Rebekah Jane Lee

I was raised in a small, rural town in MN. My early memories include the ice man coming down the street in a one horse wagon, delivering ice to a few families that lived nearby. I can still see the old canvas tarp hiding blocks of ice buried in a pile of sawdust. The man would tie-off the reins to the wagon seat, throw back the tarp grab ice tongs and pull a block out of the sawdust. After brushing off the sawdust (perfection not achieved) he’d re-tong the ice and carry it inside the house. The wagon would sit exactly in the middle of the narrow road, completely blocking egress from either direction, not that there was actually nothing to block. Vehicular traffic was so minimal in those days it was more unusual for a car to pass by than not. Most walked to work, shopped by foot,“raised garden” and canned.

My maternal grandparents were teenagers when the first airplane flew, didn't know what a car was, saw people fly in supersonic passenger planes and watched men land on the moon. They lived closer to the land and knew were the best spring asparagus patches were and couldn't wait for the chokecherries to turn black to make jam and syrup for the winter. Everything was “put up” – canned. By late fall the one quart ball jars lined basement and pantry shelves; wood planks sagging with tomatoes, pears, peaches, strawberry jam, applesauce, beans, peas, asparagus, broccoli; potatoes and squash were in the bins and then there was Thanksgiving. And our telephone number had four digits – 3349. It was a huge day when we had to dial the prefix 736. Oh yeah!

The neighbors talked over the fence or the hedge and actually sat on front porches and conversed with those who walked by; it was unthinkable to “hide” in the back yard. The neighborhood kids all played our hearts out all the time, always outside except when the weather was just too miserable – might catch “our death”. We knew the natural world, the seasons of stuff and made our own games and play times. Imaginations were turned loose and creativity was unchecked; until it spilled over into pranks on the adults – we were lousy at covering up. It was relaxed and unhurried; there was time for people and things. Plenty of time to disparage those not liked; to practice class, bigotry and uncharitable attitudes. The old saying that “…people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones”, well, there wasn't an unbroken window in town. Well, perhaps there was one or two, but I never saw them.

But I’d trade back to those days in a heartbeat – if I could retain the incremental cultural improvements. Such are the thoughts of a dreamer. Oh yes.

The changes are huge and not for the better in every case. I've watched as the touted “labor-saving” devices for the housewife turned us into machine slaves; working harder all the time to have more, have better, get ahead and get the latest. And in our race to get the latest & greatest, we've consumed and insulted the environment to the brink of breakdown. All in spite of being the best educated in the history of our country. The last two sentences, I believe, contain an oxymoron.

It’s interesting to look back, reflect and ponder some of these things. An incomplete picture to be sure; but these are the things that pop up as I write pretty much stream-of-conscious. Changes? Absolutely! And the kids who are pubescent today, are the first generation to know only a digital world. I wonder what they’ll say when they look back. I’d like to hear that.

Steps - Week 10

Steps of many kinds.

But each step a precious gift,

Completing life’s span

Final Transitions - Week 10

This posting may be a bit of a ramble – no one thing really caused me to focus on an idea or issue. This comes to mind: I've been a volunteer at the Whatcom Hospice House since its inaugural in September of 2010. 

I cannot say enough about the compassionate assistance the house provides during our final transitions. I've witnessed end of life in many of its various presentations; both in the transitioning person and in the involved families. Bereavement uncovers so many things, especially in the surrounding families; from unresolved family and personal affairs to celebration by extended families. Sometimes so many, they needed the conference room to eat the meals they self-catered in most days. Table settings were complete with wine glasses and expensive wines. The love and caring of those groups was palpable and can still moisten my eyes in reflection.

Juxtaposed were those families, whose members we needed to schedule the visits, because no one was on speaking terms. And sometimes in those situations, it was a best friend or neighbor who filled in as meaningful family. The gritty bitterness of unresolved family and personal issues hung over those rooms like a dark, moody shroud. One wondered at what point love evaporated like fog, kissed by morning’s light. And there were those whose health care provider’s pronouncement, “…life expectancy is less than six months” swung open the doors of hospice; and no one was there for them, except staff and volunteers. No one faces end of life alone at the house.

In the end, they all receive a little parting ritual; as the remains of the transitioned person leave the house and began the journey to their appointed place – three slow, soft rings from hand-held chimes meet tears and prayers, as staff and family line each side of the entrance lobby. After a moment of silence, the final physical journey begins; the spiritual, already complete.

All the topics covered in our materials this week exhibit themselves at the house; all stages of grief and grieving, stuffed emotions, heroic stoicism, peacemaking, letting go and not at all prepared. The single most important item I wish to leave you is your consideration and preparation for your own end of life events. Prepare your wishes now. Consider your own end, which may be close or far. Who can know?

It is so difficult for young and middle adults to comprehend themselves in a terminal state. The house hosted those from under 10 to over one hundred. The point is we just don’t know; so think about how you want to be cared for, what that will look like and who will make end of life decisions for you. And find the person who loves you enough to insist on them at your end of life. Record those wishes in a well thought out advance directive (I even have music picked to play in my room and flowers, but no lilies puhleeze), power of attorney for healthcare and a POLST. The persons whose affairs were so ordered were allowed the comfortable space for themselves and family to actually share the end of life journey and enter the grief process. Those unprepared – not so much!

And as I leave these postings, I am experiencing a mini-grieving process. Getting to know each of you and listening/sharing your heartfelt thoughts and feelings has been a meaningful journey. And now as we part, I mentally sound those three soft chimes that will send you off on the remaining paths in your the spans of life; wishing you peace in the fulfillment of your dreams, desires and nurturing relationships. It’s been a pleasure to journey a bit with each of you on those paths. Hugs from the heart, Rebekah. 

Ageing - Week 9

Connections to land;

Family, friends and culture.

Make/break span of life.

Lessons in Ageing - Week 9

Truth be told, I way more concerned about my first working shift starting this afternoon (even though it’s training), than I am about the excellence of this posting. So, let’s see where this goes.

One of the most interesting interviews of recent months was presented by a BBC reporter who traveled to the island of Icaria. Ikaria is a small island of the east coast of Greece in the Aegean Sea (http://bit.ly/16DEI19 ). Its name derives from the well-known tale of Daedalus and Icarus in Greek folk mythology. Icarus was his son who flew too close to the sun (not following the elder’s wisdom imparted before the flight; perhaps demonstrating immature prefrontal lobe development and the resulting lack of executive function J). The sun’s heat melted the wax holding his feather wings together and Icarus fell from the sky into his namesake, the Icarian Sea (it is a subdivision of the Aegean Sea, which is a subdivision of the Mediterranean Sea. http://bit.ly/16DEzL9).

The interview lead me to an excellent, expanded New York Times (NYT) article, by author Dan Buettner (Blue Zones, http://amzn.to/16DG6RF ) presenting a more complete and nuanced view of the longevity of the Icarian population. Between the BBC interview and NYT article several interesting features of the Icarian lifestyle emerged.

The leading figure of both accounts is a local named Stamatis Moraitis, an Icarian who emigrated to the U.S. A Greek WW2 veteran, married with 3 children, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1976 and given 9 months to live. Because funerals were cheaper on Icaria, he returned to Icaria to die. Quoting from the NYT article, “Moraitis and Elpiniki moved in with his elderly parents, into a tiny, whitewashed house on two acres of stepped vineyards near Evdilos, on the north side of Ikaria. At first, he spent his days in bed, as his mother and wife tended to him. He reconnected with his faith. On Sunday mornings, he hobbled up the hill to a tiny Greek Orthodox chapel where his grandfather once served as a priest. When his childhood friends discovered that he had moved back, they started showing up every afternoon. They’d talk for hours, an activity that invariably involved a bottle or two of locally produced wine. I might as well die happy, he thought.

In the ensuing months, something strange happened. He says he started to feel stronger. One day, feeling ambitious, he planted some vegetables in the garden. He didn’t expect to live to harvest them, but he enjoyed being in the sunshine, breathing the ocean air. Elpiniki could enjoy the fresh vegetables after he was gone.

Six months came and went. Moraitis didn’t die. Instead, he reaped his garden and, feeling emboldened, cleaned up the family vineyard as well. Easing himself into the island routine, he woke up when he felt like it, worked in the vineyards until midafternoon, made himself lunch and then took a long nap. In the evenings, he often walked to the local tavern, where he played dominoes past midnight. The years passed. His health continued to improve. He added a couple of rooms to his parents’ home so his children could visit. He built up the vineyard until it produced 400 gallons of wine a year. Today, three and a half decades later, he’s 97 years old — according to an official document he disputes; he says he’s 102 — and cancer-free". 

He never went through chemotherapy, took drugs or sought therapy of any sort. All he did was move home to Ikaria.” He simply resumed the island’s lifestyle and today at 97, is cancer free. He returned to the states several years ago to consult with his doctors, but they were all dead. So, what are the differences?

First, there’s no time pressure or stress. There are no clocks or wrist watches on the island, if one is to be found, it doesn’t work or is inaccurate. Scheduled appointments may be kept on either side of a 6 hour time window; no one minds, because that’s just the way it is. The local doc doesn’t open his office until 11a, because no one arrives earlier. Midday napping is endemic. Did I mention there’s no stress?

Note his reconnection to spirituality, mentioned by our text as an important facet of healthy ageing. And, the reconnection to extended family and friends; allowing for extended interactions which strengthen socialization and personal support mechanisms – both crucial in healthful ageing. People are not isolated with digital addictions, but rather are constantly going to each other’s homes and gathering at local cultural/religions functions. Social cognition is positive; replete with positive feelings and satisfying self-esteem.   Extended community: a proven additive to health and longevity.

Geography is notable in the island’s health promotion as it is mostly up and down, and that, fairly steep. Note that his vineyard and olive trees necessitated “stepped” farming techniques. That requires constant physical exertion to navigate anywhere on the island, and this is by foot; thereby adding constant movement and exercise in the daily routines. Life on the island is anything but sedentary; fitness centers would quickly be in bankruptcy.

Their diet is very much Mediterranean, including beans, fresh greens, fish and red meat only about 5 times a month. The local sourdough bread is well lubricated with home-pressed olive oils, hummus and wines. Honey is the staple sweetener, with varieties not found elsewhere; sugar – not so much! They consume many varieties of local teas produced from the local flora; and with the honey are also a part of the folk medicinal regimens. It seems they may have fewer free radicals and the shortening of their telomeres is certainly forestalled.

In juxtaposition is the island of Samos, a short distance away. From the NYT article, “Just 15 kilometers over there is a completely different world. There they are much more developed. There are high-rises and resorts and homes worth a million euros. In Samos, they care about money. Here, we don’t. For the many religious and cultural holidays, people pool their money and buy food and wine. If there is money left over, they give it to the poor. It’s not a ‘me’ place. It’s an ‘us’ place.” Such is life on Icaria.

There is so much more in the article, however it is clear older Icarians have well developed personal integrity with little despair (Erickson). There is little despair over the trajectory of one’s life on Icaria. It seems “retirement” is not known, but rather a continual readjustment of one’s activities based on functionality, but always useful. Are they creative? Well, the text defines it as “…the ability to produce work that is novel, high in demand and task appropriate”. The nonagenarians mentioned in the article remain extremely creative by that yardstick. Wisdom? You bet! Their life education and experiences are of a kind our culture is not familiar with, but obviously of a higher order, if quality and length of life are considerations. I don’t believe I read about any depression/anxiety/mental issues.

I could prattle on about the Icarians vis-à-vis our text, but I think you get the drift. I’ll close with an extended quote by Buettner in the NYT article, “During our time on Ikaria, my colleagues and I stayed at Thea Parikos’s guesthouse, the social hub of western Ikaria. Local women gathered in the dining room at midmorning to gossip over tea. Late at night, after the dinner rush, tables were pushed aside and the dining room became a dance floor, with people locking arms and kick-dancing to Greek music.

Parikos cooked the way her ancestors had for centuries, giving us a chance to consume the diet we were studying. For breakfast, she served local yogurt and honey from the 90-year-old beekeeper next door. For dinner, she walked out into the fields and returned with handfuls of weedlike greens, combined them with pumpkin and baked them into savory pies. My favorite was a dish made with black-eyed peas, tomatoes, fennel tops and garlic and finished with olive oil that we dubbed Ikarian stew.

Despite her consummately Ikarian air, Parikos was actually born in Detroit to an American father and an Ikarian mother. She had attended high school, worked as a real estate agent and married in the United States. After she and her husband had their first child, she felt a “genetic craving” for Ikaria. “I was not unhappy in America,” she said. “We had good friends, we went out to dinner on the weekends, I drove a Chevrolet. But I was always in a hurry.”

When she and her family moved to Ikaria and opened the guesthouse, everything changed. She stopped shopping for most groceries, instead planting a huge garden that provided most of their fruits and vegetables. She lost weight without trying to. I asked her if she thought her simple diet was going to make her family live longer. “Yes,” she said. “But we don’t think about it that way. It’s bigger than that.”

Worthy of reflection is the quote-closer – “It’s bigger than that”.

And that, is where this post went J G'day to all.

The Path - Week 8

Life’s path is curved;

Arcing across one’s lifespan.

No sight past the bend.

Crisis? What crisis! I've got wisdom. Week 8

Never had one! The crisis anticipation factor was definitely aroused by all my friends and family, but nothing of note ever actually transpired. There was a little episode of Porsche desire, but it came and went so quickly it barely made consciousness. It took but a moment’s reflection to conclude “…just what in the world would you do with that? There isn't a road built around here you could drive that in the way it was designed to be driven…”

Truth be told, my life proceeded along such full and interesting paths, I honestly had little time to reflect on whether I was facing a crisis of age or accomplishment. That is not to say things were always easy and crystal clear on this path; they were not; often it was more a crisis per day. But the path was always interesting, engaging and fulfilling.

There were often moments of wondering just where my life was headed, but it seems things pretty much took care of themselves, as long as I paid attention, worked diligently in the moment and listened to my intuition – a knack that was slow to develop. Doors closed and doors opened; often requiring courage and sacrifice to step forward. In retrospect, I’m pleased that I took those steps.

For many years there was an underlying current of fear; the fear of winding up on the street, homeless, penniless – an abject failure.  A fear that was rooted in an authoritarian upbringing so structured there were few decisions I was allowed to make. Tack onto that the oft heard pejorative “…you’ll never amount to anything…” Add into the sauce of my childhood, the parental ingredients of depression era kids in want and need; and their own childhood woo – woo made its secretive way into my subconscious. Took some time to understand myself in light of all that and I’m grateful for the degree of enlightenment to date. And, well, there was that another thing. So it seems there really wasn't a great deal of time to have a crisis; perhaps one day I’ll understand that it was a drawn-out string of crises; but I don’t believe that will be the case. 

I find agreement with Kessler’s perspective when he states, “…all people make psychological transitions and adjustments in the course of middle age; relatively few experience these as catastrophic.” As he states, my experience also includes divorce, being fired, and serious illness – and the awareness my birth year was becoming a part of my very distant past. My appreciation concerning all the turmoil, trouble, achievement and joys, was the understanding these events and vicissitudes were all a part of “normal” life experience – and it was my path alone and not comparable to the paths of others or theirs to mine.

So midlife crisis? Meh – not so much.

Gallagher’s closer regarding the onset of wisdom I found to be spot on. One may occasionally considers the prospect of “going back” in life and re-doing certain parts. ‘Prolly not; the premise is one will take along the accrued wisdom and apply patches to past situations. The premise is of course faulty, for I would be just as ignorant as I was the first time around.

I wouldn't trade where I am now for all the chances in the world to rewind for a re – do. I definitely find myself aligning with the “environment – minded” researchers who believe the influence of attitudes, interests and relationships provide a flexible model of adult development. Reflecting on my experiences, it is clear they strongly point to development and change that continually refocuses my understanding and perspectives of life and the world around me.

Baltes is correct in his assertion that the brain slows down biologically, as I can attest. But, I do use knowledge and information differently and more effectively. Exactly how these adaptive strategies operate, I cannot fathom; I unconsciously somehow rapidly apply experience and knowledge as situations unfold. And the outcomes often reflect that I am still learning.

I’ll close with an anecdote that illustrates the discussion of wisdom. My closest brother was a “back-seater” in an F-4 Phantom fighter jet. His title was Weapons System Office or WSO – pronounced wizzo. Or in their vernacular “GIB” – the guy in back. He flew in the Air National Guard, which has pilots typically much older who still fly. During combat fighter maneuvering, the crews experience punishing g-forces.  The older crews are not physically capable of keeping up with the maneuvering of the younger pilots. However, the older pilots will typically out maneuver their younger counterparts because they fly smarter – with the wisdom of lessons learned.

Sunshine & Shadows - Week 7

Love blooms feeling good;

Secreted darkness creeps out,

Breaking cherished bonds.

Split or Stay - Week 7

I was particularly intrigued by the Kirn article “Should You Stay Together for the Kids”. My thought processes were pretty much like a ping pong game. Back and forth regarding Ms. Wallerstein’s postulates, which based on personal experience, I tend to support; or at least tend to want to support.

Here’s why. I was raised in a small rural Minnesota town. My dad was a very successful dentist and my mom a very successful mother and housekeeper. But there were deep seated issues between the two of them mostly over my father’s ongoing infidelity. Mom even served him papers once, but he bought her off for $10k. Such a deal! They did stick together and were civil in the process, even to the extent of the occasional hug and peck.  Which, at some level, speaks of love not quite lost. Or thespians!

Why did my dad hang on? As a locally well-known professional, he was of the generation that counted “appearance” to others as most important. He would have been the talk and gossip of the town if a divorce occurred; and I don’t believe he could countenance having his personal life in the public square (not that he’s affairs were a secret).  I don’t believe his ego (which was considerable) may’ve survived. So he stuck it out. Pride can crowd you into some interesting corners!

For my mom: she was a high school grad whose highest occupation had been selling tickets at the local bijou – the precipitating cause of their meeting and eventual marriage. She had no skills in an era when most women were in charge of the household and there was simply no employment market for her to enter. Besides, she knew want first hand, as a depression kid. Her dad was a vet, but times were so tough, she and her brother walked the railroad tracks to pick up coal that fell off the trains. So she stuck it out. The fear of want can crowd you into some interesting corners!

I cannot calculate the emotional impacts to my parents. My mother would pick her fingers raw and was a compulsive spender; things the analyst’s couch never divined. My dad suffered a nasty peptic ulcer, which was a several week, bi-annual, eggshells and tiptoe time. Counseling was for psychos.

And for the sibling group of three: my brother and I are eighteen months apart – I lead in age. We were aware of the tensions, but there was never any overt hostility displayed and it sorta felt ok, even though we knew at some level it wasn’t. The loss of nurturing and socialization did impact all of us in our early and middle adulthoods – a story for some other time. The youngest brother trailed us by almost ten years and I think felt the insecurities the most; perhaps evidenced by his enuresis until age fourteen.  The upside is we always felt truly like a family. Meals were always together, conversations were about current events, mini lessons in civics and things intellectually stimulating. There was structure, routine and responsibilities to attend – lifelong building blocks.

So, I appreciate Wallenstein’s position; because I believe our sibling group was/is much better off for our parents making the best of it. I know my mom would often say we kids were the only reason she stayed on. But as we’ve discussed recently in class, the cultural socialization of our society has undergone dramatic shifts in the few decades since my childhood. And that socialization/cultural norms shift has pretty well minimized/erased those older concepts/reasons for staying together. This I believe makes it almost impossible for couples with marital dissonance to consider alternatives to divorce. True, there are those that seek counseling and do manage a reconciliation of the dissonance; but for many, the statistics suggest otherwise. 

And I further believe the lack of dual parental nurture, love and socialization is woefully inadequate in single parent households for the reasons amply stated in Kirn’s article.

Here are a couple of vignettes from a long time ago and a land far, far away. It is tale of two couples. Once upon a time, I was an apartment manager in the Chicago area. And in this complex were forty units. And living in this complex were two Indian couples from the sub-continent of south Asia. As I wandered the halls and did my manager things, the presence of curry always announced the approach to their apartments.  But aside from the similarity of the curry the two couples presented diametrically in deportment.

The one couple could be frequently heard involved in VERY loud arguments and sometimes other not so reassuring sounds.  I was sometimes called by neighbors to quiet things a bit. Even though a sense of anger was usually about them, they were always polite, he definitely in control, she dutifully in position three steps to his rear. Their abode was usually not picked-up, neat and tidy. The other couple was quiet as mice, always pleasant, both chatting with me in a friendly and amiable manner. The place was always just comfortably right; and always some little Indian snack was forthcoming.

After some time, I learned through conversations with each couple a little more about them. It turned out that the argumentative couple had “fallen in love” and left against their families wishes and came to the states. It always felt unsettled, tense and like things were not so good. I don’t believe they lived happily ever after.

The other couple was in an arranged marriage, put together by their respective parents at a very early age. I conversed with them several times about this and what their feelings were at the beginning of the marriage and how were things now? At first they were just timid and shy with each other and performed pretty much to cultural role expectations. But as time went on, they became deeply appreciative and affectionate of the other; until one day – voilà they were deeply in love with each other. And it was obvious, just being in their presence. They said they just simply grew to love each other over time and that it grew out respect and consideration for the other. I fully believe they lived happily ever after.

There’s a moral or two here; I’ll allow you, gentle reader, the opportunity to parse them.

For Melissa - Week 6

Only way is up;

Heart achingly difficult.

Don’t quit; making it!

Blogger ‘Lyte ;-} Week 6

Melissa Rodriguez

Full disclosure: this post will definitely be underperforming for this week. I took my NCLEX-PN test this morning in Seattle. And of course I’ve been studying pretty much non-stop since class last week. My name is Rebekah Jane Lee and I am now a Licensed Practical Nurse! And it’s a no-brainer of a tradeoff if I lose some  points on this posting. To business!

This has been gestating in my brain since I heard it on NPR’s Radio Diaries last week: http://apps.npr.org/teenage-diaries/#melissa. She's with her two boys in the picture. I suppose one could call it sort of a mini longitudinal study (best possible construction) of several teens that were given tape recorders to haul around for a year. That was sixteen years ago. The same reporter gave them recorders again this last year to see where their lives were now. They were all interesting, but Melissa Rodriguez really caught my attention vis-à-vis the materials for weeks five and six. Let me say at the beginning, she is a very devoted and loving mother and cares deeply about her children. Her greatest desire is to provide them with the love and care she never received.

Her mother gives her two years of motherhood and turns Melissa over to foster care. Consider the items of bonding, attachment and nurturing. She’s bounced through several foster homes before ending up in a group home. One thinks of families as dynamic systems and wonders what developmental mile-markers were missed in Melissa’s middle and adolescent years. She runs away at fifteen and mothers her first of two children at eighteen. In 2013 she talks with her first born Issaiah (now sixteen) and tells how much she wanted someone to love and to love her – so many things to discuss about just that statement and situation. It becomes obvious that he has developmental issues, some of which are ameliorated with time and effort. He currently tests out with an IQ of 79; and I wondered how culturally appropriate that test was for this person. His mom says he can remember how to play and move ahead with his video games, but cannot remember what he reads. More questions; and I wondered about the effectiveness/appropriateness of his special education class and the loss of those years of evenings without parental supervision and guidance.

Poor, fairly uneducated and not finding a lot in the line of work, she turns to stripping (early years); and says it was one of the most empowering things she’s done. She had money, apartment and a car; she was able to go to school (I’m assuming a two year) and finishes. And the strip clubs are behind her. She’s been working for some time now as a customer service representative for what seems like a television cable company. A kind of work she really loves. At the beginning of this last year, her hours were three to midnight. I considered what that meant in terms of nurturing her six and sixteen year old boys, who were in school every day. She does call around six PM to check in on them. On one occasion, her oldest says her youngest doesn't want to eat what was supposed to be for supper. He’s advised to just open a can of Chef Boyardee for the lad. I wondered some more about nutrition, family mealtimes and those dynamic family relationships; oh, and socialization.

She really loves her work and then says something revealing; I solve other people’s problems all day long and when I come home, I just keep on solving more problems problems. When she arrives home at midnight, the television is going full tilt and young Tyrone is asleep in the same room. She says that's what he does because he’s afraid. I wondered again with questions about identity, self-esteem and the socialization values and behaviors; both formal and informal. Melissa states that she depends on her children and that they “…lean…” on each other.  Hmm! Definitely not an authoritarian or authoritative parenting approach; permissive perhaps, at best.

Her diary ends on a somewhat more hopeful parenting note; at work she’s been moved to days, which will enable her to be home in the evening with her children. She is incredibly strong of will, desire and discipline; her teenage camp story of treading water is illustrative. Her extrapolation of that story to life is insightful. What I cannot divine, will it be enough to accomplish her goals for her children. I truly admire and respect her grit and determination; she’s certainly traveled a hard path and overcome so much. I'm not so sure I would have come as far if it was me.

Postscript: This was in the NYT this morning and has relevance re "Tough Guise". Not so sure that change is to significant. The point concerning prosecutions is quite revealing.

RETROREPORT   
Video Library Player:  The Legacy of Tailhook 
Retro Report 
Retro Report: Military sexual assault is not a new phenomenon. A second look at the Tailhook scandal in 1991 reveals what happened then. And what it all means now. 

Pretty Much - Week 5

First one must love self,

Love of others may then follow.

With hugs from the heart.

Let’s Get Real – For a Change :-} Week 5

My childhood was a classic example of absolute patriarchal authoritarianism. I give great credit to my mom (who being of the generation that a woman’s place is in the home and there to serve her husband) who did her best to love and nurture our sibling group of three.  As is often true, I being the oldest also received the more restrictive guidance and attentions. I have no recollection of my father ever hugging me or telling me he loved me. I wondered often what was wrong with me. When I was leaving for college the first time, I took a deep breath, walked over to my dad, hugged him and said I loved him. He never put his arms around me. Whatever relational hopefulness I had maintained for him, was broken on that day. Looking back, all I can add is, he did the best he could from where he’d come.

On the credit side of the ledger, he never abused any of us or our mom. We did get a couple of ‘belt – lickins’ (actually not very severe – more scary); but can honestly say we knew the consequences and deliberately chose to pursue bad decisions; and definitely reinforced the concept of consequences. He was a dentist and very successful. He was an excellent provider, but within the constraints of his depression era childhood. We never wanted for the essentials, but there were few extras. We were allowed almost no personally driven decisions and if we expressed a desire, it was often met with “what in world would you want that (or to do that) for. Besides, what would people think of our family?” It was absolute rule; pretty much lock-down.  I was a walking example of the negative consequences illustrated in our text; except I wasn't aggressive.

I could not have been more ill prepared for parenthood. And yet there I was with a family. Predictably, I set off to follow the example of my upbringing. There was one small (in the beginning) off-setting factor. Somehow I was profoundly aware of how inappropriate my upbringing had been and also had some misty concept that I might walk the same path. I tried, mostly unsuccessful, not to do so, but the patterns were pretty deeply subconscious; almost always automatic and without conscious decision monitoring. My early parenting was better than dad’s, but I would not want to invite anyone to judge by how much!  :-}

There came a sentinel revelation that was instrumental to help me self-redirect. I’d known for some time that string of words: “…love is patient, love is kind…not self-seeking…always protects…” with a few other things in there. All of a sudden it was no longer some ‘truth-thing’ out there in the universe, but was a spot light on just how/what I was doing as a parent. That internalization became the self-check of my parenting decisions: is this kind, gentle, patient, etc? I gradually became an authoritarian parent that began focusing on nurturing the biopsychosocial uniqueness of each child; assisting in their own self-discovery of who they are still becoming.

Well, it’s been a long, winding but rewarding road. Things changed slowly and grew better. Did I mention slowly? Yes, slowly. And over the years, there have been many discussions with my kids about my mistakes and attempted corrections as a parent. I am pleased (perhaps more like relief) that all are doing well, somehow successfully surviving their childhoods and my parenting. Although there were moments of doubt, I do have a great sense of satisfaction in knowing/realizing that change is possible over generations and our little part of the genealogical tree is a little healthier than before.

What Matters? Week 4

Gray and white matter,

Matter connecting to world;

Nutrition matters

That Brainy Feeling or I’m Feeling All Sparkly Upstairs - Week 4

Relax and brreeeeathhhe; no big long crammed-too-full posting this week. But there were a couple of things in the instructor’s notes concerning brain development and cognitive change.

First: a LOT of myelination occurs postpartum; Babinski’s reflex (an upside ‘J’ stroke on the plantar surface of the foot) is normally elucidated in infants up to about a year of age. The reason is myelination of the spinal cord not complete at birth, resulting in a spinal cord reflex action rather than being suppressed by the cerebral cortex (http://bit.ly/UFnyKY). If Babinski’s reflex is noted in adults, it is a sign of spinal cord damage, lesions, tumors, etc. and signals pathology. Also, recall from the text that the human brain is not fully mature until about 30 years of age, especially the executive functions. That’s the stuff Leah mentioned in her notes about frontal/prefrontal lobe development. 

My interest here focuses on nutrition; myelination requires lipids (fatty acids) to occur properly. If the mother’s contains insufficient fatty acids, myelination will slow, placing constraints on developmental milestones. In a rat study, researchers found that dietary fat regulated how well myelination proceeded (abstract here: http://1.usa.gov/ZSicfE). A separate study found that maternal diets (both pre/postpartum) high in these fatty acids, actually accelerated myelination. (They used the term “precocious appearance”; in other words, the reflexes of the baby rats matured earlier and stronger than the control group.) I like words/phrases like that; they are so rich in depth and meaning – like up or down regulation of gene expression. It is clear that proper nutrition pre/postpartum is essential in both mother and baby to achieve proper neural system development. The transfats of French fries, potato chips and snack foods are not the kind of fatty acids that promote myelination.

Here’s a great little synopsis of myelination both in the peripheral/central  nervous systems: http://bit.ly/ZSjZkT.

Gee, the words are starting to pile up :-}

Ok here’s the second: on the pruning part in the notes, I think most of us get the concept: use it or lose it. So, if a neural circuit is busy all day long doing its little job of polarizing/depolarizing it gets to stay. Sort of like a quiet but regularly used side street, say the ‘road’ to your tongue. At first there’s not a lot of traffic, but as time goes by a lot of road construction is underway connecting distant towns like Wernickeville, Brocaville and Middleearville (road map: http://bit.ly/ZSkSKc). 

Pretty soon that first little neuron can’t handle all the traffic, so those glial cells I wrote about last week commence turning the single lane road into a multilane complex to make all the connections. The oligodendrocytes are chatting with the neurons which advise things could go a lot faster with a little blacktop (myelin), and so the oligos punch the clock and get to work. And the more the circuits to various organs/functions are used, the more complex and multilayered the system becomes. And when they’re all done (well, they’re never done), you are able to go talking and walking and looking and turning and listening (no texting pls) to nature’s wonderful world – all at the same time and without hardly a thought about all the processes involved. Well, except if bite your tongue while chewing gum!

And putting that whole complex system together is the result of synaptogenesis, the capacity and efficiency mentioned in Leah’s notes. 

To Reflect Upon.

Nurture - Week 3 Haiku

Love falling softly
Through mother's touch on soft new skin;
Shines back through bright eyes.

Fast Tracking or Let's Get Exponential + Some Gender Identity Tidbits - Week 3

¹fast–track

 adjective \ˈfas(t)-ˌtrak\

Definition of FAST-TRACK

1 : of, relating to, or moving along a fast track <fast–trackexecutives>

2 : of, relating to, or being a construction procedure in which work on a building begins before designs are completed.

In the brain development PBS linked article (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/episode1/index.html), they mention that neural tube development occurs at about the rate of 250,000 neurons/minute. That translates to 360,000,000/day. Recalling last weeks material, that neural tube is completed in 11 days. Hmmm, that's 15,000,000/hr; or 360,000,000/day; which translates to a staggering 11 day total of 3,960,000,000 cells or 3.96x10⁸.  That's fast tracking. Certainly reinforces prenatal nutritional requirements and the complications that may result if deficient.

The article this week on "Babies, Bonds and Brains" has parallel considerations. First, the above numbers reflect 11 days of neural development; from there, brain development continues and the final numbers must be staggering. This week's article suggests the number of connections (synapses) between these nerve cells increases by about 20x during an infant’s first several months are 2x that in a 2 year old. That's a lot of neurons and their supporting glial mates, without whom neurons just barely function. As mentioned, as we develop, the neural landscapers (glial cells) are always at hand "pruning" away the circuits and synapses that are in disuse and create new neural pathways in response to new or increased stimuli. 

Sort of like the living bridges of the Meghalaya (http://youtu.be/5jrmm7gjZGE) - except one can appreciate how fast the human brain can build its "new bridges". Experiences (stress, lovelessness, affection, love, nurturing,) are the dynamic forces changing both the neuronal circuitry and the "living bridges". The far reaching effects of lack of nurture and attachment I find are amazing. From depressed immune systems to what seems like PTSD in the extreme abuse/neglect situations, leave me shaking my head in wondering how it all works. It seems we’re clearly built to love and be loved, with all the breadth and depth that word encompasses.

In another lifetime, I was a DEA agent. During one undercover investigation, I walked up to the street entrance apt and met my connection, a young couple. They were sitting on the front steps, just finishing shooting up with heroin (it was a very hot Chicago summer evening).  I went inside and found their 9 month old lying in a bassinette; feces were coming out both leg openings of the diaper in such large quantities, I guessed the baby hadn't been changed for two day. A bottle of formula was propped up on the edge at the baby’s mouth. The scale of neglect was so huge and so extensive; it was difficult for me to maintain focus on what I was there for. It has been the only time in my life I became so enraged, I wanted to shoot someone. I've never forgotten that little tyke and wondered if it ever had any chance at all at a life. The case was handed over to someone else and I have no recollection of the outcomes. Perhaps child protective services were finally notified, as I detailed the conditions of the baby in my report.

To close this section, I’d like any reader to reflect on a couple of aspects of the neuroanatomist Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 1852 – 1934. (http://bit.ly/11fsULe). Using just simple microscopes he painstakingly hand – mapped neurons and their circuits of the brain.  Below, I've provided two examples of his work; one of a single neuron and one showing the synaptic and branching of active neural circuits.  Note the complex routing, connections and networks. Imagine the glial cells nudging more connections in really active neurons, even calling for new neurons to keep up with the traffic. In a small way, perhaps it will foster an appreciation for the complexity and wonder of our brains. Not to mention, how a guy with a microscope and a pen, started figuring out for us how these things work.

A single neuron

Neuronal Networks


Here's the Promised Tidbits
Well, they're sorta big ones! More satisfying :-}

After reading the materials concerning gender, it seemed that at times, the concepts of gender identity and the conformation of gender roles were somewhat/sometimes conflated. I want to make it crystal clear that gender identity is the gender that one perceives her/his self and is not something that is shaped through the early developmental years. Gender identity is established in utero and complete at birth. But it is also clear that once gender identity is established, the expression of that identity is shaped by culture, parenting, etc. I'm reminded of the transwoman in Saudia Arabia who walked through a shopping mall in a full burka. She was arrested because her gait was not consistent with a cis-gendered female. She was not well treated.

A group of Dutch researchers studied the brains of transgendered male → females and found a certain critical area of the brain (BST_c) that controls gender identity was the same as in cis-gendered females. This part of the brain is formed in response to prenatal hormone secretion as up/downregulated by gene expression. There are two particular times in prenatal development that these hormones play a crucial role in gender identity. One is occurs about at the 4 – 6 week period and the last closer to the end of the third trimester (sorry cites not available). The result is that gender identity is formed in utero and is nothing the individual “decides”. I found it interesting that the one female → male transgender (does there have to be a label?) had the BST_c of a normal male.

Here’s the research results:

Volume 1, Number 1, July - September 1997 Reprinted with permission by the authors from NATURE, 378: 68-70 (1995) A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality By J.-N. Zhou, M.A. Hofman, L.J. Gooren and D.F. Swaab Citation: Zhou J.-N, Hofman M.A, Gooren L.J, Swaab D.F (1997) A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality. IJT 1,1, http://www.symposion.com/ijt/ijtc0106.htm Acknowledgements References Transsexuals have the strong feeling, often from childhood onwards, of having been born the wrong sex. The possible psychogenic or biological etiology of transsexuality has been the subject of debate for many years [1,2]. Here we show that the volume of the central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc), a brain area that is essential for sexual behavior [3,4], is larger in men than in women. A female-sized BSTc was found in male-to-female transsexuals. The size of the BSTc was not influenced by sex hormones in adulthood and was independent of sexual orientation. Our study is the first to show a female brain structure in genetically male transsexuals and supports the hypothesis that gender identity develops as a result of an interaction between the developing brain and sex hormones [5,6]. Investigation of genetics, gonads, genitalia or hormone level of transsexuals has not, so far, produced any results that explain their status [1,2]. In experimental animals, however, the same gonadal hormones that prenatally determine the morphology of the genitalia also influence the morphology and function of the brain in experimental animals in a sexually dimorphic fashion [6,7]. This led to the hypothesis that sexual differentiation of the brain in transsexuals might not have followed the line of sexual differentiation of the body as a whole. In the past few years, several anatomical differences in relation to sex and sexual orientation have been observed in the human hypothalamus (see [6] for a review), but so far no neuroanatomical investigations have been made in relation to the expression of cross-gender identity (transsexuality).

We have studied the hypothalamus of six male-to-female transsexuals (T1-T6); this material that was collected over the last eleven years. We searched for a brain structure that was sexually dimorphic, but not influenced by sexual orientation, as male-to-female transsexuals may be "oriented" to either sex with respect to sexual behavior. Our earlier observations showed that the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) did not meet these criteria ([6] and unpublished data). Although there is no accepted animal model for gender identity alterations, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) turned out to be an appropriate candidate to study for the following reasons. First, it is known that the BST plays an essential part in rodent sexual behavior [3,4]. Not only have estrogen and androgen receptors been found in the BST [8,9], it is also a major aromatization centre in the developing rat brain [10]. The BST in the rat receives projections mainly from the amygdala and provides a strong input in the preoptic-hypothalamic region [11,12]. Reciprocal connections between hypothalamus, BST and amygdala are also well documented in experimental animals [13-15]. In addition, sex differences in the size and cell number of the BST have been described in rodents which are influenced by gonadal steroids in development [16-18]. Also in humans a particular caudal part of the BST (BNST-dspm) has been reported to be 2.5 times larger in men than in women [19]. The localization of the BST is shown in figure 1. The central part of the BST (BSTc) is characterized by its somatostatin cells and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) innervation [20]. We measured the volume of the BSTc on the basis of its VIP innervation (Fig. 2). The BSTc volume in heterosexual men (2.49±0.16 mm3) was 44% larger than in heterosexual women (1.73±0.13 mm3) (P<0.005) (Fig. 3). The volume of the BSTc of heterosexual and homosexual men was found not to differ in any statistically significant way (2.81±0.20 mm3) (P=0.26). The BSTc was 62% larger in homosexual men than in heterosexual women (P<0.005). AIDS did not seem to influence the size of the BSTc: the BSTc size of two heterosexual AIDS-infected women and three heterosexual AIDS-infected men remained well within the range of the corresponding reference group (Fig. 3). The AIDS-infected heterosexuals were therefore included in the corresponding reference group for statistical purposes. A small volume of the BSTc (1.30±0.23 mm3) was found in the male-to-female transsexuals (Fig. 3). Its size was only 52% of that found in the reference males (P<0.005) and 46% of the BSTc of homosexual males (P<0.005). Although the mean BSTc volume in the transsexuals was even smaller than that in the female group, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.13). The volume of the BSTc was not related to age in any of the reference groups studied (P>0.15), indicating that the observed small size of the BSTc in transsexuals was not due to the fact that they were, on average, 10 to 13 years older than the hetero- and homosexual men. The BST plays an essential role in masculine sexual behavior and in the regulation of gonadotrophin release, as shown by studies in the rat [3,4,21]. There has been no direct evidence that the BST has such a role in human sexual behavior but our demonstration of a sexually dimorphic pattern in the size of the human BSTc, which is in agreement with the previously described sex difference in a more caudal part of the BST (BNST-dspm) [19], indicates that this nucleus may also be involved in human sexual or reproductive functions. It has been proposed that neurochemical sex differences in the rat BST may be due to effects of sex hormones on the brain during development and in adulthood [22,23]. Our data from humans however, indicate that BSTc volume is not affected by varying sex hormone levels in adulthood. The BSTc volume of a 46-year-old woman who had suffered for at least 1 year from a tumour of the adrenal cortex that produced very high blood levels of androstenedione and testosterone, was within the range of that of other women (Fig. 3: S1). Furthermore, two postmenopausal women (aged over 70 years) showed a completely normal female-sized BSTc (Fig. 3: M1, M2). As all the transsexuals had been treated with estrogens, the reduced size of the BSTc could possibly have been due to the presence of high levels of estrogen in the blood. Evidence against this comes from the fact that transsexual T2 and T3 both showed a small, female-like BSTc (Fig. 3), although T2 stopped taking estrogen about 15 months before death, since her prolactin levels were too high and T3 stopped hormone treatment since a sarcoma was found about three months before death; also a 31-year-old man who suffered from a feminizing adrenal tumour which induced high blood levels of estrogen, nevertheless had a very large BSTc (Fig. 3: S2). Our results might also be explained if the female-sized BSTc in the transsexual group was due to the lack of androgens, because they had all been orchidectomized except for T4. We therefore studied two other men who had been orchidectomized because of cancer of the prostate (one and three months before death: S4 and S3, respectively), and found that their BSTc sizes were at the high end of the normal male range. The BSTc size of the single transsexual who had not been orchidectomized (T4) ranged in the middle of the transsexual scores (Fig. 3). Not only were five of the transsexuals orchidectomized, they all used the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate (CPA). A CPA effect on the BSTc does not seem likely, because T6 had not taken CPA for the past 10 years, and T3 took no CPA during the two years before death and still had a female-sized BSTc. In summary, our observations suggest that the small size of the BSTc in male-to-female transsexuals cannot be explained by differences in adult sex hormone levels, but is established during development by an organizing action of sex hormones, an idea supported by the fact that neonatal gonadectomy of male rats and androgenization of the female rats indeed induced significant changes in the number of neurons of the BST and suppressed its sexual dimorphism [17,18]. Considered together with information from animals, then our study supports the hypothesis that gender identity alterations may develop as a result of an altered interaction between the development of the brain and sex hormones [5,6]. The direct action of genetic factors should also be considered on the basis of animal experiments [24]. We found no relationship between BSTc size and the sexual orientation of transsexuals, that is, whether they were male-oriented (T1,T6), female-oriented (T3,T2,T5), or both (T4). Furthermore, the size of the BSTc of heterosexual men and homosexual men did not differ, which reinforced the idea that the reduced BSTc size is independent of sexual orientation. In addition, there was no difference in BSTc size between early-onset (T2,T5,T6) and late-onset transsexuals (T1, T3), indicating that the decreased size is related to the gender identity alteration per se rather than to the age at which it becomes apparent. Interestingly, the very small BSTc in transsexuals appears to be a very local brain difference. We failed to observe similar changes in three other hypothalamic nuclei, namely, PVN, SDN or SCN in the same individuals (unpublished data). This might be due to the fact that these nuclei do not all develop at the same time, or to a difference between these nuclei and the BST with respect to the presence of sex hormone receptors or aromatase. We are now studying the distribution of sex hormone receptors and the aromatase activity in various hypothalamic nuclei in relation to sexual orientation and gender. Acknowledgements We thank Mr. B. Fisser, Mr. H. Stoffels, Mr. G. van der Meulen, and Ms. T. Eikelboom and Ms. W.T.P. Verweij for their help, and Drs. R.M. Buijs, M.A. Corner, E. Fliers, A. Walter and F.W. van Leeuwen for their comments. Brain material was provided by the Netherlands Brain Bank (coordinator Dr. R. Ravid). This study was supported by NWO. References Money, J. and Gaskin, Int. J. Psychiatry, 9 (1970/1971) 249. Gooren, L.J.G., Psychoneuroencrinology, 15 (1990) 3-14. Kawakami, M. and Kimura, F., Endocrinol. Jap., 21 (1974) 125-130. Emery, D.E. and Sachs, B.D., Physiol. Behav., 17 (1976) 803-806. Editorials Lancet, 338 (1991) 603-604. Swaab, D.F. and Hofman, M.A., TINS, 18 (1995) 264-270. Money, J., Schwartz, M. and Lewis, V.G., Psychoneuroendocrinology, 9 (1984) 405- 414. Sheridan, P.J., Endocrinology, 104 (1979) 130-136. Commins, D. and Yahr, D., J. Comp. Neurol., 231 (1985) 473-489. Jakab, R.L., Horvath, T.L., Leranth, C., Harada, N. and Naftolin, F.J., Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol., 44 (1993) 481-498. Eiden, E.L., Hökfelt, T, Brownstein, M.J. and Palkovits, M., Neuroscience, 15 (1985) 999-1013. De Olmos, J.S. In: Paxinos, G. (Ed.), The Human Nervous System, Academic Press, San Diego, 1990, pp. 597-710. Woodhams, P.L., Roberts, G.W., Polak, J.M. and Crow, T.J., Neuroscience, 8 (1983) 677-703. Simerly, R.B., TINS, 13 (1990) 104-110. Arluison, M., et al., Brain Res. Bull., 34 (1994) 319-337. Bleier, R., Byne, W. and Siggelkow, I., J. Comp. Neurol., 212 (1982) 118-130. Del Abril, A., Segovia, S. and Guillamón, A., Dev. Brain Res., 32 (1987) 295-300. Guillamón, A., Segovia, S. and Del Abril, A., Dev. Brain Res., 44 (1988) 281-290. Allen, L.A. and Gorski, R.A., J. Comp. Neurol., 302 (1990) 697-706. Walter, A., Mai, J.K., Lanta, L. and Görcs, T.J., Chem. Neuroanat., 4 (1991) 281-298. Claro, F., Segovia, S., Guilamón, A. and Del Abril, A., Brain Res. Bull., 36 (1995) 1-10. Simerly, R.B. and Swanson, L.W., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 84 (1987) 2087- 2091. De Vries, G.J., J. Neuroendocrinol., 20 (1990) 1-13. Pilgrim, Ch. and Reisert, I., Horm. metab. Res., 24 (1992) 353-359. Swaab, D.F., Zhou, J.N., Ehlhart, T. and Hofman, M.A., Brain Res., 79 (1994) 249- 259. Zhou, J.N., Hofman, M.A. and Swaab, D.F., Neurobiol. Aging (1995) in press. Zhou, J.N., Hofman, M.A. and Swaab, D.F., Brain Res. 672 (1995) 285-288. Swaab D.F. and Hofman M.A., Brain Res., 537 (1990) 141-148. Correspondence and requests for materials to: J.-N. Zhou, M.A. Hofman and D.F. Swaab Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam Netherlands Institute for Brain Research Meibergdreef 33 1105 AZ Amsterdam ZO The Netherlands L.J.G. Gooren Department of Endocrinology Free University Hospital 1007 MB Amsterdam The Netherlands Email: lgooren@inter.nl.net

What research is revealing regarding Transgenders

Transsexuals have, often from childhood onward, the strong feeling of having been born the wrong sex. Their desire to resemble the opposite sex is so strong that they are even willing to undergo major surgery and hormone treatments to achieve this end. This gender-identity problem has been proposed to develop as a result of a disturbed interaction between the developing brain and sex hormones. The search for structures that may be directly related to gender identity, i.e., structures whose anatomy is “female” in genetically male transsexuals, has so far led to our studies of the central nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria  terminalis (BSTc). A female-sized nucleus was found in male-to-female transsexuals. The size of the BSTc was not influenced by sex hormones in adulthood and was independent of sexual orientation. Similar results were obtained when the total number of somatostatin neurons was determined in the BSTc. In the BSTc of one female-to-male transsexual a male volume and somatostatin neuron number was found; (Zhou et al., 1995b; Kruijver et al., 2000). Although the BSTc may be one of many structures involved in the phenomenon of gender identity, these results do support the hypothesis that gender identity develops as a result of an interaction between the developing brain and sex hormones.

(Structural and Functional Sex Differences In the Human Hypothalamus

Dick F. Swaab,*, 1 Wilson C. J. Chung,*, † Frank P. M. Kruijver,* Michel A. Hofman,* and Tatjana A. Ishunina*, ‡ *Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Meibergdreef 33, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; †Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts; and ‡Department of Histology And Embryology, Kursk State Medical University, Kursk, Russia Received August 9, 2000; accepted March 1, 2001)

Footnote: I just watched:

Castle 

The Fast and the Furriest

Season 5 Episode 20 (42:45)

Aired on 04/15/2013 TV-14 CC

Take the beginning and the end and wayla: Erikson's first stage trust vs mistrust taken into the adult world. Nice snapshot. :-}

Gee, I'm Nervous! Or, I'm Feelin' that Excitation! - Week 2

Merriam-Webster - Nervous

1

archaic : sinewy, strong

2

: marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style : spirited<a vibrant tight-packed nervous style of writing>

3

: of, relating to, or composed of neurons

As the text states, "...the cerebral cortex...made up of ten billion neurons...", and that's just the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum is rich with neuronal activity, featuring tall Purkinje fiber ladders and all the various parts of the brain communicate with each other either directly or indirectly.   The startling origin of all these neurons begins as the period of the zygote transitions into the period of the embryo. In the space of ten days the neural plate(how did that form?) is transformed into a tube, that is closed on both ends eleven days later, providing the rudimentary brain/spinal cord structures. All happening from day nineteen to day thirty (http://bit.ly/139xSKZ). The maternal intake of folic acid in the pre/peri natal periods is crucial for proper neural tube development. I'd sure like a journal article or two on that relationship. 

Another fascinating aspect of the brain is the ratio of neurons to the glial cells. Glial cells, sometimes referred as neuroglia, are a family of helper cells, without which neurons function only marginally. There are four distinct types of glial cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes,  microglia and ependymal cells. Wikipedia provides a nice summary here: http://bit.ly/139zbK9. I mention them here for two reasons:1) I wrote an anatomy/physiology paper on them several years ago; 2) they outnumber neurons five-ten to one, forming about half or more of the cranial parenchyma. The astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are crucial to neural communication and networks. They not only assist the neurons to to chat with one another, they also chat with each other and determine when a neural circuit needs to expand, new ones are needed or when a network needs to be pruned - the synaptic pruning  mentioned in the text. 

Now consider the low birth weight neonates and the study showing these kids at three years old are cognitively impaired. The complexity of the developmental processes involved requires adequate nutritional building blocks (and perhaps less environmental stressors) to provide optimal neural physiology. Consider that oligodendrocytes are especially important in myelination of cerebral cortex neurons, which enables fast transmission and are facilitators of neural networks. Associate that with the increased maternal fat intake required in the third trimester which enables completion of myelination of the entire nervous system. It is not difficult to link inadequate nutrition with poor neural network formation and myelination, leading to the impaired functioning of the study group. 

Some loose thoughts about self-identity. Let's go back to the moment just before the two gametes fuse. Were either of those me? What were they made of - just materials from nature via the origins of the universe. Are those me? Are they mine? Am I them? So, if the sum of my physiological processes/substances aren't really mine, aren't really me (always being exchanged for new stuff), and if the "me" is not the stardust (would that be twinkle, twinkle?) I think of as me, then who am I?

Interesting journal article - Neural correlates of cognitive ability: http://bit.ly/12hgYLR.