"Mental arithmetic(Anzan)" and "abacus" are good reasons for training the adult brain.

Working memory is a system of the brain that temporarily holds information when you do something, including complex intellectual operations such as learning, understanding, and reasoning,

and can be connected to actions. Not only work and study, but also the performance of everyday life.

 

However, working memory resources are limited and the size changes with age.

That said, working age doesn't compromise the working memory system itself.

Don't think, "I'm absolutely inefficient in my work because my brain is worse than my junior."

It is highly possible that the compensation function is working properly. Let me explain.

 

Possibility of reorganization of working memory compensation function

Involvement of the prefrontal cortex changes with age

The prefrontal cortex (prefrontal cortex) of the brain is said to play an important role in complex intellectual processes.

It seems that they will also coordinate various brain areas related to working memory.

Therefore, working memory is said to largely depend on the integrity of the prefrontal cortex.

Then, in the research conducted by HSE University (Russia) York University (Canada) Singapore National University scheduled to be published in "NeuroImage" on August 1, 2019, the brain area that supports working memory will continue to grow.

It was suggested that the reorganization may have occurred.

The researchers put data on brain activity in 2,020 study volunteers into three age groups: young (18-35 years), middle-aged (35-55 years), and elderly (55-85 years). It seems that they analyzed it separately.

using "magnetic resonance functional imaging (fMRI)" while performing a general "N-back task" in the performance study of working memory.

 

As a result of meta-analyzing them, it seems that all the groups agree on the following.

・ Parietal and cingulate cortex are strongly involved in working memory
・ Involvement of insular cortex, anterior disorders, cerebellum and working memory is weak

However, regarding the prefrontal cortex, it seems that the following differences have occurred.

・ Aged prefrontal cortex: no involvement with working memory
About the parietal region of the cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex becomes more active with increasing age

It is worrisome to hear that with age, the involvement of the prefrontal cortex, which is important for working memory, decreases, but in reality, the older the brain, the more frequently the parietal cortex is activated. That's right.

Researchers say it may be a sign that the compensatory function of the working memory mechanism is being reorganized.

Therefore, it cannot be said that "working memory skills decrease with age."

Throughout our lives, we have undergone various experiences to change our response to things.

People may describe it as "becoming an adult" or "being grown up". That is also the work that the changed brain can do.

In other words, in the words of the researchers, changes in prefrontal cortex activity suggest changes in age and changes in problem-solving strategies.

 

About the parietal region of the cerebral cortex

The parietal region of the cerebral cortex, the so-called "parietal lobe," is responsible for cognition, analysis, and recognition of body sensations.

For example, he will be responsible for limbs and other body parts, left and right judgment, judgment of food and fragrance likes and dislikes.

It is also known to combine visual and motor functions.

In addition, it is also the brain that controls higher brain functions such as writing letters, reading aloud, and calculating. As you get older, this part becomes more active.

Besides, the above research results only show changes in brain activity.

Rest assured that it is not an explanation that the function of the highest prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for thinking and creativity, deteriorates.

While methods for activating the prefrontal cortex, such as aerobic exercise, meditation, and mindfulness, are widely known, while activities that stimulate the parietal lobe are not so popular. Take this opportunity to find out how to rejuvenate the parietal cortex.

 

Rejuvenate the parietal cortex

How to stimulate the parietal lobe 1: Juggling

A study published online (Nature Neuroscience) on October 11, 2009 revealed that the simultaneous work of "visual recognition" and "physical movement" changes the brain.

The one that fits perfectly with that complicated movement is "juggling" in which one or more objects are always kept floating and multiple objects are thrown in and out of the air.

An investigation of the brains of participants who had been juggling for 6 weeks revealed changes in white matter and gray matter in the parietal lobe.

By the way, gray matter is where the cell bodies of nerve cells on the surface of the brain exist.

White matter is a collection of axons (connections of nerve cells) inside the gray matter.

In addition, a reinvestigation four weeks later showed that the changes were extremely persistent.

 

Method 2: Stimulate the parietal lobe: Calculation

According to Joshua Hartshawn of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the peak of comprehensive information processing and memory is 18 years old.

After that, it seems to decline with age. However, the brain is not bad unless it is young.

This is because the team led by Hartshawn conducted a performance test on participants aged 10 to 90 and found the following:

・ Peak of ability to remember name: 22 years old
・ Peak of face recognition: 32 years old
・ Peace of concentration: 43 years old
・ Peak of reading the emotion of the other party: 48 years old
・ Peak of basic computing ability: 50 years old
・ Peak of ability to acquire and understand general information: 50 years old
・ Peak level: 67 years old

As shown in the above research, the brain is an organ that keeps changing through experience and learning.

That is why it is important to use it consciously.

By the way, in words the temporal lobe and frontal lobe are stimulated, and in the memory the hippocampus is stimulated, but the parietal lobe is

・ Calculation
・ Spatial recognition

It seems to be stimulated by. The juggling in the previous section seems to be useful for spatial recognition, but it is said that the calculation is also effective, so for example, when splitting a meal with a friend, do not rely on the smartphone calculator and try mental arithmetic. Will

How to stimulate the parietal lobe 3: abacus

It was found that simultaneous work of "visual recognition" and "movement by the body" and "calculation" and "spatial recognition" stimulate and change the parietal lobe.

Actually, there are activities that mix them.

According to empirical research materials from the Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, the parietal lobe and frontal lobe are active even with a very simple 3-digit “abacus” calculation.

"Abacus" is a tool that recognizes the space, looks, touches, and calculates.

Most of the actions mentioned above are included.

In addition, if you calculate a 5-digit “abacus”, you can see that the higher territories of the frontal and parietal cortex are activated.

In fact, the neural system created by these territories is called the "frontal cortex-parietal cortex system," and it has become clear that it is very important for various intellectual tasks.

In order to respond to changes in the working memory mechanism, train the parietal lobe with the “abacus” calculation, and also train the “frontal cortex-parietal cortex system”.

 

OVER ALL

The brain can be trained forever. First of all, while having fun-Juggling-Split split calculation-Incorporate abacus calculation to train the parietal lobe?

On this site, you can learn abacus while watching animation.
Education to change the future

 

 

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