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November 16, 2023

Exercise is Fertilizer for the Brain | Dr. David Merrill

by Anthony Effinger

For decades, people thought physical exercise benefited only the body. But every year we learn how incorrect that was, and Dr. David Merrill, director of PNI’s brain health center, is one of the people pushing our knowledge forward. It turns out that exercise builds the brain by prompting the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. Listen to this episode to hear how you can boost BDNF through exercise and stay sharp into your golden years.

October 19, 2023

Charting the Brain, in Great Detail | Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian & Josh Emerson

by Anthony Effinger

When not practicing world-class neurosurgery, Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian instructs aspiring surgeons at the Neuroanatomical Skills / Microdissection Anatomy Lab. His work there advances minimally invasive surgical techniques and provides training opportunities for neurosurgeons. Josh Emerson, an artist turned medical illustrator, creates intricate anatomical illustrations at PNI, where he collaborates with Dr. Barkhoudarian. Together, they meticulously map the human body's most crucial structures, combining traditional and digital techniques.

dr natalie diaz episode 26 podcast
March 16, 2022

From a Wide Array, Choosing the Best Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease | Dr. Natalie Diaz

by Anthony Effinger

When you’re a doctor treating Parkinson’s disease, it’s a matter of picking the most appropriate arrow from your quiver. There is no cure for the disease yet, but there are more than 20 different medications that can improve a patient’s wellbeing. Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders, is familiar with all of them.

dr judy davidson dr molly rapozo episode 25 podcast
February 16, 2022

Beating the Odds on Alzheimer’s Disease | Molly Rapozo, MS, RDN, CD and Judy Davidson

by Zara Jethani

Judy Davidson is a retired teacher, librarian, and therapist. A few years ago, she began to feel more forgetful. Names of movies she’d just seen escaped her. She became quieter in groups, afraid that she would forget a friend’s name. She recalled her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer's

Treating the Blood Vessels That Fuel Your Brain
January 31, 2022

Treating the Blood Vessels That Fuel Your Brain | Dr. Walavan Sivakumar

by Anthony Effinger

Your brain is an energy hog. It accounts for just one percent of your body weight, but it consumes about 20 percent of your total energy. The blood carries oxygen and 20 percent of blood flow goes to the brain, because all that work requires oxygen. Large arteries are constantly rushing blood to your brain, where it filters into smaller and smaller vessels.

dancing to music
December 21, 2021

How Music Prevents Cognitive Decline

by Amelia Garrison

Listening to music that has the personal significance or meaning, such as the song played at the first dance at your wedding, deeply activates the brain and strengthens the area of the brain that degenerates with Alzheimer's disease.

December 9, 2021

Elaine’s Story: How Giving Back Is Helping Me Heal After the Death of My Husband

by Amelia Garrison

Elaine Lipworth, Senior Content Writer at Thrive Global, writes about her donation to Dr. Santosh Kesari's Neuroscience Research at Pacific Neuroscience Institute after the death of her husband.

bowl of berries
March 16, 2020

Dietary Flavonols Can Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia

by Sarah McEwen, PhD

Featured in the Santa Monica Star, Dr. Sarah McEwen discusses results of a study examining the positive effects of flavonols and Alzheimer’s disease dementia.

doctor performing a hearing test on her patient
March 11, 2020

Multiple Sclerosis, A Multi-Faceted Malady: Looking at Diet and Exercise

by Barbara Giesser

There is no “good” time to receive a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. But it is a hopeful time. Learn about the positive impact of diet and exercise.

Older women exercising
February 26, 2020

Improving Brain Health in Under a Minute

by Scott Kaiser

As a geriatrician—a physician specializing in the care of older people—focused on addressing cognitive issues, it is exciting to know how many things we can do to improve brain health. Plus, many of these steps can be taken, one at a time, in just a...

Last updated: April 3rd, 2020