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THIS WEEK ON THE INFINITE MIND:
Rewiring the Brain II
(Broadcast beginning the week of May 7, 2008)
A decade after The Infinite Mind first looked at the "neuroplasticity" of the brain (it's ability to rewire itself), we revisit the subject, and look at the bold, new breakthroughs in our understanding and practical uses of this science.
Host Dr. Fred Goodwin speaks with Dr. Norman Doidge, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst at Columbia University and the University of Toronto, and author of the New York Times bestseller, "The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph From the Frontiers of Brain Science," who chronicles how "people rewire their brains with their thoughts, to cure previously incurable obsessions and traumas."
Plus a look at neuroplasticity and meditation. We hear from Sharon Begley, science writer for Newsweek magazine and co-author with of "The Mind and The Brain: Neuroplasticity and The Power of Mental Force." She is also author of "Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves." She is joined by Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.
And we'll hear about brain gyms and mind exercises from Dr. Larry McCleary, a neurosurgeon and author of "The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, Enhance Attention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental Energy." He joins us with "news you can use" about building connections in your brain, fighting off dementia, and ending up smarter than most in your old age.
PAST SHOWS ON THE INFINITE MIND:
Educating Dick and Jane
(Broadcast beginning the week of April 23, 2008)
This week on The Infinite Mind, “Educating Dick and Jane.”
We'll look at the latest science about how boys and girls learn, the similarities and differences. Host Dr. Fred Goodwin is joined by Louann Brizendine MD, Director of the Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic of the University of California at San Francisco, and author of the book "The Female Brain," who details how the less than 1% difference in genetic coding influences stark differences between how boys and girls learn.
Plus, a special report on single sex schools. How well do they work?
And "news you can use" for parents from leading child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan about tailoring the learning environment to the strengths of the child.
A Different Sports Legacy: Head Traumas and Concussions
(Broadcast beginning the week of April 9, 2008)
This week on The Infinite Mind, “A Different Sports Legacy: Head Traumas and Concussions.”
What happens when you play rough with your brain?
We will hear from leading researchers about the links between concussions, memory loss and depression. And we hear first-hand experiences of what it's like to "get your bell rung" on the NFL playing field. Plus, the latest on preventing sports-related head trauma.
Joining host Dr. Fred Goodwin is Dr. Robert Cantu, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, and author of 300 publications on concussions. We also speak with Dr. Julian Bailes, chair of the West Virginia University Department of Neuosurgery and Dr. Benett Omalu, of University of California at Davis, regarding landmark research into the brains of deceased NFL players, which reveal startling links between concussions, and mood and memory disorders.
We also speak with NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who discusses his own experience, and whether a sports career is worth the risk of concussions; sports agent Lee Steinberg, who represents Moon, and Troy Aikman, and has been an outspoken critic of current safety standards, and we talk with Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard wrestler, turned World Wrestling Federation competitor ("Joe Harvard"), about his quest to warn other athletes about the potentially lethal dangers he’s experienced and uncovered in others. Plus, a doctor from the Centers for Disease Control on how parents can protect their children from concussions on the playing field.
Prozac Nation: Revisited
(Broadcast beginning the week of March 26, 2008)
This week on The Infinite Mind, “Prozac Nation: Revisited.”
In the wake of new high-profile violent acts by people taking anti-depressant medications, including the recent Northern Illinois University shootings, and new research on antidepressant medications and their possible link to "suicidality," we look at the science on the connection between antidepressants and violent behavior. Is there a link between antidepressants and suicide? The answer may surprise you.
Joining us are Nada Stotland, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association; Peter Pitts, a former FDA official who participated in the administration’s labeling of antidepressants as dangerous; and Andrew Leuchter, Director of the Laboratory of Brain, Behavior, and Pharmacology and Senior Research Scientist at UCLA, who has studied how press coverage and public alarm about antidepressants affects the nation’s health and willingness to be treated for real, life threatening illnesses.
Handedness
(Broadcast beginning the week of March 5, 2008)
What do Leonardo da Vinci, Oprah Winfrey, and The Infinite Mind's host all have in common? They're all left-handed. This show explores what handedness reveals about how the brain works. Boxers Mike Smith and Christina Beccles from Gleason's Boxing Gym reflect on why it is that "southpaws are like a plague in boxing." Dr. Stanley Coren, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, discusses pathological left-handedness and what he calls "the left-handed syndrome." Dr. Daniel Geschwind, Director of Neurogenetics at the University of California, Los Angeles, explores the link between handedness and language. Wordsmith Richard Lederer comments on "when you're right, you're right" and other gauche assumptions. And Dr. Stephen Christman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo in Ohio, talks about why what hand you rely on may be less significant than how strongly you rely on it... and the surprising links between handedness and memory.
ALTRUISM (broadcast beginning the week of February 27, 2008)
Is everything we do motivated by selfishness? Can a person ever act only in the best interest of another person? And when we do charitable acts -- such as giving money to a homeless person - is that a truly selfless act?
BODY CLOCKS (beginning February 20, 2008 )
Think better in the afternoon? Sleep better in the winter? Suffer jet lag? That’s because you have not one but several internal clocks, or brain cells controlling the timing of your behavior. In this show, host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores the mysterious phenomenon of “body clocks.”Finally, our commentator John Hockenberry says, "Throw away your alarm clocks!" He's got something better – the Millennium 3000 Big Ben Body Chromolite Circadian Clock Adjuster. It keeps him so refreshed and awake that he never needs to sleep at all.
TOURETTE'S SYNDROME (broadcast starting February 13, 2008)
The guttural noises, the sudden jerks of the head, and arms . . . the occasional curse word. This week’s host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores what's behind the constant need for motion and the uncontrollable urges which typify Tourette's Syndrome.
WOMEN AND MENTAL ILLNESS
(Broadcast beginning the week of February 6, 2008)
Women are more likely to have clinical depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. And their roles - particularly as mothers – can further compound their mental health problems. This program explores both the biological and social forces shaping women’s experience of mental illness. Guests include Charlotte Willis, a mother and participant in the Thresholds Mothers Program, Rush Medical College professor of psychiatry Nada Stotland, documentary maker and women’s studies professor, Allie Light, and Harvard University psychiatrist Lee Cohen.
AN EDUCATED CONSUMER (broadcast beginning January 30, 2008)
Right now in the United States, tens of millions of Americans live as part of a minority group that is routinely denied jobs, housing and basic human rights. This group has no widely recognized leaders, no Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony or Cesar Chavez. For the 44 million Americans living with mental illness, change is coming through the efforts of unsung heroes and revolutionary, grass-roots approaches to transformation. Plus commentary from John Hockenberry.
PERFECT PITCH (broadcast beginning January 23, 2008)
Why can some people name a note as soon as they hear it when others can't tell one from another? In this hour, we'll explore the mysterious ability known as perfect pitch. A cellist with perfect pitch will give a guided tour through the notes and keys. We'll also hear from a psychologist and geneticist who have different ideas about how many people have perfect pitch and why. And a report on Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which can cause physical and mental problems - and a sensitivity to music and pitch. Guests include: Gordon Grubb, a cellist with the Grossmont Symphony; Dr. Dan Levitin, a record producer and psychology professor at McGill University; Dr. Peter Gregersen, Chief of the Division of Biology and Human Genetics North Shore University Hospital; Dr. Ursula Bellugi, professor and director of the laboratory for cognitive neuroscience at the Salk Institute; Dr. Glen Schellenberg, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Howard Lenhoff, professor emeritus at the University of California at Irvine.
Shoplifting
(Broadcast beginning the week of January 16, 2008)
