Neuroscientists come up with new brain map

Pandora Dewan, Newsweek, 2/26/24; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Buddha's Brain (Rick Hanson)

A comprehensive map of the brain's "dysfunctome" — the regions that become dysfunctional during various neurological conditions — has been created by neuroscientists for the first time.

The research offers hope for millions of patients, paving the way toward more tailored treatments based on specific dysfunctionality in certain areas of the brain.

Dysfunctionality in key brain areas can result in a range of debilitating conditions, including

• Parkinson's disease [which is just due to the loss of myelin sheath of the nervous system, which is easily revered by Dr. Joel Wallach at criticalhealthnews.com, even in serious and advanced cases like famous Michael J. Fox if only he knew],
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
• dystonia (a movement disorder where the muscles contract involuntarily), and
• Tourette's syndrome [like Billie Pirate Eilish suffers from].

Pictures are a poor way of looking for subtleties.

These disorders have a broad spectrum of different symptoms, from information processing and mood disorders to motor deficits.

But the one thing they all have in common is an underlying malfunction in brain circuitry.

Deep brain stimulation — that is, delivering an electric current directly to specific areas of the brain using small electrodes — can target these brain circuits and has been shown to alleviate symptoms for various conditions.

The brain is here, but the "mind" is elsewhere.

[Cary Harrison, whose radio show on KPFK Pacifica Los Angeles, says one cure for depression is an uncomfortable tapping using strong magnets in a repeated series of sessions over a few weeks, which has been shown to work on recovering soldiers, like a guest he had on talking about his remarkable success with this method when nothing else worked.]

• Researchers use deep brain stimulation to map therapeutic targets for four brain disorders
• Rhythmically stimulating the brain with electrical currents could boost cognitive function, according to analysis of over 100 studies

What does Buddhism know about neurology?

However, this treatment method is not always successful, and even small discrepancies in electrode placement can significantly dampen its efficacy.

Also, it is not always clear which brain circuits need to be stimulated to achieve optimal outcomes.

• [In any case, there's lots of hope for the future of mental conditions because MAPS and other organization are completing successful trials of psychedelics (DMT/the spirit molecule, Ecstasy/MDMA, psilocybin/magic mushrooms, ketamine/Special K, LSD/acid, and other substances that are having a remarkable effect on many mood disorders and even autism. MORE:] Neuroscientists say new brain map could help tackle disorders

Buddhist neuroscientist Dr. Rick Hansen gives an introduction to "Neurodharma" (Lion's Roar)