History of Lyme Disease

Guest: John Aucott, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Director, Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center

Officially identified in the 1970s, Lyme disease has largely been shrouded in a cloud of mystery. We know the disease comes from tick bites, but chronic symptoms are often hard to characterize and diagnose. The history, symptoms, and treatments of this strange illness. 

Crazy Cat Parasite

Guest: Rob Dunn, Professor, Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University

There is a parasite that gets in mice that makes them take crazy risks, almost like they're trying to get killed by cats, which is just what the parasite wants, since it can only reproduce in the guts of cats. But humans can get the parasite, too, and researchers are finding a connection between the parasite and mental illness. 

Exercise Leads to Mental Fitness

Guest:  J. Carson Smith, Associate Professor, Kinesiology, and Director, Exercise for Brain Health Laboratory, University of Maryland School of Public Health

For clearer thinking, hit the gym. Why brain health stimulates memory and cognitive function.

Electrical Brain Stimulation Increases Short-Term Memory

Guest: Robert E. Hampson, Professor, Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Researchers found that in epileptic patients with electrical implants, they could minimize the damage from Alzheimers, stroke or age-related memory loss, or severe injury to the head. 

Deep Brain Stimulation Treats Treatment-Resistant Depression

Guest: Dr. Helen Mayberg, Professor, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Neuroscience?, and Director, Nash Family Center of Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

The practice of placing tiny electrodes deep within the brain in order to stimulate specific areas of the brain, called deep brain stimulation, has been around for decades for the purpose of treating tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Now, DBS appears to also be an effective long-term treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression.