Psycho

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What is it about an individual that does not respect society’s rules? Researchers from Radboud University asked themselves that very question.

To seek reward and to lack self-inhibition, that pretty much sums up the recipe to commit an offense.

We recognize that these are characteristics of criminals. As well, to be antisocial and impulsive does not help. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for self-management. For example, when it comes to impulsivity, it is the orbital prefrontal cortex’s job to manage it, more specifically.

The cerebellum activates the prefrontal cortex. The cerebellum feeds on input from the receptors found in muscles, the muscle spindles.

It is muscle balance that activates the cerebellum. How interesting is it that muscle balance can be involved in… balance…

Researchers here studied 14 psychopaths and 20 non-criminals. For the same tasks, the reward center was more activated in psychopaths.

As well, it was recognized that when there was a good connection between the reward center and the middle part of the prosencephalon (the anterior part of the brain – hemispheres, thalamus and hypothalamus), control of self was easier.

When one considers that, in the context of Posturology, the goal is to create connections between the two hemispheres, especially the anterior part when it is a matter of performing eye exercises, it could be a tool that is for more than structural balance!

The good and the not so good

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If certain social situations are easily identifiable as good or not, some are less obvious. For example, if a comment is made with cynicism, it can be hard to interpret the nature of the comment. As well, the tone of voice can change the intention of the words that are pronounced.

Recently (2016), researchers found tow areas of the brain responsible for the identification or what’s good and what’s not so good, when the situation is ambiguous.

The inferior parietal lobule (a part of the parietal lobe) has been identified for the identification of negative situations while the superior sulcus of the temporal lobe has been identified for recognition of positive events.

As well, we recognize that these two areas of the brain speak to each other in order to coordinate the final response to an event.

Upon realizing that the parietal lobe is, amongst other things, the area for integration of incoming stimuli (skin, muscles), is it possible that an imbalance in how feet tough the ground, for example, would be associated with a deficit in how this area works as a whole?

And if such was the case, this could mean that our foot stance, our posture, affects our capacity to judge situations in our everyday lives…

The neck and its curves

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There exists a controversy as to whether or not the health of an individual is affected by their mechanics. Some say that, based on many studies, there are no links between postural imbalances and physical pain.

That being said, a recent study (2016) tends to show just the opposite. We state in that study that a loss of curvature of the neck is indeed associated with negative consequences.

We tested if the strength of the muscles was reduced when there was a reduction in te curvature.

Out of the 63 subjects that were studied, 32 of them had a loss of cervical lordosis. We then tested maximal isometric force in flexion and in extension. To add to it, the ratio of strength between the flexors and the extensors was studied.

What was found is that individuals that had loss some cervical lordosis were weaker at the level of the extensors and flexors.

The extensors were even more affected than the flexors. When one considers that the extensors are used to resist the pull of gravity, it might be time to consider that posturology is essential for optimal mechanics, at the very least.

The brain and exercise

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We all know it: exercise is good for us… and it’s good for our brain! What recent studies have shown is that specific forms of exercises are better for specific parts of the brain.

Physical health is not only good for the brain; it’s also been proven that it’s good for reducing the effects of such illness as dementia, Parkinson’s and depression.

To be more precise, we have studied high intensity intervals, aerobic activity, muscular conditioning, and yoga as well as sports sequences.
It was 15 years ago that, for the first time, we concluded that exercise affected the brain. Mice, while running, were forming new neurons in the hippocampus, which lead to an improvement in memory.

We then wanted to know if the type of exercise selected for a specific population had different effects. We compared muscular conditioning and fast walking. After 6 months, both groups showed better spatial memory.

More specifically, the group that was involved in muscular conditioning saw its executive functions improve significantly. These subjects had also seen gains in associative memory.

Those involved in fast walking saw results in verbal memory.

Only stretching as an isolated activity showed not improvement in any of the cognitive measures.

Learning sports sequences develops attention gradually over a longer period of time.

What’s also been found is that children that are healthy show both hippocampus and basal ganglia of greater size. When one considers that basal ganglia allow us to turn thoughts into things, it’s a very cool side effect of being fit!

What needs to be added to all of this is that, if in the context of performing these activities, the body is aligned and stable; it is better at both proprioception and exteroception.

Proprioception is being to feel its own body whereas exteroception is being able to feel the environment around us. Posturology improves both simultaneously, which allows for maximal brain stimulation!