BF Topics Spring 2024
Spring 2024 topics
Our class focuses on your lifestyle, and the things that we can do to become healthier in mind and body. According to research, there are several things which contribute to good brain health. They include: engaging the brain, social interactions, managing stress, exercise, restorative sleep and proper nutrition.
Our classes fall into three categories: Physiology, Cognition and Lifestyle. The topics are identified below by the person who is creating the lesson and which category (P, C or L).
Week 1 1/31 (All): Orientation and More
Week 2 2/5 (Minoo) : Depression in the Brain (C) We will review how depression affects the brain, signs and causes of depression, and tips to deal with depression.
Week 3 2/12 (Anjali) : Coping with Change (Stress and the Brain) (C) Change is hard because it can be uncomfortable. Some experts believe that reframing your thinking and interpreting the change as an opportunity to learn and grow may help overcome the stress of change. This class will also cover the effects of chronic stress on the brain and focus on how to cope with change as a way to help lower the risk of anxiety and depression.
Week 4 2/19 (Mindy) : Attending to Attention with a Focus on Focusing (C) You may recall that Attention is the first category of Brain HQ exercises. Before we can remember something and process it, we have to pay attention to it. This makes the ability to pay attention, or focus, critical to leading successful lives. This week we will examine attention and focus in the brain, recognize the symptoms of a lack of attention or focus, reflect on causes, and share strategies for maximizing our ability to focus and pay attention. We will also consider Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and its prevalence in today’s society.
Week 5 2/26 (Mary): The Basics of Brain Anatomy, Function and Brain Processes (P) A look at the brain, as we discuss the many elements of brain anatomy and function which we will go back to during our lessons.
Week 6 3/4 (Minoo): Understanding Alzheimer's Disease (C) We will review how Alzheimer’s changes the brain, what happens when a person has Alzheimer’s disease, signs of Alzheimer’s disease, when to see a doctor, treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, how to get involved in research, and how to get help.
Week 7 3/11 (Anjali) : B Vitamins and Brain Health (L) This class will review the 8 B-vitamins, their role in our body, good dietary sources and evidence suggesting that adequate levels of this micronutrient are essential for optimal physiological and neurological functioning (brain health).
Week 8 3/18 (Mindy): Long COVID and Post-COVID Conditions (L) Many of us acquired the COVID virus, and some of us experienced symptoms that lasted for weeks, months, and even years after infection. This can be referred to as Long COVID, Post-COVID Conditions (PCC), long-haul COVID, and other names. People with Long COVID can have a wide range of symptoms, and some of these symptoms can go away, and then return. In this lesson we will examine PCC and consider its longer-term health impacts.
Week 9 4/1 (Mary): Personality Neuroscience: Why we behave in certain ways (P) Personality neuroscience is the science that studies individual psychological differences with the intention of understanding the neurobiological mechanisms and the impact on behavior. This lesson will include personality traits, the research, and applications of this new field of science.
Week 10 4/8 (Minoo): The Anxious Brain (C) We will review what is happening in the anxious brain, how anxiety affects different aspects of life, signs and causes of an anxious brain, and how to rewire anxious brain.
Week 11 4/15 (Anjali): Sleep and the Brain (L) How does sleep affect your brain’s health? Specific sleep stages are associated with different types of learning and memory formation. We will uncover how each phase of the sleep cycle restores and rejuvenates the brain for optimal function.
Week 12 4/22 (Mindy) : Living with Grief and Loss (L) Grief is a natural response to loss. Grief includes emotional suffering as we understand that something or someone we love is gone. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. We may find ourselves drowning in difficult and unexpected emotions. We may experience shock, anger, disbelief, anger, and deep sadness. In this lesson we will explore the physiological, physical, emotional, and psychological processes of grief, the many faces of grief, how we can support ourselves and others who are grieving, and how grief can be used to help us lead happy and meaningful lives.
Week 13 4/29 (Mary): Inflammation and the Brain (P) As we begin to understand the disease process and brain health, we are aware of the impact of chronic inflammation in the brain. Although we have looked at this before, we will expand and discuss evolving research.
Week 14 5/6 (Minoo): Cognitive Impairment and Elder Abuse (C) We will review the vulnerability of Alzheimer's patients, types of elder abuse, indicators of abuse, and how cognitive impairment correlates with different types of elder abuse.
Week 15 5/13 (Anjali): Phytonutrients/Antioxidants and Brain Health (L) There are thousands of phytonutrients found in plant foods. This class will summarize the effects of phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, on cognitive function. Phytonutrients also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help support a healthy brain.
Week 16 5/20 (Mindy): Anger in the Body and the Brain (C) All of us know the feeling of anger. Our muscles tense up and inside our brains, neurotransmitters known as catecholamines are released to give us a burst of energy that can last for several minutes. Anger can be a positive and useful emotion if it is appropriately expressed. But uncontrolled anger can result in a number of physical, emotional, and psychological risks. In this lesson we will explore the brain and body physiology of anger, the benefits and risks of anger, and strategies for mastering it.
Week 17 5/27 (Mary): Effects of Selected Technology on the Brain (P) Technology is impacting our brain. In this lesson, we will review the effects of certain types of technology on our brain function, and will include such technologies as the smart phone, map navigation programs, social networks and ChatGPT.
Week 18 6/3 (All): Summary and Review