Day 341, Learning About the Prefrontal Cortex in the Brain
“Excessive protein kinase C activity has been shown dramatically to impair prefrontal function and suppress the firing of prefrontal neurons.”
Joaquín Fuster, neuroscientist, Prefrontal Cortex, Fourth Edition, p. 102.
Saturday Morning
Preparing For My Day
meditation:
5-10 things I am grateful for:
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morning comments, feelings, ideas, moods, and empowering questions:
How can I be more artistic, aware, connected, genuine, motivated, and passionate today?
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mood and energy:
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0-100
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comments
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mood:
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80
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feeling better
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energy:
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80
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having more than average energy
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accomplishments:
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accomplishment
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the reason it is important
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next action(s)
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1
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Drove my husband to his appointment. Survived it (and the driving)!
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Mobility, Service
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Drive him to his follow-up appointments also.
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2
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Applied my knowledge of cognitive distortions to keep my mood from crashing, especially by avoiding personalization—accepting blame for events outside of my control.
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Mental health
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Continue to rout out cognitive distortions.
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3
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Listed ways in which I am connected and made connection a priority in my life.
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Becoming a linchpin
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Make quality connections and give as much as you can.
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4
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Evaluated types of motivation, resolving not to let the lure of new things keep me from achieving long-term goals.
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Becoming a linchpin
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Overcome obstacles and keep achieving the steps to long-term goals.
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5
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Thought about what it means to be genuine.
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Becoming a linchpin
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Be yourself.
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Focus
I meditated for a while, then read. In Focus, Daniel Goleman describes a poster in grade schools, which reminds children to stop, calm down, and think before acting. I made my own version as shown below:
Prefrontal Cortex
My husband said, “It makes sense.” Daniel believes the use of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for:
- executive functions
- decision making
- emotional control
- planning complex cognitive behavior
- abstract reasoning
- sustaining attention
- impulse control
- personality expression
- moderating social behavior
is key to success. Tragically, the prefrontal cortex of my brain is severely impaired during mania. When I was manic, my impulsive attention flitted from one thing to another, keeping me from ever completing anything. I could not get things done, but I could start dozens of things in quick succession.
The above traffic light graphic shows the essence of using the prefrontal cortex. Daniel believes the prefrontal cortex can be strengthened with exercise. Two exercises for your prefrontal cortex include putting on your rose-colored glasses and following a sleep routine.
Protein Kinase C
In the last few hours, I have learned more about the prefrontal cortex. This surprisingly led me to find a mechanism through which lithium and valproic acid likely controls bipolar disorder. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of 10 enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP (the energy currency of biological systems) to another molecule. Scientists found PKC to be elevated in manic bipolar disorder patients. Lithium and valproic acid, medicines used to treat bipolar disorder, indirectly inhibit the activity of PKC.
PKC is expressed in the prefrontal limbic structures such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala areas of the brain. Protein kinase C (PKC) signaling is involved in the regulation of activities related to bipolar disorder such as:
- neuronal excitability
- neurotransmitter release
- apoptotic pathway activation (death of cells)
- mitochondrial (cellular energy-producing organelle) dysfunction
- oxidative stress (free radicals)
- neuroinflammation (inflammation of the nerves)
Unfortunately, the only drug that is relatively specific for inhibiting protein kinase C and crosses the blood-brain barrier is tamoxifen, an anticancer drug used primarily by breast cancer patients. Who wants to take that? However, it is enlightening to have some light shed on the mechanism of lithium and its connection to the prefrontal cortex.
Whether there will be any new and better drugs remains to be seen. In the meantime, I will take lithium (and complain less?). We will see. I do not want to lose the function of my prefrontal cortex again.
Planning and Logging
It is now past bedtime. I just finished up my Cronometer log. I worked on my TCC P&L for PC plan and log today. However, sometime in the early afternoon, I stopped keeping the log. I think it was still useful, however, keeping in mind that I planned to use it as little or as much as I wanted. Here it is in its imperfect state: (I did not end up getting and processing the mail.)
TCC P&L for PC
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Timely, Consistent, Clear Planning and Logging for Productive Creativity
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Time
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Plans
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Actual
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Up to 8
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8-9
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Blog
Email
Breakfast
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Blog – Preparing for My Day
Breakfast – avocado
Denneroll
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9-10
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Made a ham and corned-beef, iceberg/Romaine/spinach-and-tomato salad for my husband and myself.
Watched a nature show, Earth Odyssey, on TV.
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10-11
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Read Focus by Daniel Goleman.
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Read Focus by Daniel Goleman.
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11-12
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Created a graphic.
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12-1
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Green drink for lunch.
Make omelet for husband.
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1-2
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Made a green drink for lunch; a sandwich for my husband.
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2-3
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3-4
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Get the mail.
Process the mail.
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4-5
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Process the mail.
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5-6
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6-7
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7-8
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8-9
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9-12
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Thinking of Tomorrow and Getting Some Sleep
Tomorrow, my step-son is coming to work with us on the estate again. I pray that will go well. I listed 17 items I want to work on tomorrow in my Aspirations “Little Black Book.” I will plan them into my TCC P&L for PC chart tomorrow.
The goal now is to sleep peacefully for 7-8 hours. I need to take my medication, brush my teeth with Sonicare, wash my face, charge the Androids, etc. My husband is watching TV, which may make it difficult to get to sleep. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the connection between the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex, which basically results in emotional (re)actions without any judgment behind them.
Sunday Morning
Weight and Calories
Unfortunately, I gained weight back. Our trip to McDonald’s after my husband’s appointment Friday may be a factor (2074 calories for the day and 2054 calories the day before). All I can do is work to keep my calorie level under control and exercise more too. Yesterday, with a green drink, I did not do too badly at 1666 calories.
Prayer
MORNING Prayer
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If you would like to join me on this journey from the beginning, please start with Day One.
KaeLyn Morrill