The Inner Life of Your Brain
The human brain has long been one of the biggest mysteries in human anatomy. Today, researchers are making great strides toward unlocking the secrets of the brain's makeup, and even linking brain shape to aspects of personality. We look at the latest breakthroughs and explore the next steps in understanding the brain.
Guests
Chief, Nervous System Development & Plasticity Section,
National Institutes of Health; Author of the book, The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
Related Links
Dr. Fields on Glial Cells
Dr. Fields explains the importance and function of glial cells in the brain, whose importance was undiscovered until relatively recently:
Comments
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Does the shape of brain structures impact the chemicals and chemical balance that are related to personality and disorders like bipolar etc.?
how will this research help people like myself to stabilize or even stop seizure ?
is sense of humor related to one of the five factors discusssed earlier, or related to ? can it be mapped?
Whoops - just missed getting this in before the show was over! I do have two questions - One is how glial cells might relate to ALS? Also, I read recently that Omega 3- fatty acid supplemetation may be helpful for Schizophrenia. Thoughts?
Drs DeYoung and Fields, Mr Nnamdi -
Thank you so much for your information and insight, and for taking my question re: Parkinson's disease treaments. I apologize - the line was cut off before I had a chance to thank you live.
I appreciate the concern for ethical development and research and understand that asking "how soon will there be a cure?" is a rather unfair question. It is just reassuring to know, however, that people are working towards real applications in humans of this knowledge. I also hope it is a reminder that there are many of us for whom your work will have a tangible and truly miraculous meaning. Literally, it will save - and salvage - lives.
Kind regards.
Dr. Field's glial cell research holds hope for people dealing with the many consequences of brain injury. My husband, a physics professor, suffered a severe anoxic brain injury from a cardiac arrest. Alan lost his abilities to read, write, walk, talk, think, and remember. He regained essential skills with intensive rehabilitation and continuous cognitive rehab with me at home. However, the brain injury led to dementia, Parkinson's disease, and a psychiatric disorder. I wonder how glial cells might have impacted both the neuroplasticity involved in new learning and the onset of other diseases. I've chronicled our journey, along with challenges and adaptive strategies, in my memoir "Professor Cromer Learns to Read: A Couple's New Life after Brain Injury. Please keep blazing ahead with glial cell research and treatment experiments.
Janet Cromer, RN, MA, LMHC
janetcromer2@gmail.com
www.janetcromer.com
Compounds released by astrocytes, such as adenosine, dampen seizures. Understanding how to control the release of these compounds or developing drugs that act in a similar way is expected to provide new treatments for seizure that may have fewer negative effects.
Thank you for your question and encouragement. Your question was not unfair. My answer was really sharing your feelings about the urgency of moving findings from basic research to medicine, but reminding us both of the important reasons for why it can take so long. Many people around the world are working on glial drugs for Parkinson's and many other illnesses.