Dana Foundation Blog

To dream, perchance to prepare

I was 17 and a month from leaving for college when a friend told her sister and me about her impending divorce from Anderson. But this friend was also 17, about to be a senior in high school and most certainly not married. She was having a conversation in her sleep.

This episode, hilarious at the time, came to mind when I read the Nov. 9 New York Times article “A Dream Interpretation: Tuneups for the Brain.” It recounts a new hypothesis for why we dream by Harvard psychiatrist and sleep researcher J. Allan Hobson: that the brain is preparing itself for conscious awareness.

According to Hobson’s hypothesis, dreaming is a “parallel state of consciousness that is continually running but normally suppressed during waking.” (New York University neurologist and physiologist Rodolfo Llinás goes further, contending that dreaming represents consciousness itself—and that when we’re awake, our senses “correct” the underlying procession of dreams.)

Hobson, who has written about consciousness and dreaming in Cerebrum, presented his theory in a recent paper in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. The hypothesis stems in part from advances in studying REM sleep, the article notes. Evidence indicates that this dream-laden sleep stage helps neurons wire up, particularly in areas of the brain related to vision. Other research suggests that in lucid dreaming, in which people observe their own dreams, brain-wave activity reflects elements of both REM sleep and waking awareness.

As for the dream my friend was relaying? It would seem to be among the approximately 80 percent of dreams that comprise people and places the dreamer has never encountered—before or since, in my friend’s case.

Anderson, you can rest easy.

-Dan Gordon

Brain science brings people together

Last week, while cycling in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, I met three wonderful women who asked me to join them on their 30-mile ride. The four of us took off on a two-hour journey, sharing breathtaking views of the magnificent canyon. However, it wasn’t long before we realized that we also shared a strong interest in news about brain research, as each one of us has or had a parent or family member suffering the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

My companions told me about a wonderful fundraiser they attended, benefiting the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. I’m familiar with this new, cutting-edge institution, which was designed by well-known architect Frank Gehry, because several Dana Alliance members are on the external scientific advisory board: Paul Greengard, Ph.D., a professor of molecular and cellular neuroscience at Rockefeller University; Zaven Khachaturian, Ph.D. president and chief executive officer of Keep Memory Alive in Las Vegas; John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the University of Pennsylvania; and Nancy Wexler, Ph.D., a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University.

But brain science is not just about uncovering the mysteries behind brain disorders; it’s also about keeping our brains healthy. So we’re excited that the Dana Alliance is partnering with AARP Events and the Lou Ruvo Center for AARP’S Annual Life@50+, which will be held Oct. 22-24 in Las Vegas. Among the events the first day will be Staying Sharp, a live public program focusing on how the brain works and how to maximize brain function and health as we age, featuring a panel discussion with Khachaturian.

So while the four of us (all well beyond AARP membership age) soared down a 1,000-foot drop to conclude our ride, we were comforted to know that brain research holds promise and potential for us all.

-Leticia Barnes

Deep brain stimulation in the news

Ever since the Food and Drug Administration approved deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment for Parkinson’s disease in 2002 and dystonia in 2003, the media have closely followed the challenges and promise that this revolutionary technology has brought to patients around the world.

A recent issue of U.S. News & World Report, for instance, features “Deep Brain Stimulation: A Pacemaker for Parkinson’s Disease and More,” a story about a 54-year-old Parkinson’s patient who has had mixed results after receiving the brain implant two years ago.

DBS involves major brain surgery, and as the article shows, it doesn’t always produce dramatic improvements. But as a result of pioneering work by Dana Alliance members, among others, DBS now offers hope to patients with movement disorders who have no other treatment options—and has shown promise for several other devastating brain disorders. The renowned work of Mahlon DeLong, M.D., on the basal ganglia paved the way for modern DBS therapy for Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. The research of Helen Mayberg, M.D., has made DBS an experimental therapy for patients with severe depression whose symptoms are not alleviated by conventional therapies.

For more information about the history of DBS, its promising applications and the ethical challenges it poses, take a look at our recent book Deep Brain Stimulation: A New Treatment Shows Promise in the Most Difficult Cases, by award-winning science writer Jamie Talan.

-Leticia Barnes

Wednesday on PBS: “The Music Instinct”

Musician and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, who followed his popular-science book This Is Your Brain on Music (2006) with The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature last year, is co-host of an interesting-looking two-hour documentary that explores the science behind music. The program will air on many PBS stations starting at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Musicians abound in the show, “The Music Instinct: Science and Song,” including Yo-Yo Ma, as well as co-host Bobby McFerrin doing an improvisation with his son, Taylor. Scientists interviewed include Oliver Sacks on whether we’re wired for music and Stephen Mithen on whether Neanderthals, who had no actual language, may have communicated through music. Other topics include music as therapy, how we hear a note’s duration and the importance of early musical training.

The section of PBS’s Web site for the show also has many short video clips, background reading and surveys, as well as extensive lesson plans for teachers on improvisation, rhythm and vibration.

—Nicky Penttila

Don’t eat the marshmallow

A new article in the New Yorker revisits experiments from the 1960s in which 4-year-olds were given a treat such as a marshmallow and told that if they could resist the urge to eat it, after a few minutes they would be rewarded with, for example, a second marshmallow. At first, researcher Walter Mischel was studying mental processes that underlie the (in)ability to resist the temptation. However, later anecdotes brought Mischel back to his research subjects when they were older—and he found that the people who had delayed gratification at age 4 scored, on average, 210 points higher on the SAT. One of the promising aspects of the research is that teaching children simple mental techniques can help them learn to control their impulses.

The article also features the work of John Jonides’ lab at the University of Michigan. There, researchers are imaging the brains of the original marshmallow-study participants. Already they have found that those who resisted the urge to eat the marshmallow perform better on working-memory and behavioral tasks. (Jonides also researched how music affects memory for the Dana Foundation’s Learning, Arts, and the Brain report).

On May 13, the radio program “On Point” took the concept and applied it to the current economic climate, one in which many of us are becoming more familiar with delayed gratification. Interviewees include Mischel, article author Jonah Lehrer and New York University economic historian Richard Sylla.

—Dan Gordon

HBO’S Alzheimer’s Project draws attention

If you know someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or have ever worried about getting this malady, which affects one out of eight people age 65 or older, I recommend HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project. The Web site includes dozens of short videos about families coping with the ailment and scientists talking about the progress they are making in diagnosing and treating it. HBO is showing four full-length documentaries on consecutive evenings starting Sunday, May 10, at 9 p.m. EDT; the channel is unscrambling its signal just for these pieces so that even nonsubscribers can view them. Also on the Web site are areas where you can share your experiences and read about those of others, as well as links to helpful research and organizations.

This important project provides an up-to-date look at the challenges people with Alzheimer’s and their families face in their day-to-day lives. In addition, The Alzheimer’s Project shows hope on the horizon as we witness the pioneering work of 25 leading scientists and physicians (including some who are members of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives) and get an inside view of their laboratories and clinics.

I applaud HBO for raising the public’s awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and also demonstrating how brain science is changing the way we live.

—Leticia Barnes

Cosmetic neurology in the New Yorker

The Dana Foundation keeps close tabs on the young field of neuroethics, one area of which—neuroenhancement—receives in-depth treatment in the April 27 issue of the New Yorker. In “Brain Gain,” Margaret Talbot focuses in particular on the drugs Adderall, prescribed for years for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and Provigil, prescribed for narcolepsy. Looking for an edge, more and more healthy people are taking these drugs.

Talbot concludes that neuroenhancers are the “defining drug” of our era. She writes that although banning their use would not make sense because too many people are using them and most users can be trusted not to go too far, some of the ways in which people use them are “dispiriting.”

The article refers to a 2004 essay in which Paul McHugh, author of our 2008 book Try to Remember, expresses skepticism about this “cosmetic neurology.” It neglects to mention that McHugh’s essay was part of a debate published in Cerebrum. Sparring with McHugh was Art Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a lively debate, well worth a read.

And if you’re interested in more—or if your last dose hasn’t worn off yet—take a look at the Webcast of our 2007 panel discussion, “The Neuroethics of Enhancement.”

—Dan Gordon

A Dana classic for the holidays

December signals the approach of the cold days of winter and the beginning of the annual holiday mania. As theaters across the country launch their productions of the Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” TV networks air the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” and retail stores and radios blast the seasonal music, I would like to offer you yet another option. It’s a book I’d like to call a “Dana classic”: The Bard on the Brain: Understanding the Mind Through the Art of Shakespeare and the Science of Imaging, by Paul M. Matthews, M.D., and Jeffrey McQuain, Ph.D.

What does “Shakespeare and the brain” have to do with the holidays? As we move through the holiday season, we’re all likely to experience many emotions, thoughts and memories brought about by music and gatherings with friends and families. Our senses will be activated strongly by traditional culinary delights and spirits. In The Bard on the Brain, through the beauty of some of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, we learn what brain science can tell us about our thoughts and feelings, memories both good and bad and the ways in which art and science together can provide us keen insight into the human mind.

—Leticia Barnes

Spotless mind, spotty science?

Aalok Mehta's shrewd but impassioned exposé on the neuro-ignorance of Fox's new thriller Fringe led me to examine my own critical eye for science on the screen. When it comes to demanding realism from fictional brains, have I been—forgive me—turning the other cortex?

I grew up watching Mulder and Scully solve The X-Files, and I feel the same sort of ingrained loyalty for these childhood friends as I do for superheroes, astronauts and the 1995 Baltimore Orioles. So my tolerance for telepathy and brain-controlling viruses (not to mention infield errors and pop flies to second base) might be higher than yours. In general, I don't mind the “fi” elements of sci-fi shows such as The X-Files and Star Trek.

Nor do I mind the Freud-inspired fantasies of Memento, Fight Club or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in which tight plotting and smart writing use but do not abuse a few science-stretching elements. These films explore the mysteries of brain function—memory, qualia, emotion, personality—without insulting their audience or exploiting their subject matter. But I balk at the lazy tactic of using brain disorders as a catch-all explanation for odd personalities and villainous behavior.

Hand-waving away an evildoer's motives with breathy mutterings about “paranoid schizophrenia” is a favorite move in action blockbusters, even though violence in patients with schizophrenia is rare—rarer than among alcoholics. Criminal offenders? The two latest Batman fight-o-ramas The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, both of which portray schizophrenic patients as agents of mayhem.

Then you have films such as Forrest Gump, in which a cloyingly sentimental portrait ignores the realities of illness and instead triumphs its protagonist as a wise sage. This cheapens the struggles faced daily by patients and their families, life-affirming aphorisms notwithstanding.

For a sympathetic and unsentimental depiction of the mentally ill, look to Miloş Forman's masterpiece, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The characters are humans: not saints, not villains, not placeholders for their disorders. They are troubled, yes, but, to quote Jack Nicholson's R.P. McMurphy, “no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.”

At a recent post-screening discussion at the AFI Silver Theatre, Forman shed some light on his methods. He forbade his actors from reading up on the mentally ill; rather, he had them spend several weeks interacting with patients at a mental hospital. Some of these patients appear in the movie.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest's cultural legacy may be defined by the scenes in which Nicholson undergoes electroconvulsive (shock) therapy and, eventually, a lobotomy. The harrowing result helped to define in the 1970s popular conscience what treatment in “the system” involved. It is an oversimplification of therapy that doctors are fighting still. Nevertheless, I think this film succeeds where many others fail in depicting with real humanity the mysteries, both dark and whimsical, of the human mind. No brain-warping viruses necessary.

—Ben Mauk

Bad science watch: Fringe

Attention anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of science: If you haven’t had a chance to catch the new sci-fi TV show Fringe, you might want to continue to keep away.

Tuesday’s episode of the X-Files-esque Fox series had me nearly apoplectic with its particularly egregious neuroscience sins (warning: spoilers abound). For instance, the villain in this particular case, we eventually find out, is a serial murderer suffering from a genetically engineered overactive pituitary gland. “Scientists” had developed the technique to grow soldiers quickly but never perfected a way to turn off the accelerated development process—though somehow harvesting exactly five pituitary glands every few years and eating them is somehow able to arrest this process. Even worse, it turns out, is that this man can somehow pass on his abnormality through his sperm. A woman he has a one-night stand with becomes pregnant and conceives within 30 minutes of meeting him—even though the pituitary gland doesn’t even form until well into development—and her child somehow borrows enough mass and energy from the surrounding air to die as a fully-grown old man just hours later.

Then there is the way the killer is apprehended. Our heroes extract a victim’s last image from her optic nerve to find the murderer’s hideout—a process made possible because he used a muscle relaxant to make his surgeries easier. Exactly how does a muscle relaxant affect any part of the visual system, and where exactly is this image frozen?

Science-based TV shows play fast and loose with established knowledge for the sake of dramatic effect, of course, and that’s completely understandable. What is not excusable, though, is for a show to get so much wrong when it bills itself as being about science (admittedly, “fringe science”). A “full-fledged scientist” is part of the main cast, and one of the showpiece sets is a research laboratory, in a Harvard basement no less. Shows like Doctor Who and Star Trek can get away with hand-waving explanations because they are futuristic fantasy; The X-Files was a horror show with FBI agents as its leads. Fringe, with its claims of “hard science,” needs to meet a higher standard because it set that standard itself.

Worse, Fringe suffers poorly in comparison its lead-in, the medical drama House M.D. That show is no scientific exemplar—with its presentations of extremely rare and unusual diseases, the hyper-accelerated tests, the outlandish no-consent treatments, the four-person team trained in almost every conceivable medical procedure and much more—but it certainly takes its science more seriously. At least one medical doctor grades many episodes of the show quite favorably, and the show lists a number of medical consultants in its credits. A quick scan of Fringe’s credits list no scientific consultants.

—Aalok Mehta

Bipolar disorder in children

Stark, fascinating and moving: These three words sum up an in-depth article from Sunday’s New York Times Magazine about bipolar disorder in children.

As the article points out, there is controversy regarding the diagnosis, not least because it can co-occur with other disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. But in some cases, there is clear evidence of bipolar disorder, the diagnosis of which has increased among both children and adults.

The article shines light on complicated aspects of the disorder and various treatments, but more than that, it takes us into the lives of families who must deal with challenges I hope I never have to face.

—Dan Gordon

Calling all Cubs fans – don’t fret, consider your frontal lobes!

September brings fresh meaning to the phrase “Cubbie Occurrences.” After months with a winning record, the team has collapsed, with a streak of losses this month (it is 3-6 so far in September). And yesterday, news of Hurricane Ike’s potential swing through baseball territory led to the postponement of the first two games of this weekend’s schedule.

But according to Jordan Grafman, contributor to our book Your Brain on Cubs, who is featured on ESPN’s Outside the Lines this week, these occurrences may be just what the frontal lobes need. Grafman says that if Cubs fans want to “maintain superiority of the Chicago Brain, they have to cycle a bit through losses and victories so they can still use their reasoning power and creativity to think about the Cubs.”

To read more about the frontal lobes of Cubs fans and perspectives from Cubs fans ages 7 to 100 check out the Outside the Lines feature No Love Lost by Wayne Drehs. And don’t forget to catch the show itself, on Sunday at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

—Leticia Barnes

Easy listening

One of my favorite monthly podcasts is Nature NeuroPod, done by Kerri Smith for Nature.com. (The Dana Foundation sponsors the podcasts, wisely leaving the hard work to the experts.) The only drawback for me had been the length of the podcast: Finding 30 straight minutes to pay close attention to scientists talking can be a challenge. But with its latest offering, the podsters have solved my problem—and added even more goodies.

In addition to the full feed in its many audio-format permutations, the site now also offers each story segment separately and says how long each is. I can spare six minutes now to learn about selfish genes and another six after the morning meeting to hear about mice that eat well but don’t gain weight. And if I want to hear more than the 10 minutes on magic and neuroscience in the podcast, there’s a link to an even longer version of its main interview. Even better, for those like me who like visual reinforcement, below each segment are links to the research and essays mentioned in the piece.

From this online listener, thanks.

—Nicky Penttila

Shakespeare’s word use embiggens the brain

Shakespeare’s word use embiggens the brain

A famous philosopher once said “verbing weirds language.” While I admit that Calvin doesn’t exactly have the ivory tower cred of, say, his namesake, in this case not even Wittgenstein could have said it better.

Of course, Calvin (the tiger-towing tyke, not the theologian) couldn’t have known that, years after he coined his linguistic maxim, I would Google the phrase in order to find a JPEG (jay-peg) of the strip, to which I could hyperlink while blogging. In fact, the previous sentence would have seemed like so much gibberish to Calvin, who philosophized from the funny pages between 1985 and 1995, before Internet-speak invaded our vernacular. Language weirds quickly these days.

But then, writers have always weirded words, for practicality or contrived effect. The recent Literary Review article “The Shakespeared Brain” looks at how the Bard reinvented nouns as verbs and verbs as adjectives in his offerings of “the great creative example of what the human mind can do”:

I told my brain scientists that one small but powerful example of this quick Elizabethan shorthand is what is now called functional shift or word-class conversion … . For example: an adjective is made a verb when in The Winter's Tale heavy thoughts are said to 'thick my blood.' A pronoun is made into a noun when Olivia in Twelfth Night is called 'the cruellest she alive.'

In an experiment detailed in the article, functional shift is found to have a distinct and unique effect on the brain, one that this author argues makes us “more alive, at a level of neural excitement never fully exorcised by later conceptualization.”

As with music, we’re a long way from explaining the mysterious pleasures of the spoken word. Our brains revel in both, “those sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.”

However, these studies at least suggest hopeful beginnings, as does The Bard on the Brain from Dana Press, which explores Shakespeare’s dramatization of the human mind and brain, including the magic of language, through brain imaging.

—Ben Mauk

‘Patient voices’ on Parkinson’s—and more

The New York Times has an interesting health feature under way: an interactive story for which patients speak for themselves about their experiences. These features have been posted monthly since April, and four of the first five have been brain-related.

In this month’s edition, we hear from people with Parkinson’s disease. Don’t miss the pictures as you listen to their stories. Related materials include a blog post by Times health columnist Tara Parker-Pope (with 30 comments so far) and an undated Q&A with researcher Irene Richard.

The previous brain-related “Patient Voices” topics include bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and stroke.

—Dan Gordon

Tired of trying to remember? Get some sleep!

Most of us are well aware that our brains need more rest. We’re besieged with commercials for all types of prescription sleep aids and bombarded by advice on how to get that most treasured of commodities—a good night’s slumber. But like many Americans, I’m too busy to get lots of sleep, and when I finally do settle down late in the evening, I end up reading a novel, writing in my journal or planning for the next day—all activities that keep my brain humming at full speed.

But after skimming countless articles on the benefits of sleep and still not adjusting my lifestyle to accommodate, I think I’ve had a breakthrough. From reading “Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You Smarter,” in the August/September 2008 issue of Scientific American Mind, I was astounded to learn that there are many aspects of “memory consolidation” that occur only after a minimum of six hours of sleep. I don’t mind being slightly tired some days, but I do fear being forgetful, particularly if the remedy is simply just getting to bed earlier. So, tonight it’s six hours plus, and hopefully tomorrow, I’ll remember where I put my keys!

—Leticia Barnes

Tomatoes, mom and memories

My mother and most of her 15 siblings spent their early childhood living in a one-room house on a small farm in northern Michigan. They had a lifelong love of fresh produce, and in the summer Mom set a plate of freshly sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes on our table at every meal. Even after moving away, many of my mom’s brothers and sisters kept substantial backyard gardens to supplement their purchases from local grocers.

The old farm stories told at family reunions and the memories of my mother as a vege-maniac came flooding back to me while reading two articles dealing with Alzheimer's disease this week. The first discusses research done by a group at the Center for Brain Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center. The scientists studied 49 cognitively normal individuals over a period of two years. Focusing their observations on glucose metabolism in areas of the brain typically affected by Alzheimer's, the researchers noticed that people who had a maternal history of the disease showed a significant decrease in brain glucose metabolism. Those individuals who had a father with Alzheimer's or no family history had no decrease in brain glucose metabolism. Though more work needs to be done in this area, it was enough to give me pause. My mother had Alzheimer's—as did her mother, a brother and two of her sisters.

The second article that piqued my interest this week involved a potential vaccine for Alzheimer’s that specifically targets beta-amyloid, the fibrous protein thought to play a significant role in the disease by damaging brain cells. Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Digital Biotech Inc. and the Department of Biological Science at Wonkwang University in Korea are introducing the human beta-amyloid gene into a tomato's genome. The researchers hope that when tomatoes producing human beta-amyloid protein are eaten, the body will mount an immune response against the substance—and then continue to assault beta-amyloid protein anywhere it begins to accumulate. This might allow people to fight off Alzheimer's in the same way we fight off colds, flu and any number of foreign invaders on a daily basis.

My mother would have approved of this: a big, fresh, juicy tomato helping to ward off the disease that robbed her of all memory of those 15 siblings and the baskets, buckets and aprons full of vegetables they had to wash, peel, and prepare for their meals.

A vaccine would be too late for her, but I'd like to imagine my daughter setting a big plate of sliced tomatoes in front of her children and saying, "Eat your tomatoes so you'll always remember how lucky you were to have your Grandma Debbie!"

—Debbie Mioduszewski

Two views of PTSD

While advances in brain science are often exciting, they never feel more important than when one can see their immediate applications. Two recent news stories highlight the potential of neuroscience to treat Iraq war veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—and how much more we need to learn.

A story on CNN.com chronicles the events leading to medic Joseph Dwyer’s suicide. Hailed as a hero (including being photographed by the Army Times rescuing a 4-year-old boy), Dwyer began showing classic symptoms of PTSD after his return home. The story tells of his social withdrawal, including needing to sit with his back to the wall so that no one could attack him from behind, stockpiling weapons and crashing his car in an attempt to avoid an imagined roadside bomb. Most disturbing to me was that Dwyer received medical attention, including counseling, more than a dozen prescription medications and a six-month stay at an inpatient medical center, but none of it seemed to work for him.

An article at MSNBC.com details the use of virtual reality to help treat veterans with PTSD. Using a combination of sights, smells and sounds, virtual reality can take a patient back to the instance of their trauma more realistically than imagination alone. Doctors are hopeful that virtual reality technology, along with cognitive behavioral therapy, can help people overcome not only PTSD but a variety of phobias as well. It may seem like fantasy, but it might help to save the lives of veterans like Joseph Dwyer.

For more information on PTSD, start with our Dana Guide entry.

—Juliana Avery

TV reports focus on deep brain stimulation

Already this young workweek I’ve come across two television news reports on deep brain stimulation, or DBS, recently featured in Cerebrum. These two TV stories demonstrate the promise and the pitfalls—not just of the technique, but also of trying to report on it.

The Australian version of “60 Minutes” ran a feature about deep brain stimulation for Tourette’s syndrome. The anecdotes in the story are impressive indeed, but the coverage lacks important caution: Deep brain stimulation, an FDA-approved treatment for Parkinson’s disease, remains experimental for Tourette’s and other disorders. Even for Parkinson’s, it isn’t considered a cure. There can be side effects. Outside of Parkinson’s, DBS research is in its infancy.

More measured is a local news report from the other side of the planet: Denver. This story is limited to an approved treatment, deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s, and emphasizes that DBS is not a cure and, indeed, not always effective. There’s no miraculous recovery for the man featured in the piece; his treatment is presented as an ongoing process.

As deep brain stimulation enters the public consciousness, scientists and journalists alike should tell the story of its promise. But they—we—also must take care not to overstate it.

—Dan Gordon

The brain after heart surgery

Still catching up on brain-related news published while I was away last week, I came across “ ‘Bypass Brain’: How Surgery May Affect Mental Acuity” from the June 10 Wall Street Journal. The top half of the article sounds too confident about the effects of “pump head” or “bypass brain”—at least that’s my reaction after our reading our February Cerebrum article, “Your Brain and Heart Surgery,” by Dr. Guy McKhann and Brenda Patoine.

Eventually, the WSJ column does acknowledge that “recent studies suggest that the cognitive decline years later may be due more to the underlying artery disease than to the effects of surgery,” one of McKhann and Patoine’s main points.

Two themes from the Cerebrum article bear repeating: Doctors should very carefully evaluate patients who are at high risk for complications from bypass surgery, and patients should remember: “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.”

—Dan Gordon