cortex Archives - Jumbledbrain https://www.jumbledbrain.com/tag/cortex/ Discover - Empower - Thrive Wed, 07 Sep 2022 23:34:47 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/www.jumbledbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-tab-logo.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 cortex Archives - Jumbledbrain https://www.jumbledbrain.com/tag/cortex/ 32 32 115417566 Distracted after brain injury and it’s causing problems https://www.jumbledbrain.com/distracted-brain-injury/ https://www.jumbledbrain.com/distracted-brain-injury/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2016 13:28:25 +0000 https://www.jumbledbrain.com/?p=757 Prior to my brain injury I could focus on a task pretty well. If it was a long one I would need short breaks, as anyone would, but I could complete it. But now I can be distracted even before I’ve started. Yesterday was a simple, although not hugely important example. I needed to put […]

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Prior to my brain injury I could focus on a task pretty well. If it was a long one I would need short breaks, as anyone would, but I could complete it. But now I can be distracted even before I’ve started.

Yesterday was a simple, although not hugely important example. I needed to put the bin at the end of the drive before I went out that evening to be emptied in  the morning.

(If any of you are fans of the British soap Eastenders, don’t worry. I’m not about to copy their most boring story-line ever , complaining about how often the bins are collected.) 

It was the general waste bin that was due for collection, but I thought I would take out any recycling on my way. So I collected any plastic bottles and cardboard up and took them to the recycling bin outside. Then I remembered that as James, my partner, would be a while yet before he was home from work I better check I’d locked the door. Ah-ha, no I hadn’t,  I’d caught myself almost forgetting a crucial step. Pleased with myself I set off on my journey.

Did you spot my error?

I still hadn’t put the general bin out for collection. It’s not a big deal, James did it when he got home, but it’s frustrating. I’d got distracted simply by congratulating myself for locking the front door. My attention span is so short, that even simple mundane tasks don’t get done.

My brain injury leaves me easily distracted, so I lose my train of thought.

I don’t want to have to refer to a list for everything I do. Appointments and shopping lists, fine I accept everyone does that. But I don’t think I even could list all the little boring things one does in  a day. And if I started trusting my incomplete list, well there really would be no hope.

Why do we get distracted?

It’s partially to do with our inhibitions. Between each temple is the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) which plays a big role in this. It’s this system that helps us stay focused by putting the breaks on things that can distract us. But as we are wired to respond quickly to danger, this system only works for short periods of time.

What can we do about it?

Apparently it’s about timing. Once you start doing something it takes more effort to stop than it does to start. Our brains run on glucose and are energy hungry, so if it has to put more effort into one task, it has less ability to do the next. Particularly if you have a brain injury this is an issue. So you have to try to notice that you’re starting something that doesn’t have to be right now. If I’d finishing putting the bin out, I probably would have still remembered to lock the door. But because I allowed that process to be interrupted I became distracted. 

In short, just do one thing at a time. If you need to you can write an emerging thought down, or in my case, I could have kept saying to myself “lock the door” as I wheeled the bin.

For more examples of my silly errors, read Agony of cognitive tailspin after brain injury.

Other articles you may like:

Have you become more distracted since your brain injury? What do you find helps you stay focused?

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]]> https://www.jumbledbrain.com/distracted-brain-injury/feed/ 5 757 Brain injury = Amygdala hijacking: The fight or flight response https://www.jumbledbrain.com/brain-injuryamygdala-hijacking/ https://www.jumbledbrain.com/brain-injuryamygdala-hijacking/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2016 13:01:01 +0000 https://www.jumbledbrain.com/?p=370 Since my brain injury I’m not the calm, logical individual I used to be. But it’s not my fault. There is an enemy within my injured brain who keeps taking over. A little sneaky little thing called the Amygdala. This is the Amygdala hijacking. Amygdala hijack is the term used to describe compelling emotional responses. These […]

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Since my brain injury I’m not the calm, logical individual I used to be. But it’s not my fault. There is an enemy within my injured brain who keeps taking over. A little sneaky little thing called the Amygdala. This is the Amygdala hijacking.

Amygdala hijack is the term used to describe compelling emotional responses. These are immediate and overwhelming. This is an overreaction to the actual stimulus because it has triggered a powerful emotional threat.

The Amygdala is the emotional centre for the brain and the Cortex is the thinking area.  When there is a stressful situation the Amygdala overrides the Cortex. It does this because it is engaging the “fight or flight” response.

In dangerous situations this helps us to instinctively respond to the threat without having to over think it. But it is difficult to use intelligent reasoning when this happens. Adrenaline is released into the body, and remains in your system for approximately 18 minutes. In English, this means the Amygdala has hijacked the cortex before your rational mind has an opportunity to come up with a rational response.

The Amygdala decides when it is needed by comparing information from our senses, to what it thinks are comparable memories.  Once it thinks it has a match, we go into a Fight or Flight Response. Our nervous system recognises  the stress, and Adrenaline is released to give our body. This gives us the needed emergency energy to stand and fight, or take to our feet and get out of there.

My brain injury has caused me to have Amygdala hijacking episodes. I have outbursts that just aren't me. But these 3 steps can give you control back.

But unless you really are running from a charging Bull, or fighting off a rabid dog, this can cause us to have outbursts of emotions, leaving us feeling like we have lost control.

When you have a brain injury you could be finding your senses are lying to you which can really confuse the situation. I have double vision, (Double vision trouble from brain injury) balance problems, (Balance feeling unstable due to brain injury, it’s awkward) tinnitus (Tinnitus, the loathsome bells of brain injury) and altered sensation in my limbs (Is my brain injury making me paranoid?) All of which means a lot of the data my senses are reporting is nonsense. This is effectively like the General of an army being told World War 3 has broken out and he must decide whether to hit the nuclear weapon button now or never, when it’s just some kids have been playing Knock Down Ginger.

fight-or-flight

So what can we do about it?

The best advice I have found so far is to give your emotion a label. This helps re-engage the thinking part of your brain and help you regain some rational control.

  1. Say what you emotion you feel, anger, frightened, etc
  2. Mention what event has caused you to feel like this
  3. Say why you think it made you feel like this

If someone is with you when an Amygdala hijacking outburst happens, they can help by asking you these 3 questions to make you verbalise your responses. This switches the Cortex back on in order to try to think of the answers. Also they can use your answers to show empathy to your situation which feels reassuring.

E.G I realise you’re frustrated, because we missed the train. I know that makes you worried we will be late.

Other articles that may interest you:

Do you find Amygdala hijacking happens to you? Is there that special person who just always knows what to say to calm you down, or are they always making it worse?

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