This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

Latest Episodes:

When Children Have Seizures Dec 11, 2020

Show notes

What happens in a child's brain to cause seizures, and why have children with epilepsy been so stigmatized? In this encore presentation, Dr. Stieg talks with pediatric neurosurgeon Caitlin Hoffman, MD, and neuropsychologist Heidi Bender, PhD, to provide a primer for parents, classmates, and teachers. Plus... How best to help if you see someone having a seizure.

Are We Wired for Anxiety? Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

In this encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes, Dr. Stieg talks to psychiatrist Richard Friedman about the neuroscience of fear: How parents can transmit anxiety to their kids, how some babies seem hard-wired for anxiety, and why a little anxiety is good for you (but too much is like a burglar alarm that sounds all the time).

The Gut-Brain Conversation Nov 13, 2020

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Microbes in your intestine are talking to cells in your brain all the time – and what they say can affect everything from inflammatory diseases to psychiatric disorders. Microbiologist David Artis, PhD, and psychiatrist Conor Liston, MD, PhD, explain the connection between your microbiota and your mind – and how to influence their conversation. Plus… another reason to avoid unnecessary antibiotics

Focus on ADHD Oct 30, 2020

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Diagnosing and treating attention deficit disorder can be tricky – not every hyperactive kid has ADHD, and some very calm children are extremely inattentive. Pediatric clinical neuropsychologist David Salsberg, PhD, explains what part of the brain is "asleep" in those with true ADHD, and how to identify kids who need intervention. Plus… when is medication really necessary?

Conscious and Trapped Inside Oct 16, 2020

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From drug cocktails to deep brain stimulation, there is new hope for brain-injured patients with "locked-in syndrome" in minimally conscious states. Dr. Nicholas Schiff, Professor of Neuroscience at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells the dramatic stories of patient reawakenings from comas lasting many years.

Dread Making Decisions? Oct 02, 2020

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What happens in our brains when we're confronted with decisions? And why do some people dread making decisions more than others? Dr. Gregory Berns, neuroscientist and Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, explains that there are different brain systems involved in the decisions we make. When faced with choices, we want to pursue pleasure and happiness as much as we want to avoid pain and negative outcomes. Decision making is also about projecting ourselves into the future and how much uncertainty we can handle.

Do Our Dogs Really Love Us? Sep 18, 2020

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Dogs and the humans who cherish them have a unique bond unlike any other. We wonder all too often, do our dogs love us as much as we love them? What are they really thinking? Are we projecting our own feelings onto these treasured family members in trying to understand them? Emory University neuroscientist Dr. Gregory Berns, has made some extraordinary findings. After spending years using MRI imaging technology to study the human brain, he then used this same approach to study dogs' brains. It turns out that our furry friends are much smarter than we thought!

Consciousness and Mental Time Travel Sep 04, 2020

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Our thoughts about the future are directly influenced by past memories and our deepest emotions. Dr. Joseph LeDoux, Professor of Neural Science at NYU, gives us an intriguing look at the areas of the brain that create the uniquely human experience of consciousness and how our ability to mentally "time travel" allows us to form a personal awareness of our place In the world.

Hope for the Lonely Aug 21, 2020

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The pandemic has produced a dramatic new wave of loneliness for those coping with loss, grief, and social isolation. Although the feeling of loneliness is not a medical condition, it can easily transition into the clinical disorders of depression and anxiety. Dr. Richard Friedman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, explains how the upheaval of prolonged loneliness can affect the brain and heart, and how loneliness can be more quickly remedied than one would think.

How Noise Affects Our Brains Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

Blaring music, incessant traffic, those early-morning lawn mowers — you know they're bad for your sanity, but for your brain? Dr. Mathias Basner, an expert on the effects of noise on health, explains what goes on in your body when it's subjected to prolonged high-decibel exposure, including irreversible hearing loss, cognitive decline, even heart attacks. Fortunately, there are some practical ways to protect yourself — and to reduce your own "noise footprint."