Mrs. Nisha Rao had always believed in the power of the mind. As a neuroscience teacher and a mother, she encouraged her students and her son, Aryan, to think critically. But nothing had prepared her for the mystery unfolding before her eyes.
Aryan was an energetic 10-year-old, bright and curious. Lately, however, something had changed. He would start tasks enthusiastically but stop midway, staring blankly. His handwriting, once neat, had become shaky. Most unsettling of all, he often whispered to himself, as if having an unheard conversation.
“It’s like he forgets how to do things halfway through,” his teacher mentioned during a parent-teacher meeting. “And sometimes, he freezes, as if his body isn’t responding.”
Nisha had seen this before, not in her students, but in her neuroscience research. Could it be the basal ganglia? The part of the brain controlling movement, habits, and even decision-making?
One evening, as Aryan attempted to write his homework, his hand trembled. He let out a frustrated sigh and whispered, “Not again.”
Nisha knelt beside him. “Aryan, what’s wrong?”
He hesitated before saying, “Something in my head… it feels like a shadow. It whispers to me. It tells me to stop. And then my hand won’t listen.”
A chill ran down Nisha’s spine. She had read about this—a malfunction in the basal ganglia could cause involuntary pauses, tremors, even a feeling of being controlled. But for Aryan to describe it as a ‘shadow’? That was unusual.
Determined to find out more, she monitored him closely. She noticed patterns—he struggled most when transitioning between tasks, a sign of basal ganglia dysfunction. One night, she overheard him speaking in his sleep.
“The shadow is waiting,” he murmured.
It was more than a neurological mystery now. It felt… alive.
The next day, she took him to a neurologist. After tests and observations, the diagnosis confirmed her fears—Aryan had a mild form of dystonia, a condition affecting movement, linked to the basal ganglia.
“It’s treatable,” the doctor assured her. “With therapy, exercises, and perhaps mild medication, he can regain control. The basal ganglia can rewire itself over time.”
Relief washed over her, but Aryan had one last question for the doctor. “Why did I feel like it was whispering to me?”
The doctor smiled. “Sometimes, when the brain misfires, it feels like an external force is acting upon us. But it’s still your brain, Aryan. The ‘shadow’ is just a part of you learning to find balance.”
Aryan nodded thoughtfully. That evening, as he picked up his pencil, his hand shook, but this time, he whispered back, “Not today, shadow.”
And slowly, letter by letter, he wrote again.
Dear Readers,
Warm greetings from Pipaltree!
Have you ever stopped to wonder about the invisible forces shaping your everyday thoughts and actions? The way you instinctively tie your shoelaces, hum a familiar tune, or even make a quick decision without overthinking? These little moments are guided by an unsung hero deep within your brain—the basal ganglia.
This month, we’re excited to share a fascinating book that takes you behind the scenes of this hidden powerhouse: The Hidden Life of the Basal Ganglia by Hagai Bergman. If you’ve ever been curious about how we learn habits, make choices, or refine skills without conscious effort, this book is a must-read.
Bergman has a gift for explaining complex neuroscience in a way that feels intuitive. One of our favorite metaphors from the book is the striatum as the melody of a piano and the subthalamic nucleus as the pedal—a poetic way to describe how different parts of the basal ganglia work together to fine-tune our actions. The striatum, like a pianist’s hands, plays the keys—choosing and refining movements based on past experiences. Meanwhile, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) acts like the sustain pedal, briefly amplifying or inhibiting actions to keep everything in perfect harmony. When this system is disrupted, so is the rhythm of our behavior.
Often, we hear about the basal ganglia only in the context of movement disorders, but Bergman reveals its deeper role in shaping our emotions, learning, and decision-making. It’s incredible to think that so much of what we do every day—without even realizing it—is thanks to this hidden brain network working tirelessly behind the scenes.
If you love diving into the mysteries of the mind, this book is a treasure trove of insights. We highly recommend it!
Happy reading,
The Pipaltree Team
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