Change the Mind?
Posted by Carolan Gladden at 3/26/2011 4:52 PM 
Categories: Music, Health, People, Books, Ideas
Tags: brain music Oliver Sacks The Minds Eye
Categories: Music, Health, People, Books, Ideas
Tags: brain music Oliver Sacks The Minds Eye
Oliver Sacks, the medical doctor behind the film "Awakenings," is a multitalented British physician and Columbia University Medical Center professor of neurology and psychiatry, not to mention a prolific author. His latest book "The Mind's Eye" prompted several intriguing ideas in a New York Times op ed piece a while back.
In "This Year, Change Your Mind," the doctor takes off from the standard New Year's resolutions such as eating healthier, losing weight, etc. to propose that most of us don't realize we can strengthen our brains in a similar way.
Dr. Sacks explains: "Neuroplasticity -- the brain's capacity to create new pathways -- is a crucial part of recovery for anyone who loses a sense or a cognitive or motor ability. But it can also be part of everyday life for all of us ... Neuroscientists now know that the brain does not stop growing, even in our later years. Every time we practice an old skill or learn a new one, existing neural connections are strengthened and over time neurons create more connections to other neurons ... Even new nerve cells can be generated."
Of particular interest to me is what he says about music. "Music is an especially powerful shaping force, for listening to and especially playing." And he sums up, "Whether it is by learning a new language, traveling to a new place, developing a passion for beekeeping or simply thinking about an old problem in a new way, all of us can find ways to stimulate our brains to grow ... Just as physical activity is essential to maintaining a healthy body, challenging one's brain, keeping it active, engaged, flexible and playful is not only fun. It is essential to cognitive fitness."
Positively,
Carolan
Please enjoy my new blog: On the Edge
In "This Year, Change Your Mind," the doctor takes off from the standard New Year's resolutions such as eating healthier, losing weight, etc. to propose that most of us don't realize we can strengthen our brains in a similar way.
Dr. Sacks explains: "Neuroplasticity -- the brain's capacity to create new pathways -- is a crucial part of recovery for anyone who loses a sense or a cognitive or motor ability. But it can also be part of everyday life for all of us ... Neuroscientists now know that the brain does not stop growing, even in our later years. Every time we practice an old skill or learn a new one, existing neural connections are strengthened and over time neurons create more connections to other neurons ... Even new nerve cells can be generated."
Of particular interest to me is what he says about music. "Music is an especially powerful shaping force, for listening to and especially playing." And he sums up, "Whether it is by learning a new language, traveling to a new place, developing a passion for beekeeping or simply thinking about an old problem in a new way, all of us can find ways to stimulate our brains to grow ... Just as physical activity is essential to maintaining a healthy body, challenging one's brain, keeping it active, engaged, flexible and playful is not only fun. It is essential to cognitive fitness."
Positively,
Carolan
Please enjoy my new blog: On the Edge
Comments