Re: Any brain mechanics out there?

Mike Smith wrote:
Many years ago I seem to remember reading a book on the brain, writ by a chap who fettled them for a living. Needless to say lent out and never returned, not even a post card to say where it ended up.

This that book he was discussing the basic tripartite structure of the organ and mentioned something that lives somewhere in the regiou of the hypothalmus, about the size of a postage stamp, that filters out nerve signals that do not change.
Until I mention it you are not aware of the soles of your feet - That kind of thing.

I remembered it as the reticular activating sector - But there doesnt seem to be such a thing.

I'm working on some notes for clients of a charity (Disabled Access to Computing) about using computers safely and it struck me that this mechanism, favouring the noticing of changes but with a low threshold so slow changes are often not noticed - might have a bearing on computer related ailments.

You sit still, in one position, for a long time and the pain signal build up. If they do so slowly however they may be filtered out, allowing you to over stress bits of the body.

Bit tenuous, and I need to (a) do some more research and (b) think about it more but does anyone out there happen to know what that postage stamp sized filtery gizzmo is actually called?

It's all mixed up in memory with Prof Otto's 'numinious feelings' and some half remembered lectures I wasn't supposed to attend on courses I wasn't doing from about 35 years ago (the brain book was more recent, about 1980).

Old age seems to be an interesting blend of wisdom and bewilderment.


Age means it is several decafortnights since I had to seriously study any of this.

Was it the Thalamus itself?

The Reticular activating System is involved in maintaining consciousness and the circadian rhythm etc, don't know anything about that and sensory processing.
Certainly the Thalamus appears to be involved in process in routing sensory and motor signals, and damage caused by strokes can cause unusual but very nasty and persistent pain sensations that are fortunately rare but cause utter misery for sufferers.
A quick glance at Wikipedia suggests that the role of the Thalamus is being reconsidered to some extent at the moment.

--

JonG (Self -Preservation Society No. 37 3/4)

The Shed: A Shelter from Chicks on the Wing
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Relevant Pages

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