Epigenetics and Neuroplasticity - Evidence and Debate

Epigenetics and Neuroplasticity - Evidence and Debate
Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 263
Release: 2014-11-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128010851

The 'epi-(Greek for 'over', 'above')genome', with its rich cache of highly regulated, structural modifications—including DNA methylation, histone modifications and histone variants—defines the moldings and three-dimensional structures of the genomic material inside the cell nucleus and serves, literally, as a molecular bridge linking the environment to the genetic materials in our brain cells. Due to technological and scientific advances in the field, the field of neuroepigenetics is currently one of the hottest topics in the basic and clinical neurosciences. The volume captures some of this vibrant and exciting new research, and conveys to the reader an up-to-date discussion on the role of epigenetics across the lifespan of the human brain in health and disease. - Topics cover the entire lifespan of the brain, from transgenerational epigenetics to neurodevelopmental disease to disorders of the aging brain. - All chapters are written with dual intent, to provide the reader with a timely update on the field, and a discussion of provocative or controversial findings in the field with the potential of great impact for future developments in the field.

Trauma in Adult and Higher Education

Trauma in Adult and Higher Education
Author: Laura Lee Douglass
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 457
Release: 2022-01-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1648027237

Trauma in Adult and Higher Education: Conversations and Critical Reflections invites readers to think deeply about the experiences of trauma they witness in and outside of the classroom, because trauma alters adult learners' experience by disrupting identity, and interfering with memory, relationships and creativity. Through essays, narratives, and cultural critiques, the reader is invited to rethink education as more than upskilling and content mastery; education is a space where dialogue has the potential to unlock an individual’s sense of power and self-mastery that enables them to make sense of violence, tragedy and trauma. Trauma in Adult and Higher Education: Conversations and Critical Reflections reveals the lived experiences of educators struggling to integrate those who have experienced trauma into their classrooms - whether this is in prison, a yoga class, or higher education. As discourses and programming to support diversity intensifies, it is central that educators acknowledge and respond to the realities of the students before them. Advocates of traumasensitive curriculum acknowledge that trauma shows up as a result of the disproportionate amount of violence and persistent insecurity that specific groups face. Race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and immigration are all factors that expose individuals to higher levels of potential trauma. Trauma has changed the conversations about what education is, and how it should happen. These conversations are resulting in new approaches to teaching and learning that address the lived experiences of pain and trauma that our adult learners bring into the classroom, and the workforce. This collection includes a discussion of salient implications and practices for adult and higher education administrators and faculty who desire to create an environment that includes individuals who have experienced trauma, and perhaps prevents the cycle of violence.

The Middlepause

The Middlepause
Author: Marina Benjamin
Publisher: Catapult
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2017-03-14
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1936787377

"In The Middlepause Benjamin deftly and brilliantly examines the losses and unexpected gains she experienced in menopause. Menopause is a mind and body shift as monumental and universal as puberty, yet far less often discussed, especially in public, which is what makes Benjamin's work here so urgently necessary." —Kate Tuttle, The Los Angeles Times The Middlepause offers a vision of contentment in middle age, without sentiment or delusion. Marina Benjamin weighs the losses and opportunities of our middle years, taking inspiration from literature, science, philosophy, and her own experience. Spurred by her surgical propulsion into a sudden menopause, she finds ways to move forward while maintaining clear–eyed acknowledgment of the challenges of aging. Attending to complicated elderly parents and a teenaged daughter, experiencing bereavement, her own health woes, and a fresh impetus to give, Benjamin emerges into a new definition of herself as daughter, mother, citizen, and woman. Among The Middlepause's many wise observations about no longer being young: ""I am discovering that I care less about what other people think."" ""My needs are leaner and my storehouse fuller."" ""It is not possible to fully appreciate what it means to age without attending to what the body knows. . . . I have always had a knee–jerk distaste for the idea that age is all in the mind."" ""You need a cohort of peers to go through the aging process with you. A cackle of crones! A cavalry!"" Marina Benjamin's memoir will serve as a comfort, a companion to women going through the too–seldom–spoken of physical and mental changes in middle age and beyond.

Blinded by Science

Blinded by Science
Author: Wastell, David
Publisher: Policy Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2017-03-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1447322347

There's no hotter area of science, at least as far as the general media and laypeople are concerned, than neuroscience--every day we hear of dramatic, surprising discoveries that seem to have the potential to utterly change our understanding of how the mind works. This book offers the first thorough review of such claims and the new biological science behind them. It examines the actual and potential applications of neuroscience within social policy and the impact of neuroscientific discoveries on long-standing moral debates and professional practices throughout social work, mental health practice, and criminal justice.

Brain Plasticity and Behavior

Brain Plasticity and Behavior
Author: Bryan Kolb
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 226
Release: 1995
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780805815207

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Epigenetics

Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Epigenetics
Author: Jacob Peedicayil
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2016-11-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128005270

Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Epigenetics is a comprehensive reference for the epigenetic basis of most common neuropsychiatric disorders. The volume is organized into chapters representing individual neuropsychiatric disorders, from addition to obesity contributed by leading experts in their respective fields. The epigenetic aspects of each disorder are discussed, in the context of the full range of epigenetic mechanisms including DNA modification, histone post-translational modification, chromatin organization and non-coding RNA. A particular emphasis is placed on potential epigenetic interventions, when the effects of environmental stimuli on epigenetic states is particularly relevant o disease. Recent discoveries in epigenetic research enabled by epic advances in genomic technologies have positioned the field for broad translation to therapeutic interventions for previously unmanageable disorders Neuropsychiatric disorders represent a prime target of epigenetic interventions as they are highly debilitating, often chronic diseases with enormous costs to society. Thus, this volume will help define epigenetics as a key player in neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the full spectrum of epigenetic mechanisms underlying such disorders and introducing the vast range of epigenetic therapies under development. - Analyzes the effects of environmental stimuli on epigenetic states that correlate with neuropsychiatric disease induction - Reviews the epigenetic basis for common neuropsychiatric disorders, thereby guiding translational therapies for clinicians and mechanistic studies for scientists - Extensive use of diagrams, illustrations, tables, and graphical abstracts for each section providing rapid assessment

Innate

Innate
Author: Kevin J. Mitchell
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0691204152

"What makes you the way you are--and what makes each of us different from everyone else? In Innate, leading neuroscientist and popular science blogger Kevin Mitchell traces human diversity and individual differences to their deepest level: in the wiring of our brains. Deftly guiding us through important new research, including his own groundbreaking work, he explains how variations in the way our brains develop before birth strongly influence our psychology and behavior throughout our lives, shaping our personality, intelligence, sexuality, and even the way we perceive the world. We all share a genetic program for making a human brain, and the program for making a brain like yours is specifically encoded in your DNA. But, as Mitchell explains, the way that program plays out is affected by random processes of development that manifest uniquely in each person, even identical twins. The key insight of Innate is that the combination of these developmental and genetic variations creates innate differences in how our brains are wired--differences that impact all aspects of our psychology--and this insight promises to transform the way we see the interplay of nature and nurture. Innate also explores the genetic and neural underpinnings of disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, and how our understanding of these conditions is being revolutionized. In addition, the book examines the social and ethical implications of these ideas and of new technologies that may soon offer the means to predict or manipulate human traits. Compelling and original, Innate will change the way you think about why and how we are who we are."--Provided by the publisher.

Rewire Your Brain

Rewire Your Brain
Author: John B. Arden
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2010-03-22
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0470487291

How to rewire your brain to improve virtually every aspect of your life-based on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology on neuroplasticity and evidence-based practices Not long ago, it was thought that the brain you were born with was the brain you would die with, and that the brain cells you had at birth were the most you would ever possess. Your brain was thought to be “hardwired” to function in predetermined ways. It turns out that's not true. Your brain is not hardwired, it's "softwired" by experience. This book shows you how you can rewire parts of the brain to feel more positive about your life, remain calm during stressful times, and improve your social relationships. Written by a leader in the field of Brain-Based Therapy, it teaches you how to activate the parts of your brain that have been underactivated and calm down those areas that have been hyperactivated so that you feel positive about your life and remain calm during stressful times. You will also learn to improve your memory, boost your mood, have better relationships, and get a good night sleep. Reveals how cutting-edge developments in neuroscience, and evidence-based practices can be used to improve your everyday life Other titles by Dr. Arden include: Brain-Based Therapy-Adult, Brain-Based Therapy-Child, Improving Your Memory For Dummies and Heal Your Anxiety Workbook Dr. Arden is a leader in integrating the new developments in neuroscience with psychotherapy and Director of Training in Mental Health for Kaiser Permanente for the Northern California Region Explaining exciting new developments in neuroscience and their applications to daily living, Rewire Your Brain will guide you through the process of changing your brain so you can change your life and be free of self-imposed limitations.

Neurogenesis and Neural Plasticity

Neurogenesis and Neural Plasticity
Author: Catherine Belzung
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 447
Release: 2014-07-08
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 364236232X

This volume brings together authors working on a wide range of topics to provide an up to date account of the underlying mechanisms and functions of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in the adult brain. With an increasing understanding of the role of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis it is possible to envisage improvements or novel treatments for a number of diseases and the possibility of harnessing these phenomena to reduce the impact of ageing and to provide mechanisms to repair the brain.

The Promise of Adolescence

The Promise of Adolescence
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 493
Release: 2019-07-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309490111

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.