Presented by Dr. Vincent Kiechlin
View the webinar’s corresponding slides here
This webinar will cover the primary function of the brain and why we have one in the first place. Including:
– the basic workings of brain cells
– why they communicate with each other
– how their function can be changed
Dr. Kiechlin will cover the basic development of the brain and nervous system and how the development can affect learning. This includes behavior and cognition.
Comments(12)
SWilliams says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:31 pmAny advice on helping staff who work with aggressive students avoid a concussion.
Dr.Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:33 pmA tough, but a good question. In my experience dealing with aggressive children, you have to remember that they don’t experience the world like the rest of us. They tend to be more sensitive to their environment. This is because their cerebellums and frontal lobe‘s are under developed in most cases and they tend to be more reactive to their environment. My advice would be to figure out what in the environment is triggering their violent behavior and either avoid it or introduce that environmental stimulation at a very low level for short periods of time to reduce their sensitivity.
EStout says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:31 pmHave you had any experience working with adults with untreated/undiagnosed AD?
Dr.Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:33 pmAttention Deficit is a psychological diagnosis, so therefore I don’t treat that directly. However, I’ve treated many adults who have difficulty with attention and have been very successful.
CLeggio says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:31 pmHow much of a difference would actual diet make in the protein arena?
Dr.Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:33 pmBecause our brain is predominantly made of proteins a proper diet is very important. However, eating excessive protein will have a little effect on whether your brain cells can make protein. Brain cells make new genes which then transfer to proteins as a consequence of primarily environmental stimulation.
AMark says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:32 pmYou mentioned that there is fat in the brain and its importance. Is it possible to do damage by restricting fat from our diets?
BGhoolie says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:32 pmTalk about stimulation of neurons, what is considered stimulation and/or overstimulation?
Dr. Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:39 pmAs I talked about in the lecture, stimulation of neurons comes from the environment. Neurons need to stimulation to make new genes and proteins in order to survive. The greatest stimulation to our brain comes from gravity because it is the only environmental stimulation that is constant. When the brain becomes overstimulated it will fatigue. How much is too much depends upon the individual person. Remember fatigue does not necessarily mean tired. When some individuals become fatigued, they can actually become hyper active as opposed to less active.
SDay says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:32 pmSince gravity is so important, has there been any research that you are aware of related to gravity loss around space travel?
Dr. Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:39 pmThere is a tremendous amount of research that has been done on what happens to the human body when it goes into an antigravity environment. The website for the national aeronautics and space administration is a good resource, but there are many others. Some of the research that I have read over the years has pointed out that when people go into space they tend to have changes in their autonomic nervous system whereby they have dysregulation of their heart rates and their blood pressure. Some people have become cognitively impaired as well.
Dr.Kiechlin says:
December 12, 2019 at 12:36 pmBecause all of the cells in our body have a bi-lipid layer which allows fats to be transported across the cell membrane, it is very important that we have the proper amount of fat in our diet. Both fat and protein are broken down slower in our bodies than carbohydrates and therefore, tend to regulate blood sugar which is very important for normal brain activity.