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 'chemobrain'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:49:51 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004063&cid=t_128851_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FG4OenXy9bD8%2Fchemo-brain-new-york-times I thought I’d let you know that I am a guest blogger today for the New York Times and have written a post called When Cancer Muddles the Mind.  Have a read and leave a comment on the Well Blog. (Source: Everything Changes) Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004063 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:48:05 +0100 3004063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072441&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F12%2F05%2Fmisconception-about-the-neurology-of-aging-2%2F Memory (cognitive ability, executive control, motor control, whatever) resides in a place(s). If we fix that (those) place(s), we fix memory (our failing faculties). For MEMORY, as an example, most scientists focus on one of three places: 1) the hippocampus, for ‘episodic’ or ‘long-term memory’; 2) the inferior/medial temporal or lateral frontal cortex, for ‘immediate’ or ‘working memory’; or 3) the frontal cortex, for ‘executive control’ It has been easy to show that your memory or your ‘executive control’ suffers – in fact, can be almost obliterated – by damage to, or the temporary, magnetic-stimulation-achieved shut-down of these key brain regions. It has been easy to show the machinery in the hippocampus or temporal/frontal cortex doesn’t work v... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072441 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:36:54 +0100 1072441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1001065&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F11%2F02%2Fa-top-ten-list-misconceptions-by-scientists-and-the-public-about-the-neurological-bases-of-memorycognitive-losses-in-aging%2F In early October, I attended a meeting sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and the McKnight Foundation considering the general subject of cognitive decline in aging populations. I found the meeting to be useful, and distressing. Useful, because this subject is now on the front burner for the NIA, just as it is for the general public. Distressing, because progress in this area is still being frustrated by widespread misconceptions in the scientific community about what neurological aging is all about, and this meeting vividly showed that those misconceptions still abound in ‘the best’ government-supported reseaarch. Over the next week or two, I am going to discuss some of the misconceptions (there are more) that still limit our understanding of the neurological bases o... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1001065 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:43:36 +0100 1001065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=925412&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F10%2F03%2Fptsd-as-a-modern-invention%2F Like many of you, I have spent quite a few hours over the past 10 days watching the Ken Burns PBS program personalizing World War II. I thought that it brought this war home for me, more informatively and more poignantly than all but a few of the great War movies (All’s Quiet on the Western Front, Paths of Glory, Saving Private Ryan). I learned three things about PTSD from these programs that I had not fully appreciated. First, the graphic depiction of battle in World War II dramatically verified the amazingly rich food for growing PTSD in a young man’s brain in this conflict. Shocking, disturbing to the max, terrifying, exhausting, degrading, hyper-stimulating, you REALLY wouldn’t want to have been there. Second, 25% of the soldiers sent home from the War had no physica... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=925412 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:04:44 +0100 925412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836838&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fchemotherapy-and-neuropsychological.html From yesterday's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:Lost in cancer's fog 'Chemobrain' impairs thinking, memory after chemotherapy; anecdotal brain effects are just starting to get serious studyBy JOHN FAUBER01 September 2007Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel[snip]In two small groups of testicular and breast cancer patients, between 60% and 70% of the patients experienced some cognitive decline that was tied to the onset of their chemotherapy, said Christina Meyers, a professor and chief of neuropsychology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston."It's subtle," she said. "We are not talking about dementia or anything grossly obvious."Within one year, about half of the patients were back to their pretreatment levels of cognitive ability, Meyers said.[snip][ ... Read the full article ... ] (Source: Brai... BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836838 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:14:00 +0100 836838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=785948&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F08%2F07%2Fwhats-it-all-about%2F The objective over a 2-3 year period, is to continue to elaborate this blog content and to write a short series of such books (3 more are on my schedule), to provide a brain science perspective about normal brain development, function, aging, and disease, and about brain plasticity-based therapeutics designed to address a wide variety of problems that variously limit the achievements of children and adults in need of help. When this ‘backgrounder’ information about the book appears at this site, we’ll stow it at a place where you can easily avoid it! On the other hand, if the book captures your interests to the extent that you want to read or understand more about its stroll through the neuroscience of brain plasticity through a lifetime, if you’re up for it, I&#82... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=785948 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:20:48 +0100 785948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=783049&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F08%2F06%2Fa-communicator-gets-his-voice-back%2F Ed Steenerson began his career as a rehabilitation psychologist before moving to the high-tech industry as an engineer and manager. Ed was a leader and team builder — which was all the more remarkable in light of the fact that he had suffered serious head trauma in an accident as teenager. Through hard work and persistence, Ed’s educational and career success beautifully documented how he overcame the memory and other cognitive losses that stemmed from this childhood injury. But while working for a Fortune 500 company as a manager in his 40’s, things began to fall apart. Ed found that he could no longer remember things, stay focussed, or effectively work in group settings. His short-term memory and concentration deteriorated to the point where he could not function at me... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=783049 Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:06:55 +0100 783049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764383&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F07%2F28%2Fa-cognitive-reserve-is-a-good-thing-to-work-on%2F Dave B and Alvaro have had an interesting (albeit, brief) discussion in their comments about the subject of the hypothetical “cognitive reserve” that stands between each one of us, and the timing of the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). First, Dave B said that while he saw ample evidence that most cognitively capable (”highly educated”) individuals that were in his studies at Medical College of Georgia seemed to be far removed from any danger of AD in their immediate future (in strong contrast to individuals in his studies who were poorly educated, and/or were less cognitively active), he saw no clear evidence in the literature that convincingly demonstrated that the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease could be delayed by cognitive training or enrichment. Al... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764383 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 20:00:00 +0100 764383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=747236&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F07%2F20%2Fthe-wider-face-of-ptsd%2F PTSD in Iraq spreads well beyond the boundaries of our armed services. For example: a) Several times as many Iraqi police and military personnel as Coalition personnel have died in the conflict. Proportionally larger numbers have been wounded. And they are out there, as are our own troops, on the front lines of violence and mayhem. PTSD must be a substantial problem in their ranks. b) Blackwater (one of 9 or 10 major civilian contractors in Iraq) has recently reported that their rates of PTSD incidence approximately match those incurred by our troops. c) PTSD has to be a major problem for Iraqi civilians. If its rates of incidence parallels that recorded in our soldiers, about 5 MILLION individuals are affected. We’ve noted earlier that the probability of onset of PTSD is a function... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=747236 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:51:36 +0100 747236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=742662&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F07%2F18%2Fred-red-wine-2%2F One of the most interesting efforts targeting the development of anti-aging drugs stems from research conducted at Harvard that led to the identication of the compound in red wine (resveratrol) that accounts for its anti-aging properties. This compound is believed to activate a gene called SIRT-1, which appears to have a role in regulating lifespan in mammals. No one knows exactly what this gene does, or how its anti-aging effects are achieved. One hypothesis that has gained some experimental support is that this gene is also activated by caloric restriction, which is known to increase longevity. Alas, we don’t really understand the mechanisms of origins of THAT effect, either. The answer shall be of high importance, for bringing these potentially powerful therapeutic approaches into... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=742662 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:20 +0100 742662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=706634&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F29%2Fimportant-update-on-risk-factors-contributing-to-ptsd-onset%2F In our last entry on this subject, we summarized risk factors for PTSD onset as follows: “You just DON’T want to be a) an ambidextrous b) Latino c) who has a history of cognitive or learning impairment and d) who suffers additional diffuse or localized brain trauma e) in parallel with an exposure to f) repeated disturbing experiences.” Today, we add another factor: You just don’t want to be FROM New Orleans, because citizens of The Big Easy are about 10 times more likely to suffer from PTSD than from your average, not-too-recently-horribly-traumatized Great American City. So if you’re an ambidextrous Crescent City Latino who has been knocked about on their head a few times, you might want to slow down a little on that stroll to the Recruiting Center! (Source: On ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=706634 Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:41:51 +0100 706634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=703138&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F28%2Ftherapeutically-reliving-and-elaborating-your-traumatic-experiences-can-be-harmful%2F In the June 18th issue of Newsweek, Sharon Begley wrote an opinion column that must have raised a few hackles in the psychotherapy community. In her words, “…(for) patients seeking psychotherapy….talking can be dangerous … and therapists have not exactly rushed to tell them so.” One well-documented class of examples has come from “stress debriefing”, a standard procedure used to help individuals who have experienced a traumatic event — like the Virginia Tech ‘massacre’, for example. The goal in such therapies is to forcefully encourage individuals to discuss and seriously self-examine their feelings about the traumatic episode(s) — and to relive it in detail, through their own descriptions. It turns out that patients who ha... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=703138 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:54:39 +0100 703138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=703139&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F28%2Fon-the-brain-gets-a-new-url%2F Those of you who struggle to spell “Merzenich” might be happy to know that you can now (and forever after) access this blog at www.onthebrain.com. (Source: On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D.) On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=703139 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:13:21 +0100 703139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=699367&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F26%2Fbrain-fitness-training-measuring-psycho-social-dimensions-of-brain-health%2F Dr. William Bailey’s June 22nd comments about a study that he and his colleague Jean Turner are conducting on the impacts of Brain Fitness Program training on symptoms of depression, self-efficacy and related psycho-social dimensions in older individuals is worth special mention. We welcome these two University of Arkansas scientists into our community, and look forward to their study results. BFP training specifically targets neurological processes that govern positive good spirits and self-awareness, and we believe that Drs. Bailey and Turner SHOULD measure positive outcomes resulting from this training — but as in all scientific investigations, time will tell! Dr. Bailey, as you and Dr. Turner gather and analyze your data, please let us ALL know about your experiences and ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=699367 Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:04:15 +0100 699367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=683502&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F19%2Fwhy-not-fix-it-before-it-breaks%2F An article in the New York Times published about two weeks ago mirrored by an article in the AARP Bulletin bumptiously extolled the wonderful energies in the pharmaceutical industry directed toward medical strategies for more effectively treating or ‘curing’ Alzheimers Disease. The NYT science writer focussed on Wyeth Laboratories, because they are putting down most of their chips on an AD play. Both articles pointed out, quite correctly, that there is a tremendous effort and substantial treasure being expended in this drug development arena, and that almost every major manufacturer is working hard to crack this nut. The marginally effective drugs now available for AD patients have been highly profitable for their producers; new proprietary drugs that could actually arrest the ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=683502 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:56:49 +0100 683502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676714&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F10%2Fracing-through-life%2F Race car driving was the last thing Marilyn Kays expected to be doing at the age of 63. Her late husband called her ‘grandma’ because of her pokey driving. After completing Posit Science’s Brain Fitness Program, where she made great individual progress, Marilyn felt more confident than ever before. She noticed that she remembered things like her bank account number without trying. Her outlook on life was more positive, and completing the program eased her battle with depression, so much so that she was able to get off her medication. Marilyn was feeling so confident and frisky that she decided to enroll in a driving class for high-performance cars. “I would have never done that before; I wouldn’t have even thought of it,” Marilyn told us. ”I’m taking more chances than e... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676714 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:49:18 +0100 676714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=659138&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F06%2F04%2Fred-red-wine%2F Alcohol is our best-studied neurotoxin. You can pickle a brain in booze. At somewhat lower concentrations that are quite easily achieved in drinking humans, ethanol alters synaptic spines and their plasticity, greatly reduces the complexity of neuronal interconnections, ultimately kills off your neurons, and shrinks your brain. Cognitive and motor losses are the predictable behavioral consequences of chronically drinking too much. While you’re burning up your liver over-indulging, you’re also seriously disrespecting your brain! On the other hand, we have an increasingly complete scientific understanding of the neurological bases of the “French Paradox”, whereby the cardiovascular and neurological and hepatic health of regular imbibers of lots of red wine actually se... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=659138 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:17:55 +0100 659138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=651332&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F31%2Fmea-culpa%2F One of my favorite former research fellows, David Blake, has chided me for posting multiple blog entries on some days, followed by several entry-less days. “Spread ‘em out!”, says Dave. “There should be something new and worthwhile to read EVERY day.” Since David is considerably smarter than me, and because he’s a real engineer who technologically intimidates his old professor and knows a well-run blog-site when he sees one, I know he’s right, and will obey! From now on, at least one new entry will appear at this blogsite, every day. Count on it! Thanks, Dave! (Source: On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D.) On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=651332 Thu, 31 May 2007 23:39:11 +0100 651332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620646&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F15%2Fwest-nile-virus-is-also-on-the-list%2F In Caldwell, Idaho, on the Snake River in Western Idaho, Dr. Carolyn Rees tells us that she was at ground zero during a West Nile Virus epidemic “leaving many people with post-encephalitic brain damage”. A review of the research literature on WNV includes a number of studies now documenting enduring memory and other cognitive losses as a predictable outcome of a WNV infection. The prevalence of this kind of virus (an “arborvirus”) is growing continuously in the US. The disease is primarily spread via mosquito-transmitted infections in birds. Where the disease has had a long history, some mammals are also commonly infected (e.g., in Northern Africa, where this plague originated, nearly 100% of horses have WNV antibodies marking a historic infection; tragically, in th... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620646 Tue, 15 May 2007 22:03:11 +0100 620646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620647&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F15%2Funderstanding-mental-illness%2F Alan Towers wrote an instructive, poignant comment about the difficulty that he had understanding that his schizophrenic son could not be EXPECTED to “make sense”, if sense was defined by the standards that applied for Alan, or for the wider society. Because so many people who live with psychotic illness or substantial neurological impairment require that their affected loved ones operate by THEIR rules and THEIR logical constructs and world view, they often abandon their children, relatives and friends as uncorrectible and irrecoverable, as lost souls. I’ve had a conversation about this subject with a number of individuals who live with someone who suffers from neurological or psychiatry illness, and know that this misunderstanding can be destructive for all concerned. I... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620647 Tue, 15 May 2007 20:58:11 +0100 620647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620648&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F15%2Fas-if-the-damn-headache-wasnt-bad-enough%2F This study was particularly compelling because of the methods used to document the physical consequences of a migraine episode. The University of Rochester scientist Maiken Nedergard and her colleagues used a 2-photon microscope to actually visualize the synapses on cortical pyramidal cells, through the time course of the “headache”. She must have been stunned by first witnessing the large-scale chaos generated by the migraine sequelae, because the spines (synapses) of cortical neurons swelled and then disintegrated right before her eyes IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS. Some cortical neurons lost the MAJORITY of their synaptic inputs via these tiny, slow-motion ‘explosions’! So: a) you have a headache, b) you blow up your synapses, and c) slowly, headache-by-headache, you suf... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620648 Tue, 15 May 2007 18:30:23 +0100 620648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=586066&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F01%2Fjacks-hippocampus-is-bigger-than-yours%2F My dog Jack, shown here, thinking, has a proportionally larger hippocampus than you do. If I had a pet bunny, its hippocampus would be (proportionally) larger, still!! You’ve probably heard a lot about the crucial role that the hippocampus plays in recording our “episodic” (historic, serial, ‘long-term’) memories. Does this mean that we should revise that age old saying to “Molly has a memory like a ………….. rabbit!”. Or what?! Or put another way, what can a rabbit or dog DO, that is decisively superior to YOU? It turns out that dogs and especially rabbits have an exquisite ability to reconstruct and remember their spatial environments, on the basis of visual and olfactory cues in their landscape environments. I learned this ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=586066 Tue, 01 May 2007 16:41:34 +0100 586066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=586067&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F05%2F01%2Fnew-%25e2%2580%259cvisual%25e2%2580%259d-fitness-programs%2F It was big local news at Posit Science last week when its scientists and engineers completed the development of a new suite of intensive brain plasticity-based training programs targeting declining visual perception, visual attentional control, eye movement control, and related cognitive abilities — and released the programs internally, for evaluation by its “outcomes research” team. Very extensive testing has already shown that these new programs can substantially rejuvenate the visual capabilities – and related visual cognitive skills — of the older brain. Now, controlled scientific studies shall determine the overall effectiveness of this program suite, as well as the additive and possibly synergistic values of applying this very extensive new program with Posit’s al... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=586067 Tue, 01 May 2007 15:54:05 +0100 586067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=571672&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F26%2Fa-smarter-mike%2F I completed Posit Science’s “Brain Fitness Program” about a week ago, and have been alert to possible changes that I might be able to attribute to it. Two stand out. I have been writing a book, and had written a chapter in which the reader surveys their neurological status by conducting a series of simple, self-administered assessments. As I worked on the development of these tasks, I “invented” a speech fluency assessment, and as a part of that development measured my own abilities. Because I perceived gains in speech fluency after BFP training, I re-tested myself. Overall fluency scores had more than doubled. A second relatively objective measure of improvement came about by accident. On a flight from Mexico to Houston, not long before landing, I completed ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=571672 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:34:00 +0100 571672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=552124&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F18%2Fwhy-we-do-research%2F Why do we study autistic or dyslexic or schizophrenic or other subjects, in our scientific experiments? That is a question that was asked, rather impolitely, by “dyslexic in LA”, who challenged the “arrogance” of a perspective that engages such individuals as “scientific guinea pigs”. There are two simple answers to this question. 1. We want to understand. 2. If possible, we want to help. There are few if any individuals in the current era who have contributed more to understanding and helping autistic individuals than Tito, Soma, and Portia. I’ve tried to help them. I have the GREATEST respect and admiration for Tito, and for every other individual that has been clinically identified as “autistic” that has contributed to the struggle ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=552124 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:25:46 +0100 552124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=547005&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F16%2Fhow-can-the-same-brain-plasticity-based-training-programs-help-individuals-with-cognitive-losses-arising-from-normal-aging-exposure-to-ied-explosions-or-chemotherapy%2F Over the past two weeks, I have specifically discussed the potential value of intensive brain plasticity-based brain fitness training for individuals with ALL of these (and other, related) personal histories. How in the heck can “one size fit all”? How on earth can the losses in mental faculties stemming from an explosion of little bubbles in the brain accompanying an IED blast be related to those derived from a slow, deliberate chemical poisoning of regenerative processes in the brain designed to limit the proliferation of cancerous tissues that are usually not even IN the brain, or to the normal deterioration of the fabric of the brain that accompanies getting older? Understanding the nature of the basic neurological processes that account for how the brain encodes and “represents�... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=547005 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:26:33 +0100 547005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=539640&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F12%2Fa-shock-wave-of-brain-injuries%2F That was the headline in a Washington Post article written by Ronald Glasser, published on Sunday, April 8, 2007. It reported a rather astounding statistic that applies to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: About 30% of soldiers in those conflicts have been directly exposed to IED or other powerful explosions. That exposure has resulted in diffuse physical trauma to their brains. To paraphrase Mr. Glasser, detonation of any powerful explosive generates a blast wave of high pressure that spreads out at about twice the speed of sound away from the explosion, and travels with great force over hundreds of yards. The initial shock wave physically “rattles” the brain within the skull; the huge volume of displaced air flooding back into the area of the explosion generates a s... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=539640 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 21:03:27 +0100 539640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=539642&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F12%2Fmy-own-experiences-at-brain-fitness-exercises%2F I just completed session 31 (of 40) of Posit Science’s Brain Fitness Program v. 2.0 this morning. Because I have been working on the development of these exercises over the past several years, I’ve spent many an hour hunched over my computer “trying to get the answer right” on model training programs!! My current goal is to make brain fitness training part of my regular daily routine. I have another several months of model programs lined up after I complete the BFP. I’m already pretty addicted to my daily time spent in the “brain fitness center”, and am looking forward to these visual-skills, attention-skills and executive-skills training programs with considerable anticipation. A key is to put the necessary time for exercise onto your schedule in... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=539642 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:31:46 +0100 539642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=523833&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F05%2Fbrain-plasticity-based-cognitive-training-elevates-bdnf%2F Serum BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophin factor) has been repeatedly shown to be lower than normal in schizophrenic, bipolar and depressed patient populations. Moreover, the severity of manias or depression have been shown to be inversely correlated with serum BDNF. This key brain trophic factor plays a complicated panoply of roles in brain development, in maintaining the metabolic status and transmitter production in neuronal populations, in protecting neuron populations, and in enabling brain plasticity processes. It is specifically released as a function of cortical or subcortical nucleus activity levels. At least in the cortex, its release is a function of the level of coordination of neural activities. In a presentation at the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research in Colorado... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=523833 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:03:01 +0100 523833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=520762&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F04%2F04%2Fwhy-science-can-be-confusing-just-another-example%2F This study DOES provide unequivocal evidence that new cell formation in the hippocampus is not REQUIRED for spatial learning. That is hardly surprising. The primary changes underlying learning involve an amplification of the strengths of just those connections (synapses) that contribute to a successful learning outcome. In most of the brain — including the cerebral cortex and the primary brain centers that support the cortex’s contributions to learning, cognition and memory control — there is little or no neurogenesis in adult brains. Nonetheless, the brain is, by its very nature, a plastic (LEARNING) machine, and the cortex is crucially involved in all memory-guided learning! It learns through changing synaptic weights (strengthening synapses that are engaged in a good &... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=520762 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:06:02 +0100 520762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513155&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmarch-28-a-recommended-book-about-neuro-plasticity%2F The Brain That Changes Itself (2007) by Normal Doidge, M.D. This interesting just-published book chronicles some of the stories of the men and women who have ushered in the new “brain plasticity” revolution in neuroscience. As we repeatedly emphasize in this blog, the brain is no longer viewed by neuroscientists as a machine that is hard-wired early in early life, unable to adapt, and destined to “wear out” with age. This book attempts to document how scientists are unlocking the secrets of the powerful, lifelong, adaptability – or “plasticity” – of the brain, for the benefit of child and young-and-old adult populations. The implications for treating neurological disease, for addressing performance problems that arise in aging, and for making dramatic improvements in human ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513155 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:25:35 +0100 513155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513156&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmarch-26-for-chemobrain-et-alia-think-brain-fitness-training%2F If you have this personal history of cancer and chemo- or radiation-therapy, or know someone or are treating someone who has lived it, you might seriously consider enrolling (them) in a serious “brain fitness program”. That is ESPECIALLY the case if memory or other cognitive losses have been noted after either chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Posit Science is now supporting a study that is designed to document improvements in cognitive function resulting from its “brain fitness training” strategy (see www.positscience.com) in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors. While initial findings in this population are very encouraging, we’ll know more when this study is completed. On that date, results shall immediately appear in abbreviated form on this blog! Two more th... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513156 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:23:27 +0100 513156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513157&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmarch-25-studies-of-identical-twins-can-provide-good-answers%2F In my last entry related to the neuroscience of aging, I cited a study by Heflin et al on the significantly negative mental consequences of surviving cancer and its treatments. This “twins study” was one of a series of such experiments that have come from the University of Southern California research team of Margaret Gatz. Her group’s research is a good starting point for learning about environmental contributors to cognitive deficits and senility, because studies conducted in identical twins (she relies heavily on a large Swedish identical-twin roster) eliminate known contributions of genetics and child rearing and education to aging successes and risks. (Source: On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D.) On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513157 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:19:20 +0100 513157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513158&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmarch-24-2007-a-triple-whammy%2F This study is special because it uses an analysis of cognitive ability and senility in identical twins. By this strategy, inherited and childhood rearing factors are ruled out from contributing to measured differences. The results: You’ve had cancer. You’re twice as likely to be significantly cognitively impaired. You’re twice as likely to be senile. Like I said, a triple whammy. ONE MORE POINT: People argue about whether or not Alzheimer’s incidences are on the rise. How can they NOT be, when many factors that affect the probability and the timing of AD onset are products of modern societies? Maybe that contributes to the explanation as to why it took Alois Alzheimer about 7 years to identify the handful of patients with the condition that bears this name! (Source: On the Brain... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513158 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:18:34 +0100 513158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513159&cid=t_128851_122_f&fid=35373&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmerzenich.positscience.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fmarch-24-welcome-informed-citizens-students-professionals%2F The goal of this blog is to educate ourselves (you, and me) about the brain science underlying brain health. We shall have something to say, almost every day, on three grand subjects. First, this shall be a “No Spin Zone” on the subject of brain fitness. We’ll discuss discoveries and claims that inform us about the neurology and psychology of normal and pathological aging – and just what in hell we might do about it! One special focus of our discussion shall be the rapidly growing science of “neuroplasticity” — that remarkable capacity of the brain to change (IMPROVE) itself, at any age. We’ll do a little debunking now and again, but our main goal is to be positively HELPFUL – to guide you (or the clients that you to better strategies to maximize your brain fitness, ... On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513159 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:11:03 +0100 513159