Dr. Romiza Al Yafei: A beautiful mind

(MENAFN- Arab News) Dr. Romaiza Hussein Al-Yafei is a Saudi doctor who received a bachelor's degree in general medicine and surgery and a certificate from the Saudi Board in Neurosurgery. She said she chose the speciality of neurosurgery because in it she found all the answers to her questions.
Hia met with the brilliant doctor to find out more about the secret and mysterious world of the human mind its functions its relationship to emotions and much more:

Why did you choose neurosurgery specifically? Is there a relationship between this field and your hobbies?
My choice of this specialization was not fortuitous but I loved it since I was in school at the Faculty of Medicine and I found in it the explanation of the human body thinking process and causes of diseases. It also helped to understand the psychological side and the perceptions of the human mind and intelligence. My choice for this field may have a direct and indirect relationship with my hobbies. I adore nature in all its forms; I love ornamental fish and I love reading in all fields especially novels. My favorite writers are Paulo Coelho Elif Safak and Ahlam Mosteghanemi; she represents me to a great extent.

Tell us about the brain and its direct impact on emotions.
The brain is in charge of our movement and our ability to feel fear anxiety depression and happiness which is an integral part of the functions of the brain where the brain is divided into large parts the most important of which is the forelock which is responsible for the psychological and emotional part. So if the left part of it was injured it will appear in the form of depression but if the right part was injured it appears in the form of excessive happiness or lack of control of emotions such as laughing at the wrong time. But if the two sides of the brain were injured insensitivity occurs. One of the old torture methods was bringing two nails and hammering one in the right forehead and the other in the left so the person becomes insensitive and hence they discovered the functions of the forelock and researches have been built upon this basis.

To what extent is psychiatry associated with neurosurgery?
The deepest and most comprehensive part is neurosurgery and psychiatry is a branch which is not limited to just sitting back and exchanging talks with the patient but also the interference of drugs that are changing the neurotransmitters and improving psychological functioning. There is a close link between the two areas; we exchange about 30 percent of our patients with psychiatrists especially if the psychological situation accelerated and deteriorated unexpectedly through clinical examination we work on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to show the details of the devices of the brain anatomically to diagnose the condition much better than CT scanning.

Is it possible that the severity of the psychological situation turns to physical diseases in the brain?
There are physical and mental diseases. Physical illnesses include swelling in the brain or the beginning of the atrophy of the brain and multiple sclerosis which absorbs large parts of the white substance in the brain. But the shocks and the severity of the psychological situation may escalate and turn into psychological symptoms as the stomach and head aches migraines and insomnia and all have nothing to do with physical diseases in the brain.

How should a woman harness her brain to develop herself?
For a woman to be successful wise and tensionless she must understand the physiology of her body and accommodate to its functions to be able to communicate with it and then deal with the surrounding circumstances.
First she must know her weaknesses and strengths in terms of intellectual performance. Second she should work on the revitalization of her memory. If she is a working woman she can increase her brain skills by attending meetings and participating in discussions with others to make her mind more open than what it would be if she was isolated or alone in the office. But if she is a housewife there are plenty of ways to stimulate the brain including some toys teaching the children helping them with their homework watching morning shows and reading newspapers. Third she should control her feelings which are quite different from a man's feelings.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a woman's mind?
If we talked about the strengths of a woman's mind we should mention her emotional memory it is much stronger than that of a man's and this is related to the Papez circuit. It means she does not forget pain or joy and keeps flipping through the pages of the past faster and more accurately than men. It should be noted again that at certain stages of the month three days before the menstrual cycle or three days after it and the first three months of pregnancy the brain may be exposed to varying degrees of disorientation and a lack of speed of performance and a slight decline in immediate temporary memory. If a woman is not aware of this physiological fact about her body she will have a lack of self-confidence because of low performance at work or home and she would begin to blame herself.

What are the differences between the emotions of men and women?
Women's emotions are more prominent. Whether she is a daughter a sister a mother or a wife she is created to be multifunctional which makes her a mass of emotions walking on the ground but scientifically psychological studies have shown that she is more vulnerable to daily life issues due to the important physiological factor in her body i.e. the hormones that make her more susceptible to fluctuations in mood which men lack.

Are there pathological cases of mood swings that are unrelated to hormones?
Yes we must distinguish between natural and pathological mood disorders. There are women suffering from bipolar disorder which affects women more than men and is considered a redundant state of flux in the mood that needs a therapeutic intervention. The situation/state comes occasionally usually twice a year with either severe bouts of joy or sadness. When they experience bouts of joy women become shopaholic and are very happy but when they experience bouts of sadness they isolate themselves and do not talk to others.

Are there any natural solutions to avoid having these sudden bouts of depression and mood swings?
The idea is to balance the blood acidity. The neurotransmitters change and play their role the best; neurotransmitters are responsible for vital functions of the brain that work perfectly if we provided the neurotransmitter that consists of a particular substance such as serotonin (the elixir of happiness) and dopamine which is responsible for the sense of reward. A depression patient is not affected by compliments because the dopamine he/she has does not work well and his serotonin conveyors are incomplete thus requiring antidepressant treatments to stop thwarting serotonin and then increasing it in the brain. As such the individual feels natural happiness. Foods containing antioxidants such as nuts green tea omega-3 and vitamin B12 help to improve memory performance and the mental state.

What does a man mean to you? What about your White Knight?
A man is a partner lover and a companion. He is the main reason for a woman's success; her beautiful image is incomplete without him.
My father Hussein Al-Yafei is the secret of my success. He has been supportive at every step and has advised me in all my decisions. As for my mother Fawzia Baashen she is the source of my inspiration she is my friend and the primary center of motivation and the secret of my elegance as well; she never misses to comment on my appearance before I go to work. The White Knight is still being sought and the road is difficult and thorny.

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