Remember

A moving story about Alzheimer’s, beautifully illustrated with charcoal drawings, set to a jazz song written and performed by a woman whose mother succumbed to the disease. An entry advocating brain research in the 2012 Neuro Film Festival sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology, this video is an early favourite (watch all the entries in this playlist). But there’s still time to enter – submit until January 31.

Wendy Suzuki – Exercise and the Brain

A cognitive neuroscientist gives a rousing talk about the benefits of exercise on memory. She describes being inspired to teach after learning about the brain’s ability to adapt, and experimenting with aerobic exercise, becoming an IntenSati fitness instructor to teach her neuroscience students. She designed a classroom experiment that combined lectures with workouts, and found students were not only more engaged but their cognitive skills improved over time. Mentioning animal models that showed growth in the brain after exercise, as well as research with exercise and Alzheimer’s (see this video), she makes a compelling case to visit the gym.

Why Do We Dream?

People who study dreaming to find out why we dream have found several potential answers: they help keep us asleep, they contribute to good mental health, and they help us find answers to questions we seek. But what do they mean, and can we control them? This excellent documentary interviews scientists, dreamers, and people with sleep and dream disorders to find out more about this always fascinating subject.

The Signatures of Sleep

The functions and role of sleep in learning and memory consolidation. Sleep consolidates perceptual and motor skills learned during the day, and improves immune and neuroendocrine functioning. Different stages of sleep enhance different types of memory but all play important roles.

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A Longitudinal Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Recovery from PTSD

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), described as both a psychiatric and memory issue, was investigated using fMRI neuroimaging. Why do some people recover after a trauma while others have persistent symptoms and seek treatment? Study participants were examined soon after a trauma and then 6 to 9 months later, looking at early neural predictors of recovery and later neural correlates of recovery after cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Grey matter volume in areas of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex appeared to be predictors of recovery. Slightly confusing talk, not for beginners, but interesting findings.

What’s the Matter with Memory?

The psychologist who pioneered research into false memories discusses their issues in law, psychotherapy, problems with misinformation and more. Great talk.

Conference on Alternative Strategies for Alcoholism Treatment

Alcoholism treatment strategies and ethical challenges, with video archives in three parts. Part one features David Musto on temperance history, and starting at 00:40:15 Charles O’Brien details modern pharmacological treatments. Part two has Kathleen Carroll in an animated talk about trials of behavioural therapies and combined approaches, then at 00:57:35 Arthur Caplan speaks about ethical issues around why drug treatment for alcoholism feels threatening to some and their sense of autonomy. Part three is a fascinating panel discussion on legal and ethical issues in specific case reports (includes problems with the grossly inadequate Canadian mental health system and war-on-drugs US Customs bullies: Canadians who seek treatment in the US will get banned for life). Accompanying pdfs here. Unfortunately the slides are mostly not visible, but it’s still a cool event worth watching.

title The Ups and Downs of Forgetting
description Part 1 of Unlocking the Secrets and Powers of the Brain, a panel discussion on “the hottest issues in brain research, from predicting human behavior to manipulating memory to pinpointing consciousness” broken into two video players with indexed five minute clips and and interviews with each scientist.
producer Discover, National Science Foundation
featuring Michael Gazzaniga, Daniel Levitin, Rebecca Saxe, Samuel Wang, Carl Zimmer
format Flash
date 12/11/08
length 00:04:48
link http://discovermagazine.com/2009/mar/26-unlocking-brain-secrets-and-powers

Tags: brain video panel interview symposium neuroethics neuroscience brain behaviour memory cog_sci

title Try to Remember
description Try to Remember: Psychiatry’s Clash over Meaning, Memory, and Mind is a 2008 book by Paul R. McHugh that inspired discussion between the author and a distinguished panel at the Dana Center in Washington. Topics include recovered memories, multiple personalities (MPD or DID), false memories, psychiatry’s changing responses, and psychiatric cults (like that famous one with science in its name that isn’t about science at all). Their Flash player doesn’t display time, allow full screen video, or share embed code, but it’s watchable.
producer Dana Foundation
featuring William Safire, Paul R. McHugh, Kay Redfield Jamison, J. Raymond DePaulo, Jr., M.D.
format Flash
date 03/12/08
length approx. 00:60:00
link http://dana.org/events/detail.aspx?id=14066

Tags: brain video panel memory memories psychiatry psychology cults DID abuse

title Seed Salon: David Byrne and Daniel Levitin
description “The singer/songwriter/artist/author enters the Seed Salon to discuss music with the producer/neuroscientist.” Language, glossolia, music cognition, studying music, mirror neurons, memory, and more. They consider musical craft and the ability to evoke emotional responses, and consider authenticity for the listener. Byrne says, “You can know what’s in a sunset and still be just as awed by it.” This interview is a year old but still relevant (except maybe some of what’s attributed to the mirror neurons). Levitin has more recently published a book on music archetypes: The World in Six Songs.
producer Seed Media Group
featuring Daniel Levitin, David Byrne
format Flash
date 01/05/07
length 00:59:20
link http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2007/05/seed_salon_david_byrne_daniel_1.php

Tags: brain video vodcast music cognition memory art psychology neuroscience saxophonist rockstars