Mood disorders and the problem of regulation When we talk about mood disorders, we typically describe them using emotional terms. Perhaps unsurprisingly, phrases such as anxiety, irritability, loss of interest, low mood, or emotional numbness tend to dominate conversation. For many people, however, these labels feel incomplete and only reflect part of the story. What…
The festive season in South Africa is often centred around food, friends, and a few more drinks than usual. From long afternoons at the braai to late nights with family and friends, alcohol is a familiar part of how many people celebrate. While most people think of this as harmless seasonal indulgence, alcohol has real…
This post is about VNS after stroke and how VNS helps with recovery. VNS is short for vagal nerve stimulation, a form of bioelectric neuromodulation, a nuanced treatment for brain disorders. It’s been around for decades, but recent discoveries mean it no longer requires invasive surgery. We’ve been using the noninvasive form of VNS at…
A large meta-analysis involving more than 1.5 million participants has identified an association between energy drink consumption and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Importantly, this does not imply that energy drinks cause suicide, but it does suggest that their use may be linked to underlying psychological or behavioural risk factors. Let’s unpack the connection between energy…
Your Breathprint — The Signature Written in Air Every breath you take recruits a symphony of neurons whose unique wiring shapes the rhythm of your inhalations and exhalations. This isn’t random noise. It’s a living pattern — a breathprint — as distinctive to you as your fingerprint. Think of it as a neural conformation shaped…
For decades, neuroscience has shown that depression isn’t just a disorder of mood. Depression is also a disorder of brain structure and function. In particular, we know that depression can lead to shrinkage of the hippocampi in your brain. That’s a concerning piece of information. In fact, this is not a new finding. We have…
Neuroplasticity is critical to brain function. It’s so critical, that without it, you would die! That’s a remarkable statement, and, amazingly, it’s true. Neuroplasticity is all about how your brain forms new connections, how your brain rewires itself. And for any brain, that’s a core function. As pumping is to hearts, so forming new connections…
The Surprising Connection Between Wildfire Smoke and Brain Health: What You Need to Know Wildfires are getting worse. Look at what has happened in California, Greece, in Portugal. Of course, with global warming, you can be sure that there will be more devastating wildfires. Wildfires are not only ravaging the environment and endangering communities, but…
Neuroinflammation is swelling in the brain. It’s bad news. Swelling occurs in many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Alternatively, diseases such as hypertension or diabetes lead to stroke, which in turn triggers neuroinflammation. Or bad luck strikes and someone suffers a traumatic brain injury, which leads to neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation is a common…
The Classic Case of Misfolded Proteins Did you know that misfolded proteins cause Mad Cow Disease? Strictly speaking, people don’t get Mad Cow Disease. Instead, cows do! Duh! When people eat the meat of infected cows, then they get Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CKD), a kind of dementia. CKD is bad news and kills you quickly. Probably…
