“All in the Mind” looks at Nicotine and the Brain

The May 10th episode of All in the Mind is an excellent discussion of the latest research about nicotine addiction. It includes a very balanced look at the controversy over the new smoking cessation drug, varenicline, which is sold in the US as Chantix. Nicotine has a unique effect on certain neurotransmitter receptors in the brain. Varenicline works as a partial agonist, which means it mimics some of the effects of nicotine, but it also blocks the receptor so that when a person smokes the experience is not rewarding. However, since the receptors involved also have other functions (they aren’t there to respond to the nicotine in cigarettes just like the opiate receptors are not there to respond to man-made narcotics), using the drug can lead to a wide variety of side effects. Balancing the risks and benefits of the drug is one of the topics discussed in the podcast.

I have to admit that addiction is a subject in which I have little personal interest, but obviously addiction to smoking effects millions of people. I highly recommend this podcast to everyone who smokes or loves some who does.

Be sure to go to the site for both the show’s transcript and links to everyone featured on the show.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2008/2235816.htm

Brain Science Podcast #36: Art Glenberg on Embodied Cognition

Art Glenberg, PhD

Episode 36 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Arthur Glenberg, PhD about embodied cognition. Dr. Glenberg recently moved to Arizona State University after over 30 years at the University of Wisconsin’s Laboratory of Embodied Cognition. His research focuses on the relationship between embodiment and language. In this interview we explore the experimental evidence for a theory of language that embraces the concept that our language abilities are actually rooted in our perceptual and motor abilities. Dr. Glenberg also explains how his work has practical implications in helping children learn how to read.

Since Dr. Glenberg has had a long career as a working research scientist, this interview also provided an opportunity to explore how scientific hypotheses are formed and how experiments are designed to test these hypothesis. I think this interview will give you a fascinating look into the real world of cognitive psychology.

Listen to Dr. Glenberg’s Interview (left click to listen, right click to download)

Links and References:

Arthur Glenberg, PhD

• email: arthur.glenberg@asu.edu
• Laboratory for Embodied Cognition
• Havas, D.A., Glenberg, A.M., and Rink, M. (2007) Emotion simulation during language comprehension. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 14 (3), 436-441
• Numerous references available as PDF
• Thinking With the Body: blog post of March 3, 2008

Other Scientists Mentioned in the Episode:

• George Lakoff: pioneering linguist
• James Gibson-known for his ideas about affordances
• William Epstein-emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin
• Joseph Campos: University of California (Berkelely)
• Amy Needham and Amanda Woodard-experiments with velcro mits and infant cognition
• David A Havas: graduate student and co-author with Dr. Glenberg
• Mike Kashak: Florida State University
• Mike Rinck: German co-author-see paper under Glenberg (more papers)
• Vittorio Gallese, Dept of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy (where mirror neurons were discovered): extensive experimental with motor neurons in monkeys
• Fritz Stack (Germany): experiments showing that facial experiments affect mood and cognition

References:

• Havas, D.A., Glenberg, A.M., and Rink, M. (2007) Emotion simulation during language comprehension. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 14 (3), 436-441
• more publications by Arthur Glenberg
• Sommerville, J.A., Woodard, A.L., and Needham, A., Action experience alters 3-month-old infants’ perception of others’ actions, Cognition 96 (2005) B1-B11.
• Strack, F., Martin, L. L., & Stepper, S. (1988). Inhibiting and facilitating conditions of the human smile: A nonobtrusive test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 54, 768-777.
• Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things (1987) by George Lakoff
• recent essays by George Lakoff written for the Rockridge Institute

Listen to Dr. Glenberg’s Interview (left click to listen, right click to download)

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Transcript of György Buzsáki’s Interview is now On-line

Episode 31 of the Brain Science Podcast was a challenging interview with György Buzsáki about his book Rhythms of the Brain. Thanks to listener Diane Jacobs we now have a transcript available for Episode 31.

Click here for the transcript.

Be sure to visit Diane’s Blog at http://humanantigravitysuit.blogspot.com/. When it comes to reading books about neuroscience, Diane makes me feel like a slacker.

Dan Ariely interview is available on Books and Ideas #19

Dan Ariely is a professor of behavioral economics at MIT and author of the bestseller, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. He was my guest for episode 19 of Books and Ideas. During the interview he explains how his came to study human behavior. He uses examples from his book to explore the question “What makes a good experiment?” He also discusses how he hope that his findings can help strengthen our society despite our human tendency to make “irrational” choices.

Listen to Episode 19 Now.

Links:

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely

• Faculty page at MIT
• Predictably Irrational blog

Listen to Books and Ideas Episode 19

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Brain Science Podcast #35: A Closer Look at Mirror Neurons

Brain Science Podcast #35 is a discussion of Mirrors in the brain: How our minds share actions, emotions, and experience by Giacomo Rizzolatti and Corrado Sinigaglia. Mirror neurons were discovered in Rizzolatti’s lab in Parma Italy in the early 1990’s and his book is a detailed to discussion of the experimental evidence in both monkeys and humans. Direct single neuron recordings have been made in monkeys. The evidence in humans is indirect since it is based on mainly on neuroimaging studies like PET scans and fMRI scans. Even so mirror neurons appear to be essential to our ability to understand both the actions and emotions of others. Listen Now.

In this episode we also explore the evidence that there are other neurons in the motor areas of the brain that have sensory properties and that the areas of the brain traditionally thought to be devoted to sensory functions also contain neurons with motor properties. Another fascinating discovery is the fact that there are neurons that respond not only to somatosensory inputs (such as being touched) but also to visual or auditory inputs from objects within our peri-personal space. For background on these body maps I recommend listening to Episode 21 and Episode 23. If you are new to the Brain Science Podcast you may want to listen to those episodes first because this week’s episode is a little more technical than most.

I will be exploring the importance of these discoveries in future episodes.

Listen to Brain Science Science Podcast Episode 35 (mirror neurons) NOW.

Links:

Giacomo Rizzolatti- University of Parma

Mirror neurons (wikipedia entry)

Mirror neurons (Scholarpedia entry written by Dr. Rizzolatti)

Listen to Brain Science Podcast #35 (mirror neurons) Now

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Dan Rathers Reports on Neuroplasticity

Today HDNet™ is reshowing an episode of Dan Rather Reports called “Mind Science.” It is an excellent review of neuroplasticity. It includes interviews with several leading scientists in the field. I especially enjoyed seeing Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel talk about his work with memory. (I talked about Kandel’s work on the Brain Science Podcast in Episode 3 and Episode 12.)

“Mind Science” also features the Dalai Llama and scientist Richard Davidson talking about the evidence that meditation can change the brain. Rather interviews Sharon Begely about her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves (which I discussed in detail in Episode 10 of the Brain Science Podcast). Other scientists featured in the episode include Michael Merzenich on improving brain function as we age and Dr. Edward Taub on his revolutionary approach to stroke rehabilitation. (My show notes for Episode 10 include links for all the scientists interviewed by Rather.)

It was particulary gratifying to see Dr. Kandel endorse Ed Taub’s Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy. Dr. Taub was interviewed in Episode 28 of the Brain Science Podcast.

If you don’t get HDNet™ you can watch Dan Rather Reports on-line, via podcast or on Facebook.

Summary of relevant episodes of the Brain Science Podcast:

• Eric Kandel’s work on Memory: Episode 3 and Episode 12
• Neuroplasticity: Episode 10 and Episode 26
• Interview of Dr. Edward Taub: Episode 28

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Exploring Consciousness in the Blogospere

I am not very good at keeping up with all the great blogs about neuroscience, but I did happen to find two that I thought you might enjoy. Both Developing Intelligence and Conscious Entities explore both the meaning of consciousness and the relationship between the human brain and computers.

More on BDNF: “Miracle Grow” for the Brain

In Episode 33 of the Brain Science Podcast, Harvard’s Dr. John Ratey introduced us to brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which he described as “Miracle Grow for the Brain” because it actually stimulates the grow of new neurons in the brain. The emphasis in our discussion was on the importance of exercise in stimulating the release of BDNF.

If you are interested in checking out some further references on BDNF you may want to check out Charles Daney’s Science and Reason Blog. Daney also does a good job of explaining exactly what a neurotropic factor is and does.

Treating Vets with Mirrors

Jamie Davis of Mediccast sent me a link to an interesting article from the CNN website. It describes how mirror box therapy is being used to help veterans who have suffered amputations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those of you who heard Sandra Blakeslee’s interview about body maps back in Episode 23 will remember that she described how her son built the first mirror box for VS Ramachandran several years ago while working as a graduate student.

It is good to see that military physicians are beginning to apply some of the recent findings of neuroscience to helping injured vets, but you may also recall that when we talked with Dr. Edward Taub about stroke rehab, he reported the difficulty of getting new methods of head injury treatment into the VA clinics.

link to article about mirrors: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/19/mirror.therapy/index.html 

Brain Science Podcast #34: Rachel Herz talks about Smell

Rachel Herz

Episode 34 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Rachel Herz author of The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (2007). Dr. Herz teaches at Brown University and she is a leading authority on the psychology of smell. We talk about the how smell works, its role in emotion and memory, why it is so vulnerable, and why smell is much more important than most of us realize. We also consider some of the questions that remain unanswered.

Listen to the Rachel Herz interview now. (Right click to download.)

Links and References:

Rachel Herz

• Brown Medical School faculty page
• Wikipedia: a good source for further references
• RachelHerz.com
• thescentofdesire.com

The 2004 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology was awarded to Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck for their discoveries of “odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system.”

BuckL, Axel R “A novel multigene family may encode odorant receptors: a molecular basis for odor recognition.”
Cell. 1991 Apr 5;65(1):175-87.

“The (Shocked) Nose Knows” by Gisela Telis ScienceNOW Daily News 27 March 2008

The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (2007) by Rachel Herz

Listen to Episode 34 (Right click to download)

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