How Your Nervous System Works & Changes | Huberman Lab Podcast #1

Summary

• The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life
• Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine
• The podcast will discuss the parts list of the nervous system, including its history and how it relates to various aspects of life such as engineering, warfare, religion, and philosophy
• The goal of the podcast is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nervous system and how it works
• Huberman is not a medical doctor and advises listeners to talk to healthcare professionals before exploring any new tools or practices
• The podcast is sponsored by Athletic Greens, an all-in-one drink with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and prebiotics
• The second sponsor is BetterHelp, an online counseling platform
• The podcast will cover the history of the nervous system and its major components, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
• The podcast will also discuss how the nervous system changes throughout life and how to apply this knowledge to improve one's health and well-being.
• The hippocampus is involved in memory, but memories are stored as patterns of electricity in neurons that repeat to give the sense of experiencing something again
• Deja vu occurs when the neurons that were active in one circumstance become active again in a similar circumstance
• The nervous system includes more than just the brain and is made up of neurons and synapses
• The electrical activity of neurons dictates our experience
• In World War One, bullets with discrete entry and exit points caused naturally occurring lesions of the nervous system and allowed for the study of specific brain regions
• Advancements in wound cleaning allowed for the study of patients with specific brain injuries
• Different brain regions control speech and language
• In the 1990s, a woman with a specific brain injury couldn't recognize Jennifer Aniston's face, but could still recognize other faces
• In a study of London taxi drivers, the size of the hippocampus was found to be larger in those who had been driving for longer periods of time
• The brain is plastic and can change in response to experiences and environments
• Attention is under your control, particularly when rested
• Bottom-up processing refers to reflexive actions that do not require much effort
• Top-down processing refers to deliberate actions that require effort and focus
• Emotions involve the activity of neurons and the release of neuromodulators such as dopamine and serotonin
• Neuromodulators influence emotional states and can bias which neurons are more likely to be active
• The brain is capable of plasticity and can change in response to experience, environment, and behavior
• The nervous system is composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that carry signals throughout the body.
• Behaviors create fossil record
• Nervous system converts thoughts and feelings into actions
• Movement is important aspect of nervous system
• Reflexive and deliberate movement
• Nervous system has capacity for change through "DPO" (duration, path, outcome) analysis
• Nervous system can be trained through practice and repetition
• Nervous system can be "rewired" through neuroplasticity
• Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of connections in the brain and body to change in response to experience
• The human nervous system is unique in that we can direct our own neural changes, whereas other organs cannot
• Neuroplasticity was once thought to only occur in young animals and humans, but now it is known that the adult brain can change as well
• Neuromodulators, such as dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, control plasticity in the adult human nervous system
• Plasticity is gated, meaning it is controlled by these neuromodulators and is only available during brief periods of time
• Changes in the nervous system require the integration of duration, path, and outcome
• Plasticity can be induced in adulthood through various techniques and interventions
• The process of neuroplasticity involves consolidation, which helps new information become reflexive and easier to remember
• Neuroplasticity can be used to prevent negative experiences from becoming permanently ingrained in the nervous system
• Emotional load of memories can be reduced, but the memories themselves cannot be erased
• The autonomic nervous system, made up of the alertness system and the calmness system, influences neuroplasticity and the ability to focus and learn
• Both the alert and calm states are important for shaping the nervous system in desired ways
• The brain is highly adaptable and can change throughout a person's life in response to new experiences and behaviors
• The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life
• Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine
• The podcast covers the parts of the nervous system and how they contribute to a person's experience of life
• The nervous system has a history that includes engineering, warfare, religion, and philosophy
• The podcast will include some technical language and discussions of the people who made important discoveries about the nervous system
• The podcast is not intended to provide medical advice and listeners should consult a healthcare professional before exploring new tools or practices
• The podcast is sponsored by Athletic Greens and Headspace
• The podcast will cover the basics of the nervous system and how to apply that knowledge
• The nervous system can be divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
• The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord and the PNS includes everything else
• The PNS can be further divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system
• The somatic nervous system controls voluntary actions and the autonomic nervous system controls involuntary actions
• The autonomic nervous system can be further divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
• The sympathetic system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response and the parasympathetic system is responsible for rest and digestion
• The nervous system is constantly changing and adapting in response to experiences and environment
• The podcast will cover techniques for enhancing and maintaining the health of the nervous system.
• The hippocampus is a brain area involved in memory, but memories are not stored as sentences in the hippocampus
• Deja vu is the sense that something is familiar because neurons that were active in one circumstance are becoming active in the same circumstance again
• The nervous system includes more than just the brain and is made up of neurons and synapses
• Warfare, guns, and soap played a role in our understanding of the nervous system by allowing for the study of discrete brain injuries and the survival of more brain injury patients
• Jennifer Aniston neurons refer to the idea that we don't perceive the world as a series of disconnected stimuli, but rather as a cohesive experience because our brains create associations between different stimuli
• Neurons in the brain communicate with each other through electrical activity and chemical signaling
• Different parts of the brain have different functions, such as the amygdala being involved in emotion and the prefrontal cortex being involved in decision-making
• Our brains are constantly rewiring and adapting in response to our experiences
• Attention is under control and can be directed in a deliberate way when rested
• Nervous system has both reflexive and deliberate actions
• Emotions involve activity of neurons and are influenced by neuromodulators such as dopamine and serotonin
• The brain's default mode network is active during rest and plays a role in self-reflection and planning for the future
• Rest is important for consolidation of memories and integration of new information into existing knowledge structures
• Stress and anxiety can interfere with the brain's ability to rest and can have negative impacts on learning and memory
• Physical exercise can improve brain function and cognition, and may have benefits for mental health.
• Behaviors create the fossil record of our existence
• Our nervous system is designed to convert thoughts and feelings into actions
• Movement can be either reflexive or deliberate
• Deliberate movement involves paying attention to duration, path, and outcome
• The brain can change its own structure and function through experience and learning
• The prefrontal cortex is involved in planning and decision-making
• The cerebellum is involved in balance and coordination
• The basal ganglia are involved in learning and producing movement
• The sensory and motor systems interact to produce movement and perception
• Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain and body's connections to change in response to experience
• The human nervous system is unique in that we can direct our own neural changes and decide to change our brain
• Neuroplasticity was previously thought to only occur in young animals and humans, but it has been shown that the adult brain can also change in response to experience
• Plasticity in the adult human nervous system is controlled by neuromodulators, such as dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine
• Neuromodulators open up periods of plasticity and allow new information to be mapped in the brain, making it easier to experience and feel in the future
• The brain is most receptive to plastic change during periods of high acetylcholine and low cortisol
• Ways to increase acetylcholine and decrease cortisol include exercise, sleep, meditation, and social connections
• A regimen to engage neuroplasticity should involve activities that increase acetylcholine and decrease cortisol.
• Consolidation, or the changes between nerve cells, is important for learning to go from being difficult to easy and reflexive
• Neuroplasticity can be used to prevent bad circumstances or traumas from being permanently stored in the nervous system
• Emotional load of memories can be reduced, but memories themselves cannot be erased
• The autonomic nervous system, which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, governs the transition between alertness and calmness and is important for neuroplasticity and learning
• The sympathetic system is associated with alertness and the parasympathetic system is associated with calmness
• Both the alert and calm states are important for shaping the nervous system in desired ways
• The autonomic nervous system can be influenced through techniques such as meditation and mindfulness
• The hippocampus is important for memory consolidation and can be influenced through neuroplasticity techniques such as repetition and visualization
• The autonomic nervous system plays a role in the transitions between wakefulness and sleep and in ultradian 90-minute cycles that occur throughout the day
• Understanding and controlling the autonomic nervous system can help individuals access neuroplasticity and sleep, as well as take advantage of the transition between sleep and wakefulness for tasks such as creativity
• The topic for the month of January is sleep and non-sleep deep rest, including the effects of sleep deprivation on emotion and ways to improve sleep and access non-sleep deep rest
• Tools and techniques for managing the autonomic nervous system will be discussed.