Neuroimaging | The-Fifth-Amendment

It’s happened to me plenty of times and to you too, I’m sure, when an an exasperated parent, spouse, lover, relative or whoever, has said to you – usually after you’ve managed to annoy them in some fashion – through gritted teeth, and often accompanied by some heavy huffing and puffing, stamping of feet and shaking of the head, “I wish I knew what’s going on inside that head of yours.”

If I was a neurologist or neurosurgeon I’m sure that I could come up with a dead-pan matter-of-fact response that outlined exactly how neurons transmit electrochemicals, how the brain stem controls reflexes, automatic functions and limb movements, how the cerebellum coordinates limb movements, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland deal with body temperature and behavioral responses, and the cerebrum initiates motor functions, controls emotions and holds memory. But that would only make matters worse, I’m sure.

They say a picture paints a thousand words and I’m not a neuroscientist so how about a photograph instead? In the best tradition of children’s TV here’s one I made earlier.

That’s me and through the magic of photo manipulation that is an actual snapshot of my brain activity. Not much going on as you can see.

Of course, not everyone has a picture from a brain scan readily to hand in their wallet ready to whip it out whenever the occasion demands, and I only happen to have one because I did have an MRI recently and it seemed a pity not to make use of all those lovely pictures. But, if you do happen to have one, then consider keeping it about your person if only for the satisfaction of seeing that priceless “WTF …?” look on the other person’s face as you calmly direct them to look at your brain pic with a, “There you go, see what you make of that.”