How's Your Orbitofrontal Cortex Doing?

This is very interesting to me. It relates to positivity and learned optimism, as well as anxiety and anxiety disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Hopefully this finding will eventually lead to some new treatments, not only for civilians and anxiety/PTSD, but also for our troops and veterans. http://www.psypost.org/2015/09/feel...ntal-cortex-and-cultivate-your-optimism-37861

 

Interesting article regarding optimism, Diane. But the findings say you can increase size the Orbitofrontal Cortex with optimism training (choosing positive responses) over time. That's the caveat. There'll be no magic pill for optimism with this finding….we still have to work at it through training (cognitive therapy) if we want to increase the OC…...Or am I just being pessimistic

 

Yes, it's all about the work and time we're willing to put in, just like physical rehabilitation after an injury, but the uplifting part is that it can be done. I already knew it could, but what's exciting about the study is that the brain shows physical change, so progress can be measured more objectively.

 

Good point Diane. I wasn't thinking of the benefits of measuring the progress.

 

@Lara Moss A lot of people don't even believe in mental diagnoses, they think people who are depressed are just being lazy, etc. Hopefully this will enlighten a few, but I'm sure others will just use it as an excuse to blame the victims. I'm all about measuring progress, whether it's weight loss, a completed project such as a painted wall, baked cake, or a larger orbitofrontal cortex . If I can't see some sort of progress, I get discouraged, so I usually try to have at least one or two projects going on where I can see improvement.

 

So true. Is there a radiation build-up from too many brain scans to monitor the progress?

 

I don't know about that. I would hope they take it into consideration, or if they don't, I would hope the clients would check into it.

 

Some Radiology departments are mindful of that and some aren't. We all have to just ask questions.

 

Yes, but unfortunately, many still don't ask, because they assume if a doctor or other medical professional ordered the test, it was required. I keep having to remind my Mom to ask questions and ask about alternatives, but she's pretty resistant to doing so.