31 episodes

Neuroscience: Amateur Hour delves into the neuroscience of everyday experiences in every episode. From anxiety to pregnancy to our addictions to candy crush - come and learn a little bit more about what's happening upstairs. 

Neuroscience: Amateur Hour Neuroscience: Amateur Hour

    • Science
    • 4.9 • 28 Ratings

Neuroscience: Amateur Hour delves into the neuroscience of everyday experiences in every episode. From anxiety to pregnancy to our addictions to candy crush - come and learn a little bit more about what's happening upstairs. 

    Episode 31: The Neuroscience of Dreams

    Episode 31: The Neuroscience of Dreams

    Dreams are both scientifically fascinating and universal. Everyone dreams, at every age and they are often nonsensical, complex, and deeply subjective. How can you quantify something so personal in the activity of cells, circuits, and systems?

    Let's find out together!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below!
    Chip Brown. The Stubborn Scientist Who Unraveled A Mystery of the Night. Smithsonian. Published October 2003. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-stubborn-scientist-who-unraveled-a-mystery-of-the-night-91514538/
    ‌Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al. The Possible Functions of REM Sleep and Dreaming. Nih.gov. Published 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11121/
    Gott JA, Liley DTJ, Hobson JA. Towards a Functional Understanding of PGO Waves. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2017;11. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00089
    ‌Senzai Y, Scanziani M. A cognitive process occurring during sleep is revealed by rapid eye movements. Science. 2022;377(6609):999-1004. doi:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abp8852
    Crick F, Mitchison G. The function of dream sleep. Nature. 1983;304(5922):111-114. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/304111a0
    ‌Hobson JA, McCarley RW. The brain as a dream state generator: an activation-synthesis hypothesis of the dream process. The American journal of psychiatry. 1977;134(12):1335-1348. doi:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.134.12.1335
    Caviglia G. Working on dreams, from neuroscience to psychotherapy. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome. 2021;24(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.540
    ‌Hobson, J. A. (1990). Activation, input source, and modulation: A neurocognitive model of the state of the brain-mind. In R. R. Bootzin, J. F. Kihlstrom, & D. L. Schacter (Eds.), Sleep and cognition (pp. 25–40). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10499-002
    Baird B, Mota-Rolim SA, Dresler M. The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2019;100:305-323. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.008
    Aspy DJ. Findings From the International Lucid Dream Induction Study. Frontiers in Psychology. 2020;11. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01746
    ‌Soffer-Dudek N. Are Lucid Dreams Good for Us? Are We Asking the Right Question? A Call for Caution in Lucid Dream Research. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2020;13. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.01423
    Gao JX, Gao Y, Li XX, et al. The Ponto-Geniculo-Occipital (PGO) Waves in Dreaming: An Overview. Brain Sciences. 2023;13(9):1350-1350. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13091350



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    • 23 min
    Episode 30: The Connection Between your Gut and the Brain

    Episode 30: The Connection Between your Gut and the Brain

    Have you ever thought about why some feelings might be described as gut-wrenching? Or why do the first feelings of love make you feel butterflies in the stomach? It's time to explore how your gut and your brain are connected!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below!
    Enteric nervous system. qbi.uq.edu.au. Published October 15, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/peripheral-nervous-system/enteric-nervous-system#:~:text=The%20enteric%20nervous%20system%20neurons
    Cleveland Clinic. Cranial Nerves: Function, Anatomy and Location. Cleveland Clinic. Published October 27, 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21998-cranial-nerves
    Mayer EA. Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut–brain communication. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2011;12(8):453-466. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3071
    Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Maselli MA, Severi C. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of gastroenterology. 2015;28(2):203-209.
    Oligschlaeger Y, Yadati T, Houben T, Condello Oliván CM, Shiri-Sverdlov R. Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Stressed “Gut/Feeling.” Cells. 2019;8(7):659. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/cells8070659
    Vancamelbeke M, Vermeire S. The intestinal barrier: a fundamental role in health and disease. Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2017;11(9):821-834. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17474124.2017.1343143
    Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S. Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: the gut-brain axis. Clinics and Practice. 2017;7(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641835/
    ‌Zoppi S, Madrigal JLM, Pérez-Nievas BG, et al. Endogenous cannabinoid system regulates intestinal barrier function in vivo through cannabinoid type 1 receptor activation. Am J Physiol Gastr L 2012;302:565.
    Radjabzadeh D, Bosch JA, Uitterlinden AG, et al. Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms. Nature Communications. 2022;13(1):7128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3
    Wapner J. The link between our food, gut microbiome and depression. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/31/gut-microbiome-anxiety-depression/. Published January 31, 2023.
    Fond G, Loundou A, Hamdani N, et al. Anxiety and depression comorbidities in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2014;264(8):651-660. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-014-0502-z
    What’s the Difference Between Probiotics and Prebiotics? www.sclhealth.org. https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/07/difference-between-probiotics-and-prebiotics/
    Liu RT, Walsh RFL, Sheehan AE. Prebiotics and probiotics for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2019;102:13-23. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.023
    Doll JPK, Vázq
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    • 23 min
    Episode 29: The Neuroscience of Alien Hand Syndrome

    Episode 29: The Neuroscience of Alien Hand Syndrome

    A tragic incident - a brain injury, a stroke, the development of a neurodegenerative disease, and all of a sudden, a patient's arm no longer belongs to them. It will pull their hair, pinch their cheeks, and grab miscellaneous objects, seemingly developing a mind of its own.

    How can something that belongs to you and is controlled by your brain, your electrical pulses, and your motor neurons ever develop a mind of its own? Listen to find out more!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below!
    Doody RS, Jankovic J. The alien hand and related signs. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 1992;55(9):806-810. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.55.9.806
    Panikkath R, Panikkath D, Mojumder D, Nugent K. The alien hand syndrome. Proceedings (Baylor University Medical Center). 2014;27(3):219-220. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059570/#:~:text=Alien%20hand%20syndrome%20is%20a
    Caixeta L, Maciel P, Nunes J, Nazareno L, Araújo L, Borges JR. Alien hand syndrome in AIDS: Neuropsychological features and physiopathological considerations based on a case report. Dementia & Neuropsychologia. 2007;1(4):418-421. doi:https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-57642008dn10400016
    Alyssa Anderson. What Is Alien Hand Syndrome? WebMD. Published April 8, 2022. https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-alien-hand-syndrome
    Parry-Romberg Syndrome | Boston Children’s Hospital. www.childrenshospital.org. https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/parry-romberg-syndrome
    Feinberg TE, Schindler RJ, Flanagan NG, Haber LD. Two alien hand syndromes. Neurology. 1992;42(1):19-19. doi:https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.42.1.19
    Le K, Zhang C, Greisman L. Alien hand syndrome – a rare presentation of stroke. Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives. 2020;10(2):149-150. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20009666.2020.1756610
    Motor Cortex (Section 3, Chapter 3) Neuroscience Online: An Electronic Textbook for the Neurosciences | Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy - The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. nba.uth.tmc.edu. https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s3/chapter03.html#:~:text=The%20premotor%20cortex%20appears%20to
    Bru I, Verhamme L, Neve P, Maebe H. Rehabilitation of a patient with alien hand syndrome: A case report of a 61-year old man. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine – Clinical Communications. 2021;4(1):jrmcc00050. doi:https://doi.org/10.2340/20030711-1000050
    Gheewala G, Gadhia R, Surani S, Ratnani I. Posterior Alien Hand Syndrome from Acute Ischemic Left Parietal Lobe Infarction. Cureus. Published online October 3, 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.5828
    Mannella F, Mirolli M, Baldassarre G. Goal-Directed Behavior and Instrumental Devaluation: A Neural System-Level Computational Model. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2016;10. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00181
    McBride J, Sumner P, Jackson SR, Bajaj N, Husain M. Exaggerated object affordance and absent automatic inhibition in alien hand syndrome. Cortex. 2013;49(8):2040-2054. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.01.004

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    • 23 min
    Episode 28: MRI or the Salmon in the Scanner with the Eventually To Be Dr. Ilya

    Episode 28: MRI or the Salmon in the Scanner with the Eventually To Be Dr. Ilya

    Could a dead salmon be thinking or is something else at play? If you're curious about the answer to that question and want to learn more about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), come and listen!

    Featuring special guest the Eventually To be Dr. Ilya, this episode discusses the science behind MRI, how noise can affect imaging and landmark studies in the field!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below!

    Bennett C, Miller M, Wolford G. Neural correlates of interspecies perspective taking in the post-mortem Atlantic Salmon: an argument for multiple comparisons correction. NeuroImage. 2009;47:S125. doi:10.1016/s1053-8119(09)71202-9

    Scicurious. IgNobel Prize in Neuroscience: The dead salmon study. Scientific American Blog Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/ignobel-prize-in-neuroscience-the-dead-salmon-study/

    Van Dijk KRA, Sabuncu MR, Buckner RL. The influence of head motion on intrinsic functional connectivity MRI. NeuroImage. 2012;59(1):431-438. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.044

    Nishimoto S, Vu An T, Naselaris T, Benjamini Y, Yu B, Gallant Jack L. Reconstructing Visual Experiences from Brain Activity Evoked by Natural Movies. Current Biology. 2011;21(19):1641-1646. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.08.031

    Will GJ, Rutledge RB, Moutoussis M, Dolan RJ. Neural and computational processes underlying dynamic changes in self-esteem. FeldmanHall O, ed. eLife. 2017;6:e28098. doi:10.7554/eLife.28098




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    • 29 min
    Episode 27: The Neuroscience of Octopuses

    Episode 27: The Neuroscience of Octopuses

    Two words - Octopus brains! Nine of them!!!

    But seriously, if you want to learn about the insanity of the dispersed octopus nervous system, come and take a listen!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below!
    The Many Plurals of “Octopus.” Merriam-webster.com. Published 2019. Accessed September 16, 2019. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes
    Nine Brains Are Better Than One: An Octopus’ Nervous System | Biomechanics in the Wild. sites.nd.edu. https://sites.nd.edu/biomechanics-in-the-wild/2021/04/07/nine-brains-are-better-than-one-an-octopus-nervous-system/
    ‌Sumbre G, Gutfreund Y, Fiorito G, Flash T, Hochner B. Control of Octopus Arm Extension by a Peripheral Motor Program. Science. 2001;293(5536):1845-1848. doi:10.1126/science.1060976
    Godfrey-Smith P. The Mind of an Octopus. Scientific American Mind. 2016;28(1):62-69. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0117-62
    Hochner B. An Embodied View of Octopus Neurobiology. Current Biology. 2012;22(20):R887-R892. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.001
    Hochner B, Brown ER, Langella M, Shomrat T, Fiorito G. A Learning and Memory Area in the Octopus Brain Manifests a Vertebrate-Like Long-Term Potentiation. Journal of Neurophysiology. 2003;90(5):3547-3554. doi:10.1152/jn.00645.2003
    Park M. AMPA Receptor Trafficking for Postsynaptic Potentiation. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2018;12. doi:10.3389/fncel.2018.00361
    Huang EP. Synaptic plasticity: Going through phases with LTP. Current Biology. 1998;8(10):R350-R352. doi:10.1016/s0960-9822(98)70219-2



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    • 12 min
    Episode 26: The Neuroscience of Seizures and Epilepsy

    Episode 26: The Neuroscience of Seizures and Epilepsy

    Hello! I return!

    Today we will be talking about the neuroscience of seizures and epilepsy. Brought about an imbalance of the accelerators (excitatory circuits) and brakes (inhibitory circuits) of the brain, seizures are pretty terrifying events. They're marked by temporary confusion, a staring spell, uncontrollable jerking of the arms and legs (like what you see when someone depicts a seizure on gray's anatomy), loss of consciousness, or even some cognitive and emotional symptoms. Curious to find out what the heck the brain is up to during seizures? Come and listen to find out more!

    Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at neuroscienceamateurhour@gmail.com or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

    Also if you have the means/desire to financially support this podcast - please go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/neuroscience
    I really appreciate it!!!

    Citations and relevant papers are below! 
    Types of Seizures. www.hopkinsmedicine.org. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/epilepsy/types-of-seizures#:~:text=Focal%20onset%20seizures%20start%20in
    Rs F, Jh C, Ja F, et al. Operational Classification of Seizure Types by the International League Against Epilepsy: Position Paper of the ILAE Commission for Classification and Terminology. Epilepsia. Published April 1, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28276060/
    Types of Seizures. Epilepsy Foundation. https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy/seizure-types
    Articles. Cedars-Sinai. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/m/myoclonic-epilepsy.html
    Bromfield EB, Cavazos JE, Sirven JI. Basic Mechanisms Underlying Seizures and Epilepsy. Nih.gov. Published 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2510/
    Peng SJ, Hsin YL. Functional Connectivity of the Corpus Callosum in Epilepsy Patients with Secondarily Generalized Seizures. Frontiers in Neurology. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00446
    Kim T, Nguyen P, Pham N, et al. Epileptic Seizure Detection and Experimental Treatment: A Review. Frontiers in Neurology. 2020;11. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00701
    Ammothumkandy A, Ravina K, Wolseley V, et al. Altered adult neurogenesis and gliogenesis in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Nature Neuroscience. 2022;25(4):493-503. doi:10.1038/s41593-022-01044-2
    CDKL5 cyclin dependent kinase like 5 [Homo sapiens (human)] - Gene - NCBI. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed August 3, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6792
    ‌CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder. Epilepsy Foundation. Accessed August 3, 2022. https://www.epilepsy.com/causes/genetic/cdkl5-disorder
    Sørensen AT, Kokaia M. Novel approaches to epilepsy treatment. Epilepsia. 2012;54(1):1-10. doi:10.1111/epi.12000
    Rogawski MA, Löscher W. The neurobiology of antiepileptic drugs. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2004;5(7):553-564. doi:10.1038/nrn1430



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    • 17 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
28 Ratings

28 Ratings

StarSharon ,

Love the episode on alien hand syndrome

I've only listened to one episode so far and it was very informative and interesting. I really like that the host takes an amateur approach, getting just technical enough to appeal to science lovers that are not professionals in the field. The episodes listened to, about alien hand syndrome, was well researched and led me to draw some parallels between aspects of the syndrome and an interview on the podcast The Daily. In The Daily episode, the Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, was explaining how AI mimics neural networks in the brain and eventually can learn from itself, becoming independent as the hand or limb does in AHS. Anyway, thanks for this thought provoking episode.

Batesonmaig ,

Very informational and interesting.

I really hope this show comes back. Great content.

picky pod listener ,

Love it!!!

Love smart girls, and this girl is smart!

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