To: K-list
Recieved: 2001/05/14 14:33
Subject: Re: [K-list] The Neurology of the Self
From: Mistress of the 8th House
On 2001/05/14 14:33, Mistress of the 8th House posted thus to the K-list:
Ok, I'm confused here... I was always under the impression that there were
environmental as well as neurobiological causes of mental illness.<puzzled
look>
This article clearly supports the neurobiological theory, but all forms of
mental illness cannot be based purely on such theories. This is an ongoing
arguement in the field of Psychology/Psychiatry. Many theorists belive that
early childhood trauma, abuse or neglect may be partial explanations for
things such as Personality Disorders ( for example), while others argue that
this is not the whole answer, and that some people have a predisposition to
these disorders. Either way there will always be people who subscribe to
different schools of thought. Whether you believe that a psychopath is the
result of coming form a violent , abusive background or is so because they
have a "deficit" of sorts in the the frontal lobe is purely a matter of
OPINION. Some people are depressed because they have low serotonin
levels.... Others because they have been victims of incest or sexual
assault.
All I am trying to say here is that there is no right or wrong answer.Why do
people have trouble accepting that?
Jen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Wynter" <lifestreamsATnospambigpond.com>
To: <K-list >
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 3:53 PM
Subject: [K-list] The Neurology of the Self
> PHILADELPHIA, PA - Researchers may have identified the area of the brain
> that controls our sense of self, according to a study presented during the
> American Academy of Neurology's 53rd Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA,
> May 5-11, 2001.
>
> "We think of our 'self' -- including our beliefs and values and even the
> way we dress -- as something we determine, not just an anatomical
process,"
> said study author and neurologist Bruce L. Miller, MD, of the University
of
> California, San Francisco. "But this research shows that one area of the
> brain controls much of our sense of self, and amage to that area can
> dramatically change who we are."
>
> Miller started investigating the anatomy of the self after noticing that
> several of his patients with frontotemporal dementia underwent dramatic
> changes, from changing their political and religious beliefs to changing
> the clothes they wore and the food they ate.
>
> "One woman was a charming, dynamic real estate agent who went from wearing
> expensive designer apparel to choosing cheap clothing and gaudy beads and
> asking strangers the cost of their clothing," Miller said. "Her preference
> for fine dining in French restaurants turned into a love of fast food."
>
> In another case, a 40-year-old man sold his business and tried several
> jobs, but was always fired for irresponsible behavior. "He had been a
> critical, self-reliant person who recognized his own mistakes, but now he
> blamed his employers for his poor work record," Miller said. "At home he
> went from being tight-fisted and short-tempered to relaxed and easy-going.
> His views about sex, which had been puritanical, were now tolerant and
even
> perimental -- he even urged his children to share his new, uninhibited
> philosophy."
>
> "We wanted to figure out how this disease could cause such dramatic
> changes," Miller said.
>
> For the study, researchers examined 72 people with frontotemporal
dementia,
> a rare form of dementia that is often genetic and usually develops in
> people in their 50s. The patients were evaluated to identify those with a
> change in their "self," which was defined as changes in their political,
> social or religious values or style of dress. MRI and single photon
> emission computerized tomography (SPECT) images were used to determine
> which areas of the brain had the most severe degeneration from the
disease.
>
> Seven patients had a dramatic change of self. Of those, six had the most
> severe abnormalities in the brain's right frontal lobe. In the seventh
> patient, the right temporal lobe was the most affected. Of the 65 patients
> whose sense of self did not change dramatically, only one had the most
> severe damage in the right frontal lobe, Miller said.
>
> "This suggests that normal functioning of the right frontal lobe is
> necessary for people to maintain their sense of self," Miller said. "It
> shows that a biological disorder can not only have profound effects on
> behavior, but it can even break down well-established patterns of
awareness
> and self-reflection."
>
> The patients with the loss of self had relatively normal memory and
> language functioning, which is impaired in some frontotemporal dementia
> patients, according to Miller.
>
http://www.kundalini-gateway.org
DISCLAIMER!
Home | Archive Index | Search the archives | Subscribe
K. List FAQ | Kundalini FAQs | Signs and Symptoms | Awakening Experiences | K. list Polls | Member Essays | Meditations | List Topics | Art Gallery | Cybrary | Sitemap | Email the moderators.
symbol.