A little while ago, Paul Lagerman said this: ".... I was speaking to a colleague of mine who is a pain specialist and we were discussing central sensitisation. As I understand it there is a genetic change in the cell nucleus which causes an increase in the embedding of NMDA receptors in the cell synapse, oh that's already complicated … [Read more...]
The Lone Wolf or the Support Group Enthusiast?
January 11, 2011 By 11 Comments
What type of person are you?? When tough times come around – whether it is stress at work, a painful injury, or forced participation in Secret Santa – what do you do? Some people, those lone wolf types, find relief in being alone, taking some time to regroup, and dealing with the problem themselves. Others, aka the support group enthusiasts, … [Read more...]
Novelty, exercise and diet – the cornerstones of neural and cognitive plasticity
January 3, 2011 By 6 Comments
I am sitting in the local cafe. I am a Wednesday regular - the muffins are superb and they give you a timer for your pot of tea. I have been reading a great paper that reviews neural and cognitive plasticity, with a focus on what we should all do to optimise our chances of thinking till we die. As I read it, I can’t help but think of what all … [Read more...]
Neuroplasticity neuroschplacity. The results are in and introducing Neuroelasticity.
November 18, 2010 By 4 Comments
Some time ago, we were inspired by some debate in the literature on whether the term neuroplasticity was overdone. Cooked up. Passe. It is timely to revisit this now, for two reasons. First, I did a talk at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians last night - the inaugural seminar in the College of Rehabilitation Physicians' Mind … [Read more...]
Descending inhibitory noxious control. Don’t bite your lip – stand on your opposite toe
November 16, 2010 By 1 Comment
Descending modulation, descending inhibition, descending noxious inhibitory control, descending inhibitory noxious control etc etc etc, are used interchangeably and I wish they weren’t. A recent article in PAIN has looked specifically at DNIC - you can work out which term it acronymises (I just made that word up). Before I give you a very … [Read more...]
Introducing DAMIEN – the brain’s default mode network
October 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Numerous studies involving functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain, tell us that chronic back pain (CBP) alters brain function well beyond the feeling of pain and can cause impairments like depression, impaired decision-making and sleep disturbance [1,2]. It was Baliki’s group in 2008 which confirmed for the first time that … [Read more...]
How the brain makes us feel
October 26, 2010 By 3 Comments
Bud Craig’s 2009 paper: How do you feel—now? The anterior insula and human awareness brings together findings of numerous authors in a discussion of functional imaging of the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and the starring role it plays in human awareness. The groundwork for this recent Perspective, and arguably for much of the research in … [Read more...]
Giving way to the right – the Brits could be onto something
September 7, 2010 By 8 Comments
Some time ago we posted an article that showed that a unicellular organism called slimeball could solve the planning of the British rail network better than the Brits did. Now it might be time to smirk on the other side of our face because, as Sarah Wallwork, the tireless Honours student who had the misfortune of getting me as a supervisor, will … [Read more...]
Neuroplasticity neuroschplacity
September 2, 2010 By 5 Comments
We (ok, I) have been a bit slow on the uptake here, but Mindhacks posted a typically excellent piece lamenting the use of 'neuroplasticity'. Vaughan, in typically excellent style, argues that, because the brain is always changing - we can't do anything really without something changing - the term is meaningless. He goes so far to say that perhaps … [Read more...]
A Reflection on the Mirror Box
August 31, 2010 By 2 Comments
I met a fellow called Max. He was impressive with his command of the facts. He does some cool studies. He's not one of the Luddies. And certainly not one of the hacks. That is what happens when one is a bit too low on sleep. Which I am. But Max is not. Max works in beautiful Oxford and has done some excellent work looking at the use of … [Read more...]
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