Happiness And Its Relation To Brain Size

Happiness and its relation to brain size is something that science has always interested in. Is there, perhaps, some cerebral peculiarity in those people who cope better with difficulties and who enjoy greater existential optimism? Is there perhaps a particular region or structure that, due to its size, favors greater psychological well-being? Seems that if.

If there is something that we hear frequently, it is that of “size does not matter. ” Intelligence is said to have nothing to do with a bigger or smaller brain. And yet there are important nuances. For example, we know that Albert Einstein’s brain had a mass of 1230 grams, that is, his measurements were within normal limits. Still, it had some striking quirks.

The prefrontal cortex had extraordinary dimensions, which undoubtedly explained its exceptional cognitive abilities. His temporal lobes also showed a singular anatomical alteration, thus evidencing a greater ability for symbolic reasoning.

That is to say, it is not necessary for a brain to have larger -total- proportions to show unusual competencies. The particularity is in the distribution and in the configuration of certain regions above and others. The same is what happens with that emotion and state of mind to which most of us aspire: happiness.

Happiness and its relation to brain size

We know that the size of the brain tends to vary quite a bit from one person to another. When the autopsy was carried out on the Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, it was discovered that the size of this organ was bordering on the unusual: it weighed more than 2 kilos. However, that of the writer Anatole France, barely reached a kilo. Despite this, both stood out notably in the world of letters.

Neuroscience tells us that overall size and weight really don’t matter. So much so that we even know that the cranial capacity of our first cousins, the homo neanderthalensis , was 200 cm greater than that of modern humans. Dimensions don’t matter, it matters how your different areas are arranged.

In this way, happiness and its relationship with the size of the brain stem from two very specific regions: the neocortex and the caudate nucleus. We analyze it.

The key to everything: serotonin

We know that serotonin is the neurotransmitter of happiness and that thanks to it, neurons connect to transmit that molecule that positively reverses mood. Now science has discovered that it is responsible for another determining process.

• Dr. Wieland Huttner and his team from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics explain in a study that the expansion of the neocortex during embryonic development starts from serotonin.
• The developing embryo receives serotonin from the placenta. This molecule eventually reaches the brain through the bloodstream.
• Once serotonin drives the development of the neocortex, another essential step follows. This neurotransmitter binds to the HTR2A receptor and a whole chain of reactions begins to take place with which to start producing cortical neurons. Thanks to them, the brain begins to expand.
• However, if there is an alteration in the production of serotonin during pregnancy, notable problems can occur. With less serotonin, the brain will not develop optimally (it will be less dense).

• This lower level of fetal serotonin has also been linked to congenital disorders, attention problems, and an increased risk of anxiety and depression.

Happiness and its relation to brain size: the caudate nucleus

Happiness and its relation to the size of the brain also start from another decisive region: the caudate nucleus. Researchers at the Douglas Institute in Montreal published a study where they revealed the following:

• It has been seen that people with anhedonia or major depression show a smaller volume caudate nucleus.
• These people feel incapable of enjoying any positive stimulus, they do not experience interest, motivation or any reward system works in them. This inability to experience pleasure is not governed only by a low level of dopamine and serotonin. 

• Size, in this case, does matter. A large caudate nucleus mediates happiness, well-being, motivation, and proactive behaviors. In the event that this region appears diminished, the patient is at greater risk of leading to depressions.

conclusion

Happiness and its relationship with the brain indicates that, sometimes, a person’s state of mind starts from an endogenous root. Small alterations in the production of neurotransmitters (serotonin) or the size of a specific region (caudate nucleus) lead to the appearance of various disorders.

However, it is also necessary to reflect on another aspect. The brain is sculpted based on behavior, interests, and everyday work. We are what we do and how we interpret the world. Based on these activities, some areas of the brain develop much more than others.

Making use of a more curious mental perspective, learning to manage stress and investing healthy and enriching social relationships, could undoubtedly make those neurological areas that revert to well-being develop much more. We are always in time to make changes.