Page 11 - Changes and Challenges
P. 11
Dementia
Changes and Challenges
The Brain and Commonly Recognised Symptoms.
At the risk of making a pun, let us get our head around the brain. I know I
want to keep mine in there as long as I possibly can, then I will donate it for
research. The brain is the most complex organ in our bodies. Some people
even believe it to be the most complex object in the known universe. The
following diagram (Figure 1) is a common and simplified representation of the
brain. It is important to note that while it is divided into a number of discrete
‘lobes’ there is no ‘hard’ boundary between them, they are interconnected
and as we increase our understanding can be subdivided into smaller and
smaller functional areas. Ultimately, we can get to the cellular level and
describe individual Neurons (Figure 2). It is also important to note that the
brain contains many other types of cells that are essential for our functioning.
Figure 1: Basic Brain Anatomy
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