Willy Wonka, Brain Injury And Brain Myth

What’s the harm in a little brain myth?

Brain injury and brain myth – how does it impact on a person living with brain injury?

And what has Willy Wonka got to do with it?

Coloured painted poster of Willy Wonka in top hat
Brain Injury and Brain Myth Image by Cynthia Blair

 

When talking about brain injury and brain myth with a friend, she said

“Just like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We want the golden ticket. There is none.”

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is a film based on the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” written by Roald Dahl . A small added unrelated fact – in 2014 the book is celebrating 50 years since publication.

A brief summary of relevant plot:

A young boy, Charlie, finds a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory. A factory where the work is kept secret from the outside world. Charlie is one of 5 children who win a golden ticket allowing access to the chocolate factory.

For those of you who do not know it, the plot has far more, twists, turns, and moral dilemmas than I share here. And of course a happy ending.

The chocolate factory is the supposed 90% of our brain we have sitting around, unused.  The golden ticket is the magical way we might access it.

Why The Myth is a Myth!

In last week’s article ‘A Movie, Brain 10 percent myth and 1,135,000’ the myth examined was, that we only use 10% of our brains.

Before looking at brain myth and brain injury, here is a summary of why the 10% myth is a myth! Why there is no golden ticket to a secret supply.

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The brain needs enormous amounts of energy, and it needs it all the time to keep it working. It could not, and would not, want to support the supposed 90% on standby.Nathalie Gjeorse in the article “The Greatest Brain Myth There Ever Was” explains:

“The brain is a greedy gobbler of energy. Needing this supply constantly to keep it working well. The brain does not have energy spare to keep a whole lot of cells waiting for their moment to shine. Quite the opposite. To keep it running as efficiently as possible a spring clean takes place throughout our lives and cells no longer used are “pruned”. We often hear about a decrease in the number of cells in babies after birth.“ (Gjoerse, 2014)

We know brains have changed over time with the frontal lobe being the most recent to develop. It is all about working as efficiently as possible. Efficiency is working at 100% or as close to it as possible. If 90% was not working, the brain would probably shrink to the size of the 10% we are using.

 

Studying the brains of many of the 10 million plus people around the world living with brain injury, there is very little of the brain that can be damaged, without loss of function. People can have lasting difficulties when even a small part of the brain is damaged.

 

All parts of the brain work together and each area of the brain has its own function. Much of this has been‘mapped’ using various tools and technology. Inactive areas would show in this mapping. To date there does not appear to be a large, inactive, storage section of brain.

 

When a person has a degenerative brain disease, such as dementia, studies of the brain show global deterioration. A large number of spare cells do not suddenly show up in perfect working order.

 

Throughout life when cells are no longer needed they are “pruned” therefore if we did not use 90% of the cells for a time, they too would be pruned.

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In a series of papers, focussed on the impact on education and learning, the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) part of the the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has a series of papers debunking brain myths. Number 4 shares further information on the myth “We only use 10% of our brain”.

 

What Is the Harm in Brain Injury and the Brain 10 Percent Myth

Large purple and green graffiti text saying Myth on wall
Flickr Image by Philo Nordlund

Waiting for the golden ticket

If there was a golden ticket to our extra magical 90%, I think most of us would have used it already.

If we continue to think there is an unused portion to call upon, we might not do the work to keep up optimal brain function.

You can get better if you access that 90%

It can create difficulties for people living with brain injury. Reinforcing an idea that you can do something if you try hard enough.

Dispelling the myth might limit, (maybe a little), the number of times people say thoughtless, fact-less, statements such as “Oh but we only use 10% of our brains so you can tap into the other 90%”.     “You are just not trying hard enough.”

Risky behaviour because you believe there are brain reserves.

The idea we have brain power in reserve can be harmful when one engages in risky behaviour. Thinking “If I kill off brain cells I have more in reserve if I need them”.

This can link with another common myth that alcohol kills off brain cells  ‘It doesn’t matter if I kill off a few cells with alcohol I have a lot of spares”. Both are myths.

Costly resources to access the mythical 90%.

There is an industry of products and treatments built around the 10% myth. It is natural for people to seek out treatments and cures, particularly when you have a brain injury.

At times, when a person is vulnerable this can lead to putting valuable personal and valuable resources into unproven and sometimes ineffective treatments

There are websites devoted to debunking brain myths. Neurobollocks, in a Statement of Intent states:

“There has been a resurgence of interest and activity around neuro-whatever businesses in the last few years. A good case in point is the current craze for so-called ‘brain training’ products, of which there are now hundreds. Some of these are simply harmless distractions and present themselves as such, others make big claims about boosting intelligence, curing conditions such as ADHD, or preventing age-related cognitive decline. Can they really do these things? On balance, the serious research suggests that no, they absolutely cannot.”  Neurobollocks

 

Getting to Use 100% of Brain Function

100 coloured photos making number 100. Brain Injury and Brain myth
Brain Injury and Brain Myth 100%. Flickr Image by Brian J. Matis

Number one. Brain injury or not, is to work at getting the best brain possible – a brain working at 100%. Don’t wait for golden ticket to the mystery 90%.

How do we do that?

Become a Myth Debunker or at Least a Myth Skeptic
  • In tracking the brain 10 percent myth we see how the history, assumptions, and romantic idea of this theory led to its wide spread belief. We can learn from this:
    • Continue to examine this, and other theories about the brain and brain injury, in a detailed way. we are less likely to base our support on potentially harmful theories and treatments.
    • Examine our own and others assumptions and beliefs – including my own, right here. Comments encouraged below.

Debunk myths and focus on what can be done to improve and protect brain function. It takes hard work not a magic pill or program.

 

Focus on building the best brain you can
Drawing of an arm with brain inserted in as though a muscle
Image Better Pitching

The article ‘Train It To Regain It’ focussed on building and maintaining brain function.

1. Use it or lose it

2. Cells that fire together wire together

“It’s true that increased connectivity between neurons is associated with greater expertise. Musicians who train for years have greater connectivity and activation of those regions of the brain that control their finger movements and those that bind sensory and motor information. This is the first principle of neural connectivity: cells that fire together wire together.” “The Greatest Brain Myth There Ever Was”   (Gjersoe, N 2014)

Focus on what you are passionate about and what you are good at

Sarah Mackay on Your Brain Health writes about many things that can improve your brain.  “Your life’s purpose. Why finding your passion is essential to maintaining brain health.”   Sarah writes about finding, and doing what you are passionate about.

Build from what you are good at. Focus on your strengths. More strategies are discussed in ‘Can Do! Strengths and Brain Injury’

 

Maintain good brain and body health

Healthy nutrition and a healthy body assists brain health and function.

It is however a topic that has many theories and promotions for achieving brain health. I am not detailing research, or making recommendations, here. This is a big and complex topic. It needs the same careful approach as recommended for assessing myths and facts.

Sarah Mackay,at Your Brain Health  discusses the research about into the link between diet and brain health in an article ‘Mediterranean Diet. The best diet for your healthy aging brain’.

DieHardBrain discusses reports that a High Carb Diet Increases Your Risk for Dementia.

 

Be open to learning more about maintaining a healthy brain

Debbie Hampton has a blog of aptly titled The Best Brain Possible.  In an article ‘The Best Brain Advice From the Experts’  Debbie has provided tips and advice from “ a group of some of the most knowledgeable leaders in brain fitness movement”.

One tip from Rick Hanson caught my eye. He talks about our brains’ natural tendency to focus on the bad news and the negative. Being a natural ‘catastrophiser’ myself (and I made that word up to perfectly describe my approach!)  his suggestion of “training the brain to look for good facts, turn these into good experiences, and then – most important – really internalize these experiences,”is helpful to me.

 

I would welcome your comments on brain injury and brain myths and any resources you have discovered.

 

 

 

 

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