Coffee with Scientists

Dr Marco Pagani talks about the first scientific study ever to look at the brain during psychotherapeutic treatment and reveals how EMDR therapy works to cure PTSD In this episode, Dr Marco Pagani, expertly summaries decades worth of groundbreaking neuroscientific studies that have investigated psychological trauma illnesses, such as PTSD, and it's treatment using EMDR therapy. He describes the first-ever study to monitor the brain while undergoing psychotherapy and a myriad of studies revealing how the brain is impacted by psychological trauma to manifest conditions like PTSD. He also discusses how these symptoms are resolved using EMDR, and how the therapy works by copying natural brain processes similar to those activated when we sleep. Don't miss this fascinating episode! Dr Marco Pagani is a neuroscientific expert in psychological trauma treatment and illness. He is a senior researcher at The Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies in Rome, Italy, with a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of La Sapienza in Italy, and a PhD from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, in Brain Imaging Methodologies. He has won several scientific prizes. Most notably, he was the winner of the Francine Shapiro award in 2011 for the best scientific contribution in the EMDR field in 2010, and the winner of the Karolina award in 2004, best research contribution of the year at the Karolinska Hospital of Stockholm. He has also taught numerous courses, workshops, and presented scientific works in the areas of neurobiology and neuroimaging in psychological trauma and other psychiatric conditions internationally.

n this episode Dr Dunkley discusses in detail the neurophysiological brain changes associated with psychological trauma. He describes fascinating studies looking at the brains of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and explains findings that may underline symptoms such as feeling stuck with looping memories, thoughts, flashbacks, and emotional triggers. Dr Benjamin Dunkley works at SickKids Hospital in Toronto as an MEG Clinical Associate, using MEG (magnetoencephalography) to study how different neurological and psychiatric conditions affect brain function. He earned his PhD at Cardiff University in the UK, and his postdoc at York University, Toronto, followed by a second postdoc at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with Drs. Margot Taylor and Elizabeth Pang. He has authored dozens of scientific publications, and his laboratory work has been referenced on the CBC, The Globe and Mail, National Geographic, and The Economist. You can learn more about Dr Dunkley and his work at www.dunkleylab.com.

Dr Dan Siegel is an internationally acclaimed author and thought-leader in the world of child-development and neuroscience. Currently, Dr Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA school of medicine, and co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Centre. Books he has authored and co-authored include a long list of over 70 including his New York Times bestselling books Brainstorm, The Whole Brain Child, and No Drama Discipline. His most recent book, Aware, came out in August 2018. For more information on Dr. Dan Siegel please visit his website at: www.drdansiegel.com For more information about your host Vivian Kulaga, PhD you can visit: www.coffeewithscientists.com www.emdrviv.com/about www.selfemdr.org www.youtube.com/vivphd www.facebook.com/VivPhD/ www.twitter.com/vivphd