Researchers Find Brain Area That Controls 'Self'

[Guest guest]

http://dailynews./h/nm/20010508/sc/science_self_dc.html

 

Researchers Find Brain Area That Controls 'Self'

 

By Will Dunham

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers studying patients with a rare

degenerative brain malady that can trigger dramatic changes in

personality said on Tuesday they have pinpointed a part of the brain

that controls a person's sense of ``self.''

 

An area in the front portion of the brain's right frontal lobe

appears to harbor the sense of self -- in other words, personality,

beliefs, likes and dislikes, said Dr. Bruce Miller, a neurologist at

the University of California-San Francisco.

 

Miller said he began looking into the anatomy of the self after

noticing that several of his patients with frontotemporal dementia,

commonly known as Pick's disease, underwent a stark transformation,

changing their religious and political beliefs, and altering their

preferences in food and clothing.

 

Miller and several colleagues examined 72 people with Pick's disease,

which is similar to Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites). The

researchers used advanced brain imaging techniques to determine which

areas of the brain had the most severe degeneration. They also

evaluated the patients for major changes in personality, values and

tastes.

 

Seven patients had undergone a dramatic change of self, the study

found. Six of those had their most severe abnormalities in the

brain's right frontal lobe.

 

Of the 65 patients whose sense of self had been preserved, only one

had the most severe damage in the right frontal lobe.

 

Miller said the findings indicate that normal functioning of the

right frontal lobe is needed for people to maintain their sense of

self. He also said the findings demonstrate that a biological

disorder can break down well-established patterns of awareness and

self-reflection.

 

``This is kind of a mysterious area in the brain,'' Miller said in an

interview. ``The question is why in this non-language area do we see

a loss of self concepts. And the answer is: We don't know.''

 

The study was presented during a meeting of the American Academy of

Neurology (news - web sites) in Philadelphia.

 

An Incurable Illness

 

Pick's disease is a slow, progressive, degenerative disease that

eventually progresses to death. The incurable ailment involves

deterioration in mental function caused by changes in brain tissue,

including the presence of abnormal bodies (Pick's bodies) in the

nerve cells of affected areas of the brain.

 

It strikes about 1 out of 100,000 people and is more common in women

than men. It usually begins between ages 40 and 60.

 

The change in self represents an early manifestation of the disease

in some patients. Later symptoms include losses in the ability to

recognize objects or people and language abilities.

 

One patient involved in the study was a 54-year-old woman described

as a charming, dynamic real estate agent who went from wearing

expensive designer apparel to choosing cheap clothing and gaudy beads

and asking strangers the cost of their clothing. Once a lover of

French cuisine, she adopted a love of fast food, particularly Taco

Bell.

 

Another patient in the study was a 63-year-old woman described as a

well-dressed life-long political conservative who became an animal

rights activist who hated conservatives, dressed in T-shirts and

baggy pants and liked to say, ``Republicans should be taken off the

Earth.''

 

The concept of self has intrigued philosophers, writers and

scientists for centuries, but only recently has the technology been

available to study its anatomical basis, the study noted.

 

It may be deflating to some people that the very essence of who they

are -- including their beliefs and values -- is merely another

anatomical process.

 

``I'm far from a philosopher and I'm a pretty simple guy,'' Miller

said. ``I don't know. I'm so tied to the idea that we are the sum of

all of our neural connections that for me it's kind of my approach.''

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta, " Hur Guler " <Hur1@a...> wrote:

 

> It may be deflating to some people that the very essence of who

> they are -- including their beliefs and values -- is merely another

> anatomical process.

 

It might be (and some 'deflation' might be a 'good thing'), if this

study really " proved " anything. It's just another one-sided " object-

oriented " study that neglects " the observer " completely.

 

> ``I'm far from a philosopher and I'm a pretty simple guy,'' Miller

> said. ``I don't know. I'm so tied to the idea that we are the sum

> of all of our neural connections that for me it's kind of my

> approach.''

 

Miller is honest at least... he's tied to an idea (belief), and so

he's not a scientist, but a priest. No real investigation is

possible if/when tied to beliefs -- this includes " spiritual "

or " scientific " investigation... any kind of investigation.

 

Oh, and if we're the " sum of all of our neural connections, " what

about the neurons themselves... even those don't play a part? <laugh>.

 

Jeesh, " I am the body " gives way to " I am a web of interconnected

neurons " in the 21st century... the more things " change " the more

they stay the same :-).

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[Guest guest]

At 10:46 PM 5/8/01 , you wrote:

>Once a lover of

>French cuisine, she adopted a love of fast food, particularly Taco

>Bell.

 

Sounds like an enlightened soul to me.

Anyone who prefers Taco Bell must realize they are not the body!

 

Beck