The brain functions like a complex network of circuits that communicate with each other. Our brain has specialized capacities and learning capacities. The brain is not only able to receive all the stimuli captured by the sense organs - vision, hearing, smell, sensitivity, taste -, but it also integrates and interprets these stimuli. The brain has specific functions: Cognitive functions (from the Latin word cognoscere ), which allow us to acquire knowledge. These are, for example, memory, orientation in space and time, learning, calculation, language, emotions, reasoning. Executive functions , such as initiative, planning ability, impulse control. Cognitive functions are complex. For example, we have several types of memory: Episodic or autobiographical events memory , which is the memory that we relate with a certain event; The memory of procedures , such as walking, for which we are not aware of the moment when we acquire these skills; Explicit or declarative memory , which can be declared, such as names, facts, and events, and which can be episodic if associated with events. It is also from the brain that the motor instructions for the muscles of the body depart. This way, an adequate response to the stimuli that the brain received and integrated is generated. It is the brain that controls our conscious actions , such as walking, speaking, jumping, chewing, but also actions that we are not aware of, such as breathing, heartbeat or body temperature regulation. Is the brain our most demanding organ? The brain is above all a fragile organ, which needs a constant supply of energy and oxygen and which, although it controls and regulates everything that happens in our body, is also, in turn, influenced by it. Almost all systemic diseases can affect the brain. For example: A diabetic patient who has too low or too high blood sugar may fall into a coma because the brain is unable to perform its functions; A patient with a thyroid disease may have severe changes in their cognitive functions, as well as a lack of vitamins or serious infections. Does the brain regenerate? We now know that the brain has some regeneration capacity. For example, there are areas of the hippocampus (the brain area linked to learning and acquiring memories) that can recover cells after an injury. However, regeneration is one of the main limitations in the treatment of brain diseases. This fragile organ does not regenerate like other organs in our body do, for example the liver. The brain also has very strong self-regulatory mechanisms that protect it. For example, if there is an interruption of blood that reaches the brain for seconds, as it can happen in an arrhythmia or a sudden drop in blood pressure, the first thing that happens is that the brain “shuts down”: the person has a syncope and falls, so that the heart is at the level of the brain and circulation is restored. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
