brain research

Diagnosis of personality disorders in youth is relatively new. Before the release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, version 5 (DSM-V), nobody under the age of 18 could receive a diagnosis of a personality disorder, mainly due to the transitional nature of personality in youth, and the degree of stigmatization attached to such a diagnosis. Researchers have since stressed the importance of early detection and treatment for the outcomes of these disorders. In fact, almost all personality disorders diagnosed in adulthood can also be diagnosed in children under the age of 18 who have presented with symptoms for at least one year. The one exception to this rule is related to the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder in adulthood, which must be preceded by a history of childhood conduct disorder.

This episode’s guest, Sophie, mentions different ways her symptoms of borderline personality disorder (or BPD) influence her relationships and ability to trust. We hear that having BPD has instilled in her a tendency towards hyper-attunement to others. This means that Sophie connects to and takes on the emotions of others, in such a way that impacts her behavior and relationships – sometimes in good ways, and sometimes in not-so-good ways. Sophie shares with us that she often identifies and latches on to a “favorite person”, which can sometimes introduce problematic coping mechanisms when things go awry. We also learn about Sophie’s difficult struggles with trust and distrust towards other people and situations. 

Often common in those afflicted with BPD, researchers have been prompted to explore the link between impairments in trust processes and the disorder. One study suggests that developmental factors, like experiences of emotional neglect or a lack of trust in parents during childhood, may influence certain behaviors in interpersonal exchanges and ultimately be a risk factor for trust issues in adults with BPD. With the involvement of trust processes being so salient in those with BPD, special attention needs to be attributed to ensuring a safe and trustworthy therapeutic alliance can be established between the therapist and person that is seeking treatment for BPD. Folks with BPD have expressed that therapy simply doesn’t work for them when they are made to feel unsafe. Because of this, care providers are encouraged to consider difficulties with trust in individual treatment plans and emphasize interpersonal trust between themselves and the person seeking treatment for BPD with the goal of developing a favorable therapeutic alliance. 

Fast Facts

• Common traits of BPD include having extreme fears of being rejected or abandoned, feeling easily rejected by others, an excessive need for reassurance from others, and more. Studies suggest that 1 to 3% of youth under 18 may have traits of borderline personality disorder.
• BPD is usually diagnosed in teens and young adults, though it may also be diagnosed later in life.
• Most youth who receive appropriate supports and services will benefit and show improvement. Youth who don’t get treatment are at higher risk for aggression, criminal behaviour, ongoing mental health problems, suicide, homelessness and problems in their relationships.

Learn More about This Episode’s Cool Researchers

As mentioned in the episode, borderline personality disorder is a much-stigmatized condition. For example, one study found that the word “difficult” can routinely be used by clinicians to label a person with BPD. Breaking through these labels and stigmas, while recognizing the need to establish safety and trust through the therapeutic alliance, many clinicians are providing compassionate care towards those with a BPD diagnosis; one such person is this episode’s expert guest, Dr. Brandon Unruh.

Dr. Unruh is disrupting the status-quo of care for BPD by examining and targeting how the next generation of clinicians are being taught about the disorder. In terms of treatment, Dr. Unruh and his colleagues focus on specialized evidence-based treatments for BPD, like dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), mentalization-based treatment (MBT),  and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP). Dr. Unruh is particularly interested in MBT which is based on the theory of failed mentalization for BPD and refers to impairments with identifying mental states, like attitudes or feelings, in oneself or in others along with difficulties in recognizing how these mental states are influenced by each other. To improve the process of mentalization, MBT emphasizes mental states and interpersonal interactions by encouraging individuals with BPD to focus on how their own mental states affect their own behavior, and the behavior of others. Much of Dr. Unruh’s research on BPD treatment focuses on this method, including an interesting case study on the use of MBT in treating a physician struggling with BPD.

Support

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, call 9-1-1, or head to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Young people can chat anytime with Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868. Services are available in English and French.

Wellness Together Canada provides one-on-one counselling, self-guided courses and programs, and peer support and coaching. Youth can contact this service by calling 1-888-668-6810 or texting WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can contact this service by calling 1-866-585-0445 or texting WELLNESS to 741741. You can also find credible articles and information on their website. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association can help you find resources, programs, or support for yourself or others. Find a CMHA branch in your area here. 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides Mental Health 101 tutorials and online courses on their website. 

Though not nation-wide, the Borderline Personality Disorder Society of British Columbia provides support and resources to those struggling with BPD.

The definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has gone through many changes over the years. Interestingly, the criteria used to diagnose ADHD has actually become broader, encompassing a wider range of ages and a variety of different clinical presentations and symptoms. One thing that’s stayed the same since the release of the DSM-III in the 1980’s is the focus on problems with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. While it was once thought of as a disorder of childhood, the prevalence of ADHD has seen a consistent rise in more recent years, in both children and adults.

With changing trends in diagnosis for ADHD comes a change in our understanding of how the condition affects those that have it. This episode’s guest, McKenna, discusses how having ADHD impacts her memory, explaining that she exerts quite a bit of effort to work around her forgetfulness. McKenna isn’t exaggerating when she says ADHD makes her forgetful: one study has shown that ADHD is associated with impairments in working memory, an executive function that plays a big role in how we process, use and remember information on a daily basis. This same study suggested that abilities in working memory may be related to the severity of ADHD inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. What’s more, these impairments in memory, as well as the symptoms of hyperactivity/ impulsivity but not inattentiveness, can have direct effects on emotional regulation and dysregulation in children with ADHD.

Many options exist for treatment and maintenance of ADHD symptoms. The use of stimulant medication can improve symptoms of attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Stimulants have been shown to help improve symptoms in 70% of children with ADHD. Other forms of non-prescription interventions, like education and skills training, classroom management strategies, and more can be used to support children manage their symptoms. There are even less conventional forms of treatment, like neurofeedback therapy, that are being investigated! 

Fast Facts

• Globally, ADHD occurs among 3.1% of 10- to 14-year-olds and 2.4% of 15- to 19-year-olds.
• While there is no consensus on the exact cause of ADHD, there is likely a genetic link. Children born into families where there is a history of the disorder are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children where there is no family history of ADHD. 
• Eighty percent of children diagnosed with ADHD continue to qualify for a diagnosis in adolescence and at least 65% continue to be effected by symptoms in adulthood.

Learn More about This Episode’s Cool Researchers

As more is uncovered about the links between ADHD, memory and emotional regulation, there is a need to have emotional dysregulation recognized as a core, diagnostic feature of ADHD alongside impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. This potential fourth core symptom might be the key to why folks with ADHD tend to make use of non-adaptive emotional regulation strategies like blaming themselves, catastrophizing, and ruminating. It also presents a new and exciting avenue for treating symptoms of ADHD, including emotional dysregulation, by implementing strategies used to regulate emotions with the goal of improving one’s emotional response. At the forefront of the inquiry into better understanding the difficulties with emotion dysregulation among young adults and adults with ADHD is this episode’s expert guest, Elizabeth Bodalski – a doctoral student at the University of South Carolina. 

Among other areas of research, Elizabeth is interested in how ADHD-related emotional dysregulation may affect someone’s educational experience in college. In one study, Elizabeth and her colleagues made a case for how difficulties in emotional regulation and self-esteem partially account for the relationship between ADHD symptoms and procrastination in college students. With the links between ADHD and procrastination demystified, Elizabeth moved to research effective interventions for college students with ADHD. The time- and cost-friendly intervention suggested by Elizabeth and colleagues includes a combination of group and individual therapy that focuses on building skills directly related to the symptoms characteristic of ADHD balanced with the demands of college. The skills that are honed in on through this intervention are: organizational, time management and planning, or OTMP for short. 

Support

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, call 9-1-1, or head to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Young people can chat anytime with Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868. Services are available in English and French.

Wellness Together Canada provides one-on-one counselling, self-guided courses and programs, and peer support and coaching. Youth can contact this service by calling 1-888-668-6810 or texting WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can contact this service by calling 1-866-585-0445 or texting WELLNESS to 741741. You can also find credible articles and information on their website. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association can help you find resources, programs, or support for yourself or others. Find a CMHA branch in your area here. 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides Mental Health 101 tutorials and online courses on their website. 

The Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada provides resources and support to those living with ADHD. 

Anxiety is one of the body’s natural responses to stress. When a person is met with an important event or perceived danger, anxiety can help them to react to that stressor. But when symptoms of anxiety are ongoing or severe, it’s a sign of an anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders, with each subtype categorized by how anxiety appears in the afflicted person’s life.

This episode’s guest, Jess, has been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. It’s the most broad and one of the most common anxiety disorders types. In this episode, Jess shares with us that she didn’t recognize her anxious episodes as symptoms of an anxiety disorder – an occurrence that is all too common. Though detection and diagnosis through self-reported measures has ameliorated over the years, anxiety disorders, like panic disorder, GAD, and social anxiety disorder, are one of a handful of disorders that often go undetected, underreported, and undiagnosed. 

Jess discusses her struggles with anxiety, alongside her past struggles with an eating disorder. She isn’t alone in her struggles with these two disorders, in fact, anxiety has been shown to be the most common psychiatric comorbidity amongst people who have eating disorders. 

Fast Facts

• Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in young people. It is estimated that, on a global scale, 3.6% of 10- to 14-year-olds and 4.6% of 15- to 19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder.
• In addition to life-interfering fears and worries, symptoms of anxiety in children can include irritability, anger, trouble sleeping, and physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches.
• According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, the optimal way to manage anxiety in children and youth is through a combination of psychoeducation, psychotherapy, and/ or pharmacotherapy.

Learn More about This Episode’s Cool Research

Eating disorders are commonly associated with other psychiatric illnesses, like anxiety (as mentioned above) and depression. One such illness is Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or BDD, a condition where a person perceives a distorted version of their own body and becomes preoccupied with it. BDD as a common comorbidity of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, or simply “anorexia”, has been investigated since at least the early 2000s. Thanks to the research of Dr. Jamie Feusner, who we talked to for this episode, we are gaining a better understanding of the potential mechanisms that contribute to anorexia and BDD, and how they may be linked.

In a first-of-its-kind neuroimaging study, using a technology that measures brain waves called electroencephalography (EEG), Dr. Feusner found that individuals with anorexia may have abnormalities in the way they process and perceive certain types of visual information. For example, holistic, or configural, processing (e.g., seeing the face as a whole) was found to be deficient in people with anorexia while the perception of part-based, or detailed, processing (e.g., seeing the features… two eyes, a nose and a mouth… of a face) was enhanced. Taken together, these results could help explain why people with anorexia tend to fixate on particular body parts while placing less emphasis on the whole body. In people with BDD, results showed that these individuals may be experiencing abnormalities in the way they structurally encode visual information, which could contribute to the perceptual distortions that are a hallmark symptom of the disease. This research from Dr. Feusner provides an exciting avenue for the use of EEG as a biomarker of abnormal visual processing.  

Support

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, call 9-1-1, or head to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Young people can chat anytime with Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868. Services are available in English and French.

Wellness Together Canada provides one-on-one counselling, self-guided courses and programs, and peer support and coaching. Youth can contact this service by calling 1-888-668-6810 or texting WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can contact this service by calling 1-866-585-0445 or texting WELLNESS to 741741. You can also find credible articles and information on their website. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association can help you find resources, programs, or support for yourself or others. Find a CMHA branch in your area here. 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides Mental Health 101 tutorials and online courses on their website. 

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment has a list of resources for those dealing with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. 

Anxiety Canada has resources available on their website, along with resources specifically for youth. 

The National Eating Disorders Information Centre provides resources and support to those in Canada affected by an eating disorder.

Sophie Andrews leads the Healthy Brain Ageing Research Program and describes some of the work of the Thompson Institute.

Being sad or feeling hopeless is a normal part of human existence appearing and disappearing and reappearing with the ebbs and flows of life. But when symptoms of a depressive episode last for more than two weeks, and begin to get in the way of one’s day-to-day life, that’s when a person meets the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, or MDD, which is one type of the DSM-IV’s depressive diagnoses and one of many different mood disorders. The prevalence of MDD in Canada is higher than other mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders (discussed in our next episode!) like generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia. Because of its prevalence, many areas of treatment are available to those who are struggling with clinical depression, including talk therapy, changing diet and exercise, medication, and brain stimulation therapies.

This episode’s guest, Tammy, shares with us that she began experiencing symptoms of MDD when she was in grade school. While depressive disorders tend to begin later in life and global data suggests that the median age for the onset of symptoms is 26 years old, a study from the United States showed that depression can be diagnosed as young as three years of age. Interestingly, a study from Korea showed that the age at which a person experiences their first major depressive episode may be correlated to a variety of different clinical indicators, like the frequency in which MDD episodes recur, that play a key role in one’s clinical prognosis of MDD and its outcomes. 

In this episode, we learn about a few of Tammy’s family members, one of whom also struggles with their mental health. Given the hereditary, or genetic, predisposition to mental disorders, it is common for some mental illnesses, like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression, to run in the family. But when discussing the “nature” side of things, we mustn’t forget about the “nurture”. We’ve also seen that the environmental factors like one’s family structure, exposure to traumatic events, and much more can increase rates of mental health problems. 

Fast Facts

• Globally, depression is estimated to occur among 1.1% of adolescents aged 10 to14 years, and 2.8% of 15- to 19-year-olds. 
• More than a quarter of a million Canadian youth, representing 6.5% of people between the ages of 15 and 24, experience major depression each year.
• Depression can go unnoticed in children. Some may not talk about their helpless and hopeless thoughts and may not appear sad. Depression might also cause a child to make trouble or act unmotivated causing others to incorrectly label the child as a troublemaker or lazy.
• In Canada, once depression is recognized, intervention and treatment can make a difference for 80% of people who are affected, which allows them to get back to their regular activities.

Learn More about This Episode’s Cool Research

In this episode, we spoke to Dr. Valerie Taylor, Head of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary, and the namesake for the Taylor Lab. Their main area of research is how the gut influences brain health, known in the literature as the gut-brain barrier. Scientists have already shown a potential for the influence of gut microbiota in diseases like asthma and type I and type II diabetes, to name a few. When it comes to the bidirectional relationship between the brain, gut and microbiome there is a growing amount of evidence that this is a valuable area of research that may have implications on new therapeutic avenues. For example, studies aiming to elucidate the relationship between depression and the microbiome have shown a link between MDD and an imbalance of the gut microbiota’s bacterial composition. Some of these studies even reported seeing modest improvements in depressive symptoms following interventions targeting the gut microbiome. 

Dr. Taylor and her team are interested in whether or not microbiomes from the gut of healthy people can be used as a treatment for those suffering with ailments, and in their case specifically, people struggling with treatment-resistant MDD. In order to get those healthy microbiomes transferred, the Taylor Lab is experimenting with Fecal Matter Transplant, or FMT for short. For their research, the process involves retrieving fecal samples from healthy screened donors, converting those samples into capsules (also known as “poop pills”),and orally administering the capsules to patients. There is a fair amount of evidence to back up the efficacy of FMT in treating disease, in fact, the practice has been reported in literature dating 2,000 years ago. The efficacy of FMT for patients with treatment-resistant MDD, however, continues to be a question the Taylor Lab is working hard to answer. 

Through this work, Dr. Taylor remains hopeful. In an interview with Mike Fisher for the University of Calgary, Dr. Taylor discusses her team’s research. 

“...[T]he jury is still out on whether we can actually leverage what seems to be a gut-brain connection into the next generation of therapies. There is reason to be excited and to pursue this work and that's what fuels us — the possibility. [...] There has been research that shows if you take bacteria from depressed mice and put it into non-depressed mice, they become depressed. Microbiota are not benign, and we want to ensure people are aware of that. [...] Patients are desperate for new treatments, sometimes the current treatments don’t work for everyone or have side effects that are not tolerable. So, people are looking for anything that will help them.”

Support

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, call 9-1-1, or head to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Young people can chat anytime with Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868. Services are available in English and French.

Wellness Together Canada provides one-on-one counselling, self-guided courses and programs, and peer support and coaching. Youth can contact this service by calling 1-888-668-6810 or texting WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can contact this service by calling 1-866-585-0445 or texting WELLNESS to 741741. You can also find credible articles and information on their website. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association can help you find resources, programs, or support for yourself or others. Find a CMHA branch in your area here. 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides Mental Health 101 tutorials and online courses on their website. 

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment has a list of resources for those dealing with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. 

Depression Hurts is a website developed by the Mood Disorders Society of Canada that includes a symptom checklist and doctor discussion guide for patients.

Strap in for another exciting season of Playing With Marbles, brought to you by Brain Canada. In past seasons, we learned about all of the cool brain science research coming out of labs in Canada, from mini-brain organoids in petri dishes to women’s health beyond the bikini. We’ve taken a look at the brain at a microscopic level and learned how each part of your marble functions to help you encode, process, and remember the world around you. 

This season, we’re going a step further to understand all parts of the brain, and this one’s a little more difficult to see with a microscope. Now that we know the brain’s inner workings, we want to understand how those inner workings might affect how someone thinks, feels, and behaves. In simpler terms, we’re going to explore the intricacies of mental health, and mental illness.

Just as we focused on women’s brain health last season, we want to make sure we’re zeroing in on those who have been forgotten or who need the most support. As heard in this episode, mental illness is the leading cause of disability for people in Canada between the ages of 15 and 29 - that’s why we’re centering this season on youth mental health! There’s tons of information out there for young people about mental health, but much of it falls into the category of pop science at best, and misinformation at worst. To combat the junk science out there, we’re talking to real scientists about what goes on in the brain when someone is experiencing mental illness.

To make sure we’re getting all sides of this complicated topic, we’re doing something we’ve never done before on Playing With Marbles. This season, we talk to real young people who struggle with their mental health. Our guests range in age, gender, and diagnosis. You’ll get to hear what it’s like living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the day-to-day struggles of ADHD, and what it’s like to seek treatment for an eating disorder. We hope pairing the real, lived experiences with the science behind these disorders will provide a nuanced look at the long-maligned topic of mental health and mental illness.

This episode serves as a primer for all to come on this season of Playing With Marbles. Hop on in and listen to what’s in store.

Fast Facts

• Globally, one in seven 10- to 19-year-olds experiences a mental health disorder.
• By the time people in Canada reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have, or will have had, mental illness. Importantly, young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness than any other age group.
• Up to 70 percent of mental health challenges begin during childhood or teenage years.
• The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the mental health of young people in Canada. Only 42 percent of youth in Canada aged 15 to 24 years old reported having excellent or very good mental health in late March and early April of 2020, compared to 62 percent in 2018—the largest drop of any age group.
• Less than 20 percent of youth struggling with their mental health receive appropriate treatment.

Learn More about This Episode’s Cool Research

The focus of this season of Playing With Marbles is all about youth mental health. As heard in this episode, one in every four young people are in need of mental health services every year. That’s why Brain Canada has partnered with RBC Future Launch and Power Corporation to support the Canadian Youth Mental Health Insight Platform, led by Dr. Sean Hill from the Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH). The platform seeks to provide a state-of-the-art informatics platform that can serve as a foundation to optimize mental health for youth across Canada. It will support knowledge and data integration, open data, machine learning and improved communication between key networks, research databases and stakeholders in the youth mental health community. Read more about the platform through Brain Canada’s website here. 

Support

If you’re struggling with your mental health, you’re not alone.

If you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, call 9-1-1, or head to your nearest emergency room. You can also call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Young people can chat anytime with Kids Help Phone by calling 1-800-668-6868. Services are available in English and French.

Wellness Together Canada provides one-on-one counselling, self-guided courses and programs, and peer support and coaching. Youth can contact this service by calling 1-888-668-6810 or texting WELLNESS to 686868. Adults can contact this service by calling 1-866-585-0445 or texting WELLNESS to 741741. You can also find credible articles and information on their website. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association can help you find resources, programs, or support for yourself or others. Find a CMHA branch in your area here. 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides Mental Health 101 tutorials and online courses on their website. 

Zeus Tipado is a Neuropsychopharmacology PhD candidate at Maastricht University focusing on researching the brain while under DMT inside virtual/extended reality. He’s using fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) to give humanity its first glimpse on brain energy distribution and perceptual alterations in the visual cortex during this unique psychedelic process.

Stefanie Cohen’s healing path began in an effort to heal herself from a decades-long struggle with anxiety and depression. After years of being on and off various psychotropic medications, she finally gave up and began seeking help from the natural world. In 2015, Stefanie started working with herbal allies in a ceremonial context and experienced the deep healing and vast intelligence the natural world offers.

Eventually, Stefanie returned to a state of peace and began a deep exploration into her own psyche and the true nature of consciousness. She then started working with meditation and contemplation, exploring the teachings of mystics and wisdom traditions. At the same time, studying and experiencing personally various therapeutic modalities such as Hakomi and Internal Family Systems, in which she holds a Level 1 certification. Stefanie also looked to indigenous teachings: apprenticing to soul work through Vision Quests and land-based practices, learning shamanism with Rose Khalsa and sitting in deep meditation with the moon and the mountain. She holds a certificate from the Synthesis Institute’s Psychedelic Practitioner Training, which offers a new paradigm for mental health care, and has completed the Rainbow Bridges School for Evolutionary Guides.

Stefanie brings humility and humor, honesty and compassion, skill and curiosity to her work with clients as she considers it a great honor to be able to work with them in that way.

Episode Highlights

• Exploring neuropsychopharmacology with Zeus
• Understanding the effects of DMT on the brain
• The impact of psychedelics on perception
• Exploring different psychedelic substances and their effects
• The mystery of different trips generated from activity of the same receptor
• The role of the visual cortex in psychedelic experiences
• The connection between psychedelics and consciousness
• Exploring the mysteries of reality through science
• The role of electromagnetism in our perception of reality
• The potential of virtual reality in psychedelic research

Zeus Tipado

• Website: www.linktr.ee/tipado

Stefanie Cohen

• Website: www.harveymountainhealing.com

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Book: The Ra Material: An Ancient Astronaut Speaks (Law of One) by Rueckert & McCarty
• Interview: Lex Fridman Podcast - Mark Zuckerberg: First Interview in the Metaverse
• Scientist: Thomas F. Varley

Whether amateur or pro, the international Concussion in Sport Group (CISG) consensus statement impacts the care received by players if hit in the head during a game. Steven Broglio, PhD. is the director of the Michigan Concussion Center, the Neurotrauma Research Laboratory, and co-author of the CISG consensus statement. He is also a professor of athletic training, neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. 

As part of the international team of researchers playing an important role in shaping the consensus on recognizing and treating concussion in sport, Dr. Broglio joined writer, journalist, and traumatic brain injury survivor Christina Brown Fisher to discuss current scientific knowledge, research findings, and clinical experience. Plus, he explains why banning football is not the answer to eliminating head injury in sports. 

This podcast discusses scientific research findings and is not intended to diagnose or provide personal or individual medical advice. If you have an existing health condition, always consult your healthcare practitioner.

Imagine the last time you had some horrendous food. Like the kind which not only tastes bad, but also gives you a recoiling diarrohea. The one you take almost a week to properly recover from. Now imagine walking into your home after being drenched in the rain, and being greeted with smell of crisp frying pakoras and piping hot ginger tea. Turns out these two experiences are not very different from each other. This week, we uncover the connection between smell, taste and memory, and discover how our evolutionary brain often stops us from trying new cuisines. Tune in, and discover why and how we must fight this evolutionary impulse, to make the most of our travels

And if you are intrigued about Central Asia, Samosas and Hospitality, check out the episodes on Uzbekistan

Beauty of Uzbekistan and the Geometry Box: https://omny.fm/shows/postcards-from-nowhere-with-utsav-mamoria/beauty-of-uzbekistan-the-geometry-box
Melons of Samarkand: https://omny.fm/shows/postcards-from-nowhere-with-utsav-mamoria/melons-of-samarkand

Vincent Van Gogh and Uzbekistan: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=I03d1slNCXMla8VC
Secrets of Doors: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=InTTDLzqdrZWSvf5

Train Journeys and Humanity: Part 1: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=I2xUGZmKqpNnFmKl

Train Journeys and Humanity: Part 2: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=I2fOFK5K0YFNLT3F

World's most popular snack: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=ImYiIkxnf8vNTFNn

For reflections on walking, check out Walking: An Act of Resistance: https://podcasts.adorilabs.com/show/e?eid=IlhRj0aYOdW8A8Pu

You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @‌whywetravel42
(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42  )

Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media.

We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. 

Do share the word with your folks!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christina Brown Fisher, journalist and traumatic brain injury survivor, speaks with former supermodel Claudia Mason. A fashion icon who’d graced the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Cosmopolitan, Mason found herself under a different spotlight after suffering a brain injury.    

Christina Brown Fisher, journalist and traumatic brain injury survivor, speaks with Harvard Medical School associate professor in psychiatry, Eve Valera, PhD. Dr. Valera is a research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and has been investigating the impact of brain injury among those affected by domestic violence for more than 25 years.

Christina Brown Fisher, journalist and traumatic brain injury survivor, speaks with the sister of Michael Hutchence. He was the lead singer of the Australian rock band INXS until his suicide in 1997. Tina Hutchence says her brother kept a secret from their family, the band, and his fans. Five years before his death, Michael Hutchence suffered a traumatic brain injury after a taxi driver allegedly attacked him. The blow fractured his skull, resulting in permanent brain damage. His sister reflects on Michael Hutchence’s rise to stardom, and the untreated brain injury she believes was responsible for his abrupt personality change that ultimately contributed to his death. 

(0:46) - A Neuro-chip To Manage Brain Disorders

Rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, are only increasing in developed nations as scientists race to find treatments and identify preventive strategies.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Margaret Gatz about her research published in the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association titled: Prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in indigenous Bolivian forager-horticulturalists.  In the podcast she will discuss these indigenous populations, including their lifestyle, diet and educational levels, how she conducted her research to assess their risks and rates of dementia, how their rates compare to the developed world, some intriguing findings, and what developed nations with growing rates of Alzheimer's disease can potentially learn from them in terms of risk factors for dementia and prevention.

Dr. Gatz is a professor of psychology, gerontology and preventive medicine at the University of Southern California's Lenoard Davis School of Gerontology. Studies in her Gatz lab include age-related changes in cognition, depression, personality and preventive factors for Alzheimer's Disease and other kinds of dementia. 

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.
Or Facebook here.
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A profound, illuminating, and unvarnished conversation with neuroscientist Mike Niconchuk about polarization and the biology of belonging; the power of science, storytelling, and the narrative of trauma; the constant balance between urgency and safety; and what's possible when we center collective care, and take a "do no harm" oath with ourselves as "wounded healers" trying to reduce suffering in the world. 

Mike demythologizes the concept of ‘bouncing back,’ calls "science-activists" into action, and shares why he believes "nothing is more relevant than how the body responds to trauma." 

Mike Niconchuk is the Program Director for Beyond Conflict’s work on Trauma and Violent Conflict. Beyond Conflict combines nearly 30 years of experience in conflict prevention, resolution, and reconciliation with the latest cognitive and behavioral science. Mike leads the strategy and execution of initiatives focused on trauma and violence prevention in the U.S., Germany, Jordan, and Lebanon. These initiatives focus on the link between neuroscience and participation in group violence and the mind-body effects of conflict, forced displacement, and violence on youth and adults. 

He’s the author of the Field Guide for Barefoot Psychology, a unique psycho-educational and trauma recovery program for communities affected by trauma and adversity. The Field Guide is grounded in the belief that “science is a right and self-awareness is an asset”. First piloted in the Za’atri Refugee camp in Jordan with 160 participants, it now exists in both print and mobile app formats. In one of the largest neurophysiology studies ever conducted in a post-conflict setting, the Field Guide was determined to be effective in reducing mental health stigma, PTSD symptoms, and emotion regulation, even 3 months later.

Listen, subscribe, and share. The Foreseeable Now is hosted and produced by Lu Hanessian. Co-production and original music by KÁNO SOUND.

PROGRAM NOTE:  This conversation was recorded a few months ago. Our conversation remains both timely and timeless. 

*****

SHOW LINKS ~

Beyond Conflict  https://beyondconflictint.org/

The Field Guide for Barefoot Psychology TFG) is a trauma-focused psychosocial program that uses storytelling, psychoeducation, and self-care exercises delivered across 12-15 sessions by trained peer facilitators to (1) clarify why and how adverse experiences can affect the brain, body, and social behavior, and (2) ameliorate the negative effects of stress and trauma and promote help-seeking behaviors.

• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/self-help-tool-reduces-refugees-psychological-distress-and-mental-health-stigma-301148042.html

WATCH:
"Program aims to help Syrian refugees recover from psychological trauma"

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9w0K-gw0lc
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/syrian-refugees-importance-of-mental-health-aid-inside-zaatari-refugee-camp-in-middle-east/

Some of the research mentioned in this episode:

"Why Rejection Hurts" by Naomi Eisenburger

• https://www.edge.org/conversation/naomi_eisenberger-why-rejection-hurts
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661304001433

Dr. Paul Zak 

• https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust
• https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_zak_trust_morality_and_oxytocin?language=en

Check out these interviews, articles, and presentations featuring Mike:

• An interview with Mike in the Europe Now Journal  https://www.europenowjournal.org/2017/01/31/our-brains-on-conflict-trauma-healing-and-the-politics-of-fear-an-interview-with-mike-niconchuk/
• UNHCR ~ https://www.unhcr.org/innovation/connecting-neuroscience-storytelling-psychology-can-create-measurable-impact-refugee-youth/
• RESOLVE Network Global Forum 2018 ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bruiloSuD2E

In this episode we explore the importance of embracing all feelings and withholding judgments. We learn what the science says about how you feel about your feelings, also know as "meta-emotions." Finally, we go over practical tips to develop a healthy relationship with your feelings so children can do the same and develop emotional intelligence.  To learn more about the science of meta-emotions, check out this article by The Gottman Institute.  

We are excited to be back for Season 2! We will release new episodes every Tuesday. Be sure to follow our show so you never miss an episode. 

Our newest book, Bear Takes a Brain Break,  is now available on Amazon! You can find our other new Amazon books here. Follow PAWsitive Choices on Instagram and Facebook or join our mailing list to stay up to date on our new books and upcoming events. 

Store: https://www.pawsitivechoices.com/store
Check out our other resources and freebies: https://www.pawsitivechoices.com/links 
© 2014-2021 PAWsitive Choices, LLC 

Nancy Kanwisher, founding member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research and professor in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, describes the effort to understand the mind as “the grandest scientific quest of all time,” partly because it seeks to answer fundamental questions that all people ponder from time to time: What is knowledge? How does memory work? How do we form our perceptions of the world? In this episode, Prof. Kanwisher gives a nutshell history of her field and describes how scientists use imaging techniques to study the brain structures involved in different cognitive skills. She also reflects on the usefulness of personal anecdotes as a teaching technique in courses like her 9.13 The Human Brain. Kanwisher believes scientists have a moral obligation to share the results of their research with the world—which may explain why she has published her course materials for 9.13 on OpenCourseWare—but she doesn’t see that sharing as an onerous responsibility. “The stuff I do is easily shareable with people,” she says, “but it’s also fun. It’s really fun to get an idea across and see somebody resonate to it.”

Relevant Resources

MIT OpenCourseWare

The OCW Educator Portal

Share your teaching ideas and insights with Nancy Kanwisher

Professor Kanwisher’s course on OCW (9.13 The Human Brain)

Professor Kanwisher at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research

Professor Kanwisher’s series of short videos on brain science

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions

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If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you! 

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Credits

Sarah Hansen, host and producer (https://twitter.com/learning_sarah)

Brett Paci, producer  (https://twitter.com/Brett_Paci)

Dave Lishansky, producer (https://twitter.com/DaveResonates)

Script writing assistance from Nidhi Shastri

Show notes by Peter Chipman

Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is the University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University and holds appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, as the Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is also the author of How Emotions Are Made and, more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain, an accessible book about science that she considers “the first neuroscience ‘beach read.’” 

Today’s episode invites you to explore the origin of your emotional intelligence. Consider that most of our life is lived inside of our head. Our brain creates our mind which controls our actions, which determines the kind of person that we are. Dr. Barrett’s research reveals that we actually have more control over that process than we think or feel we do.

Links:

 Dr. Barrett’s books

GLO classes:

Yoga Nidra for Emotional Balance

Heartful Flow

Mind Heart Soul Flow

Flow With Your Feelings

Our Connection to Compassion Meditation 

In this episode we recommend (and pick on just a little bit) - "The Teenage Brain" by Frances E. Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt 

- https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Teenage-Brain-Audiobook/B00SYZBGBA?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&ds_rl=1258208&ds_rl=1260658&ds_rl=1262685&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDIlKt9LnZEwcPf29_xEAnEh33kD2dOuMfFJ4R0HHjpr0SDbjstq8pxoCyDYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

We also reference Dr. Daniel Amen - https://www.amenclinics.com

In the vaccines episode we touched on the alleged link between vaccines and autism, so now let's look at it from the other perspective. What is autism? What is its cause? What does diagnosis and treatment look like? To help us understand this is Erin Nosco, a research coordinator at UCLA that is involved with autism research. After we get through the basics, we will revisit the alleged link with vaccines and examine a different angle. Have a listen!

Guest: Erin Nosco (@erineuron on twitter, @erinnosco.jpg on instagram)

Learn more about autism research at UCLA: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/autism

All music created by Simulated Sun: www.simulatedsun.com

Check out educational tutorials by Professor Dave: www.professordaveexplains.com