Journal

This interesting article in a Dec 26, 2009 Wall Street Journal talks about the very real limits of the prefrontal cortex, which controls things like willpower, resolutions, and the ability to focus ones attention. The metaphor used is that of “willpower-as-muscle,” and the cortex can easily be asked to do too many things, much as a muscle can be asked to lift too much, or be strained for too long.  The article talks about the very real necessity of energy (food). Skipping meals makes it significantly harder to, say, quit cigarettes. Distraction can play an important role to control willpower. Since the mind can only focus on so many things at once, those who are able to replace temptations with other thoughts fare significantly better at resisting them. Finally, the cortex can be strengthened just like a real muscle. Students asked to improve their posture for two weeks showed a marked improvement on subsequent measures of self-control. This suggests that practicing mental discipline in one area enhances abilities in other areas.  I would like to study this entire area in greater depth, particularly since one of my interests for 2010 is to stay within my limits more, and do more things, or do them better through greater attention, by maintaining boundaries and respecting limitations.

Placebo – Article in 10/09 issue of Wired, UK edition, talking about the latest problems drug companies are facing with the very real phenomenon of placebos and how they interfere with drug trials. Placebos work because they affect the brain’s expectation system and the consequent release of healing agents. Imagine that a fire alarm goes off and you spot smoke. An entire flood of chemicals is released in the body simply out of the expectation that action will be required. Placebos work in the same manner. What is even more fascinating is that the color, shape, size, quantity and expense of the pill affect its efficacy. Even more, there are differences across types of disease and the effects vary according to country.

Many will remember Michael Fox championing a new drug for Parkinson’s. What is less well known is that the drug was abruptly removed from Phase II trials after it failed unexpectedly against placebos. That’s right – a placebo can reduce the consequences of Parkinson’s disease, such as shaking, just as well or better than drugs coming out of multi-million dollar research programs.

In the book ___ [return and cite] we read about a study conducted in the 50’s where it was shown that those receiving a certain type of open heart surgery fared nearly as well if the surgery didn’t actually occur. This was met with great skepticism. Much more recently, an orthoscoptic surgeon was able to prove that those who believed they were getting their knees scoped (cartilage removed) fared just as well, incredibly, as those who did. Their pain lessened and mobility returned just as well as those receiving the surgery, simply because they received anesthesia and small incisions were made in their knees to make them believe they were repaired.

We have barely begun tapping the awesome healing power of the brain, mostly because we simply refuse to believe it has such power. Scientists faced with the hard evidence from some of the most rigorous studies on the subject ever conducted  absolutely refuse to believe the data because it collides so severely with their own dogmatic beliefs about how things should be.