“Basic mechanisms in the brain have universal applications and are the road to medical discovery,” says Ralph Greenspan, PhD. He has spent his career studying how genes affect the brain and behavior of the fruit fly. This research has lead to a deeper understanding of mechanisms in the human brain. Hear about his current efforts to develop a full brain scale activity map and the technological and medical breakthroughs emerging from this work.
Dementia is a deterioration of cognitive function that begins with mild cognitive impairment, which appears just like forgetfulness, and eventually ends in death.
There are many causes of the disease such as stroke, chronic alcohol abuse and Alzheimer’s but there is no way to reverse the damage of the brain’s degeneration.
Dr. Mario D. Garrett of San Diego State University’s School of Social Work discusses the social impacts of dementia, such as the way dementia is classified by institutions and even the errors he has found in the way dementia is perceived.
There’s plenty that goes on in these heads of ours — sometimes more than we want or understand. But just how much does the way our minds work distinguish us from other species?
In the latest series from UC San Diego’s CARTA, scientists from different fields discuss the cognitive abilities that are often regarded as unique to humans, including humor, morality, symbolism, creativity and preoccupation with the minds of others. They assess the functional uniqueness of these attributes, as opposed to the anatomical uniqueness, and whether they are indeed quantitatively or qualitatively unique to humans.
Don’t miss this chance to enjoy American poet Billy Collins as he reads a selection of humorous poems and discusses the craft of writing with Dean Nelson and an appreciative audience at the keynote event of the 2013 Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University.
New from CARTA, scientists from different fields discuss cognitive abilities often regarded as unique to humans, including humor, morality, symbolism, creativity and preoccupation with the minds of others. They assess the functional uniqueness of these attributes, as opposed to the anatomical uniqueness, and whether they are indeed quantitatively or qualitatively unique to humans.
We wrap up the six-part series on what makes music musical this month with two fascinating presentations. On April 2 at 9pm, Grammy-winning soprano and UCSD Professor of Music Susan Narucki presents “Utterance, Ritual, Expression: Why Singing Makes Us Human.”
Someone in America is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 68 seconds. Is there a way to keep this disease at bay?
Dr. Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry and director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, suggests there may be.
The program premieres on UCSD-TV tonight (Feb. 14) at 8pm, or get a jump on your brain betterment by watching it now online.
Also make sure to watch UCTV Prime’s original webseries,“Heartache & Hope: America’s Alzheimer’s Epidemic,” featuring Dr. Small and his UCLA colleagues who’ve made some promising strides in their Alzheimer’s research.