Neuromyths

Unfortunately, we live in a society that still takes for granted many facts that do not have any scientific support. There is also a lot of ignorance about the nervous system, its functioning and components, giving rise to neuromyths, which are often spread by the educational system.

The word neuromyth is attributed to the English neurosurgeon Alan Crockard. He used it at the end of the last century, precisely to define those data without scientific basis that prevail in society about the human brain. It is still used today to refer to false information, beliefs or interpretations in relation to neuroscientific facts.

We use only 10% of the brain

The myth is erroneously attributed to Albert Einstein, but it is more likely to have originated in the late 19th century. During that period, scientific research indicated that cognitive functions were identified in only 10% of the human brain. There was also a widespread belief that this part of the brain was only activated at specific times.

The reality is that we use 100% of our brain, but because it is such a powerful organ, it consumes 20% of the body's oxygen and 50% of the glucose. For a while it was believed that it was impossible to use the whole brain simultaneously, since the energy expenditure would be very high, and although for most activities we do not really use 100% of the brain, this is not a strict rule. Thanks to techniques such as neuroimaging, we know even for hours, the brain is activated in its entirety to perform certain tasks. In tests such as positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, it was found that when we are asleep, all areas of the brain are active.

The first 5 years of life are the only decisive ones

It is true that these first five years are important and decisive; but the neuromyth is formed when it is claimed that they are the "only ones". We can perfectly well develop cognitive and motor skills as we grow up, and they also constitute fundamental moments in learning. Thanks to the neuroplasticity of our brain, we have the capacity to learn at any stage of our life.

The cerebral hemispheres.

Curiously, these do not regulate the functions of the part of the body to which their names allude, but rather have an inverted relationship, since the left hemisphere coordinates the right part of our body and the same happens with the other.

The functions of the cerebral hemispheres are not strictly fixed and may vary among individuals. However, in general, it is observed that the left hemisphere is usually related to logical reasoning, language and technical skills, while the right hemisphere is more linked to artistic development and imagination.

However, as we explained, this is not a rigid phenomenon, and the neuromyth is precisely that it is. Both hemispheres are connected through thousands of axons, which work together in a joint and integrative way, not in isolation.

The Mozart effect

Some time ago the idea went viral that we can improve the attention and concentration of children during study if we play a specific Mozart sonata in the background.

Here we want to make a clarification: music does cause positive attentional effects. There are investigations that reflect in their results that these stimuli increased concentration and attention; however, the effect is not very lasting, and what is more important, it does not have to be specifically a Mozart sonata, but varies depending on the personal tastes of the individual.