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Dissect the science behind some of the most spine-tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true crime stories with Julie Mattson, a seasoned Forensic Nurse Death Investigator in this gripping weekly podcast. Julie's unique approach to investigations is informed by her background in nursing, which allows her to provide an in-depth analysis of the medical intricacies and physiological aspects of each case. With her compassionate storytelling and unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth, Julie t ...
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Every day we communicate with and influence others via language, decision-making, and actions. The complexities of human social interactions and language begs the question of how the brain processes the relevant incoming information and then generates responses so rapidly and effortlessly. Neurosurgeon Ziv Williams and his team at Harvard Medical S…
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One in seven people experience migraine headaches while others suffer with even more debilitating cluster headaches. The causes of these headaches are not fully understood and current treatments provide only partial relief. In this episode pharmacologist Antoinette van den Brink and neurologist Rolf Fronczek describe the clinical features of these …
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Consciousness is one’s awareness of electrochemically conveyed information coming into the brain from the environment via sensory pathways or generated within the brain’s neuronal networks (i.e., thoughts). In popular culture ‘consciousness’ is often portrayed as a mysterious concept or process. However, research that examines the effects of anesth…
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In this episode Richard Lu – a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati Chldren’s Hospital talks about a type of stem cell in the brain called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC). OPC normally differentiate into the oligodendrocytes that wrap around the axons of neurons providing insulation that greatly speeds up the propagation o…
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Arizona State University Professors Visar Berisha and Julie Liss have combined their expertise in engineering and speech communication to develop and apply novel automated speech analysis technology to the field of neurological disorders. Because of the complexity of human speech and the brain circuits involved speech analysis can provide a window …
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There are approximately 7000 rare diseases each affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans. Most rare disorders are caused by gene mutations, manifest in childhood, include neurological problems, and progress rapidly resulting in death in the first several decades of life. Examples include fragile X and Rett syndromes, some childhood epilepsies, Batten…
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In this episode I provide an overview of what happens in brain cells during aging and how those changes result in impaired brain function and predispose to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. I then describe three lifestyle anti-aging interventions that are known to slow brain aging and counteract disease process: physical exercise; intermittent …
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Chronic pain is a highly prevalent problem in need to improved treatments. In this episode I talk with Dr. Shiqian Shen of Harvard Medical School about his research on interactions between the immune and nervous systems in chronic pain. He has found an interesting connection between the gut microbiota, immune cells, and neurons in chronic pain. The…
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Anxiety disorders are all too common in children and adolescents and their incidence has increased considerably during the past decade. Social interactions (positive or negative) in the home, schools, and the digital world have a major influence on a child’s risk for anxiety and major depression. In this episode I talk with Dr. Danny Pine at the Na…
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Cells in all organ systems experience the same ‘hallmarks of aging’ which include the accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins, DNA, membranes and mitochondria, impaired DNA repair and autophagy, senescence, and inflammation. In this episode Professor Ron DePinho of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston talks about his remarkable career duri…
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All cells including neurons in the brain release tiny (~ 100 nanometers in diameter) bubble-like vesicles that contain various molecules produced by the cell. These extracellular vesicles (EVs) are thought to have a variety of functions including sending molecular messages between cells and removing molecular garbage from the cells. Some EVs releas…
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While upon casual inspection the left and right sides of the human brain seem symmetrical. But it turns out there are left – right differences in both the structure and functionality of neuronal networks in many brain regions. One well-known example of a brain asymmetry is that regions involved in language comprehension and speech which are located…
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The ‘exposome’ is a term used to describe all of the environmental exposures encountered by an individual throughout their life and how these exposures affect their health and contribute to (or protect against) aging and disease. The exposures may be physical (e.g., temperature), chemical (e.g., toxic chemicals), biological (e.g., viruses), or soci…
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It turns out that regardless of which organ they affect tumors contain a web of axons coursing throughout them. Recent research has shown that interactions between the neurons and the cancer cells influence the proliferation of the cancer cells within the tumor as well as metastasis (the spread of cancer cells to other organs). In this episode I ta…
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Plants sense their environment and respond in ways consistent with advanced decision-making capabilities. The cellular mechanisms that control the behaviors of plants are similar to those of animals and include electrically excitable cells capable of transmitting information via calcium waves and volatile messengers such as nitric oxide throughout …
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Cells have evolved elaborate molecular systems that control cell growth and division in ways that enable optimal function and resilience of all organ systems including the brain. Cells that have the potential to become cancerous are eliminated by a process called apoptosis. Cells may also acquire a senescent state in which they no longer divide and…
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Two interrelated features of the brains of humans and other social animals is that they develop attractions for kin and other members of their local community (tribalism) and perceive strangers as potential threats (xenophobia). Historically, tribalism and xenophobia are of fundamental importance in unnecessary suffering and death from isolated dom…
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The ability of the human brain to store and recall information, and particularly its ability to create new information, is remarkable. The research of Harvard University professor Daniel Schacter as revealed the fallibilities of memory which he categorizes into ‘the seven sins’: transience, absent-mindedness, blocking, persistence, misattribution, …
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The usual approach for developing treatments for brain disorders is to make a drug that acts on a specific molecular target. But this approach has largely failed. In this episode I talk with Professor Raj Ratan at Weill Cornell Medicine about ways to tap the intrinsic ability of brain cells to respond adaptively to challenges – metabolic, oxidative…
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Anxiety, attention-deficit disorder, depression and loneliness have increased dramatically recently as a result, at least in part, of information overload and a relative lack of time for ‘slow thinking’ and self-reflection. In this episode I talk with University of Wisconsin Professor Richard (Richie) Davidson about his research on mindfulness medi…
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Many of the drugs that are used recreationally or prescribed by physicians were originally isolated from plants. Increasing evidence suggest that in many instances the function of such phytochemicals is to communicate with insects and other organisms in ways that enhance the fitness of the plants. Pamela Maher at the Salk Institute has been working…
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In this episode I talk with Professor Sandrine Thuret at Kings College London about her research on how different molecules in the diet affect neuroplasticity in general and hippocampal neurogenesis in particular. She has shown in preclinical studies that certain dietary factor including omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the adverse effects of chr…
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Bacteria in the gut play essential roles in the metabolism of dietary nutrients. But a recent explosion of research has revealed influences of microbes in the gut on brain function in health and in anxiety disorders, depression, and possibly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Professor John Cryan at University College in Cork Ireland is at the f…
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David Nutt has made major contributions to understanding mechanisms by which psychoactive drugs affect the brain and has conducted numerous clinical trials of a wide range of drugs in patients with various mental disorders. He has also been an outspoken critic of the disconnect between drug science and government drug policies. For example, alcohol…
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