The Brain Coffee Podcast

There has been a significant shift in how we treat Alzheimer’s over the past 10 years. Dr. David Michael Holtzman, Washington University neurologist and chief of neurology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, joins Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, to discuss the state of Alzheimer’s research.

Although the practice of “mindfulness” has evolved over thousands of years, its core concept of intense presence has remained unchanged. Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, explain how mindfulness and other coping mechanisms can help patients overcome a difficult diagnosis.

Why are some people more resilient than others? Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, discuss methods for building resiliency through brain training.

Why do we look left when thinking or trying to remember something? Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, explain the neuroscience behind this phenomenon and how it could also relate to lying.

Does dopamine predict or follow the stock market? Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, discuss how dopamine affects the choices we make, including decisions made on Wall Street.

The domestication and evolution of dogs has resulted in a strong emotional bond with humans through the alteration of both parties’ oxytocin love circuit. Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, describe how this increase in oxytocin happens.

Are we actually hardwired to believe in something bigger than ourselves? Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, answer this question and discuss how believing helps us develop the fundamentals for our morals and worldviews.

Midlife crisis is defined as an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically between 45 and 64 years old. Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, describe what’s going on inside the brain during a midlife crisis.

Consciousness has many definitions but most include some reference to awareness. In this debut episode of Brain Coffee, Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, discuss what it means to be aware and conscious.