MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'brain function'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:07 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841744&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fjournal-of-cognitive-neuroscience.html I just spent some time browsing the articles lined up for forthcoming publication in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. As a researcher who is looking for good research that links my primary are of interest (intelligence and measurement of intelligence) with underlying brain mechanisms, I think I have found the pot-o-gold at the end of the brain-behavior rainbow. Below is the list of articles the journal currently has "waiting in the wings." The depth and breadth is amazing. I have added this journal to my RSS feed so I can stay up-to-date when articles are published.What a way to start my day. Finding this will sipping my morning java. Now if I could only fine time to read just a 1/4 of these articles.Well MIT Press.Double click on images to enlarge- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevi... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841744 Tue, 17 May 2011 15:05:00 +0100 4841744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762891&cid=t_99540_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FM3gc8PuJPjw%2F A study published in Psychological Science earlier this year suggested that bladder control equals better mind control: When offered several choices (between receiving $16 tomorrow or $30 in 35 days, for example), subjects who had a full bladder made better overall decisions. The study begs jokes about gulping down coffee before heading to the mall, but there are more practical implications than just knowing that you’ll do better if you have to pee. Instead of assuming that the mind always controls the body, the research flips traditional thinking on its head: What we do with our body — everything from physical posture to what we eat — can also go to our head. Oliver Burkeman, author of This Column Will Change Your Life at The Guardian, recently mused about other such studies tha... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762891 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:56:13 +0100 4762891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470466&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fthecognitive-atlas-project-way-cool.html Very intriguing article and description of the Cognitive Atlas Project, a scientific social collaborative knowledge project.Poldrack, R. A. (2010). Mapping Mental Function to Brain Structure: How Can Cognitive Neuroimaging Succeed? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 753-761AbstractThe goal of cognitive neuroscience is to identify the mapping between brain function and mental processing. In this article, I examine the strategies that have been used to identify such mappings and argue that they may be fundamentally unable to identify selective structure–function mappings. To understand the functional anatomy of mental processes, it will be necessary for researchers to move from the brain-mapping strategies that the field has employed toward a search for selective associations. Th... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470466 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:04:00 +0100 4470466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460054&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fresearch-bytes-neuro-imaging-research.html Beck, D. M. (2010). The Appeal of the Brain in the Popular Press. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 762-766.Since the advent of human neuroimaging, and of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in particular, the popular press has shown an increasing interest in brain-related findings. In this article, I explore possible reasons behind this interest, including recent data suggesting that people find brain images and neuroscience language more convincing than results that make no reference to the brain (McCabe & Castel, 2008; Weisberg, Keil, Goodstein, Rawson, & Gray, 2008). I suggest that part of the allure of these data are the deceptively simply messages they afford, as well as general, but sometimes misguided, confidence in biological data. In addition to cataloging som... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460054 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:46:00 +0100 4460054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405823&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Fphrenology-examining-the-bumps-of-your-brain%2F The next time you say, “so and so should have her head examined,” remember that this was literally done in the 19th century. Phrenology, as it became known, is the study of brain function. Specifically, phrenologists believed that different parts of the brain were responsible for different emotional and intellectual functions. Furthermore, they felt that these functions could be ascertained by measuring the bumps and indentations in your skull. That is, the shape of your skull revealed your character and talents. Viennese doctor and anatomist Franz Josef Gall originated phrenology, though he called it cranioscopy. He was correct in saying that brain function was localized (this was a novel idea at the time), but unfortunately, he got everything else wrong. When Gall was young, he not... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405823 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:01:01 +0100 4405823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331116&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FtVPk1z9NXRg%2F Every Monday during the next 10 weeks we’ll discuss here what leading industry, science and policy experts –all of whom will speak at the upcoming 2011 SharpBrains Summit (March 30th — April 1st, 2011)– have to say about emerging opportunities and challenges to address, over the next 10 years, the growing brain-related societal demands. Without further ado, here you have what four Summit Speakers say… — Alvaro Pascual-Leone is the Direc­tor of the Berenson-Allen Cen­ter for Non-Invasive Brain Stim­u­la­tion at Har­vard Med­ical School. 1. How would you define “brain fitness” vs. “physical fitness”? Physical fitness can refer to an overall or general state of health and well-being. However, it is also often used more specifically to refer to the ability to perfor... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331116 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:57:18 +0100 4331116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183341&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F19%2Fyour-brain-on-exercise%2F It is quite common to read about, or hear exercise enthusiasts explain the benefits that exercise has on the heart, muscles, lungs, connective tissue, and so on. But, I have rarely heard mention of how exercise improves brain health.  Although, there is plenty of evidence showing that exercise is beneficial to the brain. Exercise improves memory and learning in humans and animals.  Exercising individuals might be less susceptible to loss of cognitive functioning associated with aging or neurodegenarative disease.  One of the key mechanisms underlying these effects on the brain is neuronal growth in the hippocampus — an area of the brain important for cognition (Kobilo, et al., 2010). In an article published in Trends in Neurosciences (2009), H. Van Pragg made the following commen... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183341 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:08:35 +0100 4183341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3890474&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-frank-ryans-death-what-we-can-learn-from-it%2F2010.08.21 I’ll be honest — I’d never heard of Dr. Frank Ryan, a Hollywood plastic surgeon, until his tragic motor vehicle accident recently. Clients included actress Heidi Montag and boxer Oscar De La Hoya. Although the California Highway Patrol investigation isn’t complete, rumors have suggested that Dr. Ryan may have been text messaging when driving. If this is true and an intelligent, well-trained doctor can fall prey to the allure of technology, then what does it mean for the rest of us? First, realize that we can’t multitask. You have one brain. You can focus at one task at a time. Though laws allow hands-free cellphone calls, the issue isn’t trying to dial the phone but rather that the mind is engaged in the conversation and not on the road. Yes, we ar... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3890474 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3890474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854500&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsleep-or-food-which-is-more-important-according-to-tony-schwartz-founder-of-the-energy-project%2F photo: Thinkstock If you’re Tony Schwartz – former journalist, author of the new book The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, and founder of The Energy Project, which uses science to help employees and employers harness high-performance strategies in order to become more productive, efficient, and satisfied (and not just exist in the “survival zone”) – the answer is, without question, sleep. Was that your answer? The reasoning behind it is that people can survive for several weeks without food, but not sleep. We need it. Badly. In order to think, function, create, and produce. And most of us aren’t getting nearly enough of it in our daily lives. This was just one of the many seemingly simple yet fascinating subjects Tony enlightened us about during his ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854500 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:29:04 +0100 3854500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808650&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fimpulse-buyers-beware-dopamine-is-the-culprit%2F Her dopamine levels are off the charts — you can see it in her eyes. (photo: Thinkstock) If you’ve got a closet full of unworn clothes and a credit card bill through the roof, chances are you’re an impulse shopper. You see something; you want it; you buy it. This could be because your brain has more dopamine in it than your more cautious friends. High levels of dopamine cause people to act rashly, which would explain that pair of hot pink pleather pants in the back of your closet. I only impulse buy when I’m stressed — I wonder what that says about my dopamine levels. How many of you have a really embarrassing impulse buy tale? Please, share — we all love a good shopping horror story. via NPR Post from: BlissTree Impulse Buyers Beware: Dopamine Is the Culprit (Sourc... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808650 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:45:37 +0100 3808650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772345&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FjLsVNwDrhXw%2F This study established the methodologies that made possible the effective scientific study of the efficacy of psychotherapies. The evidence base and of such treatments as CBT, DBT, Motivational Enhancement Treatment and other evidence-based psychotherapies derives directly from this study and its seminal influence. This was a contribution to the science of Clinical Treatment Development research. I would say that my major interest, however, has been in the next step, the science of knowledge transfer. There has been and remains a long and costly (in terms particularly of unnecessary suffering) lag between the development of new knowledge and its common and effective use in practice. In order the help the field moved forward, I have worked for the last 20 years in the development and implem... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772345 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:07:21 +0100 3772345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740571&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fweight-loss-7-ways-to-fight-hunger%2F photo from Flickr user Muffet We’re not big fans of dieting. But sometimes even just watching what you eat sucks. Nothing’s worse than the feeling you get when you want chocolate, but know you can’t have it. (Okay, the BP oil spill, earthquake in Haiti, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might be worse.) With these tips to stay full while eating less, you may be able to treat yourself once in a while. 1. Eat protein for breakfast. Eating a lean protein at breakfast keeps you fuller than other nutrients, because your body takes more time to digest and absorb it. Try low-fat yogurt or egg whites. But not mixed — that would be gross. 2. Swallow some spuds. The starch in potatoes resists digestive enzymes, which means it takes longer for your body to break it down. Potat... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740571 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:52:16 +0100 3740571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706638&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F185764%2F Coffee may prevent Alzheimer’s, but what’s the catch? According to a story yesterday on NPR’s Morning Edition, researchers recorded improvements in lab mice with Alzheimer’s, but only if the critters got a ton of caffeine. Theoretically, the human equivalent would mean drinking at least five cups of regular coffee every day, but at this point these findings are inconclusive. So keep doing your crossword puzzles. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706638 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:19:26 +0100 3706638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607851&cid=t_99540_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2F28%2F%25e2%2580%2598food-for-thought%25e2%2580%2599-%25e2%2580%2593-nutritional-advice-for-those-preparing-for-and-taking-exams%2F My girlfriend and I have had a guest staying this week. He is Swiss and is in London for an exam which has something to do with international tax law (it’s all a bit above my head, I’m afraid). Last night the three of us were eating together – our last supper before our guest [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607851 Fri, 28 May 2010 14:48:01 +0100 3607851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581573&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fis-caffeine-a-wonder-drug-for-the-brain%2F Photo: Blisstree While too much caffeine can sometimes lead to health issues (eye twitch, anyone?), a new supplement in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease explores the preventive effects of caffeine against cognitive decline caused by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. You could be fighting dementia by drinking countless cups of joe a day – now you can say all those late nights you stayed up friending everyone in your 7th grade class on Facebook were just doctor’s orders. Caffeine has multiple beneficial effects on the brain, particularly to normalize brain function and prevent its degeneration. Caffeine also has a positive impact on memory and cognitive performance. Plus, the drug may be a disease-modifying agent with regard to Alzheimer’s. It could even prove to... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581573 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:06 +0100 3581573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566589&cid=t_99540_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fmental-health-give-your-brain-a-workout%2F photo: Thinkstock Sometimes it just feels good to give your brain a rest – to lie back, flip on whatever reruns are playing on TBS, and stop thinking for an hour or two. But after a few days of prime vegging-out time, we need to stretch our brain, just like we do our bodies. And we found some great ideas on how to do just that from iVillage. If you’ve scorned yoga in the past, it might be time to reconsider. Regularly practicing yoga and meditating improve cognitive functions, as well as emotional processing, by increasing cortical thickness, which can happen in just eight weeks. Yoga can also positively affect the parts of your brain that deal with stress, sensory awareness, self-awareness, and judgment. Yoga isn’t the only physical activity you can do that will help your br... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566589 Fri, 14 May 2010 22:30:39 +0100 3566589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060656&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2Fthe_essence_of_the_human_experience_what_is_normal.php This is the fifth in a series of articles on Emotional Intelligence for Personal Growth. Probably all of us have asked our self from time to time if our thoughts, feelings, or behavior at any single moment is "normal". Actually, there are different answers for each one of these. Normal behavior is, like it or not, defined by our legal, community (family, neighborhood, social group) and religious institutions. The law is enforced by our local police, and sanctioned by our courts. Religious values might be said to be collectively defined by our church going population and it's leadership. If we are observed behaving outside of legal boundaries, we may find ourselves in a court room facing a judge. If we stretch our community or religious values, we might be ostracized, and separated from t... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060656 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:49:27 +0100 4060656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060658&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2Fbuddhas_brain_the_neuroscience_of_selfhelp.php I've been a skeptic about self-help books as have many of my colleagues. Self-help concepts often represent the home grown philosophy of the author. Seldom is there comprehensive research documentation of the foundations of the concepts shared. And so you can never be sure you are reading something that applies real science to every day needs. Cover via Amazon This book is an exception. Buddha's Brain - The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. is the catchy title. Actually, there is little about Buddha or Buddhism in the book. Written by Rick Hanson Ph.D. with Richard Mendius MD, it uses some concepts of Buddhism as a frame of every day experience to convey the main themes. It thoroughly summarizes for the layman the latest neuroscience research as it relates to happin... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060658 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:57:21 +0100 4060658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311967&cid=t_99540_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Firon-supplementation-found-to-improve-brain-function%2F Iron is an essential nutrient for the making of haemoglobin – the component in red blood cells that carries oxygen and delivers it to the tissues. If iron is deficient in the body, haemoglobin levels can fall and eventually cause anaemia (pathologically low haemoglobin). Symptoms of this can include mental and physical fatigue and low [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311967 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:14:43 +0100 3311967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298460&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FNVho1duYvkc%2F (Editor’s Note: In 1990, Congress designated the 1990s the “Decade of the Brain.” President George H. W. Bush proclaimed, “A new era of discovery is dawning in brain research.” During the ensuing decade, scientists greatly advanced our understanding of the brain. The editors of Cerebrum asked the directors of seven brain-related institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify the biggest advances, greatest disappointments, and missed opportunities of brain research in the past decade—the decade after the “Decade of the Brain.” They also asked them what looks most promising for the coming decade, the 2010s. Experts focused on research that might change how doctors diagnose and treat human brain disorders.) Neuroscience is at a historic turning point. To... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298460 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:54:38 +0100 3298460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082499&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F6b8ykl2M_7o%2F Nice weekend reading material – recent news reiforcing emerging trends on physical, cognitive and emotional fitness, but with new twists. Fit teens could be smarter teens “Researchers from Sweden and USC examined data on 1.2 million Swedish men born between 1950 and 1976 who also enlisted for the country’s mandatory military service. They looked at the participants’ global intelligence scores as well as logical, visuospatial, verbal and technical scores. The greater the cardiovascular fitness, the higher the cognitive scores at age 18. The association between muscle strength and global intelligence, in contrast, was weak.”   UPMC Health Plan Offers Brain Fitness Software to Improve Health “UPMC Health Plan announced today that it has signed an agreement... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082499 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:28:00 +0100 3082499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670949&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FrZYUDP-BGt4%2F Good article today in the NYT on "chemo brain" - some typical short-term and long-term cognitive consequences of chemotherapy. The Fog That Follows Chemotherapy (New York Times) One quote is critical - for chemo brain and also for a variety of clinical conditions that present associated cognitive impairments: "Controlling for brain function before cancer treatment begins can help determine cause and effect. In one study, cancer patients took a battery of neuropsychological tests before starting chemotherapy, three weeks after completing treatment, and again one year later. Although a third of the patients had signs of cognitive impairment before therapy began, the number jumped to 61 percent after treatment, and half remained impaired a year later." As we have discussed... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670949 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:47:22 +0100 2670949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211917&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FmgzGobDdyZs%2F In April 2008, Baycrest, a leading research institute focused on aging and brain function, received $10-million from the Ontario Government to create a groundbreaking Centre for Brain Fitness. Its stated goal was to “develop and commercialize a range of products designed to improve the brain health of aging Ontarians and others around the world”. “Our government is proud to support Baycrest and its invaluable work, which is already leading to the discovery of important new tools and approaches to treating brain diseases associated with aging,” said Minister of Research and Innovation, John Wilkinson. We have Baycrest’s CEO with us today, to explore why Ontario and Baycrest chose to become pioneers in this area, and discuss some of the main opportunities, and challenges. Dr. Will... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211917 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:43:35 +0100 2211917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2028455&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F478160740%2F Spectacular article by Dr. Denise Park in this month's Cerebrum: Working Later in Life May Facilitate Neural Health - "Carmi Schooler at the National Institutes of Health, using a technique that allowed him to assess causal relationships, found that adults who performed intellectually challenging jobs across their life span showed more cognitive flexibility in late adulthood than those who performed less demanding jobs." - "Perhaps the most compelling evidence regarding the impact of novel experiences on brain volume and function comes from a study at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Adults with a mean age of 59 spent three months learning to juggle three balls. Although only about half the participants were able to achieve competence in this complex skill, those who suc... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2028455 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:10:12 +0100 2028455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961763&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F453492398%2F If you could, you would. You can, but prefer not to know it? More than any other organ, your brain is up to you. You are what you think, not just what you eat. Here's some food for thought: Design your Mind Setting cognitive and behavioral goals raises challenging and worthy questions: What do you want from your brain? Will you know it when you achieve it? To attain the brain of our choosing, we must understand our selves and current abilities. Introspection and curiosity are helpful if they trigger and sustain the effort to enrich the mind. However, objective information which leads to informed assessment of brain function is often lacking. Mind your Brain Honesty. Openness. Self-awareness. Irrefutable virtues, but in practice most people fall short. Few regularly appraise their brain ski... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961763 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:57:54 +0100 1961763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930764&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F440107576%2F A beautiful initiative, featured in the New York Times today: Coming Full Circle: - "In a typical Montessori classroom, teachers use category-sorting exercises to help young students see patterns and connections. But the participants in this group were mostly in their 80s and on the other side of the cognitive development curve. They are residents at an assisted-living facility for people with dementia called Hearthstone at the Esplanade, which has six other homes in New York State and Massachusetts. Since July the residents have participated in a full-time program of Montessori-based activities designed for people with memory deficiencies." - "A common misconception about people with dementia, Dr. Camp said, is that they no longer learn. But they do: residents learn to find... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930764 Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:53:36 +0100 1930764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856732&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F413421820%2F James Zull is a professor of Biology. He is also Director Emeritus of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. These roles most assuredly coalesced in his 2002 book, The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning. This is a book for both teachers and parents (because parents are also teachers!) Written with the earnestness of first-person experience and reflection, and a lifetime of expertise in biology, Zull makes a well-rounded case for his ideas. He offers those ideas for your perusal, providing much supporting evidence, but he doesn’t try to ram them into your psyche. Rather, he practices what he preaches by engaging you with stories, informing you with fact, and ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856732 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:53:40 +0100 1856732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837915&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F405734124%2F A round-up of interested news during the month: 1) Training Young Brains to Behave (New York Times) 2) Head Games (OpEd in New York Times) 3) Will Gerontology recognize the Brain? (American Society on Aging event) 4) Brain function gets a boost from walking (Los Angeles Times) 5) An idea whose time has (finally) come (McKnight's Long Term Care News) 6) Train your brain (Financial Times Germany) 7) Toman auge ejercicios que adiestran la mente (Milenio, Mexico) 8) Trois nouvelles études IDATE : Serious Games (Publi-News, France) Links and commentary below.  --- 1) Training Young Brains to Behave (New York Times) - "But just as biology shapes behavior, so behavior can accelerate biology. And a small group of educational and cognitive scientists now say that mental exercises of a certai... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837915 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:21:41 +0100 1837915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060697&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fis_there_a_place_for_emotion_in_cognitive_theory.php Aaron Beck, considered the Father of Cognitive Therapy, is an American psychiatrist and a professor emeritus at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is President of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research that is directed by his daughter, Judith S. Beck, Ph.D.. He is noted for his research in psychotherapy, psychopathology, suicide, and psychometrics, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), one of the most widely used instruments for measuring depression severity. At age 87, the man is still publishing, building on his pioneering work on the cognitive model of depression. In his latest article published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, he recalls his early work: "Caught up with the contagion of the times, I was prompted to start something... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060697 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:52:42 +0100 4060697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770842&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F385446143%2F A couple of recent studies have reinforced the lifelong potential for brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to rewire itself through experience) and the importance of physical exercise for cognitive vitality. One study focused on 1) adults over 50 with mild cognitive impairment, the other one on 2) stroke survivors. 1)  Memory problems: Adults 50-years-old and over with mild cognitive impairment (an advanced form of memory problems, but pre-dementia) were asked to exercise for three 50-minute sessions per week for 24 weeks (a total of 60 hours). Results: there were small, but measurable, cognitive benefits even 18 months after the start of the program (around a year after the supervised exercise activities ended). Study: Nicola T. Lautenschlager et al. Effect of Physical Activity on ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770842 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:08:45 +0100 1770842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060703&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Fyour_brain_lies_to_you.php Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr With elections just around the corner, I thought we could all use a reminder about just how easily we are influenced beyond our awareness by election campaigns. The Frontal Cortex "In reality, we voters -- all of us -- make emotional, intuitive decisions about who we prefer, and then come up with post-hoc rationalizations to explain the choices that were already made beneath conscious awareness. "People often act without knowing why they do what they do," Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize winner, noted in an e-mail message to me this week. "The fashion of political writing this year is to suggest that people choose their candidate by their stand on the issues, but this strikes me as highly implausible." ...we're really an emotional animal, guided, for the ... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060703 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:31:30 +0100 4060703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1553306&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F322096605%2F Try eating food with one chop stick.  It is possible, for certain types of food. But probably not the best approach. Let's now talk brain health. Dr. Larry McCleary is a former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children's Hospital, and author of the The Brain Trust Program (Perigee Trade, 2007). He agreed to help us answer an important, yet often neglected, question: Given That We Are Our Brains, How do We Nourish Them? Alvaro: Dr. McCleary, Why did a former neurosurgeon such as yourself develop an interest in brain health public education? Dr. McCleary: For two reasons ... I am a Boomer and am trying to maximize my own brain health. Also, there is much exciting research documenting how we can be proactive in this regard. This information needs to be disseminated and I woul... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1553306 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:20:06 +0100 1553306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1489344&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F302622796%2F This reports gives anyone interested in how to understand which products are truly in a position to make a difference in brain function, and which markets will be interested and profitable for such products an invaluable guide. We found the analysis clear, precise, loaded with substantive insight. One would be foolhardy not to use this publication as the best guide to this market." -- Dr. Arthur Lavin, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Case Medical School, and Medical Director of A Working Mind. "As we begin the task of developing a Brain Fitness Center at our Sunrise Senior Living Community, this Brain Fitness Market Report is proving helpful in numerous ways to develop our “road map” to navigate through the maze of information, myths and confusion that exists as ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1489344 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:22:40 +0100 1489344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060720&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2Fjill_bolte_taylor_my_stroke_of_insight.php This story is truly astonishing. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Neuroanatomist who had an remarkable experience of self-discovery. In this experience, she found Nirvana, that place of total peacefulness we all seek. At the same time, she discovered it's neuroanatomy. She effectively defined mindfulness. TED | Talks "Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for. One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor's brain exploded. As a brain scientist, she realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. She watched as her brain functions shut down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness ... Amazed to find herself alive, Taylor spent eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk. She has become a spokesperson for stroke recovery and fo... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060720 Thu, 29 May 2008 04:14:29 +0100 4060720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1468033&cid=t_99540_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F298069338%2F In this study, the researchers examined how people make a correct choice. Researchers compared the quality of decisions formed from conscious versus unconscious thinking with that resulting from unconscious thinking. Here is how they studied this issue. In one study, subjects were given information about the attributes of four hypothetical cars, and they were to decide which was the best car, based on the attributes assigned to each car. Analysis conditions were either simple (based on only four attributes) or complex (based on 12 attributes). After reading about the attributes, subjects were assigned to one of two groups: conscious analysis or to an unconscious thought condition. In the conscious condition, they thought about the attributes for four minutes before making a choice. In the ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1468033 Mon, 26 May 2008 13:06:00 +0100 1468033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423127&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F5%2F6%2Fnirvana-and-your-brain.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D A few days ago my good friend Michael Millenson steered me to a video on a website called Ted.com (www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229). What I saw there was so profound and so exhilarating that I had to replay it several times. It was nothing short of an epiphany. The view from within "Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened – as she felt her brain functions slipaway one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another". To put things in context. In Biology we study cells, organs, and organisms. We... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423127 Tue, 06 May 2008 00:40:07 +0100 1423127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060724&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2Fis_schizophrenia_caused_by_the_flu.php Scientific American has a very interesting article on growing evidence that implicates the immune system. The body's reaction to infection from the flu virus or even strep in pregnant woman and their unborn children may play a role in the development of schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism and other brain diseases. "More than 200 studies have suggested that schizophrenia occurs between 5 and 8 percent more frequently than average in children born in the winter or spring. Scientists realized that viruses, which are most prevalent in the cold, dry winter months, could be one of the factors influencing this correlation. In 2004 Alan S. Brown, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, analyzed blood samples collected from 1959 through 1966 from 189 pregnant women, 64 of whom ha... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060724 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:07:02 +0100 4060724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1375057&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F4%2F16%2Frandom-walks-through-stock-trading-testosterone-guts-and-bra.html By Dov michaeli MD, Ph.DThe April 14 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences carried an intriguing article titled “ Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trading floor”. Both authors, J.M. Coates and J. Herbert are from the Dept. of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at Cambridge University . But J.M.C. is also from the School of business at Cambridge , and his main research interests are summarized by him thusly: “ I have been sampling endogenous steroids from traders on a trading floor in the City to determine the role of both testosterone and cortisol in their decision making and in their performance. I compliment this field work with behavioral experiments set in the lab and in artificial asset markets” Rag... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1375057 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:28:29 +0100 1375057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296035&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F3%2F12%2Flosing-weight-is-the-easy-part.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D It almost became a cliché: losing weight is relatively easy. That’s why you see so many “miracle diet” claiming astounding losses of weight. But why don’t we see miracle diets that tout maintenance of weight loss? Because this is the hard part of dieting. The reasons for that are both psychological and physiological, and the neurobiology of it is fascinating. The neurobiology of diet failure If you imagine the brain as made up of layers, the deeper ones are made of neurons that determine our response to environmental stimuli without us being conscious of it. If we come across an environmental cue that stimulates our feeding response, like a delicious looking chocolate cake, the response is an outpouring of hormones and peptides that s... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296035 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:19:59 +0100 1296035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060726&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Fthe_limits_of_reductionism.php I've previously complained about research that so often is focused on small parts and pieces so small that they mean very little to the average person, or even the practitioner in the field. Worse yet, few authors seem willing to reach beyond the data and advance theoretical knowledge. It is at the level of theory development that research reaches into application and education. There seems to have been few willing to work on a new grand theory of psychology based on the nearly 50 year old previous attempts that integrates the research results since that time. There has been some important new knowledge with broad applicability that may foretell a integration of divergent and contradictory psychological models into a single grand theory. "The so-called "objective" human sciences reduces p... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060726 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:23:28 +0100 4060726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289745&cid=t_99540_127_f&fid=34828&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrclouthier.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Finteresting-lecture-on-brain-function.html Take a look at this video of some very interesting thoughts regarding brain function and some of our uniquely human abilities. We are learning so much about our brain function right now by use of functional MRI's etc. I think even the lay person will find this lecture very impressive and understandable. (Source: Dr. Steve Clouthier) Dr. Steve Clouthier blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289745 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:05:00 +0100 1289745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1082054&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F12%2F9%2Flosing-your-mind-its-your-white-matter-stupid.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DWho hasn’t complained about loss of memory? With increasing frequency, I forget where I left my glasses, what’s her name? Where did I meet him? And for the hundredth time, what’s the name of this bird?No, it is not incipient Alzheimer’s. I still write blogs, although that’s no proof of a sound mind. I manage a large drug development project, read the newspapers daily and am up on the latest political twist. So what’s going on?Beware received wisdomWhen I went to medical school (UCSF) I was struck by a paper I read claiming that 50% of what we were taught would be either obsolete, or plain wrong, within 5 years; amazing, but true, and not very reassuring to both physician and patient. One of the things I was taught with great certi... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1082054 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:48:21 +0100 1082054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1068653&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F12%2F4%2Fshame-on-the-new-york-times.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DOn November 11 I read an Op Ed article in the New York Times titled “This is Your Brain on Politics”. Being interested in neurobiology, and an addict of all things political, I homed in like a laser beam: is this the holy grail of neuroscience? Are we capable of deciphering our innermost thoughts (in this case, political thoughts) using brain imaging techniques?The article was written by three neuroscientists: Marco Iacoboni, Joshua Freedman and Jonas Kaplan of the University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute for Neuroscience; a communications professor, Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania; and Tom Freedman, Bill Knapp and Kathryn Fitzgerald of FKF Applied Research. The experiment ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1068653 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:34:59 +0100 1068653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996496&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F1%2Fthe-psychology-and-neuroscience-of-hypocrisy.html  By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DAn article in the Sept. 17 2007 issue of Time magazine tweaked my interest. In it the author, John Cloud, argues that the recent crop of Republican homosexual legislators deserves our understanding of their weakness, rather the opprobrium of hypocrisy. To quote Cloud, he is offering “a moistly liberal request: Can we have a moment of pity for moralizers who fall?”His argument runs as follows:“Hypocrisy is among the most universal and well-studied of psychological phenomena, and the research suggests that Craig, Haggard and the others may be guilty not so much of moral hypocrisy as moral weakness. The distinction may sound trivial at first, but as a society, we tend to forgive the weak and shun the hypocritical.Assume for a moment that Craig a... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996496 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:58:37 +0100 996496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060740&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fdust_bowl_empiricism_revisited.php A while back, I had characterized a post in Deric Bownds' MindBlog detailing how brain biochemistry had entered the internal experience of the scientist. I'd called it possibly unfairly as "largely devoid of meaningful self-exploration". My frustration is with the reductionistic flavor of research reports. Talk about a brain "awash in glucocortocoids..., full of adrenaline, and ... endogenous opiates" may well not lend itself to meaningful self exploration. However, that was not the point of the original article. It did illustrate my point indirectly. Deric Bownds responded quite appropriately. "We don't deny the relevance of phenomenology of the whole system, of emergent properties, holism, etc. We simply think that it helps to know something about the parts!" In this November's Scienti... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060740 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:56:18 +0100 4060740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=980496&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2Fsleep-deprivation-is-hazardous-to-your-health.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D“Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more!Macbeth does murder sleep’—the innocent sleep,… The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,Chief nourisher in life’s feast”Macbeth, William Shakespeare, 1600 AD.Four hundred years later UC Berkeley scientists used brain imaging techniques to explain Lady Macbeth’s sleep-deprived brain descent into the darkness of insanity. They studied 26 young adults, half of whom were kept awake for 35 hours straight and the other half were allowed a normal night’s sleep in that same time period. Their brain was then studied using fMRI imaging. This technique shows the blood flow to different areas of the brain... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=980496 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:11:40 +0100 980496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=966704&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F21%2Fare-we-really-that-unique.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DThe question of what makes us "human" has occupied philisophers since  Aristotle. And the well worn, but profound statement of 17th century French philosopher Descartes "I think therefore I am" or in Latin "cogito ergo sum" (he actually wrote it if French: "Je pense, donc je suis"), has formed the basis for modern Western philosophy to this day. Today, thinking is one of the basic traits attributed to being human. And one of the of the pillars of thinking is language and speech, the ability to express our thoughts. From here, it is only a logical skip and hop to the assumption that Homo sapiens' uniqueness resides in its aqcuisition of the capacity for speech. In fact, molecular biologists discovered that a... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=966704 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:53:33 +0100 966704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=958838&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F17%2Falzheimers-disease-is-there-daylight-at-the-end-of-the-tunne.html So let’s be honest, baby boomer, aren’t you worried about turning a geezer boomer soon? After all, the first of you just got on Social Security. And what about those memory lapses? In your heart of hearts, are’nt you scared just a little bit? If you are not—read on. Here are some sobering statistics. · More than 5 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease or AD today. It is projected that 14.3 million Americans will have the disease by mid-century: a 350 percent increase from 2000, when there were 4 million people with the disease. Reason for the expected explosive growth: a tidal wave of aging baby boomers turning old geezers. In the United States, AD was the 7th leading cause of death in 2004 , with 65,829 number of deaths (and risin... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=958838 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:07:25 +0100 958838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933960&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F8%2Fbinge-eating-my-brain-made-me-do-it.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DHave you ever wondered why do people reach for food, any food, when they are under stress? With most people, this stress reaction is mild and episodic. But in others, it is extreme and frequent; they can consume 6, 7, 8 thousand calories in a single day. This syndrome of binge eating has attracted much attention among psychologists for a long time; and now neurobiologists have taken notice as well.What’s going on?I remember from my marathon racing days that at about 18-20 miles I would hit a psychological low. I would be dragging my feet, having lost my motivation to make a new personal best, struggling with my rationalizations that I should just quit, even vowing to myself to never again engage in this idiotic effort. But then I would pop something sweet (cal... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933960 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:37:47 +0100 933960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=909358&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F28%2Fhuman-eating-behavior-its-the-leptin-stupid.html  By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DLeptin is a hormone secreted from fat cells that provides information to the brain about energy stores. If energy stores are abundant, circulating levels of leptin are high, and the brain’s response is reduced food intake. On the other hand, in the fasted state leptin levels are low, and the response is increased food intake. It had been known that the regions of the brain where leptin exerts its influence are the nucleus accumbens and the associated nerve bundles called the striatum, regions where the reward/pleasure centers are located (and are the seat of addiction as well). However, there is little or no information about how these  brain centers integrate leptin’s signal with the rewarding properties of food. Now a group of scientists fro... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=909358 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:10:14 +0100 909358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907010&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F27%2Fmind-over-body-a-new-meaning.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DNo, I haven’t become a “new age”, “positive thinking”, “psychic energy” guy. I have seen a lot of willpower, grit and optimism overcome physical limitations—but that does not correct a physical limitation. Wouldn’t a way to change the brain’s perception of pain, or alter the brain’s pathways that determine an addictive behavior be a better solution than the panoply of drugs that we addle our brain with?Technology to the rescueOne of the advantages of living in Northern California is being plugged in to the new and emergent technologies that are all around us. Superb universities that are incubators of revolutionary ideas, startup companies budding all over the place like mushrooms after the rain, many... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907010 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:28:06 +0100 907010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900853&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F25%2Fadults-vs-adolescents-is-there-a-real-difference.html ConclusionTo ascribe all behavior, good or bad, to the structure and function of the brain is not only simplistic and incorrect biologically, it is socially dangerous; “The devil made me do it” as an excuse for sociopathic behavior is simply not compatible with a functioning civil society. Unfortunately, defense attorneys are already recruiting expert witnesses who make this deterministic argument in court.  Males concludes his article thus: “ In reality, human brains are highly adaptive. Both teenagers and adults display a wide variety of attitudes and behaviors derived from individual conditions and choices, not harsh biological determinism. There’s no “typical teenager” any more than there’s a “typical” 45-year-old. Comment... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900853 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:34:57 +0100 900853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894121&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F24%2Fmore-on-the-bipolar-epidemic.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DIn a September 6 posting (Bipoar Diagnosis in Children: another epidemic?) I posited that because of the fuzzy definition of this and other psychiatric disorders, physicians tend to take an expansive view of the disorder, for a variety of reasons (not the least of which is monetary)—resulting in a forty (40!) fold increase in diagnosis in eight years, from 1994-1995 to 2002-2003. One week later, the New York Times of September 13 published an excellent op-ed by Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of “One Nation Under Therapy”, which deals with the same problem.“ We still don't know how much of this increase represents long-overdue care of mentally ill youth and how much comes fro... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894121 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:47:09 +0100 894121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891464&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F21%2Fwhats-all-the-fuss-about-lead.html Poor Mattel; three huge recalls of lead-tainted toys, despite conscientious testing efforts. Those babe-in-the-woods quality control experts were no match to the wily new capitalists from China, determined to maximize profit. Isn’t that the name of the game?What’s next? A toxic Barbie? That may actually be a blessing in disguise.But, it’s not only toys. Here is an item from today’s San Jose Mercury:Lunchbox warning: Health officials say toss themUNSAFE LEVEL OF LEAD FOUND IN GIVEAWAYSBy Steven HarmonMediaNews Sacramento BureauArticle Launched: 09/21/2007 01:33:38 AM PDTSACRAMENTO - "The state's public health department asked parents Thursday to toss certain Chinese-made lunchboxes potentially containing dangerous levels of lead - the same ones it distribut... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891464 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:33:33 +0100 891464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=832684&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F150313893%2Fethics_to_rewire_a_human_brain.html Medical breakthroughs related to the rewired human brain, show us it’s past time to catch ethics up to the electrodes, currents and rebooting efforts now out there. For instance …1. People who experience brain stimulation have been known to turn frowns into smiles when voltage increases. Will that procedure encourage people to over rely on science to solve problems that lead to satisfaction and well-being? 2. Let’s say a person is seriously brain damaged at work. What if the operation to rewire the brain with electrodes  causes the person to awaken and begin to feel better now but create further problems down the road? Should operations take place without people’s prior consent? 3. After rewiring operations some people’s mental health incr... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=832684 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:03:09 +0100 832684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060755&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2Fexplaining_everything_with_science.php Here is an excerpt from Deric Bownds' MindBlog titled "A New Description of Our Inner Lives." "Paul and Pat, realizing that the revolutionary neuroscience they dream of is still in its infancy, are nonetheless already preparing themselves for this future, making the appropriate adjustments in their everyday conversation. One afternoon recently, Paul says, he was home making dinner when Pat burst in the door, having come straight from a frustrating faculty meeting. "She said, 'Paul, don't speak to me, my serotonin levels have hit bottom, my brain is awash in glucocortocoids, my blood vessels are full of adrenaline, and if it weren't for my endogenous opiates I'd have driven the car into a tree on the way home. My dopamine levels need lifting. Pour me a Chardonnay, and I'll be down in a mi... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060755 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:58:18 +0100 4060755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060762&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2Fbrain_as_a_process.php Discussions include speculation about theory, but the concepts suggested are less likely to apply to a broad theory, and so meaningfulness is limited. Some would call this "dust bowl empiricism." The following research presents a good example of research that lacks a firm footing in theory. (Source: Ψ Dare To Dream...) Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060762 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:08:34 +0100 4060762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674818&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2Fmusings-on-billie-jean-king-tennis-and-dopamine.html  We were watching tonight a great program on PBS about Billie Jean King and her wonderful tennis career. Her 1973 match, or dare I say grudge match, against Bobby Riggs, was a delight to the eyes and the soul. We relished her strategy of running ragged this aging fool from one end of the court to the other. There she was: a skilled, rebellious young woman facing a male chauvinist who taunted her to test her mettle against his. But the match had a much larger meaning; it was emblematic of the new generation, of a new world upending the old order and its tired prejudices, not in a bloody revolution fought in the streets—but in a fair, civilized match on the tennis court. How many of you remember a single feminist demonstration? but we all remember this historic... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674818 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 06:42:17 +0100 674818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674828&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F8%2Fon-guys-groceries-and-dumb-blondes.html I was really amused by Dr. Pat Salber’s latest posting on hapless guys gone shopping.  Was this a subtle literary allusion to Damon Runion’s “On guys and dolls”? His ‘guys’ are pretty much the same: a bunch of pathetic, testosterone-exuding losers. Even more amusing was the storm of plaintive protests from our guy readers, who claimed that this was a stereotype that was divorced from modern reality.Seriously, how did stereotypes come to be accepted? If they did not have some roots in reality, Darwinian theory predicts that they would not survive the selective force of public acceptance. If you think that the “dumb blonde” or the “stupid jock” stereotypes have no basis in reality—think again.Evolutionary Psychology.Broad... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674828 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 06:12:04 +0100 674828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060767&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F05%2Fschizophrenia_and_bipolar_illness_shared_risk_fact.php Recent genetic research has found genetic links between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The researchers are surprised, but clinicians are not. It is common to find both illnesses in the same family. And it is common to find the two diagnoses in the history of the same client! From a clinical point of view, mental illness appears to be more of a process that has functional properties, rather than a phenomena implied by calling it an illness. In fact, ALL illnesses are processes that evolve with internal and external feedback. It's only the venerable old "Medical Model" that misleads us to think of illnesses as an "entity". So since illness evolves, one would expect diagnosis to evolve with it. To apply a phenomenological name to an illness is descriptive of the present. That descrip... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060767 Mon, 07 May 2007 18:26:57 +0100 4060767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=578760&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F4%2F29%2Fmore-on-violence-the-role-of-religion.html  Last week we looked at the complex interactions of genes, brain circuits, hormones, psychology and culture in forming the mass killer’s persona. But keep in mind, most killers don’t have genetic or anatomical defects that we know about, although some new ones may be discovered in the future. Obviously then, psychology and culture must be playing a major role in the seemingly unprecedented wave of violence we are experiencing.  Unprecedented? Not quite.  Scriptural violence Here are a few choice nuggets from the Bible: Lot , a pious man living in Sodom, took into his home some traveling strangers who stopped for the night. No sooner than did the men retire for the night, a rumor spread around town that the men were homosexual. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorra... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=578760 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:24:17 +0100 578760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=570902&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F4%2F26%2Fthe-making-of-a-mass-killer.html  Genes In 1993 scientists reported on a Dutch family, 14 members of whom were sociopaths, involved in aggressive crimes such as bullying, physical violence, rape, and arson. They all had in common a mutation in a gene that makes an enzyme called MAOA. The function of this enzyme is break down neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline (or norepinephrine, a chemical first cousin of adrenaline). The ready conclusion was: defective enzyme caused elevated level of serotonin and noradrenaline, resulting in overactive brain circuits that serve aggressive behavior. Case closed? Not so fast… In a wonderful summary of the topic in Newsweek magazine ( April 30, 2007 ) one of my favorite writers on the subject, Sharon Begley) describes a 2002 study in New Zealand of 442 men who... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=570902 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 08:00:48 +0100 570902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=498494&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F3%2F23%2Fmoral-behavior-is-hardwired-in-your-brain.html A recent paper in the Journal Nature, Damage to the Prefrontal Cortex Increases Utilitarian Moral Judgments  (Nature, advance online publication 21 March 2007),  has provided strong evidence that we are indeed moral animals, and that certain aspects of our moral behavior are hardwired in our brain. The institutions involved in this research (U. Iowa Dept. of Neurology, Harvard U. Dept. of Psychology, and the Brain and Creativity Institute at the U. Southern California) reflect the multi-disciplinary approach required for such a study. Where in the brain is Morality? Our brain is organized in layers, somewhat like an onion. The deepest layer, like the brain stem and the structures around it, is the most ancient, or primitive, from an evolutionary point of view. These structures co... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=498494 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:21:09 +0100 498494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=477976&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F3%2F16%2Fthe-impact-of-abuse-on-the-brain.html I am at the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence.  One of the panels that I attended examined the impact of child maltreatment on brain development. David McCollum, MD, President of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, reviewed the medical literature on brain changes that occur after child abuse … and I am not talking about brain injury due to being hit on the head, rather I am talking about structural and functional changes in the brain that occur as a result of being exposed to the terror of family violence Dr. McCollum briefly reviewed the biology of human brain maturation. Infants are born with an over  abundance of nerve cells, called neurons, and connections between nerve cells, called synapses. As the child gets... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=477976 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 01:15:55 +0100 477976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=461130&cid=t_99540_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F3%2F8%2Fthe-roots-of-empathy.html  I am reading Paul Cartledge’s fascinating account of the heroic Spartan resistance in 480 BC to the Persian invasion of Thermopylae (Thermopylae: the Battle that Changed the World). I came across an epigram quoting the Israeli writer, Amos Oz, who said: “I believe that imagining the other is a powerful antidote to fanaticism and hatred” This quote is from his Goethe Prize speech given on 28 August 2005. “Imagining the other” - what an insightful way to describe the essential ingredient of what we call ‘empathy’. Which begs the question, at least in my mind: why do we empathize? And how did the capacity of human beings ‘to imagine the other’ come into being? You know where I am going … right to the brain. Mirror, mirror... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=461130 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 01:37:37 +0100 461130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060777&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F02%2Fthe_emotional_roots_of_rationality.php Perhaps the most common problem I see in my clients is pervasive avoidance of emotion. I suspect that the American culture encourages us to value rationality above all else and hide our emotional "weakness". I recall as a teen hearing guy talk about girls and their intuition about things how irrational and erratic that process made them. My Norwegian extended family certainly modeled stoicism, but paradoxically also demonstrated in a grand fashion why emotion was perceived as a problem of dramatic excess. Indeed, most people who find themselves persistently avoiding and suppressing emotions are those who have experienced emotional excess at it's worst and been traumatized as a result. All human beings share a neurological system that produces the manifestations of rational thought and flo... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060777 Sun, 04 Feb 2007 04:21:01 +0100 4060777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060788&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fthe_importance_of_early_and_ef.php There is an important new research study on treatment of schizophrenia. They have found delayed or interrupted treatment is associated with permanent lost brain function and less success in recovery. That is indeed my clinical experience with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Any kind of chronic brain dysfunction makes permanent changes to brain structures and functioning. PTSD has been associated with permenent changes in emotion intensity and increased difficulty in emotion regulation. Chemical abuse has been associated with brain changes as well. When the brain is involved, respond quickly, ask for help and persist to be sure the treatment is effective. Anything less will cost you in brain function. This applies to any serious mental health or neurological problem. Psychiatric Weekl... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060788 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:46:53 +0100 4060788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060839&cid=t_99540_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F04%2Fperception_is_something_we_do.php Mind Hacks is a great blog by a couple guys who have a passion for cognitive neuroscience. There is always something interesting to read there. Today I found a quote from PSYCHE, a journal about consciousness. They make what may sound like a face valid statement about what is perception. When I was in graduate school, perception was described as physiological and psychological means to sense and understand our environment. Attention and awareness while mentioned and studied as a mediating function hardly gained the prominence implied in the following quote. Perception is not something that happens to us, or in us. It is something we do. Think of a blind person taptapping his or her way around a cluttered space, perceiving that space by touch, not all at once, but through time, by skillful... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060839 Mon, 03 Apr 2006 04:16:50 +0100 4060839