bdnf

Explore "bdnf" with insightful episodes like "Move the Body, Heal the Mind" and "Psychopathy with Michael A. Cummings M.D." from podcasts like ""The Art of Manliness" and "Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast"" and more!

Episodes (2)

Move the Body, Heal the Mind

When we think about the benefits of exercise, we tend to think of what it does for our body, making us leaner, stronger, and healthier. But my guest is out to emphasize the powerful effect physical activity has on our brains too, and just how much our bodies and minds are connected.

Dr. Jennifer Heisz is a professor, the director of the NeuroFit Lab which studies the effects of exercise on brain health, and the author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind. Today on the show, Jennifer and I first discuss how physical activity can help treat mental disorders. She shares the way that low to moderate intensity exercise can mitigate anxiety, and how short bouts of intense exercise can be used as exposure therapy for treating panic disorders. We also talk about the phenomenon of inflammation-induced depression, and how exercise can alleviate it. And Jennifer shares how exercise can strengthen someone's attempt at sobriety, as well as prevent addiction in the first place. From there, we turn to the way exercise can not only mitigate mental maladies but actually optimize the mind. Jennifer shares how physical activity fights aging, and can enhance your focus and creativity. We discuss how exercise can improve your sleep, how it can be used to shift your circadian clock, and whether it's okay to work out close to your bedtime.

Resources Related to the Episode

Connect With Jennifer Heisz

enJanuary 25, 2023

Psychopathy with Michael A. Cummings M.D.

In this episode, Dr. Cummings and I discuss psychopathy: the fearless, empathyless people, who see others as objects, and have the inability to attach within relationships. Dr. Michael Cummings recently contributed to a book called “Violence in Psychiatry,” detailing the biological aspects of psychopathy, edited by Stephen Stahl. Dr. Cummings works at Patton State Hospital, one of the biggest forensic hospitals in the world. He is the Yoda of the psychiatric world, with many other psychiatrists bringing him their most complex and difficult cases.

In this episode we cover:

History of psychopathy

Influence of early life traumas

Prosocial careers of psychopaths

Biological components in psychopathy

The emotion psychopaths fail to see

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)

Prefrontal area (the parent of the brain that warns us “that is not a good idea”)

Amygdala

Why psychopathy has not been bred out of existence

Advice when you are in a relationship with a psychopath

What drugs make someone look psychopathic