Running head: YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 1

Your Brain on Inquiry

Esther Mead

Ivy Tech Community College

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 2

Round 1

Question

How does meditation affect the brain?

Claim
Meditation will lower the heart rate, and will have a positive response to memory and

problem solving silks.

Procedure
Materials

Stopwatch or timer
Access to a phone or computer with internet connection
Luminosity account
Quiet place without distraction
20 minutes a day to conduct meditation
Journal, notebook, or something to record your data
Heart rate monitor (some phones have applications you could use) or knowledge

of how to take your heart rate

Ear buds (optional)
1. Use the internet to create a luminosity account by going to https://www.lumosity.com
2. Log into your lumosity account
3. Take the free test offered (be sure to take the Memory and the Problem Solving tests)
4. Record your scores in your notebook or journal
5. In the morning take your heart rate
6. Record heart rate data
7. Find a quite uninterrupted place to meditate
8. Using your computer or phone with internet access go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwNUaKy_zE
9. Play the You Tube video to guide you through a mediation (use ear buds if you chose)
10. Take your heart rate
11. Record heart rate data
12. That evening take heart rate
13. Record heart rate data
14. Find a quite uninterrupted place to meditate
15. Using your computer or phone with internet access go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwNUaKy_zE
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 3

16. Play the You Tube video to guide you through a mediation (use ear buds if you chose)
17. Take your heart rate
18. Record heart rate data
19. Repeat from step 5.
20. Continue for five days
21. During the five days of meditation take the lumosity test three more times by repeating

step 2 through step 4

Observations

While meditating I felt calm and relaxed. It was nice to take a minute to myself. I could

feel my whole body slowdown, and at the same time I felt energized inside. I felt aware. There

were mornings or evenings that I didnt want to do the meditation, but after I did I felt better. I

found that after the morning meditations I felt more awake and ready for the day. The evening

meditations left me feeling relaxed and calm, ready to sleep. We didnt record our sleeping data,

but I would guess by the way I felt that I was getting better sleep.
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 4

Data

Heart Rate Before and After Meditation

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Kwae Esther
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 5

Difference in Heart Rate After Meditation

Kwae Esther

16-Mar 17-Mar 18-Mar 19-Mar 20-Mar 21-Mar

20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20

Data cont.

Lumosity Memory Test - Meditation

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Kwae Esther
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 6

Lumosity Problem Solving Test - Meditation

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Kwae Esther

Conclusion

Our claim was supported.

Research
Our brains are made of lots of parts but can be broken down into three main areas. The

three areas of the brain are the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem. For the most part what

we are going to research has to do with the cerebrum which can be divided into four lobes or

areas. The four lobes are the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe.

(Brain Injury Allience Utah, n.d.) The grey matter that makes up the brain has white matter that

is in between the grey matter. This white matter transfers information to the grey matter parts.

Your brain is made up of trillions of cells called neurons. They carry electrical messages from

one part of the brain to another, allowing the whole brain to communicate. (Columbial

University and Weill Cornell Medical College, n.d.) Neurons connect information from one part
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 7

of the brain to the other like a wire and electricity. One end of the neuron collects the information

(Dendrites), then it travels through the Soma (the cell body) and then transmits the message

(Axon). (Columbial University and Weill Cornell Medical College, n.d.)

It has been thought that grey matter can thicken through the practice of mindfulness. This

is a relatively new term and is starting to become the new buzz word in our school systems. What

is mindfulness you ask? Well, it is a nonreligious way of saying mediation. Studies have been

done to prove or disprove theories on mindfulness and building up grey matter. We

demonstrated that a 6 week active-controlled mindfulness intervention improved cognitive

control and executive-related neural processing in novices. In contrast, treatment effects on

DLPFC (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) activity observed here may support the role of brief

MT (Mindfulness Training) interventions targeting focused attention in, for example,

posttraumatic stress disorder, where hypoactivation of DLPFC during the task processing has

been reported previously (Michah Allen, 2012) Most of these studies have been done using

MRIs to see the brain itself. "Using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, Eileen

Luders, a re-searcher in the Department of Neurology at the University of California Los

Angeles School of Medicine, looks for evidence that meditation changes the physical structure of

the brain. (McGonigal, 2010) Her findings were quite interesting! Increasing in grey matter! For

many years now people thought that once you have lost part of your brain function, it is gone for

good. That is not the case any longer. This is great news for anyone with a brain injury or anyone

with a disability from a lack of grey matter and function. Increased gray matter typically makes

an area of the brain more efficient or powerful at processing information. (McGonigal, 2010)

Medical students undergoing periods of intense learning show similar changes in the

hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory. And mathematicians have more gray

matter in regions important for arithmetic and spatial reasoning. (McGonigal, 2010)
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 8

What could this mean for our classrooms? How could we help the children with ADHD

or PTSD, or even ODD for that matter? How awesome is this for the children without an issue?

Mindfulness is starting to be taught and there are many benefits from it. I think I will implement

mindfulness in my future classroom!

Round 2

Question

How does reading affect the brain?

Claim

Reading will lower the heart rate, and will have a positive response to memory and

problem solving silks.

Procedure

Materials

Stopwatch or timer
Access to a phone or computer with internet connection
Luminosity account
Quiet place without distraction
20 minutes a day to read
Journal, notebook, or something to record your data
Heart rate monitor or knowledge of how to take your heartrate
A book to read for entertainment or pleasure
1. Log into your lumosity account
2. Take the free test offered (be sure to take the Memory and the Problem Solving tests)
3. Record your scores in your notebook or journal
4. In the morning take your heart rate
5. Record heat rate data
6. Find a quite uninterrupted place to read
7. Read for 10 minutes
8. Take your heart rate
9. Record heart rate data
10. That evening take heart rate
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 9

11. Record heart rate data

12. Find a quite uninterrupted place to read
13. Read for 10 minutes
14. Take your heart rate
15. Record heart rate data
16. Repeat from step 5.
17. Continue for five days
18. During the five days of reading take the lumosity test three more times by repeating step

1 through step 3

Observations
Sometime after reading I would feel more awake and other times I felt relaxed and ready

to sleep. It was harder to read in the morning than at night. When I read I wanted to share with

people what I was reading. It would start conversations and for this project I needed to hold back

on that and just do the reading.

Data

Heat Rate Before and After Reading

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Troy Kwae Esther

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 10

Data cont.

Difference in Heart Rate After Reading

Troy Kwae Esther

15

10

0
42452 42453 42454 42455 42456 42457
-5

-10

-15
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 11

Lumosity Memory Test - Reading

Test 4

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Troy Kwae Esther

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 12

Data cont.

Difference in Heart Rate After Reading

Troy Kwae Esther

15

10

0
42452 42453 42454 42455 42456 42457
-5

-10

-15
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 13

LumosityProblem Solving Test Reading

Test 4

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Troy Kwae Esther

Conclusion

Our claim was not supported.

Research
Reading actually effects more than one part of the brain. It tends to effect almost all four

lobes. Reading starts with the Occipital lobe and moves from there. The Occipital lobe is the part

of the brain that allows you to see something and interpret it as an object or a word. Reading can

help with mental stimulation. Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the

progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimers and Dementia, since keeping your brain

active and engaged prevents it from losing power. (Winter-Hbert) Sometime we read for fun

and sometimes we read and really think about the book and its intention. They [Stanford

University] concluded that reading a novel closely for literary study and thinking about its value
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 14

is an effective brain exercise, more effective than simple pleasure reading alone. (OEDb, 2013)

Turns out doing a book report might have your brain work a bit harder than just reading alone.
We have children read all the time. We tell them to read at least 20 minutes a day. We

know its supposed to be good for them, but why? Just to make them better readers? Actually,

the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and theyll inevitably make their way

into your everyday vocabulary. (Winter-Hbert) If you read in another language other than your

native tongue, you get even more of a brain workout! Amazingly, the language students

experienced brain growth in both the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex, with different levels

of brain growth according to the amount of effort and learning students experienced in that

period of time. (OEDb, 2013)

We tend to read with a beginning, middle and end in mind. With this structure, our

brains are encouraged to think in sequence, linking cause and effect. The more you read, the

more your brain is able to adapt to this line of thinking. Neuroscientists encourage parents to take

this knowledge and use it for children, reading to kids as much as possible. In doing so, youll be

instilling story structure in young minds while the brain has more plasticity, and the capacity to

expand their attention span. (OEDb, 2013)

Not only are you building grey matter when you read, but white matter as well! In a six-

month daily reading program from Carnegie Mellon, scientists discovered that the volume of

white matter in the language area of the brain actually increased. (OEDb, 2013) That means that

the time it takes for something to travel from one side of your brain to the other will decrease as

you increase your white matter. Processing time can be increased through reading.
Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges new synapses (brain

pathways), and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short-term memory recall as well as

stabilizing moods. (Winter-Hbert) Previous studies had shown that both children and adults

with reading difficulty displayed areas of compromised white matter. This new study shows that
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 15

100 hours of intensive reading instruction improved children's reading skills and also increased

the quality of the compromised white matter to normal levels. More precisely, the imaging

illustrated that the consistency of water diffusion had increased in this region, indicating an

improvement in the integrity of the white matter tracts. (Carnegie Mellon University, 2009)
What you read isnt as important as just making sure you are doing it. However what you

read can still have an effect on your mood, and your health. Reading spiritual texts can lower

blood pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help books has

been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and mild mental illnesses.

(Winter-Hbert)
Round 3

Question

How does petting a pet affect the brain?

Claim

Petting a pet will increase the heart rate, and will have a positive response to memory and

problem solving silks.

Procedure

Materials

Stopwatch or timer
Access to a phone or computer with internet connection
Luminosity account
Quiet place without distraction
20 minutes a day to pet a pet
Journal, notebook, or something to record your data
Heart rate monitor or knowledge of how to take your heartrate
A pet to pet (we used soft furry ones)
1. Log into your lumosity account
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 16

2. Take the free test offered (be sure to take the Memory and the Problem Solving tests)
3. Record your scores in your notebook or journal
4. In the morning take your heart rate
5. Record heat rate data
6. Find a quite uninterrupted place to pet your pet
7. Pet your pet for 10 minutes
8. Take your heart rate
9. Record heart rate data
10. That evening take heart rate
11. Record heart rate data
12. Find a quite uninterrupted place to pet your pet
13. Pet your pet for 10 minutes
14. Take your heart rate
15. Record heart rate data
16. Repeat from step 5.
17. Continue for five days
18. During the five days of petting your pet take the lumosity test three more times by

repeating step 1 through step 3

Observations
I looked forward to petting my pet. I did have a hard time keeping the pet around for 10

minutes. That is a long time. I think that trying to keep the pet around made it hard for me to

enjoy it sometimes. I felt like I was holding the animal from its own free will. Over all it was a

good experience. And in the evening time I felt it to be much more relaxing. I felt calmer and

more relaxed as well as my animal.

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 17

Data

Heart Rate Before and After Petting a Pet

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Troy Kwae Esther

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 18

Difference in Hear Rate after Petting a Pet

Troy Kwae Esther

42459 42460 42461 42462 42463 42464

15

10

-5

-10

-15
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 19

Data cont.

Lumosity Memory Test - Pet

Test 4

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Troy Kwae Esther

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 20

LumosityProblem Solving Test Reading

Test 4

Test 3

Test 2

Test 1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Troy Kwae Esther

Conclusion
Our claim was supported.
Research
We are told to GO outside and play with the dog! but why is that important to us?

Petting a dog livens up our parietal lobe and activates our senses. The essential function of the

parietal lobes involves integration of various sensory input. That is, information received from

the senses (e.g., touch, vision, hearing) must be integrated into a holistic and meaningful

perception. (Judith L Johnson, 2014, p. 42)

If we have ADHD or another hyperactive or anxious type disorder, having a pet can be a

great advantage. Activities in resting state in sensory and sensory-related cortices in ADHD is

significantly more than those of the control group. (Ghanizadeh, 2011) Children with ADHD

have more difficulties in tactile processing (Ghanizadeh, 2011) The symptoms of oppositional

defiant disorder are predictors in hypersensitivity scores of tactile sensory function in ADHD.
Why is it helpful if kids might have a sensory issue? Its important because interacting

with animals can increase people's level of the hormone oxytocin. (Rovner, 2012) Oxytocin is a

feel good hormone "Oxytocin has some powerful effects for us in the body's ability to be in a
 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 21

state of readiness to heal, and also to grow new cells, so it predisposes us to an environment in

our own bodies where we can be healthier." (Rovner, 2012)

So overall, It is important to keep our brain safe and to exercise it on a regular basis. If

you dont have time to read, meditate, and pet your pet all in one day that is understandable.

However, try to do at least one of these things a day. Your mind and body will thank you later!

References
Brain Injury Allience Utah. (n.d.). The Brain Injury Alliance of Utah. Retrieved from The Brain

Injury Alliance of Utah: http://biau.org/about-brain-injuries/cognitive-skills-of-the-brain/

Carnegie Mellon University. (2009, December 10). First evidence of brain rewiring in children:

Reading remediation positively alters brain tissue. Retrieved from Science Daily:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091209121200.htm

Columbial University and Weill Cornell Medical College. (n.d.). Development of Wellbeing

Study. Retrieved from Scan Kids: http://scankids.psych.columbia.edu/more-info.html

Ghanizadeh, A. (2011, June 8). Sensory Processing Problems in Children with ADHD, a

Systematic Review. Retrieved from NCIB:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3149116/

Judith L Johnson, W. G. (2014). Family Therapy of Neurobehavioral Disorders: Integrating

Neuropsychology and Family Therapy. New York: The Haworth Press.

 YOUR BRAIN ON INQUIRY 22

McGonigal, K. (2010, December 6). Your Brain on Meditation. Retrieved from Mindful.org:

http://www.mindful.org/your-brain-on-meditation/

Michah Allen, M. D.-P. (2012, October 31). Cognitive-Affective Neural Plasticity following

Active-Controlled Mindfulness Intervention. Retrieved from JNeurosci:

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/44/15601.full#abstract-1

OEDb. (2013, January 16). Your Brain on Books: 10 Things That Happen to Our Minds When

We Read. Retrieved from OEDb: http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/your-brain-on-books-10-

things-that-happen-to-our-minds-when-we-read/

Rovner, J. (2012, March 5). Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other.

Retrieved from NPR.org: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-

shots/2012/03/09/146583986/pet-therapy-how-animals-and-humans-heal-each-other

Winter-Hbert, L. (n.d.). 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day. Retrieved

from Life Hack: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-

should-read-everyday.html