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Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Biggest Part: the Cerebrum





The biggest part of the brain is the cerebrum. The cerebrum makes up 85% of the brain's weight, and it's easy to see why. The cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain and it controls your voluntary muscles — the ones that move when you want them to. So you can't dance — or kick a soccer ball — without your cerebrum.
When you're thinking hard, you're using your cerebrum. You need it to solve math problems, figure out a video game, and draw a picture. Your memory lives in the cerebrum — both short-term memory (what you ate for dinner last night) and long-term memory (the name of that roller-coaster you rode on two summers ago). The cerebrum also helps you reason, like when you figure out that you'd better do your homework now because your mom is taking you to a movie later.
The cerebrum has two halves, with one on either side of the head. Some scientists think that the right half helps you think about abstract things like music, colors, and shapes. The left half is said to be more analytical, helping you with math, logic, and speech. Scientists do know for sure that the right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of your body, and the left half controls the right side.

Interesting Brain Facts You May Not Have Been Aware Of by: Greg Frost

The brain as we know is a very delicate organ and all the same time, a very important body organ. What could we have done without the brain? The brain is so essential that, scientist have been able to find out the type of nutrients suitable for it, the kind of things that can destroy the brain cells and so on. All these constitute brain facts and should be understood more in order to protect the brain. 

Some brain facts are good whilst others may not be too good. For instance, a good brain fact is that, the brain is used by the human being to develop so many important things relating to technology and so on. It is through the brain that, technology has advanced so well and keeps on improving day in day out. Though some people believe that the human brain is superior to any other brain, it is also believed among some humans that the capabilities of the brain among human beings also vary. 

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that, it's through the wonders of the brain that certain deadly weapons are developed. Not just weapons alone, but anything that can cause pain to the human being. For instance it is through brain thinking that some scientist where able to develop weapons of mass destructions. Also it was through the brain that scientists where able to go to the moon and even launch a satellite which today is used for quite a number of things. 

It is often a pity when people maltreat the brain cells by taking in so much alcohol or hard drugs such as cocaine or 'weed'. These drugs are so powerful that, they usually end up destroying the brain cells. And of course once the brain cells are destroyed, it implicates a lot. Mostly madness sets in or some times the victim behaves abnormally which is usually not accepted by the society. This implies why most societies are strongly against illegal drugs and will always do what it takes to get rid of them. Among the brain facts, one hard brain fact is that, it obeys or thinks along side what you wish for it to do. This explains why criminals are what they are. 

Another thing is that, the brain is usually ready for change, when some one who is partially crazy or mad is rehabilitated, the brain adapts to this rehabilitation and so on. So basically the brain accepts what it is commanded to do and nothing can change this. For instance children go to school and are told schooling is good, immediately the brain picks that up and these children are grown so obsessed with this idea. 

As earlier mentioned some brain facts can be detrimental whiles others are helpful. The main point is that, the brain is a precious organ and should be treated as such. If most of the masses really understood this, hardly will there be incidence of drug abuse in our societies. Besides, many will try as much as possible to put the brain to a good use instead of misusing it.

Jury Awards $7.2 Million In Case On Behalf Of Child With Brain Damage by: Joseph Hernandez

Any of several problems can severely restrict the amount of oxygen reaching an unborn baby, causing the baby to be in fetal distress. If the baby loses necessary oxygen for a prolonged time frame the baby can die or be left with lasting impairment such as brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness, and seizure disorders. If an expectant mother is admitted for labor and delivery doctors and nurses need to carefully monitor her and her unborn baby and they are supposed to possess enough knowledge, training and experience required to identify and react to indications of fetal distress. 

The following case is an example. 

Look at a noted claim in which an expectant mother checked in at the hospital to give birth to her baby. Her physician, though, was not present yet. In the doctor's absence a nurse therefore examined the woman. In her record, the nurse described that the amniotic fluid contained meconium and that the fetal heart rate monitor showed abnormal readings. The readings were suspect for fetal distress. The nurse updated the doctor by phone but did nothing else. The physician, rather than heading to the hospital without delay, chose to wait and instructed the nurse to keep observing the patient. The nurse disconnected the fetal heart rate monitor, the one mechanism available to keep track of the baby’s condition. 

Seven hours passed before the doctor eventually arrived. The physician finally saw the woman only to pass her treatment over to a covering physician. Upon learning of the nurse’s findings that physician performed an emergency C-section. The damage had already been done. The newborn suffered brain damage. The newborn had gone through a prolonged period of oxygen deprivation and had suffered brain damage by the time the covering physician performed the C-section. Due to the brain damage, the child will experience permanent impairments that include both mental as well as physical retardation, the use of a feeding tube, and a seizure disorder. The law firm that represented the family was able to report that at trial the jury returned a verdict of $7,200,000 (including interest). 

As this case illustrates there are times when physicians and nurses do not respond with the immediacy commensurate with the risk that particular labor complications present. What took place in the case above is inexplicable. First, despite the fact that the physician was told about multiple abnormal signs by the nurse the doctor not only decided to delay going to the hospital but actually instructed the nurse to remove the monitor. It is almost as if the physician did not want to be told of further indications of complications. 

The nurse might have notified a different physician of the situation. But, the nurse deferred to the doctor’s rank and authority. After at last showing up at the hospital and seeing the woman the physician turned over her care to another physician. However, regardless that by all evidence the other doctor acted properly, it was too late to prevent irreversible harm to the infant. 
An unborn child is at risk of serious and lifelong harm when doctors and nurses do not take immediate action in the face of signs of fetal distress. The claim also shows that when this occurs these physicians and nurses might be held accountable for not taking suitable actions and therefore not meeting the applicable standard of care. This is the level of professional responsibility to which we hold physicians and nurses. As soon as they fall short and their actions or lack of actions result in an injury to a child they may be subject to a medical malpractice claim. Given the severity of the harm to the child the compensation from such claims can be significant.

Theta Meditation And Hemi Sync – Ways To Relax Your Brain by: Justin Woods

Brain is the most fascinating part of the human body. The way it controls the mind as well as the body is a mystery yet to be solved. Everyday you go about your daily life without pausing to think how in every little step your brain is programming your mind and body to adapt to situations and work accordingly. Brain is the master body part no doubt, but like any other normal organs, brain needs its proper rest, exercise and nutrition otherwise it too can malfunction causing fatigue, stress, depression and things like that. There are numerous ways to exercise your body; similarly you can also exercise your brain through meditation. There are different kinds of meditation to help you relax and soothe your brain; theta meditation is one of them. 

You must be wondering what this theta meditation is. Well theta is actually a brain wave that has the second slowest cycle rate in the range of 4-7 Hz. In the rare occasion when you have an extremely peaceful sleep with good dreams, that is when you know you are under the influence of theta waves. Usually in day to day life normal people stay in the brain wave range of 12-30 Hz while working and in the range of 8-12 Hz while sleeping or relaxing. But the deep relaxation experienced under the influence of theta brain waves eludes normal people and hence the utility of theta meditation. 

There are a lot of benefits of theta meditation. Some of them are listed below: 

1.Increased energy – as already said, theta meditation helps you in getting a deep and peaceful sleep thus energizing your mind and body. 

2.Stress relief – all of us know that the only medicine for stress is relaxation and nothing helps you to relax more than theta meditation. 

3.Improved memory – when your brain is sufficiently relaxed and rested, it will work better also improving your memory in the process. 

Apart from theta meditation, hemi sync is another way of relieving stress and resting your mind in the process. Hemi syncs are audio CD recordings of binaural beats that facilitates the meditation process. It has been scientifically proven that the hemi sync audio CDs have helped innumerable people all over the world to overcome many physical as well as mental ailments. Getting hemi sync audio CD to practice meditation is a good idea for beginners who are new to the world of meditation since meditation done in the wrong method will not help you in any way. 

You can reap the benefits of theta medicine and also get experience the relaxing under the influence of hemi sync binaural beats. But make sure you consult your therapist before doing either as the procedure is everything in these techniques and a professional therapist only can help you in doing them in the right way. The best thing about these relaxation techniques is that if you are on medication for some reason, you do not need to stop it for practicing theta meditation or hemi sync.

How Your Brain Works by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Every animal you can think of -- mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians -- has a brain. But the human brain is unique. It gives us the power to think, plan, speak, imagine... It is truly an amazing organ.
The brain performs an incredible number of tasks:
·        It controls body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.
·        It accepts a flood of information about the world around you from your various senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, etc).
·        It handles physical motion when walking, talking, standing or sitting.
·        It lets you think, dream, reason and experience emotions.
All of these tasks are coordinated, controlled and regulated by an organ that is about the size of a small head of cauliflower: your brain.
Your brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves make up a complex, integrated information-processing and control system. The scientific study of the brain and nervous system is called neuroscience or neurobiology. Because the field of neuroscience is so vast, and the brain and nervous system so complex, this article will start at the beginning and give you an overview of this amazing organ.

$4,400,000 Verdict In Case Of Nurse Trainee's Error Lead To Baby's Brain Injury by: Joseph Hernandez

Doctors and nurses go through years of schooling and practice to build the required knowledge and skill base to help patients. People realize that new doctors and nurses need to practice on patients as a way to gain the necessary expertise. We expect that they will make mistakes along the way. If told otherwise most people would likely still let a physician or nurse in training care for them but would want the treatment to be supervised by an experienced physician or nurse. 

During training new doctors and nurses have to recognize what they are able to do and what they are not. Those supervising them need to likewise understand the skills that the doctors and nurses in training have mastered and the limits of what can do on their own. If hey do not realizing this, the degree of supervision will be inadequate and can lead to errors. And with a lack of proper supervision these errors will not be caught and remedied resulting in devastating outcomes. 

Recently a lawsuit was reported that described how a pregnant woman went to the hospital with complaints of nausea and vomiting. The pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital where a nurse in training was placed in charge of her. The nurse trainee read the results as normal, concluding that the baby was doing well and in no danger, even though they actually showed signs of severe fetal distress, a situation which requires immediate attention. The woman was discharged home not knowing that her baby was suffering from a lack of oxygen. 

The baby was born 3 days later. While the child survived the delivery she was born with serious brain damage. She developed cerebral palsy. She had persistent seizures. The little girl spent the following 4 years of her life enduring seizures, having to go through therapy and had to be fed through a feeding tube as she could not eat on her own, before dying due to complications from her cerebral palsy. She was survived by her father and mother and by her two older brothers. One was 11 and one was 16. The law firm that handled this matter on behalf of the family reported that the case went to trial and that the jury awarded the parents $4.4 million. 

The case analyzed above illustrates the need for close supervision of nurse trainees by a doctor or experienced nurse. A nurse trainee is much more likely to make an error that can cause a significant injury to a patient. But while an experienced labor and delivery nurse has interpreted hundreds or thousands of these strips a nurse trainee has only interpreted a few and is much more likely to make a mistake. And when an error by a nurse trainee is not caught by a supervising physician or nurse the result, as in the situation discussed above, can have tragic consequences and might lead to a malpractice lawsuit.

Brain Exercises and How They Help Your Memory by: Kevin P. Green

Memory can be defined as our brain's ability to process 'the stored information' that we have learned in the past. It may sound like a very simple process but memory is a very complex procedure and whenever we try to remember things, we are activating multiple parts of the brain. 

A minor amount of memory will be lost by age but this does not mean that it can affect day-to-day function. Poor nutrition, no physical activity, and a lack of brain stimulation are the most common reasons for memory lapses in many people. If you consume nutritious foods which are great for your brain, maintain good physical health, and engage in mentally stimulating activities, you can significantly improve your ability to memorize and recall details. 

As a matter of fact, there are many workout techniques for your brain: 

Classical Music: Music has a great role to play in stimulating our brain and it is believed that listening to music for a couple of hours each week will aid with memory and overall brain function. 

Reading: Reading is a great way to gather more information and engage your mind. People who read on a regular basis usually have greater memory power and are more adept at recalling information and score higher on reading comprehension. 

Pay Attention: Paying attention is very important in acquiring the details you want to remember later. If you do not pay proper attention to something, the information will not be encoded adequately into your brain. It is believed that it takes only less than 10 seconds to focus and store information into the brain. 

Visual Enhancements: Aesthetics in your home or office can improve your brain's visual skills. We know that certain colors and methods of lighting are more conducive to learning and studying. Fixing a new fish tank or painting the walls in interesting colors are two simple examples on how to improve the knowledge acquisition ability of brain. Flower vases as well as wall paintings are other examples. 

Respiratory Exercises: Respiratory workouts are a great way to improve the oxygen delivery to the brain. The brain has an extraordinary demand for oxygen and the quest to enhance memory can't be considered complete without performing breathing exercises. 

Stress Management: Stress can have a huge impact on memory. The more stressed and anxious you are, the more difficult it is to both acquire and recall information. Practicing stress-reduction techniques can pay great dividends for your memory. 

Sleep Habits: Good sleep hygiene is vital to a well-functioning brain. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits will adversely affect your memorizing abilities. 

Board Games: Board games such as chess, checkers, solitaire and Sudoku are known for their ability to provide challenges to the brain. Make it a habit to play games on a regular basis. 

These exercises and activities are very simple to do and most are inexpensive and easy to implement. Make an effort to engage in these activities on a regular basis and your brain will thank you for it.

Jury Awards Family Of Child With Brain Damage $31 Million In Malpractice Claim by: Joseph Hernandez

A scheduled vaginal childbirth for a pregnant woman who has previously had a C-section ought to consider that this places the woman at risk of a ruptured uterus. When this happens the unborn baby’s essential oxygen supply, which is normally obtained via the placenta, can become restricted. Depending on the extent and the length of time involved the child could sustain a brain injury which exhibits serious cognitive and neurological difficulties. It is thus essential when scheduling a vaginal delivery for an expectant mother with a prior C-section (known as a VBAC) to take this risk into account. 

Examine a reported claim regarding an expectant mother who went to the hospital for a planned natural delivery of her child. She had a C-section in a prior pregnancy but the nurse administered a drug generally employed to induce labor. The use of this drug , however, should be properly supervised for the reason that it can lead to hyperstimulation of the uterus and turn into a serious problem especially at greater dosages. The nurse did not convey to the physician that the woman started having an "inappropriate contraction pattern." Rather, even though the contractions increased to clearly dangerous levels, the nurse kept using more of the drug. 

The child was denied necessary oxygen for an interval of roughly 18-20 minutes from what turned out to be a uterine rupture. The baby was in fetal distress while in this period – a situation that can be tracked by a machine which monitors the unborn child’s heart rate. The diagnosis: cerebral palsy. Consequently, the child will never be able to talk or to walk. He will never be able to hold anything in his hands. He will never be able to eat on his own. He will always require the use of a feeding tube. He will always need full-time life assistance. He does, though, recognize his family and he is aware. The law firm that handled this matter announced that the lawsuit went to trial and the jury delivered a verdict of $31,000,000. This amount included $26 Million to cover future medical care. 

As this case demonstrates nurses and hospital staff need to be able to recognize when complications arise during a pregnancy, need to know and understand the consequences and danger signs of the drugs they administer, and inform the physician of any symptoms that suggest there is a complication developing. Whether caused by a deficiency of training, inexperience, overwork, or communication breakdowns, a failure in any (or as in this case all) of these areas can lead to devastating injuries to the baby. When this occurs the family (both on their own behalf and on behalf of the baby) may be able to bring a claim for malpractice. As this case likewise illustrates, such claims, because of the type and extent of the injury to the child, can lead to a considerable recovery.

Undiagnosed Fetal Distress Leads to Baby’s Severe Brain Injury And $4,400,000 Medical Malpractice Case by: Joseph Hernandez

Physicians and nurses go through years of schooling and practice to build the crucial knowledge and skill base to help patients. People realize that new doctors and nurses need to practice on patients as a way to gain the necessary expertise. We expect that they will make mistakes along the way. If told otherwise most people would likely still allow a physician or nurse in training care for them but would want the treatment to be supervised by an experienced doctor or nurse. 

The learning curve is steep yet it does exist. While in the training period these new doctors and nurses will inevitably make errors. Although many mistakes will have minor, if any, repercussions some will cause serious harm or even in the death of a patient. That is why they need supervision by more experienced physicians and nurses who can note and rectify the errors. Otherwise, even one mistake that is not caught by the supervising physician or nurse can produce tragic results. 

Recently a claim was reported that discussed how an expectant mother went to the hospital with complaints of nausea and vomiting. The pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital where a nurse in training assumed responsibility for her care. It was the nurse trainee, and not a registered nurse or a doctor who interpreted the strip from the fetal heart rate monitor. Interpreting the strip as normal and concluding that there was no danger to the unborn baby, the nurse trainee discharged the expectant mother. In reality, the baby’s oxygen supply was significantly blocked and that the baby’s health was in grave danger.. 

Three days later the infant was delivered as planned. Although the baby girl survived the delivery she had major brain damage. She developed cerebral palsy. She had persistent seizures. The little girl spent the following four years of her life enduring seizures, having to go through therapy and had to be fed through a feeding tube as she could not eat on her own, before dying due to complications from her cerebral palsy. She was survived by her parents and by her 2 older brothers. One was eleven and the other was sixteen. The law firm that handled this matter on behalf of the family reported that the case went to trial and that the jury awarded the parents $4.4 million. 

This case shows how dangerous it is for a nurse trainee to treat patients without supervision from a physician or a registered supervising nurse. True, even experienced doctors and nurses can sometimes misread a fetal heart rate strip. A nurse trainee just has not seen enough monitor strips to build the needed level of competency in interpreting one. When the mistake is not caught, as in this case, the effect can be devastating and lead to a malpractice case.

Real Mind Power Secrets Review - Brain Train by: Petra Smith

The Real Mind Power Secrets program offers you a ton of education on attracting luck as well as getting hunches on decisions that can make you very successful in life. You will also learn how to program your dreams so you can heal your mind overnight. For example, would you love to be able to cure your depression or anxiety just by thinking positive thoughts throughout the night? With Real Mind Power Secrets, you can utilize the power of your brain to relieve you of your emotional and mental issues while also creating a victorious life for yourself. 

You can start using Real Power Mind Secrets with the load of free information provided by the program's founder. The first free book Mind Surge. The Consciousness Revolution, teaches a lot of different ideals that can help you with your life. It presents the concept of dream programming to help you improve your life as you sleep. It also provides the reader with the components needed to take your dreams and make them a reality. An exercise that will help you strengthen your brain power is also provided. 

Another free book is called 22 Powerful Tools to Transform Your Fear into Happiness, Peace and Inspiration. It offers several instruments that will allow you to take your fears and change them into optimistic aspects. It also provides method for gaining positive energy. Rounding out the free information is an audio recording called The Garden of Enlightenment, which promotes complete brain functioning. This can help promote higher functioning while also giving a feeling of peace. 

Once inside the Real Mind Power Secrets system, you will have access to even more information. The first component of the system is the Super Mind Evolution System. There are many manuals included in this program that deal with your mind and body. You will also receive a ton of audios that will educate you on several aspects, such as weight loss, attracting a partner, becoming financially wealthy, alleviated depression and fear and efficient problem solving. The second section of the Real Mind Power Secrets is known as the Brave Heart system, which covers ideas such as producing feel good chemicals in the brain, making your immune system stronger, removing fear from your mind, and learning how feel completely refreshed after a good night's sleep.