Magnificent Mind at Any Age

Hidden Short Circuits May Be Ruining Your Life

LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT YOUR VULNERABLE AREAS

When Edward came to the Amen Clinic he was driving a truck for a living. He had just split from his second wife, felt sad and extremely anxious, and was having suicidal thoughts. He frequently had the urge to drive his truck off a bridge or over a cliff. When I went to the waiting room to greet Edward for the first time I saw him drawing in an artist’s sketchbook. When I asked, he hesitantly showed me his picture. It was amazing. I thought that he must have been a trained professional artist, yet it was not mentioned in the background information I had just read about him.

Edward’s clinical evaluation and brain scans revealed he suffered from depression, anxiety, and ADHD. All of his adult life he had struggled to keep jobs and was a never-ending source of frustration to his romantic partners. He was sick of feeling bad and now motivated to get help. With treatment, which entailed a combination of dietary changes, exercise, nutritional supplements, medication, and targeted mind exercises, he began to heal.

Edward had always wanted to be an artist. His teachers told him that he was gifted from the time he was in grade school. Yet he was never able to follow through and finish the projects he started. As his treatment began to take hold, he started completing art pieces. He was able to sell several paintings in a local gallery. Over the next year the demand for his work increased and he was able to quit working for the trucking company to focus on his art full time. Three years after I first met Edward he sold a painting for more than a hundred thousand dollars. Many people think they cannot afford to get help. Yet living with an untreated or ineffectively treated psychiatric illness is much more expensive than spending money on the help you need.

The shocking statistic is that 49 percent of the U.S. population at some point in their lives will suffer from a psychiatric disorder. Anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and ADHD are the most common. Twenty-nine percent of the population will have two distinct disorders, and 17 percent, like Edward, will have three. Having one or more of these illnesses can certainly interfere with your ability to be successful at work and in your relationships, and they rob many people of their ability to feel happy and content. They also rob many people of their lives, as suicide claims nearly one million people every year worldwide.

Our brain imaging work has taught me that these problems are frequently the result of short circuits in the brain that can be repaired or ameliorated. The sad truth is that most people never avail themselves of appropriate treatment either because of ignorance, fear, shame, or guilt. This chapter will explore how these short circuits interfere with success.

I love being a psychiatrist but hate the words psychiatry, psychiatric, psychiatrist, and mental disorder. To the general population these words conjure up notions of crazy, weird, unusual, weak will, character problems, and somehow not being authentic or real. When I first told my father that I wanted to be a psychiatrist, he was clearly disappointed and asked me why I didn’t want to be a real doctor. Yet these problems are real, cause real suffering, have a real biological basis in brain dysfunction, and occur commonly in people most would consider normal.

We Are All Vulnerable, Even Me

Given how common these illnesses are, almost all of us are vulnerable to them at some point in our lives. I know some of you are thinking, not me, I will never go through depression or anxiety, I will never have a problem with drugs or alcohol. I used to be like that too. I treated people who had problems, but I was too strong, too together, to suffer like my patients. Wrong! Several years ago I lost someone important to me. For nearly nine months I suffered from extreme anxiety, had crushing chest pain, couldn’t sleep, and had terrible thoughts running through my mind. The anxiety affected my work and relationships. It hurt, more than I could have imagined. Ultimately, that period in my life made me stronger and I am grateful for it. I learned more emotional management skills for myself and my patients and met some incredibly wonderful, helpful people, and it significantly increased the empathy I had for people who suffer.

Untreated or ineffectively treated brain problems or psychiatric problems, whatever we call them, limit a person’s ability to be successful. Of course, this is not always true, as many people who suffer from these illnesses are highly successful. Think of people such as Ernest Hemingway (depression), Vincent van Gogh (psychosis), John Madden (fear of flying), Jane Fonda (bulimia), Brooke Shields (postpartum depression), and Howard Hughes (obsessive-compulsive disorder), to name a few. All of these people suffered. Still, even for these people, their illnesses disrupted their lives and limited their abilities. Getting the proper treatment decreases suffering and increases effectiveness.

A Completely New Way of Looking at Failure

Wesley was the leader of a research work group at a large university. He brought in millions of dollars of grant money each year. Yet his department was inefficient and had a high turnover rate. Most people who worked with him thought he was a narcissistic jerk, including his boss, with whom he was constantly at odds. His boss once asked him if he failed kindergarten, “because he never learned to share.” Wesley had temper outbursts and very poor social skills. Eventually, he was fired for his difficult behavior after he publicly challenged his boss in front of the university chancellor.

J. D. was the CEO of a multimillion-dollar food service organization. Normally a reasonable guy, J. D. blew up during a staff meeting at Vince, his trusted vice president who had been close to him for several years. Vince was so embarrassed by the tirade that he walked out of the meeting. J. D. had to spend several hours convincing him not to quit his job. Their relationship was never quite the same again. J. D. had periodic temper outbursts for little to no reason, but this was the first one that happened at this job. He had tormented his family with these outbursts for several years.

Cherie was the office manager of a large law practice. Despite being hardworking and efficient, she was fired for being inflexible and rude to clients and the law partners. She had been counseled several times before her termination. She had significant trouble with change and believed that the way things had been in the past is the way they should always be. Her children all left home before they turned eighteen. They just needed some space where they could have their own minds and be themselves.

Bill was the general manager of a department store chain. After ten years of service he was fired for stealing from the business. His wife had left him three years earlier because of infidelity.

Danny was a manager of a local grocery store. He was fired after he was caught by the owner having sex with one of the cashiers in the manager’s office.

Sima was a clerk in a large cell phone store. She was smart, warm, and caring. Her customers and co-workers liked her. Yet she would go through extended periods where she would be late to work, call in sick, and look sad and disheveled. Her unpredictable behavior led to her termination, which significantly upset the morale at the store and left them shorthanded.

Terry was a pharmacy manager for a local drugstore chain. He worked for a boss who was angry and inconsistent. He was afraid of his boss. Terry felt so anxious that he began to suffer from headaches and gastrointestinal problems and started to miss work. Terry never felt as though he could confront his manager or go above his head to the regional manager. After a year of inconsistent work production, Terry was fired.

Barbara, age sixty-two, was a high school English teacher. The students and faculty had loved her for many years. In the past four years, however, she was growing more and more forgetful, irritable, and unreliable. She seemed unmotivated, which was a marked change in her personality. After being counseled several times, which had no impact on her behavior, she was terminated. Her husband was beside himself. His wife had become a completely different person.

What do all of these people have in common? Brain troubles mislabeled as bad behavior, leading to failure. Wesley and J. D. had a problem in a part of the brain called the temporal lobe, causing temper outbursts and poor social skills. Cherie was seriously inflexible, caused by too much activity in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate gyrus (known as the brain’s gear shifter). Bill and Danny had problems with the prefrontal cortex (called the brain’s executive center) and exhibited impulse control problems (stealing and having sex with employees). Sima suffered from periods of severe depression, likely caused by too much activity in her deep limbic system. Terry suffered with severe anxiety and situational stress, where his basal ganglia worked overtime. Barbara had Alzheimer’s disease, causing her temporal lobes to deteriorate at a rapid pace. All of these people had skill and all had been previously promoted. Yet because of their brain problems, they exhibited intolerable behavior that cost them their jobs and stressed their families. Not once did their supervisors or family members give the brain one thought. Most of these people had treatable problems that could have saved their businesses and families large sums of money, heartache, and time.

To know when your brain is in trouble, it is important to have a basic understanding of how your brain works, including its strengths and weaknesses. In the rest of this chapter I will introduce you to six areas of the brain that are most intimately involved with success and failure. I will show you what these areas do and what happens when things go wrong. These brain areas will also be referred to a number of times throughout the book.

Before I describe these systems, take the following brain system quiz to see where you stand. I realize that not everyone is able to get a brain scan, so I have developed a checklist to help predict areas of strength and weakness. A word of caution is in order. Self-report checklists have advantages and limitations. On the one hand, they are quick, inexpensive, and easy to score. On the other hand, people filling them out may portray themselves in a way they want to be perceived, resulting in self-report bias. For example, some people exaggerate their experience and mark all of the symptoms as frequent, in essence saying, “I’m glad to have a real problem so that I can get help, be sick, or have an excuse for the troubles I have.” Others are in total denial. They do not want to see any personal flaws and they do not check any symptoms as significantly problematic, in essence saying, “I’m okay. There’s nothing wrong with me. Leave me alone.” Not all self-report bias is intentional. People may genuinely have difficulty recognizing problems and expressing how they feel. Sometimes family members or friends are better at evaluating a loved one’s level of functioning than a person evaluating himself. They may have noticed things that their loved one hasn’t. Quizzes of any sort should never be used as the only assessment tool. They are simply catalysts to help you think, ask better questions, and get more evaluation if needed.

AMEN CLINIC BRIEF BRAIN SYSTEM QUESTIONNAIRE

Please rate yourself on each of the symptoms listed below using the following scale. If possible have another person who knows you well (such as a spouse, lover, or parent) rate you as well.

0	1	2	3	4
Never	Rarely	Occasionally	Frequently	Very Frequently

____ 1. Has trouble sustaining attention

____ 2. Lacks attention to detail

____ 3. Is easily distracted

____ 4. Tends to procrastinate

____ 5. Lacks clear goals

____ 6. Is restless

____ 7. Has difficulty expressing empathy for others

____ 8. Blurts out answers before questions have been completed, interrupts frequently

____ 9. Is impulsive (saying or doing things without thinking first)

____ 10. Needs caffeine or nicotine in order to focus

____ 11. Gets stuck on negative thoughts

____ 12. Worries

____ 13. Has tendency toward compulsive or addictive behaviors

____ 14. Holds grudges

____ 15. Becomes upset when things do not go your way

____ 16. Becomes upset when things are out of place

____ 17. Has tendency to be oppositional or argumentative

____ 18. Dislikes change

____ 19. Needs to have things done a certain way or becomes very upset

____ 20. Has trouble seeing options in situations

____ 21. Feels sad

____ 22. Is negative

____ 23. Feels dissatisfied

____ 24. Feels bored

____ 25. Has low energy

____ 26. Experiences decreased interest in things that are usually fun or pleasurable

____ 27. Experiences feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, or guilt

____ 28. Has crying spells

____ 29. Has chronic low self-esteem

____ 30. Experiences social isolation

____ 31. Feels nervousness and anxiety

____ 32. Experiences feelings of panic

____ 33. Has symptoms of heightened muscle tension (headaches, sore muscles, hand tremor)

____ 34. Tends to predict the worst

____ 35. Avoids conflict

____ 36. Has excessive fear of being judged or scrutinized by others

____ 37. Has excessive motivation, trouble stopping working

____ 38. Lacks confidence in their abilities

____ 39. Always watches for something bad to happen

____ 40. Is prone to quick startles

____ 41. Has a short fuse

____ 42. Experiences periods of heightened irritability

____ 43. Misinterprets comments as negative when they are not

____ 44. Experiences frequent periods of déjà vu (feelings of being somewhere you have never been)

____ 45. Displays sensitivity or mild paranoia

____ 46. Has a history of a head injury

____ 47. Experiences dark thoughts, may involve suicidal or homicidal thoughts

____ 48. Undergoes periods of forgetfulness or memory problems

____ 49. Has trouble finding the right word to say

____ 50. Experiences unstable moods

____ 51. Has poor handwriting

____ 52. Has trouble maintaining an organized work area

____ 53. I tend to have multiple piles around the house.

____ 54. I am more sensitive to noise than others.

____ 55. I am particularly sensitive to touch or tags in clothing.

____ 56. I tend to be clumsy or accident prone.

____ 57. I have trouble learning new information or routines.

____ 58. I have trouble keeping up in conversations.

____ 59. I am light sensitive and easily bothered by glare, sunlight, headlights, or streetlights.

____ 60. I seem to be more sensitive to the environment than others.

ANSWER KEY

Prefrontal cortex symptoms: 1–10

Anterior cingulate gyrus symptoms: 11–20

Deep limbic system symptoms: 21–30

Basal ganglia symptoms: 31–40

Temporal lobe symptoms: 41–50

Cerebellum symptoms: 51–60

In each system, if you or a significant other answered the following number of questions with the answer of 3 or 4, here is the probability that problems may be present.

Highly probable	5 questions
Probable	3 questions
May be possible	2 questions

Your Brain and Behavior

The brain is divided into five main lobes or regions.

• Frontal and prefrontal—forethought and judgment

• Temporal—memory and mood stability

• Parietal—sensory processing and direction sense

• Occipital lobes—visual processing

• Cerebellum—coordination and processing speed

There are also important structures deep in the brain, such as:

• Anterior cingulate gyrus—gear shifter

• Basal ganglia—anxiety center

• Deep limbic system—emotional center

• Ventral tegmental area—produces the neurotransmitter dopamine, involved with saliency (how important something is to do)

A useful generalization about how the brain functions is that the back half—the parietal, occipital, and back part of the temporal lobes—takes in and perceives the world. The front half of the brain integrates this information, analyzes it, decides what to do, then plans and executes the decision. All of these areas are involved with your successes and struggles in life. We’ll look specifically at the functions of six brain systems involved with work, loving, and learning, including the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, deep limbic system, basal ganglia, temporal lobes, and the cerebellum. In addition, there will be a brief discussion about the problems associated with each area along with some strategies to help them heal.

Prefrontal Cortex

Whenever we discuss humans, the first area of the brain that we have to explore is the prefrontal cortex (PFC). It is largest in human beings than any other animal by far. It is the part of your brain that makes you human. It is 30 percent of the human brain, 11 percent of the chimpanzee brain, 7 percent of the dog’s brain, and only 3 percent of the cat’s brain. Cats have no forethought and very little impulse control. My cat, Annabelle, lives totally in the moment. She doesn’t think about the past or worry about the future. She also doesn’t learn from mistakes and will drink out of the toilet, no matter how many times she has been told no.

The PFC is called the executive brain, because it acts in our head like the boss at work. When it is low in activity, it is as if the boss is gone, so there is little to no supervision and nothing gets done. When the PFC works too hard, it is as if the boss is micromanaging everyone, and people are left with anxiety and worry. The PFC helps us make decisions and keep us on track toward our goals. I also call it the Jiminy Cricket part of the brain. Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio’s conscience, that still, small voice in his head that helped him decide between right and wrong. Your PFC helps keep your behavior in check. Comedian Dudley Moore once said, “The best car safety device is a rearview mirror with a cop in it.” The PFC acts like the cop in your head.

Problems with the PFC result in a “Jiminy Cricket deficiency syndrome” with a diminished conscience, poor judgment, impulsivity, short attention span, disorganization, trouble learning from experience, confusion, poor time management, and lack of empathy. Low activity in this part of the brain is often due to a deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine, and increasing it through supplements or medications is often helpful.

Joan

Image 4.1
ADD. No treatment

Image 4.2
Treatment with auricular acupressure beads

Images 4.1–4.3 depict three SPECT scans of Joan, a sixty-two-year-old woman who suffered from severe ADD and dyslexia her whole life. They were performed on three consecutive days. The first scan shows her untreated brain. In the second one, auricular acupressure beads were placed on both of her ears, resulting in some improvement. The third scan was done after Joan had been placed on Adderall, a stimulant medication, which dramatically improved her brain. These scans demonstrate that you can improve how your brain functions and change your life. With a better brain for Joan came a much better life, even though she was in her sixties when she was first scanned. One of the most exciting things about this scan series is that an innocuous treatment such as acupressure beads made a positive difference. Our imaging work has taught me to have more respect for alternative treatments, and even though they do not always work as robustly as medications, I have found these treatments can be used successfully in mild to moderate cases and used as additive treatments to help people use less medication.

Image 4.3
Treatment with Adderall

Here is a quick summary of the PFC.

PREFRONTAL CORTEX (PFC) SUMMARY
(The Supervising Boss in Your Head)

PFC Functions	Low PFC Problems
Focus	Short attention span
Forethought	Lacks clear goals or forward thinking
Impulse control	Impulsivity
Organization	Disorganization
Planning, goal setting	Procrastination
Judgment	Poor judgment
Empathy	Lack of empathy
Emotional control	Failing to give close attention to detail
Insight	Lack of insight
Learning from mistakes	Trouble learning from mistakes
	Easily distracted

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Low PFC Activity

ADHD	Some types of depression
Brain trauma	Dementia, associated with bad judgment
Schizophrenia	Antisocial personality
Conduct disorders

Ways to Balance Low PFC

Organizational help, coaching	Intense aerobic exercise (boosts blood flow)
Goal setting / planning exercises	Higher protein diet

Stimulating supplements: L-tyrosine, DL-phenylalanine, L-theanine, or S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) help boost dopamine or norepinephrine in the brain (see chapters 6, 7, and 8 for details on natural treatments; try only one at a time and discuss these supplements with your health care professionals too).

Stimulating medications (if appropriate): Adderall, Dexedrine, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Wellbutrin, Strattera, or Provigil. We do not give stimulants to people with schizophrenia. Obviously, any medication recommendations need to be discussed with your doctor. These are just general suggestions.

Anterior Cingulate Gyrus

The anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) helps you feel settled, relaxed, and flexible. It runs lengthwise through the deep parts of the frontal lobes and is the brain’s major switching station. I think of it as the brain’s gear shifter; it greases human behavior and allows us to be flexible, adaptable, and to change as change is needed. This part of the brain is involved in helping shift attention from idea to idea and seeing the options in your life. The term that best relates to the ACG is cognitive flexibility. When there is too much activity in the ACG, usually owing to lower serotonin levels, people become unable to shift their attention and become rigid, cognitively inflexible, overfocused, anxious, and oppositional. They may also hold grudges and get stuck on past hurts. Along with shifting attention, cooperation is also influenced by this part of the brain. When the ACG works in an effective manner it is easy to shift into cooperative modes of behavior. When it works too hard, people have difficulty shifting attention and get stuck in ineffective behavior patterns, where they may be uncooperative or difficult and stuck in their own mind-set.

ANTERIOR CINGULATE GYRUS (ACG) SUMMARY
(The Brain’s Gear Shifter)

ACG Functions	Excessive ACG Activity Problems
Cognitive flexibility	Preoccupation with negative thoughts or behaviors
Cooperation	Worries
Moving from idea to idea	Grudge holding
Seeing options	Obsessions/compulsions
Going with the flow	Inflexiblity, may appear selfish
Seeing errors	Tendency to be oppositional/argumentative
	Tendency to become upset when things do not go your way
	Tendency to become upset when things are out of place
	Intense dislike for change
	Tendency to say no without thinking
	Seeing too many errors

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Excessive ACG Activity

Obsessive-compulsive disorder	Eating disorders
Premenstrual tension syndrome, some types	Chronic pain (stuck on pain)
Post-traumatic stress disorder	Oppositional defiant disorder
Difficult temperaments	Tourette’s syndrome
(need to have one’s own way)

Ways to Calm Excessive ACG Activity

Intense aerobic exercise	Distraction
Relationship counseling, anger management	Lower protein / complex carbs diet

ACG supplements: 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), St. John’s wort, or inositol help boost serotonin to the brain (see chapters 6, 7, and 8 for details on natural treatments; try only one at a time and discuss these with your health care professionals too)

ACG medications (if appropriate): selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac, Luvox), Effexor, atypical antipsychotics in refractory cases (Risperdal, Zyprexa, or Geodon)

Deep Limbic System

The deep limbic system (DLS) lies near the center of the brain. About the size of a walnut, this part of the brain is involved in setting a person’s emotional tone. When the DLS is less active, there is generally a positive, more hopeful state of mind. When it is heated up, or overactive, negativity can take over. Because of this emotional shading, the DLS provides the filter through which you interpret the events of the day; it tags or colors events, depending on the emotional state of mind. The DLS also affects motivation and drive. It helps get you going in the morning and encourages you to move throughout the day. Overactivity in this area is associated with lowered motivation and drive, which is often seen in depression. The DLS is intimately involved with bonding and social connectedness. This capacity to bond plays a significant role in the tone and quality of our moods. The DLS also directly processes the sense of smell. Because your sense of smell goes directly to the deep limbic system, it is easy to see why smells can have such a powerful impact on our feeling states.

The problems in the DLS are associated with depression and negativity along with low motivation, libido, and energy. Because sufferers feel hopeless about the outcome, they have little willpower to follow through with tasks. High activity in the DLS may be due to deficiencies in the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, or serotonin, and increasing these chemicals through supplements or medications may be helpful. Here is a quick summary of the DLS.

DEEP LIMBIC SYSTEM (DLS) SUMMARY
(The Mood and Bonding Center)

DLS Functions Excessive	DLS Activity Problems
Mood control	Depression, sadness
Charged memories	Focused on the negative, irritability
Modulates motivation	Low motivation and energy
Sets emotional tone	Negativity, blame, guilt
Bonding	Social disconnections/isolation
Sense of smell	Low self-esteem
Libido	Low libido
	Decreased interest in things that are usually fun
	Feelings of worthlessness or helplessness
	Feeling dissatisfied or bored

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Excessive DLS Activity

Depression	Cyclic mood disorders
Pain syndromes

Ways to Balance High DLS Activity

Intense aerobic exercise

Cognitive-behavioral strategies to deal with automatic negative thoughts Balanced diet, such as the one described by Barry Sears in The Zone Diet

DLS supplements: DL-phenylalanine, SAMe, or L-tyrosine (see chapters 6, 7, and 8 for details on natural treatments; try only one at a time and discuss these with your health care professionals too)

DLS medications (if appropriate): antidepressants (Wellbutrin, Effexor, or Cymbalta), SSRIs (if high ACG also present), anticonvulsants or lithium for cyclic mood changes

Basal Ganglia

The basal ganglia (BG) are the large structures toward the center of the brain that surround the deep limbic system. The BG are involved with integrating feelings, thoughts, and movement, which is why you jump when you get excited or freeze when you are scared. The BG help to shift and smooth motor behavior. When activity in this area is low, as in Parkinson’s disease, people can develop tremors and problems with movement (writing, walking, jumping, etc.). In our clinic we have noticed that the BG are involved with setting the body’s idle or anxiety level. When the BG work too hard, people tend to struggle with anxiety and physical stress symptoms, such as headaches, intestinal problems, and muscle tension. High BG activity is also associated with conflict avoidant behavior. Anything that reminds them of a worry (such as confronting an employee who is not doing a good job) produces anxiety, and high BG people tend to avoid it, because it makes them feel uncomfortable. People with high BG activity also have trouble relaxing and tend to overwork. When the BG are low in activity, people tend to have problems with motivation, attention, and moving their lives forward. In addition, the BG are involved with feelings of pleasure and ecstasy. Cocaine works in this part of the brain. High activity in this part of the brain is often due to a deficiency in the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric, or GABA, and increasing it through supplements or medications is often helpful. Here is a quick summary of the BG.

BASAL GANGLIA (BG) SUMMARY
(The Anxiety Center)

BG Functions	Excessive BG Activity Problems
Integration of feelings, thoughts, and movement	High anxiety levels
Regulator of the body’s idle	Panic
Smooth movement	Hypervigilance
Motivation modulator	Muscle tension
Pleasure mediator	Conflict avoidance
	Predicting the worst
	Excessive fear of being judged by others
	Tendency to freeze in anxiety situations
	Shy or timid appearance
	Bites fingernails or picks skin
	Excessive motivation, inability to stop working

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Excessive BG Activity

Anxiety disorders	Workaholism
Physical stress symptoms	Insecurity
(headaches, stomachaches)

Ways to Calm High BG Activity

Cognitive therapy to quell the bad thoughts	Hypnosis, meditation
Relaxation training	Relaxing music
Assertiveness training	Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake

BG supplements: GABA, kava kava, or valerian root (see chapters 6, 7, and 8 for details on natural treatments; try only one at a time and discuss these with your health care professionals too)

BG medications (if appropriate): antianxiety medications such as benzodiazepines (low dose, short time), Buspar, anticonvulsants, blood pressure medications such as propranolol

Temporal Lobes

The temporal lobes (TLs), underneath your temples and behind your eyes, are involved with language (hearing and reading), reading social cues, short-term memory, getting memories into long-term storage, processing music and tone of voice, and mood stability. They also help with recognizing objects by sight and naming them. It is called the “what pathway” in the brain, as it is involved with recognition and naming objects and faces. In addition, the TLs, especially on the right side, have been implicated in spiritual experience and insight. Experiments that stimulate the right temporal lobe have demonstrated increased religious or spiritual experiences, such as feeling God’s presence.

Trouble in the TLs leads to both short-and long-term memory problems, reading difficulties, trouble finding the right words in conversation, trouble reading social cues, mood instability, and sometimes religious or moral preoccupation or perhaps a lack of spiritual sensitivity. The TLs, especially on the left side, have been associated with temper problems. Abnormal (high or low) activity in this part of the brain is often due to a deficiency in the neurotransmitter GABA, and balancing it through supplements or medications is often helpful.

TEMPORAL LOBES (TLS) SUMMARY
(Memory and Mood Stability)

TL Functions	TL Problems
Understanding and use of language	Language problems, dyslexia
Memory	Memory problems
Retrieval of words	Trouble finding the right word
Reading	Mood instability
Recognize words and objects	Anxiety for little or no reason
Emotional stability	Headaches or abdominal pain, hard to diagnose
Reading faces and social cues	Trouble reading facial expressions or social cues
Rhythm	Dark, evil, awful, or hopeless thoughts
Temper control	Aggression, toward self or others
Spiritual experience	Learning problems
	Illusions (shadows, visual or auditory distortions)
	An overfocusing on religious ideas

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Abnormal TL Activity

Head injury	Dissociation
Anxiety	Temporal epilepsy
Amnesia	Serious depression with dark or suicidal thoughts
Religiosity	Dyslexia

Ways to Balanced the TLs
Anger management	Increased protein diet

TL supplements: GABA or valerian to calm TLs if needed; for memory, consider gingko biloba, huperzine, or phosphatidylserine (see chapters 6, 7, and 8 for details on natural treatments; try only one at a time and discuss these with your health care professionals too).

TL medications (if appropriate): antiseizure medications for mood instability and temper problems (Depakote, Neurontin, Tegretol, or Lamictal), memory-enhancing medications for more serious memory problems (Namenda, Aricept, Exelon, or Reminyl)

Cerebellum

The cerebellum, at the back bottom part of the brain, is called the little brain. Even though it represents only 10 percent of the brain’s volume, it houses 50 percent of the brain’s neurons. It has long been known that the cerebellum is involved with motor coordination, posture, and how we walk. Only recently has it become clear that the cerebellum is also involved with processing speed, like clock speed on a computer, which may be the reason it has so many neurons. It is also involved in thought coordination or how quickly you can make cognitive and emotional adjustments. The cerebellum helps you quickly make physical adjustments, such as while you are playing a sport, as well as helping you make emotional adjustments in stressful or novel situations. When there are problems in the cerebellum, people tend to struggle not only with physical coordination, but they also tend to get easily confused. Our research has found that low cerebellar activity is also associated with poor handwriting (coordination); problems maintaining an organized work area; being sensitive to light, noise, touch, or clothing (such as tags); and being clumsy or accident prone. The cerebellum has been found low in activity in autism, ADD, and learning disabilities.

Given that the cerebellum is the major coordination center in the brain, coordination exercises, such as sports and music, are some of the major strategies to keep the brain tuned to work at its best. At this point there is un-certainty about the neurotransmitter deficiency in this part of the brain, so we do not know what supplements or medications may be helpful.

CEREBELLUM (CB) SUMMARY
(Coordination and Processing Speed)

CB Functions	Low CB Activity Problems
Motor control	Coordination problem
Posture, gait	Slowed thinking
Executive function, connects to PFC	Slowed speech
Speed of cognitive integration	Poor handwriting Trouble learning routines Disorganization Sensitivity to noise or touch Tendency to be clumsy or accident prone Light sensitivity

Diagnostic Problems Associated with Poor CB Activity

Trauma	Alcohol abuse
Autism, Asperger’s syndrome	Some forms of ADHD
Coordination problems	Sensory integration problems

Ways to Balance Low CB Activity

Prevention of brain injury	Cessation of alcohol use and avoidance of other toxic exposure
Juggling	Coordination exercises, such as dancing or table tennis

CB supplements and medications: unknown at this time

Knowing the part of your brain that needs help is a shortcut to optimizing the brain in the fastest, most efficient way possible. You will notice under each brain section that there are a number of interventions to help people heal. There are myriad ways to optimize the brain, including dietary interventions, physical and mental exercises, targeted behavioral exercises, supplements, and medications. One treatment doesn’t fit everyone. My hope in providing these options is for you to start a conversation with your health care professionals so that you can better tailor or target the treatment to the brain systems that need help.