‘Colouring can make study more interactive, inclusive, and enjoyable’

Throughout my academic journey, one of the biggest challenges I've faced has been finding a learning method that works for me. As someone with dyslexia, I always found text heavy materials difficult to engage with. Words can become overwhelming and processing them can slow down the ability to grasp the material – especially with complex topics like brain anatomy. My personal experience led me to explore alternative learning methods, not only to suit my own needs but to help me retain information more effectively. 

One of the most successful methods I've used is colouring, which is why I have chosen to create a brain anatomy colouring book for others. After all, brain anatomy is inherently visual; the structures of the brain and their spatial relationships are easier to understand when you can see them. Instead of reading descriptions of where the occipital lobe is located in relation to the cerebellum, I can visually place them, adding colours to reinforce these relationships. 

Colouring engages multiple senses: sight, touch, and even a bit of creativity. Unlike passive learning methods like reading or watching a video, colouring is an active process. It requires the learner to engage with the material by physically interacting with it. By using colour to differentiate between parts of the brain, the learning process becomes not only more engaging but also easier to recall. The use of colour creates strong visual cues that enhance memory. For example, if I colour the frontal lobe blue and the parietal lobe green, I create a mental association between the colour and the function of those regions, which helps me recall the information later.

This method isn't just useful for me, though – it can benefit a wide range of learners. Research shows that dyslexic learners tend to benefit from visual aids because they rely less on text and more on images to convey meaning (Bacon & Handley., 2010). A colouring book takes this a step further by allowing the learner to create the visual associations themselves. But beyond dyslexia, this method is also helpful for anybody who finds traditional methods of studying difficult to focus on. By offering a multisensory, active learning tool, I've aimed to make this colouring book more inclusive and accessible to different types of learners.

Colouring can also reduce stress and make learning more enjoyable. The act of colouring is soothing and meditative – it encourages a more relaxed approach to studying. Research suggests that feelings of anxiety are associated with lack of motivation to learn, and poorer performance in exams and assignments (Vitasari et al., 2010). Instead of feeling pressured to memorise terms and definitions, learners can take their time engaging with the material. This process can lower anxiety, making the brain more receptive to new information. For me, colouring has always provided a sense of calm that makes the material seem less daunting.

There's also a cognitive benefit to colouring as a learning tool. Research suggests that colouring can improve concentration and awareness (Dresler & Perera., 2019). Colour Your Cortex also comes with audio clips for each page, meaning readers can listen to the information whilst they colour in the drawings. This links to the psychological theory of dual coding, where combining visual and verbal information enhances learning (Xie et al., 2019).

In conclusion, my choice to create a brain anatomy colouring book stems from my own experiences as a dyslexic learner. By incorporating active, visual learning with the calming process of colouring, this method makes complex subjects like brain anatomy more approachable. It's a tool that not only benefits me but can also help a broad range of learners by making study more interactive, inclusive, and enjoyable.

References

Bacon, A. M., & Handley, S. J. (2010). Dyslexia and reasoning: The importance of visual  processes. British Journal of Psychology, 101(3), 433-452.

Vitasari, P., Wahab, M. N. A., Othman, A., Herawan, T., & Sinnadurai, S. K. (2010). The relationship          between study anxiety and academic performance among engineering students. Procedia-  Social and Behavioral Sciences, 8, 490-497.

Diachenko, I., Kalishchuk, S., Zhylin, M., Kyyko, A., & Volkova, Y. (2022). Color education: A study on       methods of influence on memory. Heliyon, 8(11).

Extract from 'Chapter 3: Cells of the Brain' from the pre-published manuscript version of Colour Your Cortex: A Visual and Audio Approach to the Study of the Brain by Emma Randles. © 2024 Emma Randles. Used with permission of Routledge. All rights reserved.

Cells of the brain

In the book so far, we have talked about how there are many functions in the brain that protect it from damage such as the skull, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid and the blood brain barrier. But there are other cells that help our brain to keep functioning.

In the brain, we do not just have neurons. There are other cells in the brain that all work together the provide different functions.

One group of cells, called glial cells are particularly important. We will cover three types of glial cells…

Astrocytes

So let's firstly look at astrocytes. They get their name 'astro' because they look a bit like stars. Unlike neurons, they do not use electrical signals to communicate with each other. They use complex molecular signals to interact and monitor the cellular environment in the brain.

We have covered synaptic transmission and you may remember that after the presynaptic neuron releases its neurotransmitters, not all are able to dock onto the receptors of the postsynaptic neuron. Some of these neurotransmitters are sucked back by the presynaptic neuron. However, sometimes there are still remaining neurotransmitters floating around in the synaptic space. Astrocytes play a role in helping the presynaptic neuron suck in the remaining neurotransmitters so that they can be recycles and stored back in their vesicles.

They also help remove any damaging substances that are floating round in the cellular space.

We've also talked about the importance of the blood brain barrier and its neuroprotective tasks. Astrocytes help regulate the blood brain barrier. They do this by helping to co-ordinate blood flow in the brain, support immune functions and help mitigate inflammation.

We now know the importance of axons ad the role they play in neuronal communication. Astrocytes play a huge role in helping direct axons in the right direction so they can communicate with the correct neurons effectively. Also, they are like first aiders for axons whenever they become damaged. In the event of axon damage, astrocytes come along and help them repair ASAP so they can get back to their job quickly. 

They also help the brain maintain the correct pH – this helps to ensure that all the other cells in the brain have a perfect working environment so that they can all carry out their jobs.

Summary of astrocyte functions

• Help reuptake and recycling of neurotransmitters
• Remove anything that could potentially damage the brain (neuroimmune tasks)
• Help maintain the blood brain barrier
• Help axons by guiding them in the right direction
• First aiders for axon repair
• Maintain pH

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Oligodendrocytes

Another type of glial cell that is important in brain function is oligodendrocytes.

These are specialised cells that generate and create myelin. Remember, myelin is that fatty substance that is wrapped around the axon of the neuron. Myelin helps speed up neuronal communication and helps signals be sent to the correct neurons. 

Oligodendrocytes are derived in the neural tube whilst the embryo is developing.

Research suggests that oligodendrocytes are activity dependent. This means that the oligodendrocytes myelinate the axons that most need it i.e. the axons of neurons that are used the most. 

For example, research suggests that oligodendrocytes are particularly active in myelination the axons of neurons that are involved in movement (motor neurons). We move all the time, so these neurons (and their axons) will be active all the time. Therefore, oligodendrocytes will gravitate more to these axons.

Being 'activity dependent' also refers to how oligodendrocytes create myelin for neurons that need to be able to send responses quickly. For example, reflex responses such as flinching when a bug is flying towards you. In these situations, we need to be able to respond quickly, meaning the neurons need to communicate quickly. Therefore, oligodendrocytes will work hard to ensure these axons are myelinated.

One single oligodendrocyte can myelinate 50 axons – so they are very busy cells!

They also help the axon through providing metabolic support. After all, the axons are very long compared to the rest of the cell so they may need an extra hand with maintaining healthy. Research has found that oligodendrocytes tend to give the most metabolic support when an action potential is travelling down the axon. They look out for something called glutamatergic signals to see how well the axon is doing with their metabolism. If the axon needs a hand, oligodendrocytes are on standby waiting to help it out with its metabolism. 

There is another specific type of oligodendrocytes called satellite oligodendrocytes. Satellite oligodendrocytes are not thought to play a role in generating and creating myeline. They regulate fluid levels all over the brain, but they do step in when myelin becomes damage. They help repair damaged myelin to ensure the neuron can work at its best. 

Natural aging of the brain shows a deterioration of myelin, but research is still investigating the lifespan of oligodendrocytes. 

Research also suggests that oligodendrocytes can become damaged by excessive neurotransmitter release. This is why the role of astrocytes is so important – because they help get rid of the spare neurotransmitters that are floating around in the brain. 

There are also some disorders that are linked to faulty or lack of oligodendrocytes such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is thought that when oligodendrocytes are not performing their myelination functions properly, it affects the way in which neurons communicate, resulting in psychiatric disorders.

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Microglial cells 

Microglial cells also play a role in neuroprotection. They are created in the neural tube during development.

In the body, there are a certain group of cells called macrophages which are apart of the body's immune system. So when something damaging is floating around in the body, like microbes, dead cells and bacteria – the immune system becomes activated. The role of macrophages is to find whatever is causing this activated and then kill it. 

Microglial cells are a type of macrophage. So they are in the brain waiting to strike when something damaging appears. This can be microbes, bacteria, inflammatory cells which have sneaked through the blood brain barrier. It also removes any dead cells that are no longer needed in the brain.

When microglial cells detect that there is something damaging in the brain, they can produce many cellular responses. This is so other cells can be recruited to help eliminate the damaging substance as quickly as possible. 

Think of microglial cells as little hoovers that come around vacuuming up anything that could damage the central nervous system.

Remember we talked about how synapses that go unused are eliminated? This is thanks to microglial cells as they eliminate these redundant synapses. For them to be able to do this, they need to monitor the synapses in the brain. 

One the membrane of microglial cells, there are neurotransmitter receptors. This is so they can monitor the activity going on in the synapses, so they know which ones are functioning properly. If the microglial cells spot a synapse that is continually activated, they help strengthen it by talking to nearby neurons, astrocytes and blood vessels to ensure that this synapse sticks around. 

When they find a synapse that is redundant, they eliminate it. However, if they find a synapse that is used regularly, they help strengthen this synapse. They particularly like to help strengthen synapses during development. They do this by talking to neurons, astrocytes and blood vessels so they can all work together to keep the synapse functioning. 

Remember, the dendrites are part of the neuron that receive information from other neurons. If a microglial cell sees that the dendrites of a particular neuron are receiving lots of information, they help them out by increasing the dendrite density. This means that the microglial cells help the neuron to grow more dendrites so they can make sure they are taking in all the information from other cells.

You may be thinking – wow, a microglial cell does so many things in the brain, how does it manage?

Well, one thing about microglial cells is that they can change their shape depending on what function they are carrying out. This helps them to be able to complete their diverse range of tasks!

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