Terminal Lucidity

"Sometimes, people with dementia who hadn't been coherent for years will suddenly revert to their mentally sharp selves for up to several hours -- and then die shortly after." Scientists are interested in the cause of "paradoxical lucidity" and how it might inform the neuroscience of dementia. Scientists are finally taking a closer look at terminal lucidity.

The Hidden Cost of Amazon Clinic

Amazon's foray into healthcare, Amazon Clinic, (011 - CVS, Amazon, and the Disruption of Primary Care, Anxiety Inoculants, Wabi Sabi, and A.I. - HealthHippieMD Week In Review — HealthHippieMD) keeps the monetary cost of seeing a healthcare professional low but at the cost of your medical privacy. "Signing an authorization isn't a "waiver" of your rights, but you're consenting to your data being disclosed for additional purposes, at which point it leaves the protections of HIPAA." The Washington Post explains: Amazon Clinic patients must sign away some privacy rights under HIPAA. (gift article)

Gut Feelings

"As we wait to establish causal influences through clinical trials, clinicians should advise patients suffering from mood disorders to modify their diet by increasing the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as these provide the required fuel/fiber to the gut microbiota for their enrichment, and more short-chain fatty acids are produced for the optimal functioning of the body." More evidence that the microbiome and metabolome drive major depressive episodes. Read the manuscript here: Interplay of Metabolome and Gut Microbiome in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder vs. Control Individuals | Depressive Disorders and synopsis here: Disrupted Gut Microbiome a Key Driver of Major Depression?

+More on the link between ultra-processed foods, mental health, and cognition: How Eating Ultra-processed Foods Can Affect Your Mental Health. (gift article)

Learning Man

You've heard of the music/culture festivals Burning Man and Coachella, but did you know there is a similar gathering focused on immersing attendees in education, play, and creation? Yep, 'Learning Man' is becoming a thing

The Mechanics of Smell

These scientists are striving to understand the mechanism behind human olfaction: How a Human Smell Receptor Works Is Finally Revealed.

Loneliness

Vivek Murthy, America's Surgeon General, is back in the news again, talking about the loneliness epidemic: Loneliness is a Health Crisis, Surgeon General Says. Here's How to Combat It. (gift article) Also see his excellent book on the topic: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.

The Modern World is Aging You and Your Brain

An interesting article in Wired about studies examining the brains of non-industrialized societies vs. Western Society: The Modern World Is Aging Your Brain. And the manuscript that inspired the article: Brain volume, energy balance, and cardiovascular health in two nonindustrial South American populations.

Mental Health Chatbots

An article in the N.Y. Times about Pi, an emotional support chatbot: My Weekend With an Emotional Support A.I. Companion. (gift article) These new products remind me of the science fiction movies: Her (film))and Ex Machina (film).) The lines of human characteristics such as empathy and even consciousness are blurring......

"Functional Neurological Disorders"

A long-form read about how Long Covid influences understanding "functional" disorders like ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue). Contrary to historical thinking, the diseases ARE NOT in the patient's head: We Might Have Long Covid All Wrong

Shady Longevity Research

The quest to conquer aging rages on. Mixed in with traditional scientists are upstarts trying to cash in on a human fountain of youth. Wired had an expose/overview of one of these companies, BioViva, and its founder Liz Parrish: Inside the Secretive Life-Extension Clinic.

Run AwAI

AI has constantly been in the news since last November when OpenAI made its public debut. This week President Biden hosted a meeting at the White House concerning the dangers of A.I. Along those lines, one of the scientists who made significant contributions to the birth of A.I. quit his decade-long stint at Google to talk freely about the risks: Geoffrey Hinton leaves Google, warns about the dangers of AI. (gift article)

+AI is getting better at translating brain activity into words: A.I. Is Getting Better at Mind-Reading

Do Ovaries Hold the Secret of Longevity?

The ovaries age much more quickly than the other tissues of the human body. Scientists think understanding why may hold the key to a longer, healthier life: The Secrets of Aging Are Hidden in Your Ovaries.

Seven Types of People You Need in Your Life

Interesting article in TED about the people you need in your life to counteract stress: The seven types of people you need in your life to be resilient