Have you ever wondered why you have trouble with focus? Why you tend to feel down even when things are going great in your life? Or why you can’t stop worrying about littlest things? It all depends on your brain type.

Based on the Amen Clinics brain-imaging database, which includes over 225,000 brain SPECT scans related to behavior, it’s clear that your thoughts and actions depend on the way your brain works.

Knowing your brain type can help you overcome mental health issues and be more successful at work, at home, at school, and in relationships. Knowing the brain types of others can boost your chances of living the life you want.

WHAT ARE BRAIN TYPES?

The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics has revealed brain patterns that can help in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. The Amen Clinics imaging database includes over 225,000 brain SPECT scans.

SPECT is an imaging tool that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. SPECT shows areas of the brain with healthy activity, too much activity, and too little activity.

At Amen Clinics, SPECT has proven highly beneficial in diagnosing mental health issues, such as ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression. It also helps uncover brain health issues like past head injuries, exposure to toxins, infections, and more.

SPECT imaging also shows that certain brain patterns relate to personality types. Based on the brain scans, the physicians at Amen Clinics have identified 5 primary brain types that influence how you think, how you act, and how you interact with others.

These different brain types also help explain why taking a cookie-cutter approach to treating mental health conditions will never work. You need to find the right supplements, foods, strategies, and medications (when needed) for your brain type.

5 PRIMARY BRAIN TYPES

1. Balanced Brain Type

What Brain SPECT Imaging Shows: The scans of people with this brain type tend to show full, even, symmetrical blood flow in most areas. In this type, the greatest concentration of activity occurs in the cerebellum, which is a primary processing center in the brain.

Characteristic Traits: People with a balanced brain are highly conscientious, emotionally stable, and flexible. If you have this brain type, you likely make good decisions, which helps you perform better in all areas of life. You tend to be reliable, responsible, and a rule follower. One thing you aren’t is a major risk taker.

Potential Mental Health Problems: Although a balanced brain is protective against mental health disorders, poor lifestyle choices can drain brainpower and increase the risk of problems.

Brain Enhancement Strategies: To help maintain balance, try basic brain-health strategies such as taking a multiple vitamin/mineral, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics. Be sure to optimize vitamin D levels.

2. Spontaneous Brain Type

What Brain SPECT Imaging Shows: Brain imaging shows that this type usually has reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). When individuals with this brain type attempt to concentrate, activity in the PFC decreases. This causes them to seek some form of stimulation or excitement to improve focus. Some spontaneous types use coffee or cigarettes to activate their brains.

Characteristic Traits: People with this brain type love novelty and last-minute activities. If you have this brain type, you’re likely to be creative, impulsive, and adventurous. Punctuality, organization, and following rules aren’t your strong suit.

Potential Mental Health Problems: Brain health issues and mental health conditions that are commonly seen with this brain type include ADD/ADHD, substance use disorders, and depression.

Brain Enhancement Strategies: To optimize the spontaneous brain, strengthen the PFC by boosting dopamine levels. Eat foods that are higher in protein and engage in regular physical exercise. Consider taking stimulating supplements, such as rhodiola, green tea, and ginseng.

3. Persistent Brain Type

What Brain SPECT Imaging Shows: SPECT scans show that people with the persistent brain type often have heightened activity in a brain region called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG).

Characteristic Traits: You tend to be the take-charge type who refuses to take no for an answer. People may describe you as strong-willed, tenacious, stubborn, or argumentative. You prefer to have a daily routine and can get upset when things don’t go as planned. You tend to worry and hold grudges from the past.

Potential Mental Health Problems: Common issues for the persistent brain type include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression.

Brain Enhancement Strategies: The most effective strategy to balance this brain type is by boosting serotonin, which helps calm an overactive brain. Calming supplements include 5-HTP and saffron.

4. Sensitive Brain Type

What Brain SPECT Imaging Shows: Brain scans show that this type often has too much activity in the limbic system, which is the brain’s emotional center.

Characteristic Traits: If you’re the sensitive type, you may feel things more deeply than others. You likely have a lot of empathy for others. You may also be prone to pessimism and negativity. This means your mind may be filled with automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) that impact your moods.

Potential Mental Health Problems: Sensitive types tend to be more susceptible to depressive symptoms, cyclic mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, and addictive behaviors.

Brain Enhancement Strategies: Exercise can be a real mood booster, as can spending time in nature. Nutraceuticals that support healthy moods include omega-3 fatty acids, and s-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), and vitamin D.

5. Cautious Brain Type

What Brain SPECT Imaging Shows: On SPECT scans, these people often have increased activity in the brain’s anxiety centers, including the basal ganglia, amygdala, and/or insular cortex. They also often have decreased levels of the neurotransmitter GABA.

Characteristic Traits: With this type, you’re likely to struggle with anxiety. This has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits lies in prompting you to be more prepared for work, school exams, and other important life events. On the downside, you may find it hard to relax and may play out worst-case scenarios in your mind.

Potential Mental Health Problems: Having this brain type makes you vulnerable to anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.

Brain Enhancement Strategies: Calm overactivity in the brain with meditation, yoga, or hypnosis. Skip caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, which can escalate anxiousness. Supplements that can soothe a busy brain include vitamin B6, magnesium, and GABA.

DISCOVER YOUR BRAIN TYPE FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH

If you’re struggling with symptoms of ADHD/ADD, OCD, depression, anxiety, addiction, or other mental health issues, knowing your brain type can be beneficial in many ways. Getting a brain SPECT scan, which reveals your brain type, can help you in:

• Getting a more accurate diagnosis
• Identifying co-occurring disorders
• Identifying other brain health issues
• Finding the most effective treatments

If you want to know why you do the things you do, how you can enhance your mental well-being, how you can reach your potential, and how you can have better relationships with others, consider getting a brain SPECT scan to learn your brain type.

ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.