Brain Ponderings podcast with Dr. Mark Mattson

Harvard neuroscientist Michael Ferguson's research is revealing the brain's neuronal networks that mediate religious experiences and spirituality. In this podcast he talks about his findings from functional brain imaging studies of devout Mormons and of people who exhibited profound changes in religiosity after having a brain injury resulting from surgery or accident. I talk with him about the implications of his findings for brain evolution, psychiatric disorders, and new approaches for improving the health and welfare of individuals and societies. Links: Dr. Ferguson lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmnYBEmB2i0&t=1662s Relevant publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8714871/pdf/nihms-1735983.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478470/pdf/nihms864583.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660736/pdf/zpq4876.pdf https://www-annualreviews-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100334 Robert Sapolsky Lecture on Evolution and Religion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwAQqWUkpI

Most of us have a clear sense of morality. We can distinguish behaviors that are right or appropriate from those that are wrong or inappropriate. We feel empathy for people in distress and feel guilt and remorse when our actions hurt others. However, research in psychiatry and psychology has shown approximately 1 in every 100 adults exhibit pathological immoral behaviors – a.k.a. "Psychopathy". Behavioral features of a psychopath include: superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-worth, pathological lying, being manipulative, lack of remorse or guilt, callousness/lack of empathy, failure to accept responsibility for their actions, impulsivity, irresponsibility, and criminal versatility. A person with psychopathy is much more likely to commit violent crimes than others. Indeed, approximately 30% of people incarcerated for murder are psychopaths. Dr. James Blair is a neuroscientist who has been working to elucidate how the brains psychopaths might differ from brain of people without this problem. In particular he has been studying children with conduct disorder (CD) and callous unemotional traits because these children are at increased risk for psychopathy. Such children also often exhibit symptoms of ADHD. Here Dr. Blair talks about studies in which functional MRI was used to examine neuronal network activity in different brain regions of children with or without these behavioral problems. It turns out that the brain's fear center – the amygdala – fails to respond normally when the children are shown images of the faces of people in distress. Moreover, there are abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex of children with conduct disorder which may help explain their failure to control their aggressive behaviors. The good news is that most children with ADHD and CD benefit greatly from the appropriate therapies. Links: Lecture by Dr. Blair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rORJxl1cPyM Review articles on psychopathy and conduct disorder: file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41572-021-00282-1.pdf file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41572-021-00282-1.pdf

Approximately one in every fifty children is affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and will require extra help from parents, teachers, and health professionals to reach their full potential. Professor Matthew State, a psychiatrist and geneticist at the University of California San Francisco has made major contributions to the current understanding of the factors that determine whether or not a child will have an ASD. Here he talks about the neurobiology of autism with a focus on research showing that genetics plays a major role in most instances of autism with gene mutations apparently occurring de novo in the genomes of the mother's egg or the father's sperm. These genetic aberrancies result in accelerated growth of brain cells and formation of synapses during brain development resulting in alterations in the activities of neuronal networks in brain regions involved in regulating social interactions and communication. As the research on ASD progresses new approaches for treatment are emerging. Links: Professor State's UCSF webpage: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/matthew.state Lecture by Professor State: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/matthew.state Review articles on autism: file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41583-022-00576-7%20(2).pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8163016/pdf/nihms-1704166.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6779523/pdf/nihms-1537205.pdf

Language pervades our lives. The ability to speak has allowed our species to pass knowledge between generations, articulate complex ideas, and build societies. How did brains evolve to enable this remarkable means of communication? Professor Erich Jarvis at Rockefeller University is using cutting edge technologies in neuroscience and genetics to provide answers to this question. In this podcast he talks about the neuronal circuits and genes involved in vocal learning in songbirds, and how they are related to the neurobiology of language in humans. Lecture by Dr. Jarvis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAAr95eqd2c Review articles: Evolution of vocal learning and spoken language. https://www-science-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/epdf/10.1126/science.aax0287 The neural processing of human spoken language https://www-science-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/epdf/10.1126/science.aax0288

Professors Steve Roper and Nirupa Chaudhari at the University of Miami School of Medicine are pioneers in research on taste buds and the neurobiology of taste. The sense of taste evolved in ways that maximized the consumption of high energy foods while minimizing the consumption of potentially toxic chemicals in plants. Foods contain chemicals that interact with certain receptor proteins on the surface of electrically excitable cells in the taste buds of the tongue. Three different taste receptors have been identified and the ways in which they excite taste cells are known. Acting on a single type of receptor or multiple receptors tastes are categorized as bitter, sweet, sour, salty and umami. By mechanisms that remain to be established, information coming into the brain's sensory cortex from taste receptors is combined with information from olfactory receptors in the nose to generate the perception of flavors. Remarkably, researchers have discovered that the receptors for bitter and sweet tasting chemicals are located not only in taste bud cells but also in cells throughout the body and brain. Links: Roper Lab webpage: https://umiamihealth.org/sylvester-comprehensive-cancer-center/research/labs/roper-lab Chaudhari Lab webpage: https://med.miami.edu/en/labs/chaudhari-lab Review articles on the neurobiology of taste: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5958546/pdf/nihms942554.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6462759/pdf/bjz013.pdf https://journals.physiology.org/doi/epdf/10.1152/physrev.00012.2022 Neuroscience text book: https://www.amazon.com/Neuroscience-Dale-Purves/dp/1605353809

Links: Lecture by Professor Herbison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ooMDuS6MDk Review articles:. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4785901/pdf/rstb20150115.pdf https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1111/jne.13024 Recent original research articles. https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2211-1247%2822%2901813-7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9718805/pdf/41467_2022_Article_35243.pdf

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common type of motoneuron disease and is characterized by progressive weakness and wasting of muscles. Most people with ALS will die within 3 years of the onset of symptoms. Professor Kevin Talbot of Oxford University has devoted his career to advancing an understanding of what goes wrong in ALS with the goal of discovering how it might be prevented and treated. Here I talk with Dr. Talbot about ALS including its epidemiology, genetic and environmental risk factors, cellular and molecular neurobiology, and emerging treatments. Links: Review articles: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9768794/pdf/41573_2022_Article_612.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8047135/pdf/fncel-15-653688.pdf Clinical Trials: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=als&term=&cntry=&state=&city=&dist= Lecture on ALS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Ys6Obd814

Approximately one in every 4 Americans suffer from insufficient sleep which not only results in daytime tiredness and suboptimal brain function and an increased risk for depression, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease. In this episode Professor Ted Abel, Director of the Iowa Neurosciences Institute, talks about the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on neuronal circuits in the hippocampus that play critical roles in the formation, retention and recall of memories. Research in Dr. Abel's laboratory has elucidated the molecular and cellular mechanisms of memory, how sleep deprivation alters those mechanisms, and how the effects of sleep deprivation can be mitigated. Review articles on sleep, memory, and sleep deprivation: https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822%2813%2900848-8 https://www-clinicalkey-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/service/content/pdf/watermarked/1-s2.0-S0959438816301945.pdf?locale=en_US&searchIndex= https://www-clinicalkey-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/service/content/pdf/watermarked/1-s2.0-S0959438816301726.pdf?locale=en_US&searchIndex= Pondering the Dynamic Sleeping Brain with Antoine Adamantidis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaEBJwRhUo&t=298s

Klaus Miczek was born in Germany during World War II and grew up in Berlin where carnage from bombings were seen every day. Perhaps because of this profound example of the violence of the human species he became a neuroscientist whose research was aimed at understanding the neurobiology of aggression and violence with a goal of developing ways to reduce violent behaviors. Dr. Miczek is an endowed Professor of psychology, psychiatry, pharmacology and neuroscience at Tufts University. In this episode he describes what is currently known about the neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters involved in aggressive behaviors by providing a historical perspective on this fascinating yet understudied area of research. Links: Review articles: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3864145/pdf/nihms480918.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380604/ Lecture on the neurobiology of aggression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtVfoIkVSu8

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune neurological disorder currently afflicting more than 1 million Americans. The disease begins early in life and typically manifests as intermittent periods of remission and relapse. Symptoms of MS - numbness, weakness, and vision problems – result from loss of insulation of the axons of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. In this episode Dr. Amit Bar-Or a physician scientist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine talks about the abnormalities in the immune and nervous systems that occur in MS and how research has led to very effective treatments for the vast majority of people with MS. Rapid advances in the treatment of MS is a major success story in the field of neurology. Links: National Multiple Sclerosis Society: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/ Review article on MS treatment: file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41582-022-00675-0%20(2).pdf