Big Think Interview with Nora Volkow

The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse is interviewed about the scientific and social causes and courses of substance use disorders, and why they shouldn’t be criminalized. Includes transcript. See also: Volkow and others give lectures on addiction neurobiology at a 2006 symposium at the Picower Institute.

Epigenetic Landscapes

A scientist learns his twin brother is in the hospital from alcoholism and drives from Calgary to Vancouver to visit him, along the way explaining the basics of epigenetics to the camera operator. Great concept, nicely produced and edited with handmade graphics and beautiful video comparing epigenetics to landscapes in the Canadian Rockies. Another entry in the Gene Screen BC 2010 genetic science video contest, winner to be announced Sept. 8 [edit: Epigenetic Lanscapes won 3rd place and the People's Choice award. Congratulations!]. SciVee pubcast DOI: 10.4016/20905.01.

Genetic Contribution to Variation in Cognitive Function in Twins

Using neuroimaging to examine cognitive function in twins, results show that their brain functioning is more similar than that of non-twin siblings. Based on Genetic contribution to variation in cognitive function: An fMRI study in twins, Koten et al, Science, 2009. This short documentary is a strong entry in the Gene Screen BC 2010 science video contest. Winner will be announced Sept. 8. Pubcast DOI: 10.4016/20743.01.

Progress and Promise in Huntington’s

Brief documentary on the hereditary neurodegenerative disease Huntington’s. Includes interviews with people who have Huntington’s about their firsthand experiences, new stem cell research, and patient advocacy. DOI: 10.4016/19346.01.

Clocks & Rhythms with Colleen McClung

A leading researcher on bipolar disorders and chronobiology is interviewed about her groundbreaking work with clock genes and circadian rhythms. A SciVee Pubcast, DOI: 10.4016/10858.01.

[Image of the Banff Springs Hotel by Steph & Adam.]

Neuro Talk: Tap In, The Experts Weigh In

Short (1 to 2 min. each) interview clips in modules on major topics including brain scans, religion, neurolaw, cosmetic psychopharmacology, meditation, coma, and more from attendees at a neuroethics conference in Banff, Alberta. Non-resizable and unsharable custom video player, but great content.

Epigenetics as a Substrate for Gene-Environment Interaction

Epigenetics in neuropsychiatry. Part of McGill’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience Inaugural Retreat.

Connected Minds: Loneliness, Social Brains and the Need for Community

A recent release from the excellent RSA Vision lecture series: the leading expert in social neuroscience explains the subdiscipline.

[Image by mknowles]

The Next Big Thing: Predicting Personality

Panel on genetics, imaging, personality, literature and psychiatry. Includes the story of twins separated at birth who both ended up working for the BBC. Pop science and pop psych in Y2K. More: info and production credits.

The Neurocritic shares two epic, provocative posts.

Is CBT Worthless? “A meta-analysis of published studies on cognitive behavioral therapy concluded that this method of psychotherapy is not helpful for those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and any improvements seen in major depression are rather small. Articles to rebut this claim are currently in preparation.”

• Video: if CBT is worthless for treating schizophrenia, ACT does have worth. Mary Ann Test details the history of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. (00:29:18).

Myth of the Depression Gene. “Another meta-analysis found that a variant of the serotonin transporter gene is not linked to an increased risk of depression after all, either alone or in combination with stressful life events. However, no one really thinks that depression is caused by a single gene, so this finding doesn’t negate the possibility of a genetic contribution to major depression.”

• Video: in Catalyst: Nature Nurture a reporter is tested for a potential depression gene (00:10:35).

Mo Costandi of Neurophilosophy sends two posts. Enhanced attention and self-monitoring are among the Brain Mechanisms of Hypnotic Paralysis.

• Video: The far less serious Hypnosis Party Tricks #1 by Wendi Friesen (00:05:31).

Mo also writes about a neuroimaging study on correlates of thinking about past and future, in Mental time travel.

• Video: Memory Map is a vintage art video exploring time and memory perception (00:03:00).

The group blog Brain Blogger had two submissions. First, a well-researched blog post about preventing depression in youth at risk of developing it: Prevention of Adolescent Depression by Jennifer Gibson, PharmD.

• Video: More Than Sad: Teen Depression, a good educational video produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (00:26:00).

The Brain Blogger post Marijuana Withdrawal Syndrome sampled comments from users left at Dirk Hanson’s blog Addiction Inbox.

• Video: Going through marijuana withdrawal: Day 5. In which a vlogger describes his symptoms (00:02:23).

The forward-looking Brain Stimulant blog tells us that researchers plan to model the drosophila brain, and outlines some challenges in Virtual Fly Brain Computer Model.

• Video: Low-res animation of the Blue Brain Project, simulating 10,000 neurons in a rat’s neocortical column (00:00:40).

Kylie Sturgess of PodBlack answers a reader question with etymology and history in Ask PodBlack – ‘What Does Supernatural Mean?’. She’s set up a new Twitter account so you can ask a question too.

• Video: a clip from a mockumentary on the supernatural, Look Around You: Ghosts! (00:09:03).

Art Kilner of AK’s Rambling Thoughts explains his submissions: “These continue my discussion in Nerve Cells and Glial Cells: Redefining the Foundation of Intelligence, which was already featured in Scientia Pro Publica. While somewhat technical, IMO they discuss very important points and will be welcome to anybody interested in the brain’s function(s).”

Monoamine neuroreceptors in Drugs, Receptors, and the Brain. ”Less technical than my usual, but it makes an important point.”

• Video: Glutamatergic Agents for Schizophrenia: Looking Beyond Dopamine, a lecture on newer directions in psychopharmacology research (00:58:20).

Glial membranes and more, in Beyond the Synapse.

• Video extra: The NIH brings us Neuron-glia interactions : their mechanisms and their roles in development and disease, a lecture by Gabriel Corfas (00:50:03).

The Analog Axon. Self-explanatory.

• Video: Claws of Axon is not self-explanatory (00:10:09).

Sharp Brains champions Public Libraries as Community-Based Health Clubs for the Brain in a nice article. An update features more resources, including the newly published book Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness.

• Video: New Strategies for Cognitive Vitality and Brain Health, a lecture at UCLA’s Psychiatry Grand Rounds by Gary W. Small, M.D. (00:57:14).

Faith Martin, writing for Highlight HEALTH: “A recent study shows that group programmes and self-directed programmes have remarkably different effects with respect to outcome.” Tackling Heart Disease Together or Alone: The Behavioural Science of Self-Management.

• Video: Learn coping skills in Health Matters: Stress and Pain Management with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (00:28:00), and in another video with Steve Hickman, Managing the Role of Stress in Our Lives. Struggling With What It Is (00:58:00).

In Providentia, Romeo Vitelli shares “a strange story about a brain pioneer [Emmanuel Swedenborg] who may have become his own case study.” The Visionary.

• Video: a 1716 Swedenborg hovercraft design (00:00:14).

The August edition will be hosted by Neuronarrative, then Encephalon returns to a biweekly schedule in the fall. Follow Encephalon via email or RSS feed (thanks Highlight HEALTH). Now on Twitter too: @encephalon_ Please send submissions to encephalon.host@gmail.com.