Week 8: October/12

Dear Students,

Welcome to Week 8: Windows to the Brain: What Your Eyes Reveal About Memory and Alzheimer’s

This week we will explore the vital connection between vision loss, cognitive decline, and the revolutionary science of retinal imaging. We will examine how uncorrected vision loss taxes the brain’s mental energy, accelerates social isolation, and increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—and how everyday optical scans may soon detect neurodegenerative changes years before memory symptoms ever appear.

Last Week: Personal Space, Peripersonal Space, and the Brain

Personal space and peripersonal space are related but distinct concepts. Personal space involves preferred interpersonal distance, while peripersonal space is the brain's representation of the space surrounding the body. This representation depends on communication among multiple brain systems involved in sensation, spatial processing, movement, emotion, and social interaction. Understanding these processes helps explain why our responses to proximity can change depending on the person, situation, and perceived safety.

Getting Started with Week 8 📚

As you get started this week, take a few minutes to log in to Canvas and explore your Week 8 materials. You’ll find helpful resources designed to support your learning and help you get the most out of this week’s class.

On Canvas, you’ll find:

📚 Class lessons with pictures, infographics, and videos
✅ Quizzes to check your understanding
💬 Discussions where you can share your thoughts and learn from your classmates
🎥 Class recordings (coming soon)
📖 Additional materials and full articles if you’d like to explore the topic further

You don’t have to go through everything at once. Take some time to explore Canvas and find the resources that are most helpful to you. We encourage you to make checking Canvas part of your weekly routine! 🌟

Accessing Canvas

You can access Canvas through the Canvas app on your phone or through the Canvas website. To log in, use your SDCCD student email and password, then select Fall 2026 HEAL 540 from your courses.

📱 Want to use Canvas on your phone? Download the Canvas app from the App Store or Google Play. Search for “Canvas by Instructure,” select SDCCD as your school, and log in using your SDCCD student email and portal password.

If you haven’t checked Canvas yet, now is a great time to log in and explore. Everything you need for Week 8 is there! 😊

🗓️ Class Schedule & Meeting Times for Brain Fitness Topics (HEAL 540):

You are welcome to join whichever class time fits your schedule best. Zoom links are hyperlinked under the Professor's name. 

§   🗓 Tuesday | 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 CRN 45950 – Minoo Pakgohar

§   🗓 Monday | 2:30–4:30 PM
📍 CRN 45956 – Erika Peralta

§   🗓 Wednesday | 6:30–8:30 PM
📍 CRN 45960 – Charisse Winston

§   🗓 Thursday | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 CRN 45961 – Charisse Winston

§   🗓 Thursday | 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 CRN 45948 – Sharon Gregory

§   🗓 Friday | 2:30–4:30 PM
📍 CRN 45957 – Erika Peralta

Quick Links   

§   Course website:  bfclass.com

§   BrainHQ site:  https://v4.brainhq.com/

§   Student site with schedule and more:  sdcestudent55.com

§   Site to enroll in classes:  myportal.sdccd.edu

§   Official SDCCE site:  sdcce.edu

We look forward to learning, exploring, and keeping our brains active together!

Your Emeritus Brain Fitness Faculty 

Sharon, Erika, Charisse & Minoo