FRONTAL LOBE PATHOLOGY, PAROXYSMAL DISORDERS, and the EVILS OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK SU, 09/08/2011 JEFFREY A. CARMEN, PH.D. PRIVATE PRACTICE MANLIUS, NY
Mar 28, 2015
FRONTAL LOBE PATHOLOGY, PAROXYSMAL DISORDERS,
and the EVILS OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK
SU, 09/08/2011
JEFFREY A. CARMEN, PH.D.
PRIVATE PRACTICE
MANLIUS, NY
• FRONTAL LOBE PATHOLOGY – recent evolutionary development – more software bugs
• PAROXYSMAL DISORDERS – (things that come on suddenly, have a strong presentation, and then leave) including migraine headaches, seizures, sudden onset violent behavior, other
• POSITIVE FEEDBACK – bad stuff – generally bad psychology – very bad for electronic and biological circuits – negative feedback is better
NEW YORK STATE LOTTERY
• The tv advertisement with the howling microphone is an example of positive feedback.
HUMAN FRONTAL LOBES
• THIS IS THE PART OF THE BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE REST OF THE BRAIN, INCLUDING EMOTIONS, SOCIAL RELATIONSIPS, AND GENERAL INHIBITION
HUMAN FRONTAL LOBES
• This is the most recent evolutionary development.
• It is easily injured.• It has the most
software bugs.• It is supposed to shut
down easily during emergencies.
FRONTAL LOBE FUNCTION
• LEFT FRONTAL, LEFT TEMPORAL– FUNCTIONS AND
PROBLEMS
• RIGHT FRONTAL, RIGHT TEMPORAL– FUNCTIONS AND
PROBLEMS
50,000 YEARS!!!
• THE HUMAN BRAIN WAS DESIGNED FOR AN ENVIRONMENT THAT EXISTED 50,000 YEARS AGO
• ADAPTATION TO MODERN LIFE IS ACCIDENTAL
FOUR PRIMARY DRIVES(by KARL PRIBRAM)
• FEEDING
FOUR PRIMARY DRIVES
• FIGHTING
FOUR PRIMARY DRIVES
• FLEEING
FOUR PRIMARY DRIVES
• MAKING BABIES
FOUR PRIMARY DRIVES
• THESE ARE SURVIVAL MECHANISMS
• THEY ARE GENERALLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER
• THEY ARE GENERALLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH LESSER DRIVES AND EMOTIONS
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
• A mismatch between a primary drive or strong habitual behavior and the internal or external environment.
ANXIETY
• Anxiety is one of those emotions that tends to be incompatible with other emotions. It also tends to impair activity. It shuts down the prefrontal cortex.
• Sexual arousal can shut down anxiety (and anxiety can shut down sexual arousal).
• Assertive/aggressive behavior can shut down anxiety.
• Most purposeful actions can shut down anxiety.
• Activating the prefrontal cortex can shut down anxiety.
AGGRESSION
• Incompatible with anxiety
• Rage is self reinforcing (it feels a lot better than anxiety, and there is a tension release when it is over).
DEPRESSION
• As a brain mechanism it is a little bit unique.
• In terms of brain activity, depression localizes itself as low level of activity in the left prefrontal cortex in right handed left lateralized individual.
RECIPROCITY
• Planning and thinking inhibit emotions.
• Emotions inhibit planning and thinking.
• One goes up, the other goes down.
HUMAN FRONTAL LOBES
• Chopping off a chicken’s head.
• Human frontal lobe is to the rest of the human brain as the chicken’s brain is to the rest of the chicken’s body.
DSM-IV
• This is the “bible” for classification of mental conditions.
• About 50% of the conditions listed represent the following:
• EXCESSIVE RATE AND MAGNITUDE RESPONSES TO RELATIVELY MINOR STIMULI
• If you remember nothing else today, remember this
DISORDERS OF RATE AND MAGNITUDE OF RESPONSE
RELATED TO FRONTAL LOBE DYSFUNCTION
• ADHD
• MIGRAINE
• ANGER
• ANXIETY
• DEPRESSION
PAROXYSMAL DISORDERSSUDDEN ONSET, SHORT DURATION, QUICKLY LEAVING “EVENTS”
• MIGRAINE HEADACHES
• SEIZURES
• RAGE REACTIONS
• PANIC ATTACKS
MIGRAINES
• Can mimic any other mental disorder, especially if there is an aura.
• Aura: progresses in a wave at 2mm to 6mm per minute, usually from back of the brain to front, ending in a headache (tsunami effect).
• Called CSD (cortical spreading depression). Wherever this wave passes, the brain malfunctions.
TYPICAL AND LESS TYPICAL MIGRAINE AURA
• “GHOSTS”
• AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS
• PANIC
• PSYCHOTIC EPISODE
• SMELLS
• APHASIA (receptive / expressive)
BREAK
TIME FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE NEXT SET OF SLIDES