Insights on the Neuroscience of the Social Brain

Speaking of the capability of the human brain, these are some of the fundamental characteristics: 

• The folded nature (with the gyrus and sulcei) – creating a much higher surface area
• The ability to create new connections with neurons (neuroplasticity) as and when you need.
• & What amazes me the most is the substitutability of the various functionalities of the brain parts if any part gets damaged.

The purpose of the social brain is to have positive and efficacious human interactions. 

This combines the thinking ‘C response’ brain (Lateral, Medial, dorso-medial Pre-frontal cortex, Anterior Cingulate Cortex, and parts of parietal cortex) functionalities with the more instantly reactive ‘X response’ Limbic system (the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus). The most important ability to make social interactions more effective is to bring some sense of conscious control in the ‘without any reigns Emotional Reactions’. The ability to provide higher order response (stimulations to sensory cortex to frontal cortex to hippocampus and basal ganglia) can be tough when emotions are running high.The other crucial aspect of the neuroscience during social interactions is ‘How much is your blood boiling?’ The raging hormones in the blood (glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol), adrenaline & noradrenaline, oxytocins, estrogen & testosterone) can make the social interactions most rewarding (to instil courage, positivity, drive) or can make one dysfunctional (fear, anxiety, depression). 

The Awareness of this Neurochemistry is important as once You Know your Brain, you'd be able to Train your Brain.

The most intriguing part though as one learns more and more about the Neuroscience is the principle of Cause and Effect vs. Correlation? 

• Does the presence of a particular hormone in the blood cause the emotion? or 
• Does the presence of the emotion cause the increase in the hormone presence? 

The London cab driver research on more than normal spatial intelligence and the bigger size of the DLPFC (Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [the front side of your brain]), does not resolve fully all doubts & questions of whether it is correlation or causal.

And hence still remains a crucial question in the study of the Anatomy of the brain.  

Till Next time,

NeoSynapses

P.S- Happy New Year Folks!!!

Hope its an Amazing one!!!