Tag Archives: neurology

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 18

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Unraveling the Mysteries of the Amygdala: A review of a section of the book Behave by Robert Sapolsky
In the world of neuroscience, Robert Sapolsky stands as a luminary, a maestro of unraveling the intricate dance of our brain’s circuitry. Among the many deep dives that he delves into, his perspective on the amygdala resonates profoundly for me. The amygdala emerges not as a mere anatomical curiosity as he decides that rather than reducing the amygdala to a simplistic seat of fear and aggression, he highlights its diverse functions, emphasizing its involvement in the vast array of behaviors and experiences. It is a narrative view of the why the brain developed as it did to aid us in the fight against pathogens, predators and stress. Sapolsky’s take on the amygdala is nothing short of revelatory, akin to a seasoned detective peeling away layers of a perplexing case. There are diverse neuronal pathways in this almond-shaped structure nestled deep within our temporal lobes and they have profound purpose. The amygdala emerges not merely as a primal seat of fear and aggression, but as a nuanced orchestrator of our emotional lives. All mammals have emotional responses that are split second to threat, joy and relationship. This is mediated……Plus a section on DNA and memory. Finally, a recipe.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 51

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Literature Review
1) High resting cardiac vagal tone or control, CVC, is associated with more flexible emotional responding to external stressful stimuli. With regard to vagal changes the evidence shows us that stress will decrease CVC . (Balzarotti et. al. 2017)
Being relaxed and not stressed out is always associated with better cellular physiology. CVC is a marker of relaxation and thus emotional control. Whenever you find yourself emotionally dysregulated, there is a good chance that your vagal tone is off. Work to meditate, exercise and relax which will increase CVC and help you cope.
2) Continuing on the same theme….. plus a discussion on maternal neural hormonal rewiring, and a recipe of the week.

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 4

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This week we do a literature review looking at Neurology with specific stops at sleep loss and emotional regulation, APOE4 and Alzheimer’s Disease, memory consolidation with sleep versus wake, gaslighting and more . We also look at potassium as a mineral of necessity. We finish with obesity and Semaglutide.   Enjoy, Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 1

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Covid update #77 with quick hits on vaccines in young adults, POTS or hypotension following Covid 19 as well as obesity and Sars2. Non covid research looking at the brain.

From Nature Communications: “Parkinson’s disease (PD) may start in the gut and spread to the brain. To investigate the role of gut microbiome, we conducted a large-scale study, at high taxonomic resolution, using uniform standardized methods from start to end… Here we show that over 30% of species, genes and pathways tested have altered abundances in PD, depicting a widespread dysbiosis.”

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #36 Nancy O’Hara – MD, MPH – PANS/CANS/PANDAS

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This weeks guest is Dr. Nancy O’Hara, a leading expert in the field of basal ganglia encephalitis and pediatric abrupt onset autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. O’Hara graduated with highest honors from Bryn Mawr College and was part of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed her residency, chief residency and general pediatric fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.
Before she began her medical career, Dr. O’Hara taught children with autism. From 1993 to 1998, Dr O’Hara was a practicing general pediatrician and partner in a group practice. In 1999, she began her consultative, integrative practice for children with special needs, dedicating her practice to treating children with neurodevelopmental disorders, ADHD, PANS/PANDAS and BGE, OCD, Lyme, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
She recently published a book, Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, a desktop reference on basal ganglia encephalitis. She spends a large bucket of her time training and teaching other clinicians how to treat these complex disorders in children.
This is a very in-depth conversation that is a full pathway of cause to effect and resolution.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #26 – Dr. Bonnie Kaplan – The Better Brain

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Dr. Bonnie Kaplan is an emeritus professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She is a research psychologist who has published widely on the biochemical etiologies of developmental disorders and mental health. She studied at Brandeis University, University of Chicago and Butler University. Her focus is the contribution of nutrition to brain development and brain activity. Dr. Kaplan is the recipient of the Dr. Rogers prize for excellence in complementary and alternative medicine.
This week we sit down to discuss her research, her book, The Better Brain and the science of mental health. Her book is a treatise in how to overcome Anxiety, combat Depression and reduce ADHD and stress with nutrition.
I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Kaplan,
Dr. M