KERA's Think Best of Think '25: A scientific guide to a better brain
Dec 26, 2025
Camilla Nord, a neuroscientist at Cambridge, explores the connection between inflammation and mood, sharing insights on how mental health is an adaptive response to challenges. Romy Mushtaq, a physician, introduces her 'Busy Brain' concept, detailing the effects of chronic stress on focus and sleep, and provides practical protocols for resetting circadian rhythms. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and musician, discusses music as medicine, revealing how it reawakens identity in dementia patients and supports healing through rhythmic stimulation.
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Mood Versus Momentary Emotion
- Moods are background states that persist and color fleeting emotions.
- Emotions are short-lived reactions to specific events that sit atop moods.
Dopamine Drives Prediction And Learning
- Dopamine signals prediction errors and helps the brain learn what to pursue.
- It builds expectation models rather than directly causing pleasure.
Gut Microbiome And Behavior: Promising But Unproven
- Animal studies link gut microbiome diversity to behavior and mood-like symptoms.
- Human evidence is promising but insufficient to claim direct causal effects yet.