Evolution of the Human Brain

Anthropologist tells about the australopithecines, the pace of development of the brain lobes. How the brain of Australopithecus was arranged? What are the changes in the environment it has been associated key point in the evolution of the human brain? How develop certain proportion of the human brain? And as the power system affects the brain development of animals?

The weight of the head is a determining factor in changes in brain size, because the head pressure on the spine, and the same size of the body the head should be one and the same mass. Accordingly, the jaws decreased and brains grew rapidly, we can observe turtles. Furthermore, the meat does not want to tend to be eaten, it resists. It is more difficult to find it, catch it, convinced that it should be eaten. Accordingly, it is necessary to exert greater intelligence.

To improve your brain you can by the help of Phenotropil, Nootropil, Picamilon GABA, Semax and Cerebrolysin.

The occipital lobe modern man is responsible for the perception and recognition of visual images. That is to say that we are aware of what we see. In fact, we see a lot more than you realize. Why it has decreased - this is a big question. occipital lobe may be partially responsible for something else, besides the view. Maybe what is now engaged in the parietal lobe, was characteristic of the occipital lobe, too. Maybe our ancestors recognition of visual images was much more important than for us. People living close to nature. They need to recognize the dangers of predators, some other phenomena and do so very quickly. We now it is not so important.

The man was herbivorous, and thus become a little predator. Strictly speaking - omnivorous. But while he has long been a hands free. He used tools. And when he went to eating meat food, he did not have large fangs and claws, it was not until this predator. He had to adapt to this way of employment. Why go and technological progress. The first stones were for scraping the meat off the bones, because tear meat hands and teeth of herbivorous essentially impossible. The combination of many individual factors led to the fact that a person wiser. And other animals have evolved in the same direction, they did not have such zigzags in evolution, so they stayed who they were.

From where are phobias?

Psychologist Dr. Doping tells about the underlying causes of phobic disorders, the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid and disasterization.

Phobia is an intense fear of specific objects or situations leading to steady their avoidance. For example, if a person experiences intense fear when visiting the dentist, but overcomes it and regularly treats teeth of the phobia as mental disorders are not talking: no avoidance and related life limitations.

Modern science is dominated by the so-called biopsychosocial conception of mental disorders, including phobias. It is easy to see that the word "biopsychosocial" consists of three parts, which represent the main causes of phobic disorders. Thus, a phobia is due to the joint effect of three factors: biological, psychological and social - which also interact with each other, strengthening or weakening the contribution of each individual, so called biopsychosocial model system.

Biological causes of phobias are complex and associated with biochemical features of the brain; particularly important role in the regulation of the excitation is given in the so-called brain GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). GABA is a neurotransmitter (a substance through which impulses are transmitted between neurons), has a calming effect on the nervous system. Thus, people who are prone to anxiety attacks GABA failure occurs which may be due to genetic factors, as well as prolonged stress or exposure to toxic substances. (You can find GABA in Pantogam, Picamilon)

However, only one biological vulnerability can lead to phobias. Psychological causes phobias describes different psychological schools differently. For example, analysts believe that the formation of a phobia symbolized intrapersonal conflict that arose at a certain stage of psychosexual development (recall described by Freud "Case of Little Hans," in which the boy's fear of being bitten by a white horse is interpreted as the offset for fear of being punished by his father to the proximity of the desire to mother ). Another look at the psychological causes phobias provide cognitive theory ( "cognitive" - associated with thought processes). In these theories, the phobia is seen as a consequence of the distorted effects of impact assessments object of fear, such as the so-called "disasterization": "I can not stand it, it will kill me."

Social reasons are usually associated with weathered through traumatic and stressful situations that can speak launchers incentives for the development of phobias (dogs bite a child, transferred serious illness, media reports about the high risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases). These start-up incentives can start the development of phobias only if there is the so-called "diathesis" (dispositions) by biological and psychological characteristics of the individual. Thus, the causes of phobias are systemic, and bringing them to any one factor would be unjustified and incompetent.

FAQ: The physiology of emotions

6 facts about the origin of emotions and their effects on the body and human health

The problem of emotions and emotional stress is significant not only from the point of view of science, it has today an extremely strong influence on people's health.

• 1.On the influence of emotions on the human body

The impact of emotions on human health may be different. I think that a wide range of people know that negative emotions can contribute to various diseases, and these diseases is expanding circle. And if we are talking about psychosomatic diseases, then they carry including autoimmune, cancer and other diseases. That is, not only the purely neuronal diseases.

At the same time it is known for the power of positive emotions. Actually, this can be based, including therapeutic and even homeopathic therapies. (you can improve your mood taking Phenotropil, Semax, Phenibut).

• 2.On the occurrence of emotions

Back in the 1950s, Paul McLain, American neurophysiologist, it was found that emotions arise in specific brain structures, which he called the limbic structures. This subcortical structures - the amygdala, the brain and other partition. In them there emotional arousal, which then applies to all kinds of parts of the central nervous system - and the cortex and the spinal cord and, in general, covers after the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, there are a variety of organs. Practically we may say that every cell in the body reacts to our emotions. This allowed to bring one of the aspects of life of the holographic theory, which was proposed by Academician Konstantin Sudakov: each component of the system (the body) reflects the general properties of the system. Thus, in each cell, you can find a reflection of the general emotional processes. It is no coincidence that, in response to an emotional state changes the work of all the organs: the heart, and liver, and kidneys, and skin, and adipose tissue.

• 3.Control emotions

Initial reaction occurs in the neurons of the limbic system. Paul MacLean, formulated this theory, said the so-called "triple brain", which includes a hierarchical subordination levels of the nervous system. He talked about the brain of the ancient reptiles, ancient mammals and modern mammals, of subordination of these structures and the fact that mammals (especially men) are able with the help of the cortical regions of the brain to control the work of these ancient limbic parts of the nervous system and thus to control these emotions.

An important role in the initiation of these emotional areas of the brain plays a primary hypothalamus. It is the center of the endocrine regulation, the center of the autonomic regulation of the body, the center and motivation (hunger, thirst), this is a very powerful and a very small section of the brain (about 150 nuclei at a distance of about 1 cm apart). It is very important to generate the emotional and motivational states. Emotion and motivation are interrelated. Further access to the peripheral level is carried out by means of hormonal regulation (hypothalamus - pacemaker humoral regulation), since it is allocated a number of key hormones that, like a tuning fork, set the tone for almost all the other endocrine glands. There, in the hypothalamus, is the center of the autonomic, ie, unconscious nervous regulation of body processes. Therefore emotions spread and affect all body functions.

• 4.On the origin of emotions

Emotional states are mixed in different individuals. From what depends on what emotions arise - positive or negative? It is clear, I think, all it does not depend on the situation. The same situation for different subjects or even for a subject who is in different states, might cause completely different emotions. So from what depends on the nature of the emotions?

Here I would like to recall our outstanding physiologist Academician Anokhin, who is the author of the theory of functional systems. This is our physiological basis, and it is the key to understanding many of the problems that can occur in humans by examining various issues related to the functioning of the body. According to the ideas of Anokhin and his scientific school of emotions arise when processing parameters obtained by the action results in what is called the acceptor of action results.

If the result of the activities going on to compare the results with the expected, that is, those that the body expects to recover as a result of their activities. And if the results do not coincide with the expected, there is a negative emotion is a sign that is unpleasant, but it mobilizes the body to find the optimal solution for achieving the result, which was initially programmed to start-up, the result needed ultimately for survival.

Another important thing to remember about dominant principle, proposed Alexei Ukhtomsky: at any given time is a dominant kind of main motivation for survival of the organism. Thus, the body eventually reaches through the unpleasant emotion or other important survival results to adapt the body to the living conditions.

The stronger the emotion occur sooner in some extent, the body reaches the result that supplied and which is essential for the survival of the individual, the type and may be the entire population. If the result is achieved through some trial and error, through the negative results, the award - positive emotions, pleasure, which confirms the importance and the fact that meet the needs, to achieve one or another result that is relevant at any given time.

• 5.On the negative emotional stagnation

From here we can already make a start, to go to understand the complex processes in a situation where there is a long persistent negative emotional excitation in the brain. The substrate for summation of negative emotions can be "circles" in the limbic system that can provide continuous circulation of emotional arousal negative sign in structures, such as a partition, the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, the hippocampus big circle (circle Papeca) and others.

Thus, with this chronic condition can not be instantaneously stopped these emotional stagnant processes, as we would have liked. This leads to the fact that the body can get into a situation where it takes a long time for the output of a negative emotional state. Sometimes even have to completely change afferentation, for some long time to go to the sea, the mountains, the village, as they did in the Russian nobles. It is interesting to note that, in contrast to the negative and positive emotions are not cumulative. They pleasing, but they are not overlapped. Risk of long-term negative emotions is especially in their summarized.

• 6.Prospects in emotion research

Scientists are working actively in terms of understanding of various complex mechanisms of emotional states. From here there are so many pressing problems, such as genetic predisposition to emotional states. It is known that in the population there are always individuals who are more or less emotional. We see it not only in humans but also in dogs, rats and other species.

Biocatalysis

Chemist Dr.Doping tells about human metabolism, the design of new enzymes and catalytic antibodies.

What is the significance biocatalysis for human life? How is the design of new enzymes? What is the practical application of catalytic antibodies?

All reactions in our body are biocatalytic. If it were not for biocatalysts, namely enzymes, we could not be carried out in a reasonable time the metabolism of amino acids, the conversion of DNA, other low molecular weight compounds, and other hormones necessary for the body's vital activity of the compounds.

Actovegin is widely used for improve immune system.

Another direction of research is catalytic antibodies. Antibodies are created by nature to deal with a variety of adverse objects within our body. This protein, predisposed to high specific binding. You can get an immune response to an infinite number of compounds. A question was raised: whether the antibody can not be forced to work as enzymes? On the basis of the theory of Linus Pauling's largest American researcher Bill Jenks suggested, which was very close and Pauling, that if the production of antibodies as snapshots for analogs of the transition states of the enzyme mimic the structure of the active site of the enzyme, due to the known structure of the transition state, it is possible to obtain a catalytic reaction.

Approaches to the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Chemist Dr.Doping tells about the action Copaxone, Epstein - Barr virus and pre-clinical trials of new drugs.

What is the history of research of multiple sclerosis? How is the disease? What today there are approaches to its treatment? And as multiple sclerosis is associated with Epstein - Barr virus?

The history of the study of multiple sclerosis has more than 100 years. 150 years ago, the first cases of the disease have been described. Multiple sclerosis is a serious disease that requires heavy loads on a budget. In all developed countries, in Russia, drug provision of these patients covered by the state budget, it is very expensive. Patients live longer, they are socially maladjusted, they have great mental ability, and they are, in principle, can work. But the difficulty lies in the fact that the disease is developing in leaps and bounds, the episodes. Death occurs when the total demyelination, when the disease affects the central nervous system of the machine. And the main problem is that the etiology is unknown.

The immunoglobulin gene library was created in our lab, that is, representing the entire immunologic repertoire person with multiple sclerosis. By screening these libraries assay specificity to various autoantigens it has been shown that some antibodies reacting with fragments of myelin basic protein, also interact with proteins of the virus, Epstein - Barr virus. We have clearly shown that Epstein - Barr signed in the repertoire of the patient. You can say, "Epstein - Barr virus affects so many people in the world, and multiple sclerosis patients are relatively few." There are important presentation of antigens, the basis of antigen degradation, ie susceptibility immunogenetic human machine. Probably, consider these two aspects - virus infection and immunogenetics particular person - can help uncover the causes of the disease. In this case it is particularly important for new approaches of personalized medicine. To reduce multiple sclerosis – buy Cogitum, Cerebrolysin, Semax and Nootropil.

One of the possible directions of therapy is to create a more specific drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis than Copaxone. some formulation of peptide fragments of myelin basic protein was created in our lab, which were packaged in liposomes. Preclinical tests (tests on mice that used the model of mice and rats, developing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis EAE) have shown that the drug is promising.

FAQ: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

6 facts about one of the most common neurodegenerative disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is among the five most common neurodegenerative pathologies in the first place belongs to Alzheimer's disease. In English reads as ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and in Greek A is "no", the denial, myo - muscle, trophic - power, ie, the "no make-up muscle". Lateral means areas of the spinal cord are located in the nerve cells that control muscle activity and which causes the death of nervous tissue scarring, multiple sclerosis (sclerosis).

• 1.Symptoms of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

The disease covers a specific part of the spinal cord neurons, and their extinction leads to disruption of the function of many muscles, responsible for the functioning of the whole organism. The primary symptom of ALS is weakness in the arms and legs, which increases with the simultaneous weakening, atrophy of the muscles of the tongue, soft palate, vocal cords. There are violations of swallowing and speech begins choking while eating, food enters the nose, and there are pathological changes associated with the tendon reflexes of the hands and feet systems. In most patients the disease is diagnosed at age 40 to 70 years. Statistics show that an average of 1-3 patients with proven ALS accounts for 100 000 people. There is a correlation with sex (males are more prone to disease), and even to the origin; for example, there is evidence that the US amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is more common in Caucasians.

• 2.Causes of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

There are a few causes of ALS. These include hereditary disease transmission forms, ethnogeographical factors that influence diet and adverse changes in the environment. The most famous examples of the high incidence of ALS on a geographic basis should include the inhabitants of the peninsula Kii (Japan), ethnic Chamorros in Guam or veterans of the Gulf War. Reported cases of disease as a result of heavy metal poisoning or a viral infection. The causes of the disease are many, and work on their study continues. These studies involved more modern methods of bioinformatics, with which in the next 5-10 years it is planned to get a fairly complete picture of the spread of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS.

• 3.Contact ALS with genetics and molecular biology

ALS is one of five of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Most of these diseases related to mutations in different genes which lead to dysfunction and ultimately to the death of certain groups of brain cells. About 80% of ALS cases are sporadic, ie do not have a clear hereditary nature, and are determined by point mutations in the genes encoding different proteins. The remaining 20% are so-called familial cases, that is, mutations are passed from generation to generation (hereditary transmission method). The genes that are most frequently observed mutations few: these include genes of superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and protein TDP-43. Significantly, mutations in genes of the same proteins can be inherited and cause ALS family forms. Also indicated in the pathology of ALS a mutation may be involved in neurofilament protein gene or DNA / RNA binding protein. It is known that mutations in the chain "encoding gene - mRNA - protein" may give rise to protein molecules with irregular structure. Of course, some mutations may not cause significant changes in the protein and thus, does not stimulate the pathological process. To date, accumulated a database, in particular mutations in the genes involved in the pathogenesis of ALS. It should be noted that in large cities operate clinical and genetic counseling, which based on the analysis of your genetic material can give prognostic assessment of the likelihood of disease. Consequences of mutations and, therefore, the appearance of irregular several proteins: First, such proteins lose their function; e.g., SOD1 ceases to control the removal of reactive oxygen species, which can lead to cell death. Second, the "bad" proteins form aggregates that disrupt all the cells of vital processes.

• 4.What happens in neurons exposed ALS

Neurons are highly specialized cells, aimed at transmitting a signal in the form of chemical compounds, peptides of the brain, and in the case of neuromuscular systems - muscles. Due to its highly specialized destination, neurons receive more (protection systems, trophic and other factors) from neighboring glial cells and neuroendocrine / neuroepithelial cell structure. In the neuron system, which should protect it from the effects of reactive oxygen species, the accumulation of "bad" proteins and other stress factors, are not very effective, and, therefore, inflammatory, or pathogenic, stimuli cause dysfunction and then death of large groups of neurons. This situation is typical for neurons producing mutant proteins in the pathogenesis of ALS: SOD1 mutant molecules or TDP-43 going in the cage first in a small complex and then into large aggregates, which for the quality control of cellular proteins are no longer able to cope.

These pathogenic aggregates disrupt cell processes of life as a whole, preventing transport of nutrients and other substances on the cell, inhibit the function of power plants, the mitochondria, turning off the RNA and protein synthesis system, and neurons stop functioning as a transmitter of important information to the muscle. Muscle cells are not receiving impulses from neurons manage lack of contractile activity and just as quickly lose its main function. Many active people at retirement can not switch to another way of life and begin to experience all the disadvantages of the elderly; also behave neurons and muscle cells that have lost their main function. It must be said that the process stop function and the onset of massive cell death stretched on for years, if not decades; muscle activity fades away gradually, but permanently, covering new tissues and organs.

• 5.Drug treatment of ALS

The main obstacle to the development of primary pharmacological treatment of ALS is the fact that the disease is diagnosed at a fairly late stage, when it is difficult to stop, you can only work to reduce the severity of symptoms. Existing drugs confirm this bleak state of the problem. For example, it is very important in relieving the symptoms is to use antidepressants and sleeping pills; these drugs are so many on the market, and the most effective ones can improve the quality of life of the patient for a period of up to several months. Painful muscle contractions (including uncontrolled) can be removed taking muscle relaxants and pain joint syndrome, characteristic of some forms of ALS, it is weakened by the action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In 1995, the US controls the FDA approved the use of body antiglutamatic drug Riluzole, which is able to prolong the functional active lifestyle even in patients in the late stages of ALS. What is very important: according to pharmacological tests the drug can prolong the life span of a few months or delay the development of signs of disease. To reduce in some way ASL you can with nootropics: Vinpotropile, Trental, Cogitum, Cerebrolysine.

• 6.Prospects for ALS Research

The tasks that are put in front of pharmacologists involved in the design of drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies, can be classified as small executable, because all are well aware that it would be necessary to treat the causes of disease, rather than its consequence. In other words - and this is a problem of the entire modern pharmacology - we have no reliable markers of disease and genetic triggered not always, since the probability that a mutation in the genes of the above pathologies cause a complete picture is not equal to 100%. The problem of disease markers involved in hundreds of laboratories, and attracts a large number of methods, in particular from the field of proteomics, metabolomics, and other so-called omics, to understand what biomolecules distinguish diseased cells from healthy.

The second problem is to pharmacologists identification target, ie those proteins or peptides that are related to the pathogenic mechanism, which are neutralized, can defeat the disease in an individual cage, and then into the tissue. For such target pharmacological techniques used methods of virtual screening, in which the computer seems to model the interaction of the desired drug to a protein molecule, such as SOD1, which it should bind and thus to inactivate. It is safe to say that such methods in the complex will soon lead us to the discovery of the so-called valid targets for medicine, and then - to the actual drugs.

Physiology of Joy

Physiologist Dr. Doping tells about the consequences of emotional stress, optimum motivation and need for creativity. What are the possible consequences of emotional stress? Why is a high level of motivation of the result is weaker than at low or average?

If emotional stress primary changes add up to the limbic system of the brain. These are the structures that are built into the center of the brain: the hippocampus, septum, amygdala. During the first minutes of emotional stress changes occur in them on individual neuronal cell level. This occurs very quickly, but lasts for a long time. The effect of any action after the emotional factor sometimes lasts for weeks and months. To reduce stress – Phenibut, Phenazepam, Afobazol can help.

Following this, the brain mechanism run complex hormonal changes in the body, the main of which is the release of stress hormones by the adrenal glands. In primitive society it was very important for survival. But now the situation has changed: sometimes the one who throws these hormones, especially if it happens to excess, on the contrary, is more vulnerable to the action of emotional factors.

Feelings and emotions not only affect mood, but also on the functioning of internal organs. Those feelings have a specific substrate in the neurons of the hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus, changing all the biochemistry of the body, each cell changes its activity.

FAQ: Psychic trauma and worldview

5 facts about the consequences of traumatic events

Mental trauma affects a person at different levels individual-personal organization, including at the level of the world picture. What's in this context it is meant by the picture of the world? In English terminology there is a phrase «assumptive world», that is, the world of human assumptions about reality. Under the picture of the world is understood as the set of his ideas about himself and about the external reality, and about the relationship between "I" and the external reality. Such representations are called basic beliefs. The annex to the basic concept of psychic trauma of opinion was developed by American researcher Ronnie Yanov-Boulemane. She described the conceptual system of representation of the relationship between man and the world in a few basic beliefs.

• 1.A basic belief of goodwill / hostility of World

The first - is the belief of goodwill / hostility of the world, which reflects the relationship to the world in terms of good / hostile or good / bad. In general, the inner vision of a world most adults, healthy, not suffering from depression or some other human disorders is that it is much more good in the world than bad, that people in general can be trusted, that in difficult situations, as a rule, people ready to help.

This is a basic belief in the context of the examination of injury is divided into two kinds: the first - a goodwill / hostility of personal world, there are people, and the second - friendliness / hostility of non-personal world, that is the nature.

• 2.The concept of justice, self-worth, and luck

The second basic belief is a belief so-called justice. This is a very complex construct it in different ways is related to psychological well-being of man, but nevertheless based on research findings, most people believed that the overall good and bad things in the world are distributed by chance, people are able to control what happens to them, life affects that, in general, if a person is good and does good deeds primarily in his life will be mainly and should be a good event. Thus, some degree of randomness factor is excluded.

The third basic belief for the "I" of man. This includes the idea of self-worth, that is how a person is worthy of love and respect on the part of others. This inner, deep structures. This also Yanov-Boulemane includes representations of the person about his ability to control what happens to them, monitoring the situation in his life, to influence them, manage them, that is, to some extent be the master of your life.

Another belief is somewhat contrary to the previous one - is the belief about luck. A person may believe that he is a weak, incompetent, that he can not manage his own life, but nevertheless in his life he can carry. If you take the healthy adults, then, if you combine all of these basic beliefs, their concept is: "In the life of a lot more good than bad, and if the worst happens, it happens somewhere on the periphery, on the TV screen, not with me, not with me, and perhaps to those who have done something wrong. "

• 3.Sources of basic beliefs

Where are the basic beliefs? It is believed - and it is split basic theoretical psychological concepts - that these basic ideas about themselves, about the world, there are a baby on the preverbal level already by about 8 months. The child has a deep unconscious ideas about how the world is benevolent to him, how much he is willing to respond to his needs.

Thus, a small child already has some basis for the basic picture of the world, and during the life of these bases may vary slightly. But in general, it is believed that these beliefs are very stable in contrast to the more superficial beliefs and perceptions. For example, the representation of the person that he is a good professional, anyway constantly empirically verified, corrected, and changes do not cause us some serious and significant experiences. The system of basic beliefs, if they are on the whole positive, provides a person a feeling of relative invulnerability and security. To improve mental function one can by the help of Semax, Cogitum, Phenotropil.

• 4.Psychic trauma: a violation of the basic beliefs

When there is an extreme stress event which endangers the human being, a stable and reliable support - picture of the world - is broken. The man begins to feel in a state of chaos, because the world is not friendly and not worthy of trust, and the person feels is not as strong, competent, control what happens to him, because, as a rule, traumatic events occur suddenly. We can not say that the picture of the world is collapsing, but it is undergoing major changes. Next on the mechanisms of formation of new cognitive structures must occur, or the assimilation of the event, ie the event is to be inscribed in the picture of the world, or accommodation, that is changing the picture of the world under the new conditions. Work in the posttraumatic period is to restore the picture of the world.

Recovery does not take place completely, and usually after experiencing severe traumatic event in the case of a good outcome and the lack of serious violations of the concept of the world goes something like this: "The whole world is friendly, and there are a lot of good people, and it is generally well with me costs, but It does not always happen. "

In posttraumatic period people tend to look for new meanings and values of a traumatic event in order to fit it into the picture of the world. Studies show that people tend to compare ourselves with other people who have experienced the same events, but were in a difficult situation, for example, also lost their property as a result of flooding, but their losses were great. In general, it helps to write this traumatic situation in view of the world, and people are starting to look at this situation, new meanings. To reduce suffer from traumatic situation one can by the help of Phenibut, Phenazepam and Afobaxol.

• 5.Posttraumatic personality growth

Since the beginning of the 90s study conducted post-traumatic personal growth. In particular, it was found that some people experience after trauma, there are serious personality changes towards greater personal maturity, revaluation of values. These changes affect, first of all, the image of "I", that is, after catastrophic experience a person feels stronger, more dignified and more competent; Second, a change in the philosophy of life, that is, after an injury, oddly enough, people begin to feel more alive and begin to appreciate what had seemed insignificant.

The last group of changes after injury concerns relations with other people. Thus, a positive change in the image of "I", changes in relationships with other people in the form of greater intimacy, mutual support and change philosophy of life - this is the growth area over which we can work, particularly in the psycho-correction, trauma therapy.

FAQ: The physiology of Stress

7 facts about the impact of stress and negative emotions on the human body

The founder of the doctrine of the stress was Canadian Hans Selye, who found that the action of many different stimuli on the body there is a universal response that increases the body's ability to respond effectively in conditions that require increasing resources to cope with the circumstances.

We call some of these universal mechanisms: the activation sympathoadrenal mechanisms, the release of adrenal hormones (hormone adrenaline stress), the response from the immune system, changes in metabolism. These universal reaction to improve the body's ability to respond in terms of adverse effects.

• 1.Domestic physiologists first pointed out that the concept of Hans Selye insufficiently identified a very important detail that reveals the many aspects of emotional stress. This detail - the reaction of the nervous system which, in essence, is conducting the other systems of the body. In other words, it has proved the leading role in the organization of the nervous system stress response. Hans Selye said about stress as a nonspecific adaptation syndrome in response to exposure to a variety of the body. This effect may be high or low temperature, toxins, and so on. We are today compelled to talk more about the emotional stress. Here, the leading cause of stress is an emotional reason, associated with long-term dissatisfaction of some vital needs. Stress occurs on the basis of the relationship of the subject to the environment that surrounds it.
• 2.Some people associate the word "stress" with something negative. It is not right. The fact is that the stress in its first phase - the stage of alarm - exacerbates susceptibility of the organism. In the second stage - the stage of voltage - leads to a marked increase in the resources of the organism. The body in this way modifies their livelihoods, that is able to achieve far greater results than before. For example, there was a case when a boulder climber bore down, and climber rescued from death, he could move it. The boulder - a few tons, a climber would have never been able to do it in a normal state.
• The third stage of stress, according to Hans Selye, - a stage of exhaustion. If a person does not control his emotional state, he can "" slide "in this phase. And eventually the body, as well as any mechanism wears out, if not in time to lubricate, to repair, not to twist Gadget. There are those diseases that are associated with stress. That is, the stress - this is not clearly positive or clearly negative reaction.
• 3.The next question is how to manage stress. And what are the opportunities to live in the adaptive phase (eustress). Today, being able to technically and information loaded space, we simply do not have other options, if you do not go into the forest or in the village. How to be in this situation? And you need to manage, because each person has their own body functions, regulation units, which are the most sensitive and are broken in the first place with such emotional overload. To reduce your stress you can with the help of such drugs: Phenibut, Picamilon, Selank and Afobazol.
• Each person is useful to know which systems it has weaknesses. Someone may be a system of regulation of blood pressure, someone - stomach, intestines. There resistant people who have a long time there are no violations. But still, if negative emotions are constant features may eventually break.
• How to define "weak places of the body"? And history, and the history of life, and the state of health of relatives can suggest how the body will function. Now you can make screening a patient genetic data and get a transcript of the probability of predisposition to a variety of diseases.
• 4.How can a person live in conditions of stress, to manage this stress, getting even fun sometimes from this stress - and in general, to achieve more?
• It is necessary to touch upon such important physiological concept as a dynamic stereotype, according to academician and Nobel Prize winner Ivan Petrovich Pavlov.
• Pavlov defined as a sequence of dynamic stereotype of conditioned reflexes that develop in response to some stimulus acting. At the same time, these conditioned reflexes are played out automatically, without the active participation of our consciousness. A simple example. You go to work and think at this point, how you will have a good weekend, as you drank coffee last night with a friend. At the same time you repeat exactly the trajectory of the way, how do each day, turn right, turn left, entrance ... And here, as in the famous film: The house was not the same, it just looks like you want us to. Dynamic stereotype at this point comes to its not quite, perhaps the optimal completion.
• We have a huge number of dynamic stereotypes that affect emotional response habits. It is not always optimal dynamic stereotypes. Anyway, it is very useful to observe them and are very useful to assess their feasibility. How others react to the way we behave? Sometimes we think that we are doing the right thing, all right talking and surrounding - fools and take offense at us, is not it? These dynamic patterns can be monitored our consciousness. Cerebral cortex, which, according to the concept of the American researcher Paul MacLean, is the most recent acquisition of modern mammals, provides significant opportunities for conscious control "blind force of the subcortex '(as Pavlov wrote) and allows you to achieve high performance for changing emotional behavior patterns . Unfortunately, few people consistently think about it, and most rational does not change its dynamic stereotypes.
• 5.Our body is a perfect of its kind system, which is adapted to life in almost any environment, and adapts very well. Why, then, have these failures of this adaptation? For example, consider the regulation of blood pressure. The fact that there is a functional system that maintains the blood pressure at an optimum level for the vital activity: 120 and 70, 120 and 80 - in large vessels. But so many people suffer failures in the operation of this system. This leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke. And it is useful to recall that the main cause of mortality in the world - diseases of the circulatory system. The fact that the system works perfectly in a balanced natural environment - and for some reason refuses to work in a modern society. The main reason - the same emotional stress.
• 6.In the body there are numerous sensors, which determine the value of the vital parameters. For example, there are baroreceptors determining the blood pressure value. Their function is to inform the centers of the brain about the size of the blood pressure at the moment. Is it possible to increase blood pressure in a natural environment? Of course. Exercise, the proximity of a predator, and so on. But these occasional rises in blood pressure. They are of short duration. Immediately included depressor mechanisms that reduce blood pressure. What happens if the body for a long time in a state of emotional tension? Logically, the pressure increases for a long time, and thus there is an adaptation of baroreceptors. Those same sensors that are in our vessels accustomed to the high value of the blood pressure values. Just as your thermoreceptors get used to, if you get a hot shower - will at first seem hot, but then get used. And the problem is that if a person has been long raised blood pressure, and baroreceptors are adapted, then the person can relax as long as you want, but baroreceptors not restore its function, they will remain immune to high blood pressure. We can provide excellent patient pills and reduce the pressure, but it will be the duration of medication, and the pressure will rise. Now there is a delicate medical techniques that allow you to restore coronary blood flow, but the number of cardiovascular disease is still increasing steadily.
• What counteracts stress influences? Positive emotions - this is the best remedy against all stress. It is necessary to achieve positive emotions in life, to find them. Incidentally, it is assumed that the centers of positive brain than negative.
• 7.In conclusion, we try to bring the "formula" healthy and happy life. It is useful to consider three points. The first - is to satisfy basic physiological needs. It is eating, sleeping, comfortable temperature, physical activity, metabolic needs. Second - is the presence of satisfaction in family life. A very important factor - the presence of a loved one, and his loss is felt very heavy. And the third - it is dosed success in those areas of life that the person considers relevant for themselves. Not so sure to reach some super success, but it is not always possible. Therefore, it is necessary to appreciate all their achievements: the success of a person is badly needed, is formed on the health of its base.

Fear: the causes, mechanisms and reflexes

5 facts about the physiological basis of fear and trials.

Fear - is the emotive state, which is accompanied by a situation that threaten the normal functioning of the body, and is usually accompanied by the formation of a defensive motivation. However, it may be accompanied by other motivations, aimed at getting rid of the danger.

• 1.Experiments over fear

Fear can be experimentally simulated by means of electrical stimulation of the so-called motivation-gene centers specific brain structures - the hypothalamus. Thus, live animals stimulating electrode in the ventromedial hypothalamus, physiologists can observe a pronounced reaction of avoidance and fear. (To reduce your fear you can using: Phenibut, Picamilon, Selank and Afobazol.)

• 2.The mechanisms of fear

The mechanisms of fear are not much different from other motivational mechanisms and may be associated with the excitation of certain neural centers in the brain, which in turn activates the reticular (mesh) formation. This structure is composed of interwoven and branched nerve fibers, provides non-specific excitation of the cortex and other brain overlying departments.

It's a pretty universal mechanism, which was first shown by Academician Anokhin. He proved that, when there is any motivation, is excited reticular reticular formation, which provides reticular effects on the cortex and other higher-lying parts of the brain, such as the emotion-generating organs, because fear can be more than just fear, and it is associated with some additional emotion, you can come up with different options.

There are times when it is very intense fear becomes the dominant motivation, while off other pressing needs of the body. When this condition may decrease the activity of cortical centers of the brain. It happens that a person can not move, being greatly frightened. And in other cases, fear can, on the contrary, activate the work of the cerebral cortex, especially in trained people - they are activated cortical mechanisms of excitation of the reticular formation.

• 3.Hormones of fear

When we are afraid, there is a definition of specific hormones, as well as special molecules, called peptides.

The best-known hormones - adrenaline ( "hormone rabbit") and Norepinephrine ( "lion hormone"). Adrenaline causes increased heart rate, vasoconstriction abdominal muscles, mucous membranes, helps to relax the muscles of the intestine, dilated pupils and so on. The main objective of this hormone is the adaptation of the body to respond to stress. Epinephrine improves skeletal muscle function. If a long time, this hormone has an effect on the body, in this case increases in size myocardium and skeletal muscle. Norepinephrine is an hormone and simultaneously with the neurotransmitter. It also increases the level of stress, shock, and other similar conditions. Norepinephrine constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. The duration of action of noradrenaline at the time less than the effect of adrenaline. Both hormone causes tremors. Immediately after the determination of stress hypothalamic corticotropin released into the blood. Corticotropin, reaching the adrenal glands, induces the production of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

It is known that in ancient Rome, the soldiers chose those slaves who paled with fear, and those who blushed at the sudden fright, were excluded.

The problem of the peptides is not well understood, moreover, many materials can be classified as such studies may be of interest even for the military and intelligence organizations. But the physiological properties of peptides continue to be actively explored. Neuropeptide can ensure the formation of thin mental states, including anger, fear, fright. In psychiatry, and studies of the cerebral cortex there is a classification of the types of fear: in particular, isolated phobia, hypochondria, panic attacks, delusions of persecution, etc...

• 4.Causes of Fear

Fear, like pain, is a protective mechanism of the mind. The impact of fear on behavior can be very individual. If fear is not very strong, then, like any reasonable force for motivation, it can improve purposeful behavior and promote the best solutions. But it is extremely strong fear, as any super-strong motivation can interfere with proper reasons. If a person is moderately afraid of public speaking, you can improve the quality of the report, but if the emotion is too strong, it is likely he will fail.

• 5.The reflexes of fear

When fear increasingly included subcortical limbic structures, they operate automatically. Academician Pavlov called these influences "blind force of the subcortex." For example, a person walking in the woods, saw a snag, like a snake. First of all, it will react to the limbic structures that make him scared and jump. The structure of these subcortical centers has more primitive features than the complex and multi-level organization of the cerebral cortex. Therefore, in such critical situations "emotional" information processing by the brain can occur quickly, but not necessarily more accurate. rational analysis of cortical then turned on, which makes it possible to determine that this is a snake or still snag. When fear can be turned reflexes autonomic system that controls the internal organs. It consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The parasympathetic system can explain the formation of the so-called "bear illness" at bay. They say that the body bears particularly pronounced effects of the parasympathetic nervous system.