Your Brain On

How does Alzheimer’s alter the brain, and how do we create a future without the disease?

Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, threatens to single-handedly collapse our healthcare systems. But our knowledge of how to prevent it is stronger than ever.

In this episode of ‘YOUR BRAIN ON’, we discuss:

• The power of stories and the importance of community for finding comfort and confidence following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis

• What we know about preventing cognitive decline through brain-healthy living

• The neurochemistry of how Alzheimer’s physically changes the brain

• Genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative diseases, and why women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s

• Why we should approach brain health in the same way we approach heart health

We’re joined by Dr. Lisa Genova, neuroscientist and writer of ‘Still Alice’, a book which allows the reader to step into the shoes of a woman experiencing the onset of Alzheimer’s. ‘Still Alice’ was adapted into a feature film, for which Julianne Moore won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2015. Lisa talks to us about how stories can help us find a sense of hope and empathy in the face of ‘scary’ diagnoses.

Dr. Charles DeCarli, Director of the the University of California Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center, explains a broad range of Alzheimer’s risk factors — from amyloid and tau proteins to cardiovascular diseases — and offers advice on thinking about brain health as part of the body’s wider functionality, not a standalone system.

And Dr. Lisa Mosconi, neuroscientist, educator, and author of ‘The Menopause Brain’, highlights how the hormonal shifts caused by menopause contribute to a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s in women, and unpacks the controversial history and potential future of hormone replacement therapy.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... ADHD • SEASON 1 • EPISODE 8

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LINKS

Lisa Genova:

Website and books: https://www.lisagenova.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlisagenova

Lisa Mosconi:

Website: https://www.lisamosconi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_mosconi

Book, ‘The Menopause Brain’: https://www.amazon.com/Menopause-Brain-Transition-Knowledge-Confidence/dp/0593541243

Dr. Charles DeCarli at UC Davis Health: https://health.ucdavis.edu/medical-center/team/639/charles-decarli---neurology---dementia---alzheimer-s-disease-sacramento/

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FOLLOW US

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Are there differences between the brains of women and men?

In this episode of Your Brain On, we explore the unique aspects of the female brain, and how the male-biased history of medical science has left us with enormous gaps in our knowledge of women’s distinctive neurology.

We discuss:

• The striking uniformity in the structure of the female and male brain

• The possible physiological and sociological reasons why women have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s

• The recent progress that’s been made in making neuroscientific studies more inclusive

• What current research says about Hormone Replacement Therapy, a common treatment for postmenopausal drops in neuroprotective hormones

We’re joined by Dr. Margaret McCarthy, James & Carolyn Frenkil Endowed Dean's Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she is also Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology, renowned for her research into the neuroscience of sex differences, and Dr. Lise Eliot, Professor of Neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates, Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Being A Woman • SEASON 1 • EPISODE 7

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LINKS

Dr. Margaret McCarthy’s website: https://www.mccarthylab.com/

Dr. Lise Eliot at Rosalind Franklin University: https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/academics/faculty/lise-eliot/

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FOLLOW US

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Sugar often carries a blanket negative health connotation. But our brains need carbohydrates for everyday energy.

The term “sugar” is often used in a broad and imprecise manner, often encompassing a wide range of carbohydrates — without distinction. This oversimplification overlooks the nuanced roles and effects of different types of carbohydrates on our health.

In this episode, we aim to dissect and clarify these complexities, focusing on:

• What sugar actually is, and how it affects our brains in different ways depending on how we consume it

• The critical role of carbohydrates for our health, and the differences between various forms and their impacts

• Whether sugar is really as addictive as drugs

We explore the history of sugar, and discuss how it ended up in almost everything we see on supermarket shelves.

Plus, we speak to Dr Alan Flanagan, an esteemed nutrition scientist and founder of Alinea Nutrition. His insights shed light on the current scientific understanding of sugar and carbohydrates, providing a deeper analysis of their implications for our well-being.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Sugar’ • SEASON 1 • EPISODE 3

CONTEST

To celebrate the launch of our new podcast, ‘Your Brain On’, we’re giving away prizes to its earliest listeners — like you! Prizes include memberships to our thriving NEURO Academy community, and bundles, like our Better Brain Cooking Box, Books Bundle, and Better Brain Favorites Box.

To enter, all you’ll need to do is subscribe to Your Brain On, leave an honest review of the show on Apple Podcasts, and then sign up for the contest at thebraindocs.com/podcast.

LINKS

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

GUEST LINKS

Alan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutritionaladvocate

Alinea Nutrition: https://www.alineanutrition.com/

When wins and losses shape the mood of entire cities, what’s happening in the brains of football fans?

In this episode, we discuss the neuroscience and psychology of:

• Football fandom, and bonding with others over shared love of a team

• The chemicals that make wins feel so joyous, and losses so painful

• How our empathy systems transport us into the shoes of the players

We explore the evolutionary significance of sports, from honing our motor skills as hunter-gatherers to finding connection and purpose through the global tournaments of today, and share our own stories growing up as football fans.

And, we speak to Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, neuroscientist, psychologist, and author, about the physiological effects of watching sports with others — synchronized breathing, matching heart rates, and mirrored movements.

Plus! Our son Alexander Noor Sherzai, a newly accepted graduate student at UCLA in the field of computational medicine/AI and a lifelong fanatical Pittsburgh Steelers fan, joins us for a conversation about the cultural and psychological intersection of football fandom: being a fan from a young age, engaging in online discourse, and concerns around the growing epidemic of sports betting.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Football’ • SEASON 1 • EPISODE 2

CONTEST

To celebrate the launch of our new podcast, ‘Your Brain On’, we’re giving away prizes to its earliest listeners — like you! Prizes include memberships to our thriving NEURO Academy community, and bundles, like our Better Brain Cooking Box, Books Bundle, and Better Brain Favorites Box.

To enter, all you’ll need to do is subscribe to Your Brain On, leave an honest review of the show on Apple Podcasts, and then sign up for the contest at thebraindocs.com/podcast.

LINKS

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

GUEST LINKS

Lisa’s books:

• Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain (book): https://amzn.to/2Sp5ar9

• How Emotions Are Made (book): https://amzn.to/2GwAFg6

Lisa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/LFeldmanBarrett

Lisa’s Website: https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/

Neurochemically, what is love? How can neuroscience help us maintain long-term relationships? Is heartbreak real?

In this episode, we discuss the neuroscience and psychology of:

• Why falling in love can feel so stressful

• How being infatuated activates the same neurotransmitters as having OCD

• What happens to your brain when exciting new romances settle into comfortable decades-long unions

We speak to Dr. Anna Machin, renowned author and evolutionary anthropologist at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, England, and author of ‘Why We Love’, about oxytocin, dopamine, and lesser-discussed hormones like beta-endorphins, whether genetics can heighten our predisposition to desire relationships, and why love (in all forms, not just romantic) is a fundamental human need.

Cardiologist Columbus Batiste, MD joins us for a conversation around love’s impact on both the heart and the brain, and what the medical term for heartbreak has to do with octopi!

We speak with psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron, esteemed professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, best known for his work on intimacy in interpersonal relationships, and development of the self-expansion model of motivation in close relationships, about the differences between passionate and companionate love, and what his self-expansion model says about why we’re motivated to seek out relationships.

Dr. Richard S. Schwartz, MD, renowned psychiatrist, author and associate professor at Harvard Medical School and on the faculty of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and the Psychodynamic Couple and Family Institute of New England, discusses the neuroscience of distinguishing love from obsession. His work and research focuses on social connection and lasting marriage. With his wife, Jacqueline Olds, MD, he has co-authored three books on these subjects.

Plus: we share our own love story — meeting while working on healthcare systems in war-torn Afghanistan — and explore how love can be found in the midst of shared challenges.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... Love’ • SEASON 1 • EPISODE 1

CONTEST

To celebrate the launch of our new podcast, ‘Your Brain On’, we’re giving away prizes to its earliest listeners — like you! Prizes include memberships to our thriving NEURO Academy community, and bundles, like our Better Brain Cooking Box, Books Bundle, and Better Brain Favorites Box.

To enter, all you’ll need to do is subscribe to Your Brain On, leave an honest review of the show on Apple Podcasts, and then sign up for the contest at thebraindocs.com/podcast.

LINKS

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast