Most of us probably graduated many years ago from the fairy tales of our childhood into the popular novels or biographies of adulthood. But one thing remains the same, regardless of age . . . . . . we all appreciate a good story. And aside from the pure enjoyment it gives us, and the connection to others, there’s one surprising benefit to storytelling that we might not be aware of: It can change your brain. Louis Cozolino, PhD explains why in this short video clip – just click below to check it out (it’s just 3 minutes). Click here…

“Listen to your heart.” That might sound overly romantic, but it could also be one way to improve your mental health. . . . . . at least, according to a study by researchers at the University of London. Led by Manos Tsakiris, PhD, researchers set out to see how paying attention to the rhythms of your own body affects mental health. They gathered 50 healthy female volunteers between the ages of 19 and 26 for the study. First, they measured each woman’s interoceptive awareness – in other words, how in tune they were with the information from within their…

We owe the brain a lot. Our brains are always looking out for us. They’re wired to help us survive – alerting us to threats and ramping up our amygdala to help us take action. But that same survival trigger makes healing from trauma difficult, says Pat Ogden, PhD. In fact, the very systems that are designed to keep us safe can actually stimulate trauma over and over again. Knowing how to interrupt this cycle is key to healing trauma, and Pat will show us how this Wednesday. Here’s a preview clip – I think you’ll find it fascinating, even…

It’s always a treat to relax with a cup of green tea. And we’ve known about its health benefits for a while. But here’s a new one: there’s a chemical found within green tea that might prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A team of researchers led by Jo Rushworth, PhD, looked at the effects of chemicals found in green tea and red wine on the brain. Specifically, they were interested in its effects on Alzheimer’s disease. The key event that leads to Alzheimer’s disease, they noted, was the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptides in the brain. These proteins build up and form toxic…

How far does neuroplasticity go? We’ve talked before about improving the brain’s abilities over time. On this blog, we’ve looked at how neuroplasticity allows for boosts in memory, thinking skills, and emotional regulation. But what about recovery after a major trauma – like stroke? Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, led by Steven Zeiler, MD, PhD, wanted to see how quickly the brain could recover after stroke, and whether training made a difference. First, they gathered mice and fed them a restricted diet, reducing them to 85 percent of their starting body weight. Next, they trained the mice in a food…

When someone’s frowning, or beaming, or gaping in surprise, they’re wearing their heart on their face. That’s because the muscles that control facial expression are linked to the smart vagus, says Stephen Porges, PhD. Thanks to the vagus nerve, the emotions we feel are displayed on our faces and in the sound of our voices. Without the vagus nerve, in fact, we wouldn’t be able to tell how anyone else was feeling. Here’s Stephen’s explanation for why the vagus nerve makes empathy possible – and what it means to clinicians. It’s only 3 minutes long, so please take a look….