by Vicki Brown

Created on: August 14, 2008

I didn't realize that we use that much of our brains. I definitely know people, some with PhDs and other academic degrees, who don't use that much.

You're wondering why I have come to this conclusion and how can someone who went through all that schooling use only 10% or less of their brain? I've worked with them. I have several family members who are in this category. Having worked at two of the top medical centers, Mayo Clinic and Stanford U. Hospital, I came to the conclusion that the more education you have the dumber you get.

Okay, maybe dumber is the wrong word. Maybe they become more focused on one area and they use only the part of the brain that does that. They seem to lose their common sense.

Different parts of the brain control different things. One part controls memory, senses of taste and smell, balance, and some other stuff. I forget.

I have an illness known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS. CFS affects your brain. They don't know why or how only that it does. I have a Severe Cognitive Impairment that is just like the early stages of Alzheimer's. Having watched my dad struggle with Alzheimer's, I know what is happening to me.

Researchers in the UK have discovered that the brains of CFS patients who have this cognitive impairment weigh less than those without. They have also found that those with the cognitive impairment have less white matter.

Unlike most brain infections, CFS does not break the blood/brain barrier. That is a big mystery. Does CFS start in the brain? Is it an altered gene or a virus? But, a virus would only get to the brain by breaking that barrier. Or maybe not.

The brain is like the last frontier of medical knowledge. We know a lot about it but there is so much we don't know. It's so complicated physiologically speaking. A friend of mine has a brain tumor. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which they did. But, it's a type of tumor that sends out finger-like attachments throughout the brain. These can't be seen on an MRI or any other scan. The surgeon couldn't poke around to find out if there were any of these tentacles. You have to be very precise when you operate on a brain. One wrong move and the patient can be blinded or lose their speech.

What it comes down to is this. Use as much of your brain as you can. The Baby-Boomers are approaching old age. Imagine how many Alzheimer's facilities we'll need. Especially, for those of us who really enjoyed the 60s and are now in the 60s.

How do you exercise your brain? There are many ways. Crossword puzzles, Siduko (?), word games or math games (I was an English major. I don't know any math games.). In other words, whatever will stimulate your brain and make you think. I know it sounds so dull but it can be fun. I'm already where many of you will be very soon. I do whatever I find interesting that also causes brain effort. I read books that I have to think about and I belong to a book club where we discuss the book we read. I play computer games like Wheel of Fortune and Boggle.

No one knows how much any of us use of our brain. But, we all know people who could use more of theirs.

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