Hormonal? It Can Help Your Brain
November 20, 2008
Research tracks level changes throughout the day
By NESITA KWAN
Updated 12:40 PM CST, Thu, Nov 20, 2008
A lesson in listening to your hormones.
Hormones shouldn’t control anyone’s life. But for those who what to look for, and when, hormones may give their brain an boost for whatever they do.
Harnessing your hormones to boost productivity.
Hormonal? It can help your brain
The latest research is tracking hormonal levels throughout the day, NBC5’s Nesita Kwan reported on Wednesday.
They can be different for every person, but in general, the hours between 7 and 9 a.m. are highest for Oxytocin, which some scientists call the love hormone.
“We probably are feeling very loving, very amorous toward the husband or the boy friend or whoever,” says Chicago neuroscientist Leonard Cerullo. It’s also a time you’ll want to give your kid an extra hug, and kiss the spouse off to work.
After 9 a.m. the stress hormone cortisol kicks in. People are alert, sensitive and at their most creative, which makes it a good time to brainstorm with colleagues. After 11 a.m. people are fully awake, because their sleep hormone, called melatonin, is slowly draining away, which is when it’s best to take on challenging conversations, or tackle that endless list of emails. By 3 p.m., energy levels may be at their peak as melatonin levels bottom out. It’s an ideal time to exercise.
To determine the best mix, health psychologists suggest people keep a diary of moods and energy for at least a couple of weeks, then use their notes to build their own hormonal schedule.
“The most important thing is to become aware of, and sensitive to how you feel, which is a reflection of the total number of hormones reacting in all the cells of the body,” Cerullo said.
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Dr. Cerullo Interview with Nesita Kwan to Air Tonight During 10:00 p.m. News
November 19, 2008
Please tune in to Channel 5 tonight to see a recently filmed interview of Dr. Cerullo. Nesita Kwan visited Dr. Cerullo to discuss the impact of hormones on the brain, and in turn, the impact our hormones have on our daily activities. It was a fascinating interview - so it promises to be a great segment.
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Even though more than half of all students attending U.S. medical schools these days are female, the field of neurosurgery faces challenges attracting and retaining women to the profession, according to a new report.
The lack of women specialists in surgery of the brain and nervous system, published in the September issue of Journal of Neurosurgery, highlights a potential problem that could lead to a shortage of neurosurgeons as a whole given the increasing role of women in medicine, the authors say. Read more
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Bicycling causes more traumatic brain injuries than football, but Dr. Gail Rosseau, neurosurgeon, Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery, shares some easy ways to prevent what can be fatal mistakes when it comes to summertime play. Read more
Kennedy brain surgery hailed as ’successful’
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Watch a short clip of Leonard Cerullo, MD on channel 7 Chicago news speak about Sen. Kennedy’s brain tumor diagnosis.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy underwent successful surgery Monday at Duke UniversityMedical Center for a cancerous brain tumor in what was “just the first step” of his treatment plan, his surgeon said. Read more
Surgery ‘first line of treatment’ against glioma tumors
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The type of brain tumor that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has — a glioma — originates in the brain and accounts for 77 percent of malignant brain tumors and 42 percent of all brain tumors, medical experts said yesterday.
Mr. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, has a “malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe,” according to a statement from his doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital. Read more
Neurosurgeon teaches brain facts, fiction
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Chicago, May 21, 2008, by Bridget Kennedy
More than 165 Roosevelt Middle School fifth-graders learned neurological fact from fiction May 7, as they took part in Dr. Gail Rosseau’s “Fact or Fiction: The Neurosurgery Reality Show.” Read more
Summer bike safety: use your head, use your helmet
May 19, 2008
WGN9 Medical Watch –In tonight’s Medical Watch — it’s fun, it’s fast and it’s the number one cause of brain injury … a bike. And believe it or not just wearing a helmet is not enough. Parents and kids need to use their heads.
Claudia: “It keeps your head safe.”
Out of the mouths of babes … at 8 years old they listen to their parents advice about bicycle helmets.
“If you fall you don’t know what’s going to happen to you. So you should always wear a helmet.”
But as they age it’s a bit more difficult to let criticism roll off the back. Read more
Revolutionary new technique uses onyx to fill hard-to-treat aneurysms
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DR. DEMETRIUS LOPES ONE OF FIRST IN COUNTRY TO USE NEW TECHNIQUE
CHICAGO, IL, March 21, 2008 – It has been quite a week for aneurysm patient Diane Long, of Homewood, Illinois. On Sunday, she struggled with double vision because of a large aneurysm in her brain compressing a nerve that controls eye movement. On Monday, she became one of the first in the country to have surgery using a noninvasive procedure and a newly developed material called Onyx. On Wednesday she was back home and feeling like she had a new lease on life.
An aneurysm is a pocket formed on a weakened vessel wall, which can disrupt normal blood flow, develop clots and in some cases, burst. Diane has a strong genetic predisposition to large aneurysms of the brain. Four of her family members, including two sisters, have received treatment for these types of aneurysms. So in 2005, when one her sisters developed a bleeding aneurysm, Diane made an appointment for an MRI of her brain. At that time, the MRI scans showed a small aneurysm and the doctors said they would watch it. Recently it began to grow again, causing her to have a drooping eyelid and double vision. Read more
Advances in the treatment of cervical stenosis and chiari malformation
March 19, 2008
Until recently, Chiari malformation (CM) was regarded as a rare condition. Current estimates suggest that up to 2 million Americans may have CM. Oftentimes, however, it goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, migraine, fibromyalgia, or psychiatric disturbances.
Cervical stenosis is a common cause of neck pain, mostly occurring in patients over 50 as a result of aging and “wear and tear” on the spine. Similar to CM, cervical stenosis is difficult to diagnose. Early recognition and the understanding of treatment options are imperative in preventing progression of the condition.
This educational event has been designed to educate attendees on the nuances of diagnosing and treating CM and cervical stenosis. Surgical advances in the treatment of cervical stenosis, including the recently FDA-approved Prestige® Cervical Disc will be specifically addressed. Read more
