BrainBlog

This week's All in the Mind podcast from BBC Radio 4: Visit the show's webpage to listen or to download the episode From the webpage: "How can a good night's sleep improve your memory? Why does the answer to a crossword clue suddenly appear first thing in the morning after a night's rest? In this week's programme Claudia Hammond talks to psychologist, Kimberly Fenn about what happens in the brain when we sleep and why it can significantly improve our memory. Hysteria or conversion disorder is surprisingly, not confined to medical history. Nearly 1 in 5 patients seen by neurologists will have symptoms like paralysis, fits or loss of vision which can't be explained neurologically. Claudia talks to neurologist, Mark Edwards and psychiatrist, Richard Kanaan about the history of conversion disorder, how common it is today, the best way to treat it and its complex causes. Also in the programme, Claudia meets the carers getting involved in mental health research...

A Dream Interpretation: Tuneups for the Brain By BENEDICT CAREY The New York Times Published: November 10, 2009 "A new theory suggests that dreams are a warm-up for the day ahead." Read the article

The October 2009 issue of Nature's NeuroPod podcast is available for listening and download. It can be found at NeuroPod homepage . This edition includes reports about gaming mice and the relation between sleep problems and memory function. From the homepage: " About NeuroPod "NeuroPod is the neuroscience podcast from Nature, produced in association with the Dana Foundation. Each month, join us as we delve into the latest research on the brain, from its molecular makings to the mysteries of the mind. We'll also be bringing you the latest news from neuroscience conferences around the globe, along with special reports on hot areas in neuroscience. "For complete access to the original papers featured in NeuroPod, subscribe to Nature, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience."

Just finished reading three excellent books with neuro themes, one a work of fiction and the other two are narrative accounts: "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova (available in paperback by iUniverse Press), is a very accurate dramatic fictional account of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. "Insomniac" by Gayle Greene is a great account of the world of insomnia, from the vantage point of individuals living with sleep disorders (including the author) and from the vantage point of the clinical researchers who study the condition and who work on drug development and other facets of diagnosis, understanding, and treatment. Finally, "Can't Remember What I Forgot" by Sue Halpern , self described as a "behind-the-scenes foray into the world of cutting-edge memory research." It lives up to that description and does so in a very readable manner. "Insomniac" is published by the University of California Press and "Can't Remember ......

From today's New York Times Winding Through ‘Big Dreams’ Are the Threads of Our Lives By REBECCA CATHCART Published: July 3, 2007 [snip] “Back to life” or “visitation” dreams, as they are known among dream specialists and psychologists, are vivid and memorable dreams of the dead. They are a particularly potent form of what Carl Jung called “big dreams,” the emotionally vibrant ones we remember for the rest of our lives. [snip] [ ... Read the full article ... ]