Headshake

THE BRAIN IS HUNGRY FOR PEOPLE. Keeping in mind new experiences of isolation during the pandemic, recent research shows parallels between a socially-deprived brain craving people and a fasted brain craving food.   Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/34

Here’s more involuntary neuroscience: spinal reflexes. They’re so involuntary, your brain doesn’t even know they happened. Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/33

The letter A is always red to some people. To others, the sound of a car horn might always smell like pie. Libby and Ruka sensually explore the rare but real condition of synesthesia.   Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/32

Does it feel like you’ve heard this before? An episode on déjà vu. An episode on déjà vu. Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/31

Returning to the land of electrophysiology, Lord Nathan and Lady Kristen focus this time on action potentials, which neurons use to send electrical signals long distances in the body. God save the Baked Bean! Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/30

In 1848, Phineas Gage survived an unfortunate railroad accident that later informed science and medicine’s understanding of how the prefrontal cortex works. Supporting character: Spikey the tamping iron Full notes at headshake.show/episodes/29

It’s Headshake’s anniversary, and the finale of the Gap Junction Almanac. We hope you’ve had the “Time of Your Life,” and we’ll still be “Friends Forever.” Let’s cheer ourselves up with a discussion of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).     Key Words bipolar ii, circadian rhythm, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), depression, heritable, light box, light therapy, lux, major depression, melatonin, norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), psychotherapy, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), serotonin, summer pattern, vitamin D, winter pattern     Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Anglomaniacs Lots of old west insults - Listen to the episode for a season finale’s worth of insults   References and Resources NIMH » Seasonal Affective Disorder (nih.gov), National Institute of Mental Health Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - Symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic Are You Affected By Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?, Psychology Today ClimaTemps http://www.madison.climatemps.com/sunlight.php https://www.oahu.climatemps.com/sunlight.php Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)   Season 1 Spotify Playlist! HEADSHAKE: The Playlist Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Early Bird Science - Ruka’s other science podcast earlybirdscience.com Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

“Nerves?” This is a neuroscience podcast. Haven’t we been talking about nerves the whole time??? Nope! Learn why. Key Words afferent, anopsia, anosmia, autonomic, axon, cardiac muscle, cardiovascular, caudal, central nervous system (CNS), cervical nerves, coccygeal nerves, cranial nerve, efferent, gastrointestinal (GI), innervate, larynx, lateral, lumbar nerves, mastication, medial, motor, nerve, nucleus ambiguus, peripheral nervous system (PNS), pharynx, ptosis, pulmonary, rostral, sacral nerves, sensory, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, somatic, spinal nerve, sternocleidomastoid, thoracic nerves, trapezius, trigeminal neuralgia CN I - Olfactory CN II - Optic CN III - Oculomotor CN IV - Trochlear CN V - Trigeminal (Divisions: Ophthalmic, Maxillary, Mandibular) CN VI - Abducens CN VII - Facial CN VIII - Vestibulocochlear CN IX - Glossopharyngeal CN X - Vagus CN XI - Spinal Accessory CN XII - Hypoglossal Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Zitted Zooning References Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition Season 1 Spotify Playlist! HEADSHAKE: The Playlist Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Early Bird Science - Ruka’s other science podcast earlybirdscience.com Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

There are two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of microbes in your gut. Are these little residents controlling your brain? If so, how? Poop Detectives Libby and Ruka are on the case. Key Words autism, bacteria, depression, enteroendocrine, fecal transplant, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), gastrointestinal (GI) system, gut flora, gut microbiome, immune cells, inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), kynurenine, neuropod cells, Parkinson’s disease, psychobiome, psychobiotics, schizophrenia, serotonin, tryptophan, Valsalva maneuver Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Yack Yam References and Resources Meet the ‘psychobiome’: the gut bacteria that may alter how you think, feel, and act, Science Magazine, May 7, 2020 Season 1 Spotify Playlist! HEADSHAKE: The Playlist Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

Hair cells in your inner ear and piano keys in your brain. This is our second episode on the sense of hearing. Libby and Ruka wrap up the year with thicker-than-usual Wisconsin accents. Happy birthday to Libby, and Happy New Year! Key Words amplitude, auditory cortex, basilar membrane, brain stem, calcium, cochlea, cochlear duct, cocktail party effect, cranial nerve viii (vestibulocochlear), decibels, depolarization, frequency, gating, glutamate, hair cells, helicotrema, inner hair cells, mechanically-gated, neurotransmitter, organ of Corti, outer hair cells, oval window, pitch, potassium, receptor, round window, scala tympani, scala vestibuli, stapedius, stapes, stereocilia, synapse, tectorial membrane, tensor tympani, thalamus, threshold of pain, tinnitus, tip link, vesicles, voltage-gated Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) weather breeder wabble Related Episodes Lime in the Cochlea [Audition, Part 1] Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Season 1 Spotify Playlist! HEADSHAKE: The Playlist Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

This is part one of two episodes about the auditory system. You could say it’s a “preliminary hearing.” Key Words amplitude, audition, auditory system, aurical, cochlea, cochlear duct, deaf, decibel, eardrum, endolymph, eustachian tube, external auditory canal, frequency, hearing impaired, hearing, helicotrema, incus, inner ear, malleus, middle ear, organ of Corti, outer ear, oval window, perilymph, pinna, pitch, round window, scala tympani, scala vestibuli, stapes, tympanic membrane, volume, zone of compression, zone of rarefaction Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Wearing the bustle wrong Wipe your chin BRAND NEW Season 1 Spotify Playlist! HEADSHAKE: The Playlist Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

Bad news/good news: Grand mal got run over by a reindeer, BUT we got new microphones! In addition to learning what science does and doesn’t know about brain lightning storms (seizures), hear Libby’s seasonal reflections on the Little Drummer Boy. Key Words absence, amygdala, anticonvulsant, apoptosis, atonic, aura, benzodiazepine, carbamazepine (Tegretol), cellular signaling cascade, clonic, complex, cortex, cyanotic, diazepam (Valium), electroencephalogram (EEG), epilepsy, excitotoxicity, GABA, GABAA receptor, generalized, glucose, glutamate, grand mal, hippocampus, inhibitory surround, kindling, limbic, lorazepam (Ativan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), metabolism, motor, myoclonic, necrosis, negative symptom, occipital, oxygen, partial (focal), petit mal, phenytoin (Dilantin), piloerection, plasticity, positive symptom, positron emission tomography (PET), postictal, primary, secondary, seizure, sensory, simple, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), status epilepticus, symptomatic epilepsy, tonic, tonic-clonic, visual 54 key terms! Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) vum vaultinghouse References and Resources Textbooks Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your medical provider before making decisions about your health.

Who are you?! Oh, right. Hi, Jeff! Sorry about that. Our forgetting neurons were working particularly hard last night. Yes, you have neurons that make you forget. Turns out they’re important in memory.   This Episode’s Spotify Playlist Neuralized   Key Words action potential, amygdala, anxiety, appetite, CA1, calcium transients, chemogenetics, consolidation, contextual fear conditioning (CFC), cued fear, dreams, electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), electrophysiology, fiber photometry, forget, GABA, GABA-ergic, glutamate, hippocampus, hypothalamus, immunohistochemistry, inhibitory post-synaptic current (IPSC), limbic, melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons, memory, microendoscopy, novel object recognition (NOR), optogenetics, retention, retrobeads   Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Unsalted   References and Resources Primary research paper: REM sleep–active MCH neurons are involved in forgetting hippocampus-dependent memories, Science, 20 Sept 2019 “Kid’s Menu:” Scientists Find The Neurons That Make Your Brain Forget   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS. Libby and Ruka are busy or dead. Either way, you get to listen to this episode recorded as a backup for times like these. Hear their joy, and remember them as they were before the pandemic.   Key Words boredom susceptibility, cortisol, disinhibition, dopamine, experience seeking, mindfulness, norepinephrine, sensation seeking, thrill and adventure seeking, zorbing  The big five: Openness to experience Conscientiousness Agreeableness Extroversion Neuroticism Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Balls, Beef, Biff Reference Lust for Life, Psychology Today, October 2019   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Headshake’s personal chef (a.k.a. Ruka’s spouse) is also an electrical and electronic engineer. Steven A. Gago helps Libby and Ruka tackle the mysteries of newly-developed microcircuit chips that could one day become implants to replace diseased neurons. Key Words Alzheimer's, analog, assimilate, bioimplant, Bötzinger region, brain stem, bursts, CA1, chip, circuit, current, digital, hardware, hippocampus, Hodgkin-Huxley model, medulla, model, pyramidal cells, respiratory neuron, solid state neuron, soma, transistor, very-large-scale integration (VLSI) Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) There you ain’t Teapot Tin Toad strangler References and Resources Artificial neurons developed to fight disease, BBC, December 2019 Optimal solid state neurons, Abu-Hassan et al, Nature Communications, December 2019   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

In this elephant-themed episode, Headshake’s male and female hosts talk about whether or not there are differences in the brain between the sexes. If there are, how do they get there, and do they even matter? Key Words ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, behavior, conduct disorder, corpus callosum, development, eating disorders, environmental, frontal lobe, gender, generalized anxiety disorder, genes, hormones, hypothalamus, innate, intersex, major depression disorder, parietal lobe, phrenology, plasticity, sex, social Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) shote skittles slamgander slantindicular see the elephant saltwater vegetables References and Resources Brain scientists haven’t been able to find major differences between women’s and men’s brains, despite over a century of searching, The Conversation, August 6, 2020 Neuroscience and Sex/Gender: Looking Back and Forward, The Journal of Neuroscience, January 2, 2020 Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Does listening to Headshake activate your fight or flight response? Or maybe it leaves you comfortably in your rest and digest state. Ruka and Libby talk about the differences between these systems while planning Libby’s self-eulogized Viking funeral. Key Words acetylcholine, adrenal medulla, adrenaline, afferent, autonomic motor, autonomic nervous system, blood pressure, central nervous system (CNS), cervical, collateral ganglia, efferent, enteric, epinephrine, fight or flight response, ganglion, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, glucose, heart rate, heart, homeostasis, innervate, liver, lumbar, norepinephrine, parasympathetic, peripheral nervous system (PNS), postganglionic, preganglionic, pupils, rest and digest state, sacral, somatic motor, somatic nervous system, somatic sensory, special sensory, spinal cord, stress, sympathetic trunk, sympathetic, thoracic, visceral sensory Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Rumbumptious Rum hole References and Resources Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Want to lose 1.5 pounds fast? Get a hemispherectomy! Libby and Ruka discuss research on highly-functioning adults who, for medical reasons, had half their brains removed as kids. Key Words anatomical hemispherectomy, behavior, brain stem, cerebellum, cerebrum, chronic focal encephalitis, cognition, connectome, control/executive, cortical dysplasia, default, dorsal attention, emotion, functional hemispherectomy, intelligence, functional network, hemispherectomy, limbic, parcel, perinatal stroke, plasticity, Rasmussen encephalitis, salience/ventral attention, somatosensory/motor, visual Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Quincy Bonuses: puddin’ foot, prairie chips, pop your corn References and Resources Research Paper: Intrinsic Functional Connectivity of the Brain in Adults with a Single Cerebral Hemisphere Related articles How The Human Brain Rewires Itself After Half A Hemisphere Is Surgically Removed What Is Brain Plasticity And Why Is It So Important? Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Libby and Ruka learn about the strange but harmless experience of being awake and not being able to move. This episode is brought to you by the letter P and delicious chocolate frosted Kooky Monkey Brains: “They’re mentally delicious.” Key Words atonia, brain stem, general anxiety disorder, glycine, hallucinate, interneurons, jet lag, medulla, midbrain, narcolepsy, non-rem, panic disorder, pons, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rapid eye movement (REM), REM-off, REM-on, shift work, sleep offset paralysis, sleep onset paralysis, sleep paralysis, sleep phase, spinal cord Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Piece of pudding Pecker pole References and Resources Sleep Paralysis and the Monsters Inside Your Mind, Scientific American Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Sleep Paralysis, NHS   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

In an attempt to recover from the last episode’s derailment by boy bands, Ruka speeds through an overview of the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary. In the process, she discovers Libby’s deep past with the movie Cool Runnings. Key Words - New record: 46! adrenal cortex, adrenaline, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), anterior pituitary, biogenic amine, catecholamine, corticotropin, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), dopamine, endocrine feedback loop, epinephrine, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), germ cell, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), gonadotropins, gonads, growth hormone (GH), growth hormone release inhibiting hormone (GHRIH), growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), homeostasis, hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, infundibulum, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), luteinizing hormone (LH), median eminence, melanocyte, melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), melanocyte-stimulating hormone release-inhibiting factor (MIF), melanocyte-stimulating hormone-releasing factor (MRF), ovaries, ovum, parvocellular neurons, peptide hormone, portal vasculature, progesterone, prolactin, somatostatin, sperm, testes, testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), thyroxine, triiodothyronine Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Oof Related Episode Episode 14: Turkey Saddle [Hypothalamus and Posterior Pituitary] References and Resources Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

A discussion of the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary gets derailed when Libby uncovers Ruka’s painfully comprehensive reserve of 2000’s boy band knowledge. Key Words anterior pituitary, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), autonomic, Bader-Meinhof phenomenon, diencephalon, endocrine, epithalamus, frequency illusion, hypophysis, hypothalamo-hypophysial portal vessels, hypothalamus, infundibulum, lactation, magnocellular neuron, mammillary bodies, median eminence, nuclei, optic chiasm, osmolality, oxytocin, paraventricular nucleus, pituitary, portal vasculature, portal veins, posterior pituitary, recency illusion, sella turcica, somatic, sphenoid, supraoptic nucleus, thalamus, third ventricle, uterine contraction, vasopressin, viscerosensory transduction   Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Nanny Neck oil Nose paint Necessary   References and Resources Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Libby and Ruka use their artificial artificial intelligence to discuss how actual artificial intelligence helps researchers understand the ways the human brain values art. Celebrate their first in-person recording in eight episodes! Key Words abstract, art preference, artificial intelligence (AI), association cortex, color field, cubism, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), impressionism, internal review board (IRB), lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC), mechanical Turk, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), neural network, posterior parietal cortex, prefrontal cortex (PFC), preprint, prepublication, valence, value, visual cortex Old West Words of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Make a mash Man trap References and Resources Aesthetic preference for art emerges from a weighted integration over hierarchically structured visual features in the brain “This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review” Do you like weird art? Blame your brain   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

It’s Headshake’s first guest ever! Theanne Griffith, Ph.D. joins as a third host to discuss her neuroscience research on specialized ion channels in cold sensation, as well as her brand new STEM-themed children’s book series The Magnificent Makers! Dr. Griffith’s research starts at 00:23:47 The Magnificent Makers starts at 01:02:56 Key Words action potential, blocker, caliper, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, cold-sensitive neurons, diversity, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, F & P text level Q, firing, ganglia, genetic approaches, implicit bias, ion channel, labeled line theory, model, peripheral nervous system, pharmacological approaches, representation, sensory neurons, somatic sensation, splanchnic, TRPM8, two-point discrimination Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Like bricks Dr. Theanne Griffith’s Research Dr. Griffith’s latest publication in The Journal of Neuroscience: Tetrodotoxin-Sensitive Sodium Channels Mediate Action Potential Firing and Excitability in Menthol-Sensitive Vglut3-Lineage Sensory Neurons Publication that references Dr. Griffith’s above paper: The Sensory Coding of Warm Perception The Magnificent Makers “BOOM! SNAP! WHIZ! ZAP! A modern-day Magic School Bus for chapter book readers!” Check out Dr. Griffith’s brand new STEM-themed children’s book series, a great gift for your favorite curious 7-10 year-old! https://www.theannegriffith.com/books Please consider purchasing from your local independent and/or Black-owned bookseller: https://www.indiebound.org/ List of Black-owned booksellers (also includes stores that may not be Black-owned but specialize in Black literature) If you cannot currently purchase The Magnificent Makers, be sure to request the series at your local library!   Connect with Dr. Griffith! Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @doctheagrif Site theannegriffith.com Connect with The Magnificent Makers illustrator Reggie Brown! Facebook Instagram: @reggiebrownart Site: https://trendingcreativedesign.com/ Connect with Headshake! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. The hosts are not medical doctors, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Can you feel it? Your pointer finger can. After a visit to the land of Complicatia, Libby and Ruka return to Gap Junction to discuss somatosensation and ask important personal questions about the little man living in your cortex. Key Words analgesia, anterolateral column, capsaicin, cation, contralateral, dorsal column, free neuron ending, gate, habituation, homunculus, hyperalgesia, insult, ion channel, ipsilateral, ligand, mechanoreceptor, Meissner’s corpuscle, menthol, Merkel’s corpuscle, modality, nociceptor, Pacinian corpuscle, pain, phantom limb, pressure, receptive field, referred pain, Ruffini corpuscle, sensory adaptation, somatosensation, somatosensory cortex, submodality, temperature, touch, transient receptor potential (TRP) protein, vibration Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) Knock Into a Cocked Hat Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Your body isn’t strung with copper wire. So how does the nervous system send electrical signals? Libby and Ruka discuss this question and attempt to do math. When you’re done listening, remember to write that letter to your Nana Amps. She misses you. Key Words action potential, axon terminal, axon, cell membrane, current, electrical potential, excitatory, extracellular, gap junction, graded potential, inhibitory, intracellular, ions, leak channels, megaohms (mΩ), membrane potential, millivolts (mV), myelin, Na+/K+-ATPase, nanoamps (nA), negative charge, Ohm’s law, pacemaker potential, permeability, positive charge, potential difference, potential, propagation, receptor potential, resistance, resting membrane potential, signal transduction, synaptic potential, threshold, transmembrane potential, V=IR, volts   Old West Words of the Day John B. John Barleycorn Brother Jonathan   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   References Textbooks Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Fast cars, Froot Loops, and poops! This episode has it all, brought to you by psychology researchers who put rats in little rat-sized cars. Spoiler: Rats are better at learning how to drive if they’ve played with more toys and friends. Key Words corticosterone, cortisol, DHEA, emotional resilience, enrichment, fecal bolus, Froot Loops, group housing, hormones, maze, mental health, Morris water maze, neuroplasticity, pair housing, reward, rodent operated vehicle (ROV), stimulus, stress Old West Word of the Day (Gap Junction Almanac) I dad!   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   References and Resources Primary research paper: Enriched environment exposure accelerates rodent driving skills Articles Scientists Teach Rats To Drive, Rats Find It Actually Pretty Relaxing Teaching Rats To Drive Tiny Cars Helps Them Relax, Scientists Discover Other resources from corrections Adult ADHD: Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic? What Happened? Alcohol, Memory Blackouts, and the Brain   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Remember us? We’re Libby and Ruka, and we’re going to talk about the fundamentals of memory. Where does it happen? How does it happen? How long does it last? Why is there a Pokemon shaped like garbage? Key Words ACTH, Alzheimer’s, amygdala, anterograde amnesia, association cortex, attention, basal nuclei, cerebellum, consolidation, declarative memory, epinephrine, explicit memory, hippocampus, implicit memory, learning, limbic, long-term depression, long-term memory, long-term potentiation, memory, opioid peptides, plasticity, procedural memory, reflexive memory, retrograde amnesia, sensorimotor cortex, short-term memory, vasopressin, working memory Old West Words of the Day Hot roll Huckleberry above a persimmon Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja References Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition “Days on Earth were shorter 70 million years ago” https://nypost.com/2020/03/11/days-on-earth-were-shorter-70-million-years-ago/ https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019PA003723 Related Episode A Reptile Dysfunction [Performance Anxiety] Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

BONUS EPISODE! Ruka scored an EXCLUSIVE interview with the famous supermassive black hole M87*, the first ever black hole to be imaged on Earth only one year ago. Recorded in front of a live remote audience. Interview begins at 10 min 57 sec. Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja References https://eventhorizontelescope.org/press-release-april-10-2019-astronomers-capture-first-image-black-hole https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/black-hole-image-makes-history https://eventhorizontelescope.org/blog/award-winning-first-image-supermassive-black-hole-m87 https://eventhorizontelescope.org/blog/something-is-lurking-in-the-heart-of-quasar-3c-279 https://eventhorizontelescope.org/blog/eht-observing-campaign-2020-canceled-due-covid-19-outbreak   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with cuts

With many of our routines upended these days, our circadian rhythms are getting thrown off, causing what is known as social jet lag. Don’t get too sleepy listening to the soothing sounds of the second remote recording from Libby and Ruka.   Key Words biorhythm, circadian rhythm, diurnal, endogenous, entrain, free-run, hypothalamus, jet lag, melatonin, nocturnal, pacemaker cells, phase advance, phase delay, phase shift, pineal gland, retina, retinohypothalamic tract, shift work, sleep/wake cycle, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), zeitgeber   Old West Words of the Day Go boil your shirt Got the bulge   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   References Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Paper: Health consequences of shift work and implications for structural design https://www.nature.com/articles/jp20137   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Motion sickness on a pre-apocalyptic cruise prompted Ruka to reflect extensively on the vestibular system. She talks with Libby about this sixth sense and how it affects the body’s balance, movement, and vision. Key Words acceleration, ampulla, aspartate, cochlea, cranial nerve VIII, crista, cupula, endolymph, glutamate, hair cell, macula, motion sickness, myelin, otoconia, otolithic membrane, saccade, saccule, semicircular canal, stereocilia, utricle, velocity, vestibular labyrinth, vestibular, vestibulo-ocular reflex, vestibulocochlear nerve   Old West Word of the Day Funkify   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Reference Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition Encyclopedia page on inner ear - shows the image Ruka references: https://www.britannica.com/science/ear/Inner-ear#ref531803   Related Podcast Episode Early Bird Science Episode 6: Self-Driving Cars and Motion Sickness   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

This episode is beefy. It has A LOT of corrections/clarifications from Episodes 2, 3, and 4. Don’t worry, Ruka and Libby eventually get around to discussing gray vs. white matter. Learn about the little sweaters knit by your Grandma Glia.   Key Words axon hillock, axon terminal, axon, dendrite, glia, gray matter, initial segment, neuron, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, soma, ultracrepidarian, white matter   Old West Word of the Day Exfluncticate   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Theater is where Libby and Ruka met. It is also where the lizard brain causes stage fright. Learn about recent research into a strategy using an electromagnetic current as a possible tool to reduce performance anxiety.   Key Words dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), limbic system, lizard brain, monitoring processes, neomammalian brain, operating processes, paleomammalian brain, performance anxiety, stage fright, transcranial magnetic stimulation   Old West Words of the Day - You get two! Done brown Dull music   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   References and Resources Primary Literature: “Activity in the dorsal ACC causes deterioration of sequential motor performance due to anxiety” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12205-6 Article: “Zapping The Brain With Electricity Could Eliminate Stage Fright” https://www.iflscience.com/brain/zapping-brain-electricity-eliminate-stage-fright/ Textbooks Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition Other Resources Lizard Brain: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/managing-your-memory/201712/don-t-listen-your-lizard-brain fMRI: https://science.howstuffworks.com/fmri.htm   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

This episode goes to eleven on spinal taps and cerebrospinal fluid. Travel back in time to 2019, when Ruka and Libby recorded an episode for the first time. It was so long ago, the show didn’t have a title or an Old West word of the day. Happy Halloween!   Key Words arachnoid mater, capillaries, cerebrospinal fluid, choroid plexus, dura mater, epidural, foramen of Monro, hydrocephalus, lumbar puncture, meninges, meningitis, pia mater, spinal cord, spinal tap, ventricle, vertebra   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   References Textbooks Vander’s Human Physiology, 13th Edition Principles of Neural Science, Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, 4th Edition Fundamental Neuroscience for Basic and Clinical Applications, Haines, 3rd Edition   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

The hosts find themselves defending each other’s humps in the old west town of Gap Junction. Libby suffers chemical burns from the leftover cookie dough chemistry Ruka serves up. Ruka also makes corrections/clarifications on Episode 1. Libby tells a joke.   Key Words acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, adenosine, Alzheimer disease, amino acids, ATP, biogenic amines, carbon monoxide, central nervous system, cholinergic, dopamine, dynorphin, enzymes, epinephrine, excitatory, GABA, gap junction, glutamate, glycine, inhibitory, innervate, kisspeptin, KNDy neurons, LSD, neurokinin B, neuromuscular junction, neuropeptides, nitric oxide, norepinephrine, opioids, peripheral nervous system, purines, receptors, serotonin, SSRI, strychnine Count: 36!   Old West Word of the Day Crawlin’ my hump   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology 13th Edition   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Welcome to Headshake! We’re thrilled (and surprised) you’re here! Today, Ruka tries to teach co-host Libby about neurochemical signaling (cookie dough chemistry). They also explore each other’s knowledge holes.   Key Words autocrine, chemistry, endocrine, epinephrine, neuromodulator, neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, paracrine, post-synaptic, pre-synaptic, synapse, vesicles   Old West Word of the Day Backdoor trots   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Reference Textbook: Vander’s Human Physiology 13th Edition   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts   Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and education only. Neither of the hosts is a medical doctor, and nothing they say is medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making decisions about your health.

Howdy, pardner! Headshake is a science podcast that is a little different. Listen to this trailer to acclimate.   Connect with us! FB @HeadshakeShow T @HeadshakeShow ‘Sta @HeadshakeNinja Site headshake.show OR headshake.ninja   Music Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300002 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Modified from original with volume fading and cuts