Our brain pathways are designed to get us through life’s traumas, as painful and debilitating as they are. Neurologist Lisa Shulman, MD, joins us this week to talk about how to make sense of grief, how trauma interrupts the connection between the cognitive and emotional parts of the brain, and how the brain learns to consolidate traumatic experiences and allow us to move forward.

Plus… humans are not the only creatures to feel grief – hear how other animals experience loss.

Essential Tremor is the most common brain disease you've never heard of - affecting more than 10 million Americans.

In this special episode, we her the story of Wall Street executive Alexandra Lebenthal, who suffered from Essential Tremor since child hood, and her decision to be one of the first patients in America to undergo a high-tech new, non-invasive treatment using focused ultrasound.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit

https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit

https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Everyone loves a good story. And so do our brains. Whether its books, movies, fairy tales, or even office gossip, stories are much more than just entertainment. According to Dr. Fritz Breithaupt, narratives in our lives are way more powerful than we realize. We don’t just enjoy stories, we actually need them. But why are they so important? Does the brain gain anything from a good plot on your favorite Netflix series, or the well-developed characters in an Oscar winning film?

There is actually something much more important in a good story, a reward for our brains that has actually been essential to human survival.

Plus, tales of Dungeons & Dragons as therapy!

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

We all do it - put things off, tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, and somehow still miss the deadline. But chronic procrastination isn’t just a bad habit; it’s self-sabotaging behavior that can derail our goals, relationships, and even our health.

Psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a leading expert on procrastination, breaks down the emotional roots of procrastination, debunks the myth that we “work best under pressure,” and offers science-backed strategies for change.

Plus - meet one of history’s most legendary procrastinators: Leonardo da Vinci. Find out how his epic delays shaped the Mona Lisa, and why some believe he never truly finished it.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

For five seasons now, I've been delighted to explore the wonders of the brain with my guests as well as with you, my listeners. Podcasting is fun and enlightening, and I've heard from many of you that it's been helpful as well as informative. It's also time-consuming, especially given my busy practice and my administrative duties as department chair. That's why the podcast is going on hiatus before Season 6 begins to let me attend to some of my other work for a while.

I hope you take this opportunity to catch up on episodes you may have missed over the past five seasons. There are more than 100 fascinating guests and topics to explore at your leisure. From anger to dance moves to stem cells, these episodes cover a fascinating range of topics, all centered on our most intricate and complicated organ, the brain.

See you in season 6!

###

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Humans are born with billions of neurons that need connecting – and how those synapses develop helps determine how our brains will work. There is ample evidence that a loving, nurturing environment in infancy and early childhood provides the most fertile ground for brain development.

Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, explains why a well-loved baby or child simply learns better than a neglected one, and how our contracting social circles endanger our kids.

Plus… the mystery of why average IQs rose for decades, until recently. Are technology and isolation affecting our intelligence?

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

It’s no surprise that feeling lonely is associated with depression, but did you know that loneliness may also lead to chronic inflammation, changes in the brain, and even premature death? Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University and an expert on the physiological effects of social connections, explains how our current crisis of loneliness is as much a public health threat as smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes. Discover the behavioral, psychological, and biological factors affected by loneliness, which groups are most at risk, and what we can all do to reconnect.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit
https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit
https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

Pain and fear are inevitable, especially these days, but we can retrain our brains to reduce suffering. Dr. Sara Lazar, Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, reveals how just eight weeks of mindful meditation can visibly change parts of the brain to be less reactive to pain.

Plus... how meditation apps put the power of mindfulness right in your hand.

For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com

For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org