Serotonin
04/07/21 • 30 min
1 Listener
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they explore serotonin - a chemical involved in everything from sleep to bowel function, appetite to blood clotting.
Xand and Kimberley find out why serotonin’s reputation as the “happy chemical” is misleading, explore the interaction between serotonin and dopamine in sex drive, and hear about new approaches to treating depression using psychoactive drugs.
Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they explore serotonin - a chemical involved in everything from sleep to bowel function, appetite to blood clotting.
Xand and Kimberley find out why serotonin’s reputation as the “happy chemical” is misleading, explore the interaction between serotonin and dopamine in sex drive, and hear about new approaches to treating depression using psychoactive drugs.
Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
Previous Episode
The Hippocampus
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they peep inside the brain's temporal lobes in search of the hippocampus: the seahorse-shaped seat of memory.
The pair meet a memory athlete who reveals his techniques, explore how new insights from neuroscience can help us make better memories, and Kimberley gives Xand a memory test he’ll (hopefully) never forget...
Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
Next Episode
T Cells
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they zoom in on T cells: a type of white blood cell that forms a critical part of the body’s ability to fight off infection.
Xand and Kimberley discover how scientists are hacking into the immune system and hear the story of 5-year-old Zac, who has undergone an innovative form of immunotherapy for leukemia.
Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
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