The Brain and It’s mysteries… A Conversation with Neuropsychologist Saúl Martínez-Horta
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It’s time to talk about the mysteries of the human brain and the diseases that threaten it. On this occasion, we chatted with the neuropsychologist at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, Saúl Martínez-Horta, and author of ‘The sky that forgets its stars’.A book to better understand how our brain works when thinking and feeling, and what happens when these functions deteriorate.
The brain and its mysteries…
Yes, it is indeed a book in which I have tried to explain in a way that is, let’s say easy, but detailed, what neurodegenerative diseases are, the known and unknown causes behind them and how they differ between them so as not to focus on the best known, such as Alzheimer’s. But to explain the wide range of diseases that we can encounter. Frist I explain how the brain works normally and in the pathology that gives rise to memory, learning, movement, emotion, etc., to then understand how these diseases can spoil all this. And, in the last part, I dedicate myself to explaining what we can do in an attempt to prevent or moderate the risk of suffering from these diseases. And, of course, once they are present, how do we deal with them; who suffers from them and who lives with those who suffer from them. almost all of us will have to live with diseases of this type, from family members, from acquaintances… And this book can be a guide to navigate that journey,which people already consider very necessary to not go blindly with this issue.
For prevention, the cardiovascular issue is very crucial, right?
Yes, as of course, a typical question that people ask you is, well, if this cannot be cured, what is the point of entering the world of diagnosis or if these diseases have a genetic cause, etc. I explain that even first they do not always have a determining genetic cause,but when they do or even when it may not be in our hands to avoid suffering from one of these diseases in the future,we do have very solid levels of evidence that lifestyle contributes more or less. We know that, possibly, by having exhaustive control over cardiovascular risk factors, we would avoid many of these cases, simply because even if the disease is present, it would present so late or in such a benign form that it would not cause us problems. Or that even when diseases already cause problems, the fact that a person has a good reserve from a cognitive and physical point of view makes the behavior of these diseases much more benign. It is not so much about avoiding, but rather about preventing or shaping, doing things that we are reminded of every day such as physical activity, a healthy diet, taking care of cholesterol, hypertension… And all of this is going to have a tremendous impact.
Why is neurodegenerative diseases increasing?
As a society, as a culture, we have achieved something notable, which is greatly improving how we live and how we survive, how we deal with processes that previously ended human life. And we have greatly improved our lifestyle in general terms, and that has meant that we live many years. What happens is that the brain as an organ did not evolve to be a
What are those proteins that we have in the brain and that must be attacked when they accumulate in excess?
Virtually all neurodegenerative diseases, especially those that we consider primary diseases, have no other cause that explains them, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, etc. When we study the brains of people with these diseases, we detect the presence of different forms of proteins that have acquired an abnormal structure that makes them toxic. These proteins are proteins that, in the most absolute normality, we all have and that perform different functions. They are a series of proteins that are expressed in the cells of the nervous system and that play a role,at the level of metabolism,regulation of synapses,etc. For some reason, whether genetic or unknown, these proteins sometimes change their shape, their structure, fold poorly, and instead of being able to perform their normal function, they become something like toxic waste within brain cells. This is what causes the cells to begin to function poorly as it is indeed like living with waste and finally the neuron dies. And that is what promotes neurodegeneration.
In the end everything is a sum of factors. There are no cases in which,regardless of the environment where we have grown up,we develop,we are going to suffer from a disease as it will be genetically determined. And in other cases, well obviously the environment plays a more critical role, no, of course, our relationship with the environment first has a psychological impact. It means, if I am in a stressed environment, let’s call it more toxic, more harmful, that causes me a different psychological state. And that psychological state can play a role in how I cope with my life situation, a diagnosis, my lifestyle, etc. But then in a way more directed at what the disease is than at an environment,let’s say stimulating,a socially active environment,an environment in which the person participates and contributes and learns and does new things and solves problems. It is an environment that helps a lot to stimulate how and why a nervous system has developed in nature,which is not for sitting watching TV,it is for solving problems,keeping you active because society keeps you active. It is indeed a guarantee that things will go better, even when they are going to go wrong, as that is how our genetics are defined.