David Eagleman explores Brain Plasticity (BS 187)
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BS 187 is an interview with bestselling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman’s latest book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain.
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More on CI Therapy with Ed Taub (BSP 120)
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BSP 120 is the second half of our interview with Dr. Edward Taub who leads the ongoing development of Constraint Induced (CI) Therapy. We continue to explore the role of learned non-use as well as the expansion of CI Therapy beyond stroke to include traumatic brain injury (TBI) and even spinal cord injuries.
Read MoreDr. Ed Taub revolutionizes Stroke Rehab (BSP 119)
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BSP 119 is the first half of a new interview with Dr. Edward Taub, inventor of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, which is a revolutionary approach to rehabilitating people with brain injuries, such as stroke and trauma.
Read MoreThe Dalai Lama explores Neuroplasticity (BSP 113)
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The scientific highlight of the Dalai Lama's first visit to Alabama was an invitation-only event called "Neuroplasticity and Healing," which was held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). BSP 113 features exclusive coverage of that event
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Exercise Promotes Brain Plasticity (BSP 111)
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John Ratey, MD
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According to psychiatrist Dr. John Ratey the best way to improve brain plasticity is by exercise. I spoke to him shortly after he published his best-seller Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (2008). He commented that even compared to drugs "Exercise is the champ."
Since then Dr. Ratey has been traveling the world promoting the value of exercise for people of all ages, but his main focus has been on young people and on trying to restore and invigorate physical education programs in the schools. In Spark he provided some of the preliminary evidence that vigorous exercise promotes better academic performance, but that evidence had continued to mount.
Besides improving academic performance regular exercise also helps over all mental health. Exercise is especially effective for problems like depression and ADHD. Our brains rely on a complex mixture of neuroactive chemicals (neurotransmitters, etc.), but since our understanding of these is still very primitive, treatment with drugs can be unpredictable. Dr. Ratey feels that medications can be an important part of treating problems like ADHD, but that exercise should be included as an essential element.
Of course, even those of us who don't struggle with mental illnes are concerned with keeping our brains healthy as we age. Here again Dr. Ratey argues that exercise is essential. He speculates that exercise tricks your brain "into thinking that you're younger and that you still need to grow, as opposed to being stationary and having atrophy occur." Also, when you keep on learning (new things) your brain continues to respond and build new pathways. This is very similar to what Dr. Michael Merzenich (one of the pioneers of brain plasticity) told us in BSP 105.
Dr. Ratey is working on a new book that will be an update on the science that has been done since Spark was published, but his 2008 interview remains one of my favorites. That's why I just released an updated version of this interview as BSP 111.
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References and Links
Visit http:johnratey.com.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (2008) by John J. Ratey
A User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain
by John J. RateySoft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life by Dr. Michael Merzenich PhD (References for Soft-Wired)
See the episode transcript for additional references.
Related Episodes:
BSP 45: Dr. Ratey talks about ADHD
BSP 87: Dr. Patricia Greenwood talks about her book Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind.
BSP 105: Dr. Michael Merzenich talks about his book Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.
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Brain Plasticity with Michael Merzenich (BSP 105)
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Michael Merzenich
If you have read anything about brain plasticity you have seen the name Michael Merzenich. Dr. Merzenich is one of the pioneers in this field, having spent over 30 years documenting that the human brain (and that of other mammals) continues to change throughout life. I interviewed Dr. Merzenich several years ago (BSP 54), but the publication of his first book Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life gave us another opportunity to talk about how we can apply these discoveries in our daily lives.
According to Dr. Merzenich, "No matter how much you've struggled, no matter where you've been in your life, you're in charge of your life going forward. And you have the capacity; you have the resources to change things for the better—always have that capacity. And that's what the book is trying to emphasize. “ (BSP 105)
I found Soft-wired very compelling because it combines a clear explanation of the science with many stories about real people facing a wide variety of cognitive challenges. The overall tone of the book is very optimistic even though it also considers the way bad choices can contribute to cognitive decline.
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Related Episodes:
BSP 10: Introduction to Brain Plasticity.
BSP 17: Discussion of The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger As Your Brain Grows Older by Elkhonon Goldberg.
BSP 28: Interview with Dr. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself.
BSP 33: Interview with Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.
BSP 54: Interview with Dr. Michael Merzenich, author of Soft-wired.
BSP 87: Interview with Dr. Pam Greenwood, co-author of Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind.
Further Reading:
Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life by Dr. Michael Merzenich PhD. References for this book can be found at http://www.soft-wired.com/ref/.
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge.
Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind by Pamela M. Greenwood and Raja Parasuraman.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey.
The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger As Your Brain Grows Older by Elkhonon Goldberg.
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley (featured in BSP 10).
