How The Brain Works

How The Brain Works

1. Amygdala

   • system where emotional state will determine the admission of information into the brain
   • in negative emotion it become overactivated
     • No new information will enter prefrontal cortex
     • blockage of information
   • activity of amygdala can be controlled
     • by turning things around us become calm and focused
       • can send new information to prefrontal cortex
     • by taking a deep breath or visualize a peaceful place
       • can promote the use of prefrontal cortex

2. Reactive Brain

   • When get distracted by negative emotions
     • brain will process information less or remember it slightly
       • ignore it, fight against it as negative experience, avoid it

3. Prefrontal Cortex

   • a.k.a. thinking brain
   • sensory information will be process and reflect consciously
     • not stress
       • can control what information gets admitted into brain
       • more valuable information will gets into the brain
       • can control which information that we want to keep or not

4. Hippocampus

   • important role in memory processing
   • link new sensory input to both the past memories and existing knowledge stored in long-term memory to make new relational memory
   • can hold memories better
     • if we review and practice something we've learned
       • our dendrites can grow
       • connections between nerve cells increase each time we review
       • brains becomes more efficiently wired

5. Neurotransmitter

   • dopamine
     • carry electrical messages from one neuron to another
     • will be released when we feel happy
     • certain foods help balance dopamine level
       • fish
         • contains omega 3 that linked to dopamine production
       • eggs
         • contains tyrosine
       • bananas
         • including the amino acid tyrosine, which boosts dopamine