As with most neurological topics, the answer is “we don’t know for sure, but here’s our latest understanding.” When we make an observation, study, or just experience life in general, information bounces around in a “working memory” heavily regulated by the hippocampus for roughly fifteen minutes, and is then shipped off diffusely into the cortex. Long term memory is actually long term because the memory has structurally modified a neural network. The more we exercise said network, the more ingrained the memory becomes. What’s incredibly fascinating is that when we recall from our long term bank, the thought is placed back into working memory and risks being “knocked out” (theoretically) in the event of trauma.

Memory is a global process – there’s no single spot on the brain dedicated for remembering things, although they tend to be stored near their respective sensory origins. For example, things you’ve seen are stored more posteriorly towards the occipital lobe (primary visual cortex). Yet due to the brain’s amazing plasticity (especially early during infancy), in the event of a structural malformation or parenchymal damage, the already blurry distinction between structure and function is made even more obscure as neurons find a way to compensate for the defect.

So what modulates all of this activity? How do some people remember facts better than others? How do I find it easier to remember the lyrics to music from ten years ago but not the behavioral science lectures I covered yesterday evening? Well the real answer is no one really knows.

It’s just a testament to the tremendous complexity yet elegance of neuroscience.

Finally, I’ll get to peer inside this incredibly elegant organ outside of the operating room to see what it’s like in a normal (albeit preserved) state. No more pulsations with every heart beat. No more looking through a surgical microscope. This time, it’s just me and brain (perhaps with a scalpel and/or forceps too).

It’ll be a grueling eight weeks of trying to balance immunology (in which I’ve had no prior exposure) with pharmacology. Throw in some First Aid review of the first semester, a lot of head and neck anatomy, the beginning of a hate-hate relationship with pathology, and I’ve got one heck of a block ahead of me.

I do, however, see myself having fun. After all, enjoying something doesn’t imply that it’s easy.

With all due respect to his family, I wonder if/how Kim’s brain will be studied post-mortem. It would be an incredible contribution to science indeed.

First of all, let’s define “death.” It varies from state to state, but in most cases, it’s defined in terms of the heart and/or brain no longer being functional without assistance. What about the liver? And pancreas? Or your big toe? Apparently, legislation has already placed the heart and brain above all others.

So why is the brain more important than the heart? Heh, that’s an easy one – the heart is just a boring ‘ol muscle and the brain is three pounds of inconceivable perfection. But honestly, who’s heard of a brain transplant? Thanks to pioneers like the late Dr. DeBakey, cardiologists/cardiothoracic surgeons have countless techniques to alleviate (and cure) heart problems. Blocked coronary artery… oh, just get a bypass surgery (or two, or three, or four). Your heart doesn’t work?! Fear not, you’re on a transplant list and we’ll be able to keep you alive on a bypass machine. Abnormal rhythm? Psh, take this handy-dandy pacemaker! Now don’t get me wrong. With the high prevalence of heart disease, it’s a blessing that we have so many ways to combat such a terrible foe.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.But how many times have you heard of a brain transplant or brain bypass? There are plenty of heart medications which people use for years without any noticeable side effects (essentially a “cure”). How many curative agents are there for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s? It’s such a mysterious organ which a tremendous amount of variability. It holds our cognitive skills, our memory, and our consciousness. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to read this.

If you’re a specialist in any of the not-so-neuro-related-fields, and I’ve offended you in any way, I do apologize and wish to remind you that the above is simply a testament to my 5 month old medical school mentality.