Your Brain On... Music
Your Brain On
Music is one of the most powerful forces of all time for human connection, cognitive stimulation, and therapeutic introspection. We’ve seen music help Alzheimer’s patients find their voice, children with speech disorders unlock new ways to communicate with rhythm and melody, and communities express their identity through song. In this episode, we discuss: • The cognitive, psychological, and mental benefits of music • Why learning to play an instrument is one of the best things you can do for your brain • The power of music as a means of connecting with others • Therapeutic uses of...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Supplements
Your Brain On
Supplements have become a hundred-billion dollar industry. But can they really boost your brain health in the ways they claim? They’re everywhere: shelves and shelves of pills and powders promising everything from improved immunity, boosted energy, and faster weight loss to better sleep, happier moods, and enhanced sexual wellness. Social media influencers won’t stop talking about them, and they seem to appear in TV commercials every five minutes. And yet... the evidence supporting most of the claims these supplements make is next-to-nought. So what’s the truth? In ‘Your Brain On......
info_outline
Your Brain On... Traumatic Brain Injury
Your Brain On
Traumatic Brain Injury is a major cause of death, disability, and cognitive decline. Thankfully, evolving research is helping us protect our heads and lessen the long-term impacts of TBIs. In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’ we discuss: • The effects and symptoms of TBI, from mild concussions to more severe head injuries • What actually happens to your brain when you sustain a TBI • The links between TBI and neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairment • The prevalence of TBI in military personnel and sportspeople, and how we’re improving protective technologies •...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Omega-3
Your Brain On
Omega-3 supplements have become a multi-billion-dollar industry, promising to enhance your memory, boost your mood, and protect your brain. But where does the science end, and the marketing hype begin? Omega-3 fatty acids are a special category of ‘good fats’ that play vital roles in both brain and body health. Unlike some species, we can’t produce our own Omega-3s, so we must rely on our diets to get these essential fats. In this episode, we discuss how to get more brain-healthy quantities of Omega-3 into your diet, plus: • The brain health benefits of Omega-3 • The differences...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Social Media
Your Brain On
Two decades on from the start of the smartphone revolution, we have the first humans who, for as long as they’ve been alive, have had the entire internet just a few taps away. What has this done to our brains? It’s been an unprecedented period of rapid change, and, with the largest social networking sites using every neurological trick in the book to keep us endlessly scrolling down our feeds, what can we do to make our relationship with social media healthier? In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we discuss: • The brain health risks of social media overuse (and rewards of healthy...
info_outline
Your Brain On... (Sherzai Family Holiday Special)
Your Brain On
Our incredible kids Sophia and Alex Sherzai join us for a special end-of-year episode of the ‘Your Brain On...’ episode! As a family of neuroscientists — Sophia in biomedical engineering, Alex in artificial intelligence, Ayesha in vascular neurology, and Dean in behavioral neurology — we have fascinating discussions (and debates) about all aspects of life and brain health almost every day. To close out the first year of the ‘Your Brain On...’ podcast, we’re bringing that energy to the show! We discuss: • Life as a family of neuroscientists • What we’ve been working on and...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Ketogenic Diets
Your Brain On
High in fats and low in carbs, ketogenic diets were originally developed in the 1920s to treat children with epilepsy. Now, they’ve gained popularity for weight loss, and even improved cognitive function. But how much truth is there in the purported brain health benefits we see on social media? In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we separate the facts from the fads, and discuss: • What one might eat on a typical ketogenic diet • How ketogenic diets affect brain metabolism • The different ways your brain uses sources of energy — glucose vs. ketones • The latest data on...
info_outline
Your Brain On... ALS
Your Brain On
ALS, a nervous system disease, ruled the headlines in the summer of 2014 thanks to the viral Ice Bucket Challenge. How has our knowledge of the disorder evolved a decade later? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig's disease’ (named after the iconic baseball player), is a progressive neurological disorder which breaks down a person’s motor neurons. The main symptoms are muscle weakness and impaired physical function — mild, at first, but in the latter stages of the disease’s progression, essential processes like breathing begin to fail. Most individuals face a life...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Ketamine
Your Brain On
For decades, ketamine has mainly been used as an anaesthetic, but in more recent years, it’s gained popularity in mental health treatment. Conversations around the benefits and risks associated with its therapeutic usage ignited towards the end of 2023, when actor Matthew Perry, star of the sitcom ‘Friends’, died from the acute effects of the ketamine he was using to treat anxiety. In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we discuss: • The neurochemical mechanisms of ketamine, and its interplay with depression • What we know about the opportunities and pitfalls of using ketamine in...
info_outline
Your Brain On... Sex
Your Brain On
From the first spark of attraction, all the way to climax, sex sets off chemical fireworks in your brain. And yet, this beautiful, powerful act has become mired in shame and stigma. But through open conversation and deeper scientific understanding, we can cast off those shackles, and even embrace sex as a marker for cognitive and overall health. In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’ — our Season 4 debut! — we discuss: • The neurological processes involved with sex, arousal, attraction, and desire • Why studying the cognitive effects of sexual stimuli can be so complicated • How...
info_outlineALS, a nervous system disease, ruled the headlines in the summer of 2014 thanks to the viral Ice Bucket Challenge. How has our knowledge of the disorder evolved a decade later?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig's disease’ (named after the iconic baseball player), is a progressive neurological disorder which breaks down a person’s motor neurons. The main symptoms are muscle weakness and impaired physical function — mild, at first, but in the latter stages of the disease’s progression, essential processes like breathing begin to fail.
Most individuals face a life expectancy of two to five years. A small percentage live five to ten years. And an even tinier group survive beyond a decade. Most famously, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking survived more than 50 years past his diagnosis, in part due to the intensive care he was able to afford.
In this episode of the ‘Your Brain On...’ podcast, we discuss:
• What ALS is, and how it affects the brain and the body
• The onset and progression of ALS, from the earliest symptoms to the end-stage impacts
• How ALS patients are diagnosed, treated, and cared for
• Likely causes of ALS, including genetic predispositions and potential environmental risk factors
• How new technologies are rapidly accelerating our understanding of ALS, especially in genetics
Joining us for this installment of the show are two world-class experts on the disease:
• Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi PhD, Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at King's College.
• Merit Cudkowicz, Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital.
‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.
‘Your Brain On... ALS’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 3
———
LINKS
PROFESSOR AMMAR AL-CHALABI
at King’s College: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/ammar-al-chalabi
at Motor Neurone Disease Disease Association: https://www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/cure-finders/professor-ammar-al-chalabi
Project MinE: https://projectmine.com/
MERIT CUDKOWICZ
at Massachusetts General Hospital: https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/16904/merit-cudkowicz
at Harvard University: https://researchers.mgh.harvard.edu/profile/1520993/Merit-Cudkowicz
———
ANNOUNCING: NEURO WORLD RETREAT 2025
We’re so excited to share something very close to our hearts, which we’ve been working on over the past few months: our first ever brain health retreat!
You’re warmly invited to join us in San Diego, California for the inaugural NEURO World Retreat 2025, taking place September 2–5, 2025 at the breathtaking Paradise Point Resort.
For more information, and to book, visit: https://neuroworldretreat.com/
———
FOLLOW US
Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com
Instagram: @thebraindocs
Website: TheBrainDocs.com
More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast
———
References:
Brown, Robert H., and Ammar Al-Chalabi. "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." New England Journal of Medicine 377.2 (2017): 162-172.
Benatar, Michael, et al. "A roadmap to ALS prevention: strategies and priorities." Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 94.5 (2023): 399-402.
Voigtlaender, Sebastian, et al. "Artificial intelligence in neurology: opportunities, challenges, and policy implications." Journal of Neurology 271.5 (2024): 2258-2273.
Zinman, Lorne, and Merit Cudkowicz. "Emerging targets and treatments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." The Lancet Neurology 10.5 (2011): 481-490.
Raghav, Yogindra, et al. "Identification of gene fusions associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Muscle & Nerve 69.4 (2024): 477-489.
Su, Feng-Chiao, et al. "Association of environmental toxins with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." JAMA neurology 73.7 (2016): 803-811.
Talbott, Evelyn O., et al. "Case-control study of environmental toxins and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis involving the national ALS registry." Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration (2024): 1-10.