ADHD: Your Brain On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (VIDEO)

Hey everybody, Cara Santa Maria here. Nearly 10% of kids in this country have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some estimates say it's closer to 16%, and the numbers appear to be rising.

But does this mean that more and more kids are showing symptoms of ADHD? Or have they always had the disorder, but now more and more kids are being appropriately diagnosed? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be: who knows?

What we do know is that ADHD is a developmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness to the extent that it causes significantly impaired functioning at school and home. The cause of ADHD is still up for debate. A handful of researchers think it shouldn’t even qualify as a disorder.

However, evidence indicates that the brains of children with ADHD are different than those of kids who’ve never been diagnosed. In particular, the left prefrontal cortex of the brain is smaller and quieter in children with ADHD, which may explain why focused attention is such a task for them. Also, the motor cortex appears to develop more quickly, which is probably linked to their hyperactivity.

ADHD medications work by targeting cells in the prefrontal cortex and boosting levels of two neurotransmitters there: norepinephrine (the brain's adrenaline) and dopamine. Kids with ADHD are thought to have low levels of these chemicals, and stimulant medications work to bring them up to normal. Nearly 3 million children take drugs like Ritalin (a methylphenidate drug) or Adderall (an amphetamine). These drugs improve focus, concentration, and attention, but their use is highly controversial. There’s evidence linking them to stunted growth, reduction in appetite, and children taking them are more often depressed than those who don't. What’s more, the long-term effects of ADHD meds on a child's heart and brain are unknown.

On another note, a study published last month in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice showed that, surprise surprise, 40% of college students who were prescribed stimulant medication for ADHD abused it. And this is self-report data! Who knows how much higher the number may actually be, given the tendency for survey subjects to lie about socially irresponsible behaviors. One study found that over the course of 8 years, calls to a poison control center about teenage abuse of ADHD medication rose 76%.

And, contrary to what clinicians used to think, ADHD doesn’t just effect kids. Nearly 4% of the adult population in the US currently carry an ADHD diagnosis, and around 8% have been diagnosed at some point in their lives. Studies show that adults with ADHD deal with higher than average rates of divorce, substance abuse, unemployment, and disability. But there is hope on the horizon. Along with drug treatment, cognitive behavioral therapies seem to work. And although alternative treatments like neurofeedback have been met with skepticism, new data appears to support their efficacy.

What do you think? Join the conversation by reaching out to me on Twitter, Facebook, or commenting right here on my HuffPost column. Come on, Talk Nerdy to Me!

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Comments

[paxrail]

03:23 AM on 11/29/2012

I am a 59 year old female, diagnosed a couple years ago with ADHD. The more I learn about the disorder, the more insight I gain into my childhood. Adderall and Lexapro have totally changed my life. I never want to go back to the way I was before drugs. I wish I had had had these drugs when I was a teenager. The symptoms I have were real problems throughout my school years, all the way through college, on subsequent jobs, in relationships and marriage. I will NEVER stop taking them. They calm me down and enable me to function like a more or less normal person. I LOVE being calm. And focused. And clear-headed.

[akieautumn]

09:27 AM on 04/29/2012

I have ADHD because I can't focus or sit still, I lose things and forget them too, I am also disorganized I do see that ADHD is misdiagnosed, I don't take medication.

[wisewellwoman]

09:37 AM on 04/12/2012

I am pleased to read that finally we are starting to realize that prescribing drugs to our spirited, creative and unique children can be the beginning of an extremely dangerous and disabling pattern of substance abuse. Though there may be valid indications for the medications use and efficacy, the tendency for abuse is very real.

[captainspirou]

08:53 PM on 01/04/2012

ADHD is both under and over diagnosed. Too many children are diagnosed with it simply because they are disruptive in class. At the same time, there are many kids with attention problems that simply get unnoticed or ignored. Particularly those with ADD and don't act out.

I don't think medication is the answer for ADHD. I'm not against using it but I don't believe it is as effective as other treatments for the brain. The treatment should involve more mental exercises, meditation, neurofeedback and anything that encourages neuroplasticity for permanent changes to the brain. Also a diet high in protein, essential fats and low in carb is necessary.

[NathanPrins]

07:25 PM on 01/01/2012

This video gives a very negative view of ADHD, yes I know that it's not very positive and it shouldn't be seen as positive, but people who don't know anything about ADHD apart from having watched this video probably get the wrong thoughts. But then again, would you want to be friend with someone who walks around you in with a big circle due to a video? Probably not. But the positive part can be that it is related to higher IQ a lot. Although a higher IQ is already seen like a disorder to ignorant people.

[Heather Van]

03:25 PM on 01/04/2012

Agreed. People with advanced IQ's are often referred to as weird. This is hurtful for my daughter, as she is ADD and highly intelligent. She is also unique, and that is one of the most wonderful things about her.

[Junius Gallio]

11:47 AM on 01/07/2012

Trust me when I tell you that a "high IQ" is not necessarily a blessing.

[No Dogma Freedom]

12:06 PM on 01/01/2012

Anatomy of an Epidemic:

Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America is book by Robert Whitaker published in 2010 by Crown.

This book shows the path of ADHD medications and others:

Anyone want to talk about the range of outcomes for people on meds?

Last compare this drug therapy to Occupational Therapy (see) Sensory Integration Theory.......they seem to want to change the outer environment - not the inner one! Change the material too! Any one for medication want to discuss this?

[blue rylie]

01:39 PM on 01/01/2012

I'm not for medication, I'm for folks doing what works for them. My oldest daughter has ADHD and we do a combination of therapy and medications. She's now a teenager, and is capable of understanding her choices, which I support her doing with education and information. She, at one point, decided she wanted to try life off her medications and solely using the skills and techniques she has learned. She spent over a year off the medication and struggled, mostly with focus on homework and tests. She is currently back on her medications, still using therapy, and doing quite well.

Her and I both know that the meds are a choice, if it works and helps then we have no issue using it. If/when the time comes she wants to stop the meds and use exclusively the skills she has learned to help her, then that's what we'll do.

My issue is not "to medicate or not to medicate," my issue has always been others telling us how we *should* treat. If the medication helps for now, while she's still growing and developing, then I have no objection to using it. If she uses it for life, then so be it. I think families need to educate themselves about options and choose which work best for their family and their ADHD child.

[No Dogma Freedom]

01:58 PM on 01/01/2012

I am aware she took the path of the medication. For you that worked! I am glad it did!

Still, I am aware that the environment and the style of education is the problem for man not the children!

Also, the medications tend to exacerbate other conditions and bring on new ones as sure as it makes the child dependent on them: No magic pill! There is understanding of the environment of the child and the chides mind's learning style.

Keep in mind we focus on what is wrong with the kid not the system or the teaching. In that I have worked with children and adults: medicated and not: I prefer to place them in environments that they like and thrive in as tailor my teaching to their way- till they take off on their own.

I am happy your child is well and on her way -willy-nilly my position

[morrisk1]

06:38 PM on 03/25/2012

Well sure. I think that the medications get a bad rep. In reality, when used properly, they have been shown to be safe and effective. My only problem is when people try and treat ADHD as a headache, where you throw a pill at it, so that you no longer have to deal with it any more. In reality there is a lot of nuance involved, and these kids require structure and some small but meaningful differences in how material is delivered to them in order to succeed.

I say this as a Ms.c. student in Cognitive Developmental Psychology, who TA's classes in Developmental Exceptionalities, who also happens to have ADD- primarily inattentive type. I would not have survived my early schooling without the help that medications provided. However I would not have survived my undergrad if I had not learned that the medications were not sufficient on their own. I had to learn how to advocate for myself, and structure my own environment so that I could succeed.

[jf12]

06:37 PM on 12/31/2011

Is ADHD a disorder if the person doesn't want to pay attention? It seems to me it is more of a problem if the person wants to pay attention but finds they cannot, instead of someone else wanting them to pay attention and they just don't want to.

[gmikejake]

08:27 AM on 01/01/2012

ADHD is not, as experienced, a "lack of attention," it is too much attention. Often quite attentive to a variety of simultaneous stimuli, including some internally created, and sometimes becoming overloaded by the barrage. Clocks ticking, leaves rustling, wind noises, pages being turned, students moving in their seats, teacher talking, chalk on blackboard, students moving their feet, people going by in the hallway, all at the same time, for example.

[jf12]

10:10 AM on 01/01/2012

Ok, but by paying attention e.g. to the teacher I mean exactly ignoring other stimuli including internal dialogue. To be able to pay attention *means* in the presence of potential distractors. If other stimuli are always siphoning attention or something, that is what I mean by literally cannot pay attention.

[No Dogma Freedom]

11:57 AM on 01/01/2012

Seek (Sensory Integration Theory) that is very clear on how mind develop. It also too matters if the teaching is not boring drills, filled with junk!

[Arturo Ramrez]

09:17 PM on 01/01/2012

I have (rampant) ADD, I went to a not so good elementary school and highschool, and yet I managed. It was until college, when things got (ironically) interesting, that the ADD got in the way. It's a complicated issue, and everybody's got an opinion but, somehow people with the "condition" are left behind in the discussion. For starters, I'd be willing to bet that at least half of the diagnoses are just of "kids being kids," and a good share of the real diagnoses could be "treated" with simple routine and dietary modifications. Then, there's the people that shouldn't be treated, are ADD and ADHD real mental conditions, or are they just personal characteristics that are shunned in present society. And last, but not least, there's the people that need varying ranges of medication, from minor to heavy. All of them are lumped together by deniers, herbalists, and psychiatrists alike, and little voice is given to them if not by "support groups" which in themselves have specific "management" approaches, and nothing more.

[Julzrael]

11:40 AM on 12/31/2011

(continued)bored easily & I can't stand it. I don't know what to do; I am recently unemployed, so no health coverage (the meds were not covered anyway) I certainly don't want to end up turning to the illegal "speeds" to focus me enough to get things done. ADD/ADHD has always been around - NEWSFLASH - it's INHERITED - passed on *genetically*. We are just realizing exactly what it is & exactly how much it can affect someone's quality of life. Take an ADD/ADHD test yourself. See where you rank. If you are a quick learner & a quick-forgetter, I think the odds are higher than you realize. I have heard that it is a positive-recessive gene, which means it is inherited because biologically it furthers the species. We aren't meant to sit at a desk all day. I have read it referred to as having a "hunter's" mind, restless and roving. It's the "shiney keys! oh look! pretty bird!" syndrome. For reference, 2 books - Driven to Distraction and Delivered From Distraction, by Hallowell & Ratey, PhD's. It is really life-affecting, and somehow, needs to be addressed effectively. It is very tough to live with.

[gmikejake]

08:30 AM on 01/01/2012

Likely highly valued characteristics by the group when we were all hunter gatherers. It is pretty hard to "sneak up" on us ... unless we are "flooding" or "hyperfocusing." Then we can be quite "useless" to a hunter gatherer group. Some movement in the bushes? We're "on it" almost instantly.

[No Dogma Freedom]

01:01 PM on 01/01/2012

Question: why do we teach by having kids sit, when they are full of beans?

Question why do we use only doctoral forms of teaching and in Democracy?

Question why do, we not use experimental education and radical education as the rich do with their kids?

Last, Darwin they thought he was an idiot. He did not like being inside, or the books study too, much: yet they observed he liked to be outside and his liked to walk and low and behold he was genius (meaning he found his love) ...history....

In the 21 century we need people who can focus on meaningless tasks and or focus on data sets and worse. People need to sit in offices= sensory depravation chambers and the like: what do you do with a curious kid who wants more sunlight and more sensory input - ???? You med them out!

[No Dogma Freedom]

09:01 PM on 01/01/2012

I note, you take the standard issue academics cut and run tactic- define what you don't want to hear in the negative without thought and place the writers position as not worthy of discussion.

You remind me of Alvin Toffler

The new illiterate well be the man who has learned to learn!

He well not be able to go from the abstract to the concrete, to reshuffle his categories or not use them at all!

Now there is limited space so I cannot tag all the stories of the kids going nuts in the system of hell the so called educated have put them in. Here are few Educators that are honest:

1) Jonathan Koozol ( Illiterate in America) +(Savage Inequalities)
2) Noam Chomsky ( Miseducation)
3) John Dewey any well do
4) C Jung (Education)
5) krishnamurti( Education)
6) Experiential education
7)The Lords of Discipline: Pat Conroy
8)The Water Is Wide; Pat Conroy

If you dominate a child, compel him to fit into a pattern, however idealistic, will he be free at the end of it? If we want to bring about a true revolution in education, there must obviously be freedom at the very beginning, which means that both the parent and the teacher must be concerned with freedom and not with how to help the child to become this or that. (Krishnamurti 1953b)

Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.
John Dewey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiential_education

[Arturo Ramrez]

09:23 PM on 01/01/2012

I am an adult male with ADD. I am not too keen on the evolutionary explanation (maybe because I'm an evolutionary biologist). People that have "befriended" me on huffpost might notice that I'm not too much for cheesy cliché comments, but every now and then they do apply. Hang in there, it does get better, do what you enjoy and you'll find some way out, and you'll do well... As for metilphenidate, it does help, but it's not a panacea, try having more protein in the morning and work out (it's more important for ADD'ers than for ADHD'ers, although it might seem the other way around). If you are ever losing it, send me a message, I'll be glad to help.

[jack Winn]

01:51 AM on 01/02/2012

I think the problem is that the phenomenon (or it may be plural) is so broad that it (and the industry) disguises the fact that very little is known about it, and probably blocks more detailed understanding.

Classic descriptions of ADD/ADHD in the largest group of people (boys ages 5-15) are indistinguishable from several types of poor behavior, and the distinction is a value judgment. In the USA, it is INCREDIBLY common for dx & prescription to be made in minutes based on what a teacher told the parent.

My suspicion is that like most of life, and especially behavioral issues, there are a mix of imponderable causes in most cases. I could easily be described as ADD, as most litigators could be. Anybody with a rapid and widely ranging mind, or readily bored by a situation, will be described as ADD the minute he crosses anybody. My son was described as ADD, and I believe it served as an excuse to avoid events he could have or should have learned from. Like many American boys, he ultimately rebelled and refused to take meds, and is coping better than he did under meds.

The self-described ADD is atypical. Of course you know the limits of methylphenidate in your case; I suspect that because of the variety of issues, everybody will find their own solution varies. And of course everybody will find their problem maddening, as every serious (and especially mental) problem is perceived as maddening.

[Julzrael]

01:51 PM on 01/02/2012

Appreciated, thanks. Sometimes cliches do apply (...is that a cliche? not yet?) lol I also appreciate hearing your more scientific input.

[Julzrael]

11:38 AM on 12/31/2011

I am a middle-aged female diagnosed with ADD. As I understand it, ADHD is more prevalent among males. I WISH I had the ADHD diagnosis instead, as at least then I may have some motivation and drive. I have noticed among other females I have known with a diagnosis, that we are in the camp of kids that were labelled as "dreamers", those people that "didn't apply themselves", that would excel at what they enjoyed but were deplorable at what they didn't (meaning it was like their brain wouldn't engage the topic, as they would do so well at other things). I have a high intelligence - no ambition, no drive, no motivation at all. I need caffeine to function even close to normally, a *very* large amount to get the things done required to live a *normal* life. It's difficult for me to hold down a job that is the same routine over & over, it numbs my brain which is very active and (continued)

[JacksonRaiford]

01:22 PM on 12/31/2011

A high intelligence, indeed. Wonderfully stated posts, btw.

It is very tough to live with such a constantly wandering mind. It hardly ever stops, from one thing to the next and on to another, a neverending whirlwind of thought that can leave one feeling somewhat helpless. The feeling of almost being held captive by a brain that seemingly refuses to focus on the task before us is a heavy burden.

I remember an exchange between my dad and I when I was in my early teens that all started because I had accidentally plowed up some cotton while i was furrowing out the rows (so we could irrigate). It was a slow boring asHeII chore on a baldface tractor in the summer heat and I couldn't "pay attention" well enough to avoid the neat little rows of knee high cotton. I just lost focus now and then, took out a few plants here and there but dad was livid. I did everything but beg for him to put a radio on the 0I' JohnDeere. He wasn't hearing it. He thought the radio would distract me more. He learned a few years later that wasn't the case when I performed the same task on a different tractor that had a crackly AM radio bolted on the fender. The little"distraction" the racket added to the dull chore was just enough to improve my focus on the job which kept the cotton alive.

[JacksonRaiford]

01:40 PM on 12/31/2011

Music has been my 'friend' ever since. I still rely on it for background noise when I set out to do just about any and everything. The best to you in your continued efforts to maintain a somewhat "normal" existence without the use ofDrugs_. I came to the conclusion a looooong time back, through years of research in self medication, that theDrugs_lose their effectiveness with constant, repetitive use.

[Timothy Ven]

01:47 PM on 12/31/2011

This! What both you and Julzreal said. Music is another 'challenge' because it isn't repetitious. The hyperactivity part isn't a walk in the park either. I used to get slapped across the room because my leg is constantly bouncing and it pissed my dad off to no end. He never did realize it was something I just could not help. Hell, I was never aware I was doing it until I was picking myself up off the floor.
Books were another boon to me. I could sit and read a book (with the bouncing foot of course ;-) ) because I didn't know what was on the next page. Put me to washing dishes though.... it can take me hours because I'll get distracted and thinking of several different things at the same time. Some people can put their bodies on 'remote control' to do rote work. I can't. And maybe that is because my mind works on several levels simultaneously.
Today I still read (several books per week when I can afford to go to the thrift stores) and I watch movies more closely now, because I hooked up with a video production company several years ago and started learning how to make movies and films. I've been teaching myself even more since I stopped volunteering with that company and working on starting my own company. (contiunued)

[Junius Gallio]

11:58 AM on 01/07/2012

The big problem with ADHD is that the motivation and drive is (in its natural state) unfocused, scattershot, and too easily derailed by another thought that comes along. It can be managed--for you, it sounds like the caffeine is more "self-medication" than anything.

For my part, one thing that helped was finding a job that I loved that was NOT all routine: in my particular case it was computer support: I was Information Systems help desk at a small rural hospital, where few people are computer "experts". Don't get me wrong--they certainly were not stupid, but they had trained for other things, so computers were foreign territory to them.

I don't have that job anymore (fibromyalgia is a beast), so I keep myself busy with short-term tasks that can be quickly completed before my train of thought derails again.

[Mbstru]

11:28 AM on 12/31/2011

As to the question of whether there is a higher incidence in kids currently, why not look at a segment of the adult population to determine this (providing that some who were once ADHD kids did not outgrow it)? This might help determine if it is something environmental or societal in the current youth.

[Mbstru]

11:34 AM on 12/31/2011

Also, in case someone hasn't mentioned it already, consider trying reasonably high doses of fish oil omega 3s.

[Timothy Ven]

01:32 PM on 12/31/2011

I don't know if we can outgrow it. I'm now over 50 and I haven't

[gmikejake]

08:36 AM on 01/01/2012

I haven't and I'm retired. My father hasn't and he is over 90. Hopefully, most of us learn to manage it as best we can ... maximizing strengths and minimizing limitations. Decline in our perceptual processing systems helps some to minimize the ongoing stimuli. One of the advantages of becoming hearing impaired was a decline in "flooding" due to auditory "assaults," for example. And, moderators, "assaults" is the best term for the experience.

[Junius Gallio]

11:59 AM on 01/07/2012

45 here--same story.

[Hlynn]

11:22 AM on 12/31/2011

I haven't read every post here so don't know if this was brought up before, but I remember seeing a PBS special on AD(H)D and just remembered the name of the comedian. The show may be available to see on the PBS site, and here is some more information about the comedian and other resources to look at:

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/7657.html

[cmr86]

10:57 AM on 12/31/2011

ADHD is over diagnosed by adults who just can't deal with kids.

[DataBoy]

03:08 AM on 01/01/2012

Reality is under appreciated by the uniformed.

[Anthony C Wilson]

10:49 AM on 12/31/2011

It's nothing more than a pharmaceutical racket. Why are more women aged between 35-44 now being prescribed with ADHD medications than ever before? It's a cure looking for a disease. IF we haven't realized it yet with cancer and HIV drugs - the money is in the treatment, not the cure.

[Dr MedChem]

11:13 AM on 12/31/2011

Are you suggesting that pharma is holding out on a cure for HIV and cancer intentionally?

Do you wear a tin foil hat too?

[Anthony C Wilson]

12:32 PM on 12/31/2011

I don't know if I'm suggesting it. Just questioning modern medicine. For all its many many benefits, the lack of regulation in recent years has brought us some very disturbing facts and trends. We are a drugged country from cradle to grave. The industry itself and the FDA that regulates it are inherently corrupt, just do to the fact that they are corporately owned and controlled. I don't know what the industry and its lobbyists are capable of. But I saw the economy blow up and millions of people destroyed. And I see big Pharma fighting tooth and nail to prevent the legalization and regulation of medical marijuana. And I understand how they test and get the drug to market (barely outperforming a placebo) Do you suggest that they are only looking out for out health and welfare? It seems to me, only share price, earnings, dividends are the concerns. Do you live in a bubble?

[Bellanova]

01:22 AM on 01/01/2012

Because the disorder is routinely missed in girls, especially if they are good at school (and most of them are). Their difficulties are not as pronounced as those of boys in whom the hyperactivity component, typically absent in girls, is noticeable early on in life.

These girls grow up struggling internally with a nameless problem until some life event(s) and/or stresses make the struggle too difficult and they are forced to seek help. For many women with ADD, the stressors of organizing daily life, especially when family obligations are involved, are the tipping point. Oftentimes it is having a child with ADHD that brings on the recognition, for the mother, of her own lifelong struggles, and this leads to the diagnosis and treatment.

ADHD is *not* a pharmaceutical racket, it is *not* just an American disorder, and it is *not* a recently recognized (or "invented") one. The term Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is relatively new, but the condition has been known for centuries, albeit under different names.

Read Julzrael's comments on the top of this thread (above) to get a glimpse of what life is like for a woman with ADD.

[MamacitaOfLove]

01:25 AM on 01/01/2012

Great post.

[Timothy Ven]

09:34 AM on 12/31/2011

Part two:

I think part of how to tackle the behavior problems with ADD/ADHD kids is to keep them stimulated mentally. I never *wanted* to get into trouble when I was a kid, but it seemed I was constantly in trouble unless I was challenged. An example of my very early childhood my parents used to like to tell about me when I was in kindergarten, I wouldn't do or only do half of my class work and homework. After months of various forms of trying to get me to do it, they finally asked me why I wouldn't. My response (keep in mind I was 6 years old) - "I know it. I know I know it. Why do I havbe to prove to anyone I know it?" Public schools then didn't have accelerated classes. By 4th grade I was reading on a high school level and by the time I was in 7th grade I was reading college level books. The teachers really didn't know how to deal with it then.

[cdncommentator]

10:12 AM on 12/31/2011

Exactly. Plus, why is a child in kindergarten getting homework?

While ADHD and ADD do exist and there are probably a small number of children who have inattention or hyperactivity that can't be changed with behaviour management, most "diagnoses" are simply the result of a system and time that is not good for...what did the article say?... 16% of children...and mostly boys.

[Timothy Ven]

01:30 PM on 12/31/2011

I don't know why we had 'homework' in kindergarten. This was when I lived in Chicago. Been so long ago but I can't imagine that it was much, especially back then. Probably mimeographed stuff for things like connect the tow pictures that look alike

[Bellanova]

01:29 AM on 01/01/2012

A twice-exceptional kid you were, gifted with learning/emotional/behavioral difficulties (in your case, mostly behavioral).

Even today, these kids are routinely not recognized at school, neither for their strengths nor weaknesses (OK, their weaknesses get noticed much more often than their strengths).

They plod through, however, by the grace of God and occasional good teachers, to college and beyond. And the beyond is usually when they can breathe, sometimes for the first time in their lives. The lucky ones, that is, those who were not completely destroyed by the school experience.

You were lucky.

[Timothy Ven]

09:34 AM on 12/31/2011

I was diagnosed ADHD many many years ago. So long ago, in fact, that it was known by a different name (we're talking back in the 60's here). Even today, I cannot sit completely still, my mind constantly goes from one thing to another. I need challenges (as most ADD/ADHD kids) to keep me interested in things, otherwise I get bored and things go to pot real quick after that LOL. Mental stimulation is one of the keys to dealing with ADD/ADHD. These kids are generally very bright and intuitive. Heck, I was reading Edgar Rice Burroughs at age 6 just to give you an example. Books have always been a way to.... calm.... my brain. Allowing it to soak up information at prodigious rates.

***End part one because of 250 word limit