Neuro Agility is grounded in neuroplasticity as it addresses the brain-mind elements that impact the speed, ease, and flexibility with which people learn, think, and process information. Understanding Neuro Agility starts with understanding the electrochemical transmission of impulses between brain cells.
Electrochemical functioning
Developing neuro-agility is a prerequisite for the brain to function at optimum level as one integrated, whole-brain system without any neurological hindrances. It is about the readiness of all the senses to absorb and process incoming electrochemical impulses and transmit them at the optimum speed from the senses to the appropriate brain regions required to execute the desired learning, thinking, or processing functions.
Understanding the factors that impact the ease and speed of people’s learning, thinking, and information processing, starts with understanding the electrochemical functioning of the brain. There are two basic concepts relevant to the electrochemical functioning of the brain – electrical impulses transmitted from one neuron (brain cell) to another via chemical reactions between the receptors of the neurons.
Sufficient transmission of electrical impulses depends on an efficient conductor – water. Water is the “magic solvent” for charged particles that conduct electrical impulses across the neuron’s axon. If the body is not hydrated, cellular polarity will not occur and impulses will not travel along the neuronal axon or at the maximum speed it is supposed to. Dehydration of the brain and body slows down and hinders electrochemical transmission, negatively impacting a person’s Neuro Agility.
The brain produces 20 – 25 watts of electricity. This means the brain produces electricity, as well as conducts electrical impulses. Anything that slows down, hinders, or even blocks the speed of electrical transmission is referred to as a neurological stressor because it will negatively impact a person’s neuro-agility. Factors such as brain agility, stress, lack of sleep, insufficient movement, lack of a growth mindset, bad eating habits, and a dehumanized environment are all neurological stressors that will slow down or inhibit the speed of electrical transmission.
The second aspect relevant to understanding the electrochemical functioning of the brain is understanding the impact of the chemicals that run the brain. All cognitive processes in the brain are grounded in biochemical reactions. Emotions are feelings. What do people feel? The impact of chemical responses on the things they think about, learn, or experience. Laughter, for instance, makes one feel good because the body’s happiness chemical, called serotonin, is produced.
Neurochemicals can be organized into two groups – neuro-transmitting chemicals also referred to as facilitators, and inhibiting chemicals that slow down, hinder, or even prevent transmission of electrochemical impulses.
The images below illustrate the functioning of these chemicals. Let’s use an example. If one drives down the street and someone runs in front of you, an instinctive reaction will be to hit the brakes. When the car stops, you will feel “pins and needles” in your legs. Some of the names of the chemicals that cause the “pins and needles” feeling are called adrenalin, morphine, and cortisol. Adrenaline normally gives one extra power. Morphine is an inhibiting chemical that subdues the pain message, and cortisol is the name of the stress hormone. The impact of morphine as an inhibiting chemical is illustrated below:
Further to the example of inhibiting chemicals, if someone got hurt in a serious accident, the person may not feel the pain, or less pain for some minutes, depending on the volume of morphine that was released. The main function of morphine is to subdue, inhibit, or even block the transmission of pain impulses. The person does not feel the full intensity of the pain, enabling that person to deal with the situation they find themselves in. That’s why it is referred to as an inhibitor.
If inhibiting chemicals are continuously produced over a long time, they can be seen as bad fuel for the brain. Continuous bad feelings and habitual negative thoughts produce bad fuel neurochemicals and negatively impact the electro-chemical transmission of impulses in the brain. It weakens the immune system and causes bad brain health. This will also limit the ease, speed, and flexibility of thinking and learning processes, complex problem-solving, and effective decision-making.
Although it is natural for all human beings to have negative thoughts or experience negative emotions, they should not be stuck there. Continuous secretion of inhibiting chemicals over time will decrease our Neuro Agility, health, wellness, happiness, performance, communication, and social cohesion.
Einstein once said: “We cannot solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem”. Negative thinking or a limited mindset will lead to being less neuro-agile. Neuro Agility requires operating on the right fuel. Neurochemicals that conduct electrical impulses from one brain cell to another are good fuels. To produce the right fuel, we need continuous positive thoughts, growth mindsets, constructive emotions, and learn to cope with stress and manage fatigue effectively.
Positive thoughts, emotions, and experiences produce neurotransmitters that conduct electrical impulses between brain cells at optimum speed, energize us, and strengthen the immune system. Continuous good feelings produce good fuel for the brain and body. When these neurotransmitters become the dominating fuel that runs our brain and body most of the time, a healthy neurophysiological environment is created to optimize the ease and speed of electrochemical transmission for thinking, learning, innovation, problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity.
The implication of the electrochemical functioning of the brain for becoming and staying neuro-agile people is that they need to be constantly aware of the chemicals that run their mind and body and take deliberate actions to produce more neurotransmitters that will help them optimize the speed and ease of electrical transmission.
By Dr. André Vermeulen,