There have been extensive studies performed on the brain to gain deeper insights into its complex functioning. But despite decades of research, numerous aspects of the brain are still waiting to be explored. Every now and then, clinical research reveals a new and exciting feature of the brain. Scientists previously perceived the brain as a static organ that degenerates with age. However, recent research shows the brain is, in fact, neuroplastic or constantly changing. The pattern of your connectome plays a crucial role in shaping your brain health. Read on to discover the factors that influence the pattern of your brain’s neural network and how you can strengthen neural connections for optimal nervous system function.
The connectome is the complete map of neural connections in the nervous system. It is comparable to a wiring diagram of an electrical circuit but instead details the neurons and molecular connections between neurons inside the brain. Each connection involves a presynaptic axon, postsynaptic dendrites, and the synapses between neurons.
Neurons or nerve cells are cells within the nervous system that process information and transmit it to other nerve cells, glands, and muscles throughout your body. Moreover, the connections between neurons form the basis of communication inside your brain. The connection pattern linking these neurons shows how information flows through the circuit and how the circuit actually functions. Therefore, determining the connectome or wiring of the brain is important in unraveling the complex nature of the brain and how it works, enabling cognition and behavior.
Proper wiring of the connectome is critical to your brain’s health. For example, the connectomes of individuals suffering from conditions such as autism and schizophrenia are wired differently compared to those of normal individuals. In autism, the connectome forms abnormally before the age of two. Whereas in schizophrenia, abnormal changes in the connectome occur during adolescence. Furthermore, scientific research has linked abnormal development of neural interactions in the connectome with PTSD.
Incredibly, our brains are capable of recovering from disease, injury, or environmental changes. This so-called neuroplasticity allows the neurons and neural networks of your brain to modify their connections and behavior throughout life in response to both internal and external cues, such as development, dysfunction, damage, sensory stimulation, and new information. This way, your brain can compensate for any damage and adjust its activities in response to the environment. Thus, owing to this neuroplasticity, the connectome or neural connections of your brain change throughout life.
Here are the four basic changes neurons can undergo:
The neural wiring pattern in your brain is critical to brain health. And certain factors, referred to as neuroepigenetic factors, influence your brain’s neural wiring.
Epigenetics refers to the study of biological mechanisms that switch genes on and off. Neuroepigenetics is the study of how the epigenetic changes in your genes affect your nervous system. This branch of biology seeks to understand how the mechanism, that depends on the brain’s structure, change throughout life. Changes in the brain’s structure and function underlie many stress-related and mood-related disorders. Importantly, neuroepigenetic factors are responsible for neuroplasticity and for modulating the connectome.
Here are some epigenetic factors that can affect your brain’s wiring.
A nutritious diet is essential for a healthy brain and body. Thus, it is important to eliminate or minimize foods that cause inflammation in your body. Consider reducing your intake of salt, processed foods, sugar, white flour, and unhealthy fats as they can trigger inflammation and put stress on your body. The added stress can, in turn, can alter your brain’s wiring system and the way your neurons communicate with each other.
Eating a Mediterranean diet full of fresh organic vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation and support healthy brain function. Cauliflower, broccoli, celery, and walnuts are rich in antioxidants and contain essential compounds that boost brain health and stimulate the production of neurons. Oranges, apples, green beans, basil, potatoes, and bananas are rich sources of the trace mineral chromium. Research shows chromium can help keep your hypothalamus youthful and protect your neurons from the negative effects of aging.
One study in animals demonstrated a link between the hypothalamus, exercise, and high blood pressure. More specifically, the findings showed that exercise can have a positive effect on gene expression and neural activity in the hypothalamus. The researchers also discovered that exercise lowered blood pressure in hypersensitive animals, indicating that exercise boosts heart health and improves hypothalamus health—which ultimately, helps reduce blood pressure.
Exercise promotes optimal brain function by enabling your brain to function at its full capacity. Neurons multiply in response to exercise and your connectome is strengthened and protected from damage. When you exercise, the neurons in your brain release specific proteins that boost neural health thereby promoting cognitive function and learning. Furthermore, regular workouts boost blood flow to the brain, trigger the production of nerve-protecting compounds, and improve neuron development and survival. Moreover, regular workouts allow your brain to work faster and more efficiently by increasing the number of mitochondria, the body’s energy production workhorses found in every cell of the body.
Restorative sleep is essential for recharging and rejuvenating your body, detoxing your brain, enhancing memory, and improving physical and cognitive performance. Inadequate sleep can lead to a loss of essential neurons resulting in lower neuroplasticity and therefore, negative effects on the parts of your brain responsible for behavior, learning, and memory. Lack of sleep can modify the expression of several important genes and gene products that are critical to synaptic plasticity and memory. On the other hand, getting adequate sleep enhances memory, improves cognitive function, and enables clear thinking.
Keeping your brain engaged by continuously providing new information is essential and can prevent deterioration. Research on brain plasticity suggests appropriate stimuli can help counteract brain degeneration. For example, learning a new skill, pursuing a hobby, or playing mentally challenging games like chess can all support brain health. One of the simplest methods is learning new things, which helps modulate the structure and size of your neurons and strengthen the connections between them. Consider learning a new language, traveling to new places, playing an instrument, or participating in community events.
Exposure to environmental toxins can trigger stress and activate your body’s stress response system. Continuously experiencing stress, including stressors from the surrounding environment, can increase cortisol levels which in turn alters the way your brain’s neurons communicate with each other, and therefore, your connectome.
Repeatedly performing activities or tasks directly affects neural pathways. The most frequently used regions of the brain grow, whereas underutilized regions become weaker and eventually start to degrade. For instance, if you constantly feel stressed and anxious, the region of your brain associated with stress and anxiety is strengthened. Meanwhile, the region of your brain responsible for calm and peace becomes weaker and eventually starts to degenerate. This is how everyday experiences directly influence your brain’s wiring system.
Gut health and brain function are interconnected and interdependent in many ways. Just as your brain contains neurons, your gut contains neurons, too, which produce many neurotransmitters and neurotransmitter precursors. That’s why the gut is often referred to as the “second brain”.
Gut bacteria transmit information to the brain via the vagus nerve. Furthermore, neurons in your gut produce some of the same neurotransmitters that are also present in the brain, including serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in your mood. Thus, bacteria in your gut can directly impact brain health.
Processed foods and an unhealthy lifestyle destroy gut flora and negatively affect your brain and behavior. Whereas, eating traditionally fermented foods such as kvass and kimchi boost gut health, which in turn supports brain health. Foods that promote a healthy gut include raw cultured dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, raw cheese and butter, sprouted seeds, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. And since your gut and brain are connected, having a healthy gut helps ensure healthy brain function.
Stress is a neuroepigenetic factor that modifies the connectome by changing the way your neurons communicate with each other. Therefore, the nervous system plays an essential role in your body’s response to stress and the neural responses in the brain support your survival.
Your body is equipped with a natural stress-fighting mechanism referred to as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System. This complex network consists of various organs and six circuits (including the Neuroaffect Circuit) that function in unison to manage stress. The adrenal glands—the pair of walnut-shaped glands located above your kidneys—are an important part of the NEM stress response system. During stressful situations, your brain detects the threat, initiates the NEM stress response system, which starts in the brain, and the connectome sends stress signals to certain parts of your body to elicit the appropriate response. Neurons process and transmit the information throughout your body. Therefore, your neural network must be operating properly to activate the stress response.
To deal with stress, the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis signals to your adrenals, triggering the increased production of anti-stress hormones. In particular, the hormone cortisol, which regulates the various processes around the body involved in fighting stress. However, if the stress persists, your adrenals can become overburdened and will no longer be able to secrete adequate quantities of cortisol. This reduces your body’s natural stress-fighting ability and can lead to Adrenal Fatigue. The symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include extreme fatigue along with other symptoms such as insomnia, brain fog, low energy levels, anxiety, low concentration levels, difficulty waking up, constipation, stubborn weight gain, and cravings for fatty and salty foods.
Imbalances within any circuit or organ of the NEM Stress Response System can disturb your body’s natural stress-fighting ability thereby increasing your chances of developing Adrenal Fatigue. One of the most important components of your NEM Stress Response is the Neuroaffect Circuit which plays a crucial role in dealing with stress—importantly, this circuit initiates the NEM Stress Response System.
The Neuroaffect Circuit is comprised of the brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut. Situated in the central nervous system, the circuit is responsible for controlling sleep, cognition, and mood. Any imbalances in this circuit can lead to mood swings, anxiety, lack of concentration, insomnia, panic attacks, depression, adrenaline rushes, and unbalanced levels of neurotransmitters.
Stress is first perceived by the brain and various neurotransmitters are released into different regions of the brain to maintain your mood, keep you alert to deal with the threat, or allow you to rest if required. Certain neurotransmitters are hormones and therefore, regulated by the autonomic nervous system. However, as we mentioned earlier, most neurotransmitters are located in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or second brain.
The microbiome-gut-axis is an important regulatory pathway for your body’s pool of neurotransmitters. However, inflammation of the GI tract can lead to neurotransmitter imbalances that result in depression and other mood disorders. For instance, the key neurotransmitter norepinephrine keeps your brain alert, however, overactivation of norepinephrine due to stress can cause insomnia, anxiety, and panic attacks. The autonomic nervous system helps support your blood vessels and heart, which are also involved in dealing with stress. Overactivation of the autonomic nervous system can lead to a fast-beating or pounding heart and heart palpitations or arrhythmias, therefore, components of the Neuroaffect Circuit—the brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut—play a significant role in controlling sleep, cognition, and mood.
The brain is a complex organ. Chronic stress can affect your nervous system, behavior, and connectome placing you in a constant reactive, vigilant state. Elevated cortisol as a result of too much stress can have a negative impact on your connectome and Neuroaffect Circuit of your NEM Stress Response system. Moreover, persistent stress can change the pattern of your connectome which could alter information processing and hinder the transmission of important signals throughout your body.
The good news is that your brain exhibits neuroplasticity. So, what does that mean? Basically, your brain is capable of healing itself. This neuroplasticity enables your brain to recover from the damaging effects of elevated cortisol levels, thereby ensuring healthy function of your Neuroaffect Circuit. There are two areas of the brain where adult neural stem cells are continually produced: dentate gyrus of the hippocampus where new memories form and the olfactory bulb, responsible for your sense of smell. It’s these two regions of the brain that are associated with the potential for learning.
Gut flora has a direct influence on various functions of the brain, including the processes involved in emotion, memory, and thought. Over three-quarters of the neurotransmitters in your body are produced in the gut; therefore, signals transmitted between your brain and GI tract are pivotal for maintaining immune health, hormone levels, and homeostasis in the body. The enteric nervous system or intrinsic nervous system—part of the autonomic nervous system—this so-called gut-brain connection alongside the central nervous system regulate. Disturbances within either of these systems can directly affect your body’s stress-fighting ability and behavior.
The millions of nerve cells along your GI tract aid digestion. However, constant stress leads to chronic inflammation which is a root cause of numerous health conditions including high blood pressure and autoimmune diseases. Good bacteria in the gut help regulate your immune response. Furthermore, since the gut and brain are intimately linked, the gut microbiome is also associated with disorders like autism and depression. In addition, doctors and researchers recently discovered that GI tract issues such as gluten intolerance and food allergies are prevalent in people with autism. According to research, people who took gut-friendly probiotics showed improved symptoms of depression compared those who took a placebo. The study strongly suggests that gut and brain health are interconnected.
Your brain can self-heal if given the opportunity to do so. A nutritious diet, getting enough restorative sleep, and maintaining healthy gut flora are important, but two additional tools can also help your brain recover from trauma and disease: mental and physical exercises. Regular physical and mental exercises boost brain health and prevent deterioration of your brain by encouraging the growth of new neurons, strengthening neural connections, and helping to maintain a normal healthy connectome pattern. This, in turn, supports a healthy Neuroaffect Circuit and NEM Stress Response System. Here are some mental and physical exercises you can practice for optimal connectome function.
The organized combination of breathing, holding postures, and meditating during yoga can have positive life-changing effects on your entire body and mind. Practicing yoga can help all the organs and circuits of your body function optimally, including the Neuroaffect Circuit.
Here are some of the remarkable benefits of yoga for brain health:
The inherent neuroplasticity of the brain enables new neurons to grow all throughout your life and can rapidly speed up learning new mental tasks.
Yoga involves coordination between your mind, body, and soul. Practicing yoga poses can relax your mind and body, help create an open mind, and change the way you think. This rewires and strengthens the neural networks of your brain associated with peaceful experiences, encourages the growth of new neural pathways, enhances the flexibility of your neurons, and strengthens your brain's neural circuits.
Studies have also linked practicing yoga with an increased volume of gray matter in certain areas of the brain, linked to positive changes in brain health. Degeneration of gray matter can negatively affect the Neuroaffect circuit leading to emotional problems, lower pain tolerance, decreased cognitive function, and impaired memory. The neuroprotective properties of yoga prevent gray matter from degenerating and support a larger volume of gray matter. Recent research findings also suggest the consistency of your yoga practice is just as important. Studies show that years of yoga practice can help produce positive changes develop in the left hemisphere of the brain and increase the volume of gray matter in certain regions of the brain associated with perception, memory processing, social behavior, cognitive function, memory processing, self-awareness, motor control, impulse control, interpersonal experiences, rewards, and emotional decision making. Haven’t started yoga yet? The brain’s neuroplastic properties means you can start practicing yoga anytime to reap its neuroprotective benefits.
The brain, autonomic nervous system, and gut of the Neuroaffect circuit are intricately connected. Therefore, dysfunction of any one of them can disturb your entire Neuroaffect circuit, and ultimately disrupt the NEM Stress Response System. Practicing yoga can promote a healthy gut-brain axis. Moreover, yoga supports gut health by improving digestion, flushing out toxins from your kidneys and liver, and encouraging the growth of healthy gut flora. Various twisting postures and deep breathing techniques in yoga gently massage your internal organs and detoxify your entire body.
Research shows that practicing meditation can change the structure of your brain in a positive way. According to studies, mindfulness meditation and guided meditation lead to measurable changes in areas of the brain related to compassion, memory, and stress. In fact, just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation produced positive changes in the brain that were detected by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Images taken post-meditation showed a significant increase in brain matter density in areas of the hippocampus associated with memory, compassion, and learning, compared to images taken before meditation. Interestingly, after around 27 minutes of meditation a day for eight weeks, the researchers observed a remarkable shrinkage of gray matter in the amygdala, the anxiety and stress center of your brain.
Meditation relieves stress and depression and provides a sense of calm. Regular meditation practice can strengthen the part of your brain’s connectome related to peace and compassion. Studies also show that mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques help strengthen the temporoparietal junction, cerebellum, and cingulate cortex of the brain, which are linked to the regulation of emotions, sense of self and empathy, as well as learning and memory.
Do you think juggling is just for clowns? Then, you may be surprised to read that this fun activity can greatly improve your brain—and clowns are probably a lot smarter than you think! Research shows that juggling enhances the connections in your brain. In particular, the researchers found that juggling improved connectivity in a region of the neural network associated with making the specific movements required to the catch balls, thus strengthening the connectome.
Numerous brain teasing apps and online games claim to boost brain health. But psychologists and neuroscientists warn the brain-boosting claims made by the makers of brain games are often exaggerated and misleading. Although brain games may not provide the expected results, other creative activities can certainly have neurological benefits—musical training is one of them. Music provides unique neurological benefits by stimulating the brain in a very powerful way. This is probably due to the deep emotional connection humans have with music. Playing a musical instrument engages multiple parts of your nervous system. For example, when you play an instrument, your brain integrates and processes information from several senses including touch, fine movements, and sound, as well as visual and emotional inputs. This activates multiple neurons and their networks thereby strengthening your connectome and inducing long-lasting positive changes in your brain.
Research shows learning to play a musical instrument is beneficial for both children and adults alike. Playing a musical instrument, especially from a young age, can have a remarkable impact on the structure of your brain. The most amazing part is that even a short duration of musical training in early childhood produces long-lasting benefits. According to studies, learning to play an instrument helped some people recover from brain injury or disability.
If you’re suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, it’s vitally important to strengthen your connectome. We’ve found that Adrenal Fatigue sufferers typically respond well to yoga and meditation exercises. However, it’s best to consult with an Adrenal Fatigue specialist before starting any new exercise routine.
The Connectome is the complete map of neural connections within your nervous system—comparable to the wiring diagram of an electrical circuit. Importantly, your connectome provides details of the neurons within the brain and the connections between them. Your brain is neuroplastic, which basically means it is capable of healing and modifying itself in response to different situations.
Several internal and external factors modulate the connectome, including nutrition, sleep, environment, experiences, gut flora, and stress. Eliminating processed foods from your diet is important for maintaining healthy gut bacteria and preventing inflammation. Adequate sleep enhances memory, improves cognitive function, and enables you to think clearly. In addition, reducing exposure to environmental toxins can help protect your body from stress.
The gut and brain are intricately connected. Therefore, a healthy gut microbiome can help your brain function optimally. Frequently experiencing stress causes consistently high cortisol levels which can lead to inflammation, thereby increasing your risk of various diseases. Regular exercise, a healthy organic diet, minimizing exposure to environmental toxins, and managing stress are crucial to keeping your cortisol level in check.
Physical and mental exercises are key tools that can be used to ensure a healthy connectome. For example, practicing yoga, meditation, juggling, or learning a new creative task, such as playing an instrument, can help expand your brain power by strengthening your connectome. Giving your brain the opportunity it needs to recover will allow your brain to rewire itself and help it maintain a healthy connectome pattern for optimal nervous system and Neuroaffect Circuit function.
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
If you suffer from Adrenal Fatigue, your stress response system is compromised. This important response is first initiated in the brain therefore, your connectome has a direct influence on the way your body responds to stress. Thus, an abnormal neural network can hamper your body’s stress-fighting ability.
