the research focused on finding out the patterns of brain connections that were interrupted as a result of brain trauma. The study has been hailed as first of its kind for finding the correlations between various brain tracks and the type of disruptions that result in the failure of specific cognitive functions.

The study demonstrated the complex wiring of brain and the connections between various brain areas to be crucial for the formulation of thought process, for adapting to and carrying out various tasks in the ever changing daily environment. It was established that people who suffered from traumatic brain injury and subsequent disruption in the brain networks, especially the two hemispheres, underwent a serious decline in the quality of life owing to cognitive deterioration.  The researchers went on to explain that when various brain circuits cannot work together and interact with each other in a certain way, it leads to inefficient brain performance.

During the course of this study, the researchers were able to pinpoint the exact brain areas that are involved in controlling various processes within the brain. For example, the coordination between dorsal and fronto-parietal networks was found to be imperative for internal thought process. The links between the brain areas have been found out to be quite intricate and are vital for the accomplishment of daily life activities like planning, decision-making, learning and problem solving. The disconnection between these brain networks, particularly after external trauma to the brain, can result in failure of any of these functions, thereby having a detrimental effect on the quality of life.

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Astonishing figures have come to light with this study, putting the number of Americans who suffer from poor life quality due to cognitive impairment after traumatic brain injury at about 1.7 million. This research has given a new dimension to the way human cognition is perceived and more efforts are now being directed towards improving the cognitive functions by using interventions to enhance the connectivity of brain networks even after traumatic brain injury.