>>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> CARES ABOUT S.T.E.M.

BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PATEL BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURES.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> I'M DR. FREDERICK SCIENTIST AND PRESIDENT OF COSI.

WELCOME TO "QED WITH DR.

B."

LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE.

>>> TODAY WE'RE TALKING TO SOME SCIENTISTS WHO STUDY THE HUMAN BRAIN AND WHEN YOU STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE BRAIN IT IS SO AMAZING.

DR. B WHAT MAKES THE BRAIN SO INCREDIBLE?

>> IT'S REALLY FASCINATING.

THE BRAIN IS ONLY 2 TO 3% OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT.

DESPITE THAT IT TAKES UP 25 TO 35% OF YOUR DAILY ENERGY.

THAT'S MASSIVE.

WE KNOW EVERYTHING IS EXPERIENCED IN THE BRAIN LIKE YOUR VISION, PAIN, THINKING, EMOTIONS, BUT THERE ARE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS LIKE HOW YOU BREATHE, YOUR HEARTBEAT, THOSE THINGS ARE ALSO CONTROLLED BY YOUR BRAIN.

>> SO SCIENTISTS ARE DEVELOPING INTERVENTIONS THAT COULD EMPOWER OUR BRAINS WHEN THEY MAY STRUGGLE.

LATER IN THE SHOW WE'LL EXPLORE CURRENT RESEARCH ON THE PLACEBO EFFECT AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT MINDFULNESS.

FIRST LET'S TALK ABOUT VIRTUAL REALITY AND HOW IT CAN HELP TRAIN OUR BRAINS TO PERFORM BETTER.

DR. B WHY YOU VIRTUAL REALITY SUCH A POWERFUL STOOL.

>> THIS IS ONE OF THESE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF HOW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND AMAZING THINGS, IN THIS CASE THE BRAIN.

IMAGINE REMOVING A LOT OF DANGER OR CHALLENGES WITH SOME THINGS THAT YOU DO IN REAL LIFE.

FOR EXAMPLE, MEDICAL SURGERY.

VIRTUAL REALITY IS GOING SO FAR THAT SURGEONS CAN TRAIN IN THIS VIRTUAL REALITY WORLD AND GET SKILL SETS AS GREAT AS THE TOP SURGEON IN THE WORLD WITHOUT EVER EXPERIMENTING ON THE BODY AND THEN THEY'RE READY TO WORK ON THE BODY.

ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW THE ADMANSMENTS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, IN THIS CASE THE BRAIN.

I SPOKE WITH DR. BAWEJA WHOSE LAB AT THE SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY USES VIRTUAL REALITY AS A THERAPY FOR PARKINSON'S PATIENTS.

DR. BAWEJA IS NOW THE FOUNDING PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY WHERE HE'LL CONTINUE THE AMAZING WORK WE'RE ABOUT TO DISCUSS.

LET'S START WITH THIS TERM CALLED NEUROPLASTICITY.

WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY?

>> IN VERY BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL TERMS, NEUROPLASTICITY IS THE ABILITY OF YOUR BRAIN TO ADAPT TO ALMOST ANYTHING THAT IS IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSOR OR WHETHER IT IS A PRACTICE INDUCED REPETITION INDUCED CHANGE AND FOR IT TO NOT JUST ADAPT BUT REWIRE.

THAT REWIRING IS WHAT WE TEND TO REFER TO AS NEUROPLASTICITY.

>> UNPACK THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THE BRAIN IS FILLED WITH 86 BILLION NEURONS.

WHAT'S THIS WIRING, REWIRING STUFF THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?

>> EACH ONE OF THESE NEURONS BY ITSELF IS A FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE.

WHEN YOU START CONNECTING THEM AND THEY START TALKING WITH EACH OTHER THAT'S WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS.

HOW THE CONNECTIONS TALK TO EACH OTHER, HOW THEY STRENGTHEN OR WEAKEN OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THAT'S WIRING.

THAT'S CONNECTION WIRING IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS NEUROPLASTICITY.

THE PHYSICAL BRAIN DEVELOPS UNTIL THE AGE OF AROUND 25, AND BY THE TIME WE GET TO AROUND 60, 65, THERE'S A LINE IN THE STRUCTURAL AND THAT'S HOW THE BODY IS PROGRAMMED.

HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO LIFE SPAN, MORE THAN JUST THE STRUCTURE, IS THE EXPERIENCE.

AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER IN THEIR 40s IS A BETTER THAN DRIVER THAN 16 TO 20 YEARS OF AGE.

HOWEVER AS WE START TO AGE, AND THE SCENARIOS TEND TO CHANGE, THE BRAIN HAS TO ADAPT TO SCENARIOS AND KEEP UP WITH IT AND THE BRAIN DOES KEEP UP WITH IT.

THAT'S THE BEAUTY.

THE BRAIN CONTINUES TO ADAPT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS.

THE AGING BRAIN FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE THOUGHT WAS NOT [ inaudible ] TO LEARN NEW THINGS BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

>> YOU STUDY HOW COGNITION INFLUENCES THE QUALITY OF MOVEMENT.

HOW DOES NEUROPLASTICITY PLAY A ROLE IN THAT WORK?

>> SO, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK AND TALK ABOUT HOW COGNITION AFFECTS MOVEMENT.

FEAR AND STRESS CAN AFFECT THE QUALITY OF MOVEMENT, A STRESSOR CAN AFFECT THE QUALITY OF MOVEMENT.

THE SNOW SFLOETS.

YOU TAKE THAT INTO THE REALM OF DIFFICULT HEALTH DEVELOPMENT OR AGING OR NEURODISEASES AND THE PHYSICAL THERAPY INTRODUCED TO PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND THE FUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE -- KNOWN AS MOVEMENT DISORDERS.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE WORK WE DO WITH THE PATIENTS IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN BE AS INDEPENDENT WITH THEIR LIFESTYLE AS POSSIBLE WITH THE -- WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THEIR DUTIES.

WE CAN HELP THEM MORE WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE DYSFUNCTION IN THEIR MOVEMENT.

>> YOU LEVERAGE VIRTUAL REALITY TO REWIRE THE BRAIN.

HOW DOES THAT WORK?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

I'M GOING TO BREAK THIS DOWN INTO THERAPIES THAT CAME BEFORE AND WHAT WE NOW ADD ON TO IT SUPER IMPOSED WITH OUR WORK WE DO.

THE THERAPIES THAT CAME BEFORE IN REHAB MEDICINE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF MOVEMENT FOR A PARKINSON'S PATIENT FOR WALKING AND NEGOTIATING THEIR ENVIRONMENT, TEACHING THEM THOU WALK AND TEACHING THEM LOOKING AT A MIRROR AND WE CALL IT GAIT TRAINING, TRAINING HOW TO WALK AND COMPLETE THAT WITH MOVEMENT AND STRENGTH AND MOBILIZATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE.

WHEN WE THEN TAKE VIRTUAL REALITY AND PUT THAT SUPER IMPOSE THAT ON TOP OF THE TRAINING THEY ARE DOING NOW WHAT I CAN DO IS SIMULATE THE EXACT SCENARIO IN WHICH THE DYSFUNCTION OCCURS.

PARKINSON'S PATIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS PROBLEMS WHEN YOU STRESS THEM OUT ON INTERSECTION WHEN THEY HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET.

AT THAT TIME, THE CLOCK IS RUNNING BACKWARDS FROM 30 SECONDS, 30 SECONDS TO CROSS THE STREET, AND NOW EVEN THOUGH WITH ALL THE WALKING TRAINING WE GIVE THEM, THEY'RE ABLE TO WALK PROPER LU, THEY GET STUCK AT THE INTERSECTION AND SOMEBODY IS HONKING AT THEM AND INTRODUCE A STRESSOR THAT SOMEBODY COULD HIT THEM.

WE TAKE THE SAME GAIT TRAINING SUPER IMPOSE THE SET OF SOMEBODY HONKING AT YOU WHEN WEARING THE HEADSET AND WALK THE 20 YARDS ACROSS SAFELY TO MITIGATE THAT STRESSOR.

THAT'S HOW WE USE AND LEVERAGE VIRTUAL REALITY IN ONE WAY.

>> YOU SAID VIRTUAL REALITY IS A GAME CHANGER IN SCIENCE.

SO WHAT OTHER APPLICATIONS DO YOU SEE FOR VIRTUAL REALITY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?

>> SEVERAL.

SO I AM NOT ONLY A SCIENTIST, BUT AS A PROFESSOR I'M ALSO A TEACHER.

WE STARTED USING VIRTUAL AUGMENTED REALITY AND MIXED REALITY FOR THAT MATTER IN OUR CLASSROOMS.

AS AN EXAMPLE OF LEARNING MORE EFFECTIVELY AND -- TAKE THE SAME AND TAKE IT INTO DIFFERENT ARENA OF NEURODISEASE, DEPRESSION OR PTSD.

IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER TO THE STRESSOR FOR THE PTSD PATIENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT CAUSED THAT STRESS, THEN YOU CAN TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THAT STRESSOR IN THE VIRTUAL REALITY WHERE THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT MIGHT NOT OFFER THEM AND USE IT AS A MODE OF THERAPY.

YOU CAN TAKE A CLINICIAN AND PUT THEM INTO THE SEAT OF A WHEELCHAIR BOUND PATIENT WHO CANNOT MOVE IN VIRTUAL REALITY.

YOU CAN TAKE A WHEELCHAIR BOUND PATIENT PUT THEM IN A VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET AND TAKE THEM TO THE TOP OF MOUNT EVEREST.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE UNLIMITED.

ONLY LIMITED BY THE IMAGINATION.

>>> LISTENING TO DR. BAWEJA'S INTERVIEW IT'S SO INTERESTING HOW VIRTUAL REALITY CAN HELP REWIRE THE BRAIN.

I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY POWERFUL TOOL.

SO DR. B, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER APPLICATIONS YOU SEE VR BEING USED FOR?

>> IMAGINE INDUSTRIES THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS OR RISKY PRACTICING IN REAL LIFE NOW TRAINING THE BRAIN IN THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.

THINK ABOUT PILOT, NEXT HE WILL PILOT TRAINING WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT FLYING A REAL PLANE.

THINK ABOUT THE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL PRACTICE WHERE SURGEONS CAN WORK AND ONTY MIZE PRECISION SKILLS IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD, WALK INTO THE OPERATING ROOM AND HAVE NO TROUBLE ON REAL PEOPLE.

>> OUR NEXT SEGMENT MIGHT GET MIXED REACTIONS.

DR. B WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PLACEBO EFFECT?

>> THIS IS AN INTERESTING PHENOMENA WHERE A PATIENT OR PERSON CAN TAKE AN INACTIVE SUBSTANCE LIKE A SUGAR PILL AND SEE A BENEFICIAL EFFECT.

SCIENTISTS AND DOCTORS THOUGHT MAYBE THEY BELIEVED IN THE PILL AND THAT'S WHY THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET HEALTHY.

IT TURNS OUT IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE.

FOR MORE I SPOKE TO TED KAPTCHUK PROFESSOR AT MEDICINE AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.

>> WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S WELL HEARD OUT THERE, BUT APPARENTLY NOT VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD.

THAT'S THE THING CALLED THE PLACEBO EFFECT.

WHAT'S A PLACEBO AND WHAT'S THE PLACEBO EFFECT?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, PLACEBO DOESN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT.

IT'S AN INERT SUBSTANCE.

WHAT IS THE PLACEBO EFFECT ACTUALLY?

IT'S THE EFFECT OF EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS THE PLACEBO IN A MEDICAL SITUATION.

IT'S ABOUT BEING -- PATIENTS BEING IMMERSED, PARTICIPATING IN A HEALING RELATIONSHIP AND HOPEFUL OF GETTING BETTER BY GETTING TREATMENT.

>> WE KNOW FROM YOUR RESEARCH THE DOUBLE BLIND STUDY AND THEN THERE'S THE OPEN STUDY.

CAN YOU PLEASE DEFINE WHAT A DOUBLE BLIND STUDY IS, FIRST THE OPEN STUDY RELATED TO PLACEBO?

>> WHEN YOU DO DRUG TRIAL IT'S THE DRUG VERSUS THE PLACEBO DOUBLE BLIND.

THE PATIENT DOESN'T KNOW IF THEY'RE TAKING A REAL DRUG OR PLACEBO.

IT'S CONCEALED.

THE OPENED LABEL PLACEBO, THE HONEST PLACEBO WE TELL THEM IT'S A PLACEBO, IT HAS NO ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, IT'S LIKE A SUGAR PILL, AND SOMETIMES IN SOME PEOPLE IT MAY HELP.

MANY PEOPLE GET BETTER IN DOUBLE BLIND STUDIES WHILE THEY'RE ON PLACEBO TREATMENTS.

WE USED TO SAY THAT'S BECAUSE THEY USED TO THINK THEY'RE ON DRUGS.

THEY THINK IT'S BETTER.

ONCE MY TEAM AND OTHER TEAMS HAVE STARTED TESTING WHETHER YOU CAN GIVE PLACEBOS IN THE CONTEXT OF A DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP, HONESTLY, THIS IS A PLACEBO THAT HAS AN INERT SUBSTANCE, NO SUBSTANCE IN HERE, BUT LET'S SEE WHAT IT DOES TO YOU.

PEOPLE STILL GOT BETTER.

NOT EVERYONE.

BUT SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF THE TIME, SIGNIFICANTLY GOT BETTER.

TELLING US THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU THINK.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DO.

THAT DOING IS BEING IN THIS RELATIONSHIP.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PATIENT THAT KNOWS THEY'RE TAKING THIS INERT SUBSTANCE TOO THAT'S A NEW CONCEPT.

>> GOING IN.

>> STILL DOING IT.

WHICH MEANS THAT IS OTHER MECHANISMS BESIDES BELIEF GOING ON.

>> WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE PLACEBO EFFECT?

>> THE PLACEBO IS A TRICKY CONCEPT, BUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS START WITH WHAT ARE PERCEPTIONS, WHAT ARE SENSATIONS, AND IMPORTANT IN THIS SITUATION, WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS?

THE BRAIN HAS TO INTERPRET THE SENSATION.

WHEN YOU FALL DOWN AND HURT YOUR BACK, THE BRAIN AMPLIFIES THAT SENSATION BECAUSE YOU NEED TO REST.

IN MANY SITUATIONS, THE BACK GETS BETTER.

BUT YOUR BRAIN STILL HYPER ACTIVE AND HYPER EXCITED AND SENDING SIGNALS SAYING YOU'RE STILL IN PAIN.

WHAT PLACEBOS ARE DOING IS PUTTING A PERSON IN A SITUATION THAT'S FROM A PERFORMANCE.

WHEN WE DO OPEN LABEL PLACEBO PEOPLE SAY THAT AIN'T GOING TO WORK FOR ME.

IT'S CRAZY.

I SAY LISTEN, IT MIGHT NOT WORK, IT MIGHT WORK, TAKE IT AND JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS.

FOR SOME PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME THE BRAIN SORT OF TURNS DOWN THE VOLUME OF THE HYPER EXCITABILITY AND YOU GET A PLACEBO RESPONSE.

I THINK THE EVIDENCE FOR WHAT PLACEBOS TREAT IS PRIMARILY SYMPTOMS OF THINGS LIKE PAIN IN THE HEAD, PAIN IN THE BACK, PAIN IN THE BELLY, FATIGUE, ANXIETY, THINGS THAT YOU MEASURE AND SEE BY YOURSELF.

THE PLACEBO IS NOT A CURE ALL.

IT DOESN'T TREAT MALARIA.

IT DOESN'T LOWER CHOLESTEROL.

IT'S NOT GOING TO LOWER YOUR HYPERTENSION, A PLACEBO PILL.

IT'S ABOUT SYMPTOM THAT YOU EXPERIENCE AND IT'S ABOUT SHIFTING THE BRAIN TO INTERPRET THOSE SYMPTOMS DIFFERENTLY.

THE BRAIN IS CONSTANTLY DIALING UP AND DIALING DOWN YOUR SYMPTOMS.

THERE'S SIGNALS COMING FROM YOUR BACK GOING TO YOUR BRAIN, SIGNALS GOING TO IT FROM YOUR BRAIN TO YOUR TOES, AND IT SAYS IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.

THE SYMPTOMS PRIMARILY AFFECTED BY PLACEBO ARE OUT OF CONTROL.

AND SOME OF THE TIME THE BRAIN AUTOMATICALLY, EVEN THOUGH IT KNOWS IT'S NOT A PLACEBO, TURNS IT DOWN.

>> WHAT'S THE LATEST CUTTING EDGE OF YOUR RESEARCH?

>> WE'VE DONE A LARGE RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL ON BOWL SYNDROME AND RANDOMIZED 260 PATIENTS, SOME HONEST PLACEBO, SOME DOUBLE BLIND PLACEBO, AND WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW IS THAT THE RESPONSE TO OPEN LABEL HONEST PLACEBO WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE RESPONSE TO DOUBLE BLIND PLACEBO.

THAT'S MIND BOGGLING.

WE CAN ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO USE THAT RESPONSE FOR HELPING PATIENTS.

ANOTHER EXPERIMENT THAT WE PUBLISHED IN THE SAME YEAR IS AN EXPERIMENT WHERE WE TOOK PATIENTS POST-SURGICAL LOW BACK PAIN, LOTS OF OPIOIDS.

EVERY TIME THEY TOOK AN OPIOID THEY HAD TO TAKE THE OPEN LABEL PLACEBO.

WE REDUCED THE OPIOID CONSUMPTION BY 30%.

THAT'S VERY PROMISING AND STILL PRELIMINARY.

I TALK ABOUT SYMPTOMS BEING THE PHENOMENA, THERE'S AN UNDERLYING NEURO BIOLOGY.

WHEN PEOPLE ARE TREATED WITH PLACEBO AND GET PLACEBO EFFECTS, SPECIFIC QUANTIFIABLE AND RELEVANT AREAS OF THE BRAIN ARE ENGAGED.

WE KNOW THAT NEUROTRANSMITTERS ARE INVOLVED AND ENDORPHINS AND SEROTONIN.

THERE'S AN UNDERLYING BIOLOGY THAT SERVES THIS IDEA THAT THE BRAIN SELF-REGULATES.

>> WHY IS YOUR RESEARCH AND THE RESEARCH IN GENERAL ON PLACEBOS SO IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND THE FUTURE OF OUR HEALTH CARE?

>> WELL, I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, I DEDICATED MY LIFE TO IT.

THE HISTORY OF NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO PLACEBO RESPONSES HAS THROWN AWAY IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS OF HEALTH CARE.

PLACEBOS SEEM TO WORK ON MANY COMMON SYMPTOMS, EVEN IF YOU KNOW IT'S AN INERT SUBSTANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF A DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP OR A HEALING RELATIONSHIP.

PLACEBOS TELL US A LOT ABOUT WHAT IS MEDICINE.

IT TELLS US IT'S MORE THAN PHARMACOLOGY.

I THINK ULTIMATELY PLACEBOS IS A WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MEDICINE IS NOT ONLY ABOUT GOOD TREATMENT AND THANK GOD WE HAVE GOOD TREATMENTS THAT ARE MORE THAN PLACEBOS, BUT AS IT ALSO ABOUT DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP AND THE PARTICIPATION IN A HEALING RELATIONSHIP.

>> PROFESSOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> WHAT STANDS OUT FOR ME WE CAN BE INCLINED TO DISMISS THE PLACEBO EFFECT.

IT IS NUANCED AND MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE BUT SOME PEOPLE IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE SO IT'S WORTH INVESTIGATING AND THAT CONNECTS TO OUR NEXT SEGMENT ABOUT ANOTHER PRACTICE SOME PEOPLE HAVE MIXED REACTIONS ABOUT, THE IDEA OF MINDFULNESS.

WE HEAR THAT WORD A LOT.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

>> THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

WE HEAR THAT TERM MINDFULNESS EVERYWHERE BUT EVEN IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AS NOT WELL DEFINED.

SCIENTISTS ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM ALL KINDS OF EXAMPLES BUT MANY THINK OF IT AS THE ABILITY TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR MIND, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND YOUR BODY SENSATIONS.

INDEED, SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO LEARN MORE.

THE FIELD IS IN ITS INFANCY.

I SPOKE TO DR. PRAKASH AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

>> OUR MINDS ARE REALLY POWERFUL BUT AS WE AGE WE SEE SOME CHANGES HAPPENING.

WHAT ARE THESE CHANGES AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT FOR US?

>> WHAT RESEARCH SEEMS TO SUGGEST IS AS WE GET OLDER THERE IS A DECLINE IN WHAT WE CALL COGNITIVE ABILITY.

THESE ARE OUR THINKING SKILLS.

THERE'S SOME AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE AND WHAT THEY SEEM TO SUGGEST IS THAT WHAT UNDERLIES AND ALMOST, YOU KNOW, UNDERGIRDS THE PERFORMANCE AND THESE AGE RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE IS REALLY OUR INABILITY TO FULTSER OUT WHAT'S CALLED TASK IRRELEVANT REPRESENTATIONS, RIGHT.

WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, IN ANY GIVEN MOMENT WE HAVE SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT'S COMING AT US, RIGHT, SO EVEN AS YOU'RE TALKING WITH ME YOU'RE FOCUSING ON WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT YOU MAY BE THINKING ABOUT OH, GEEZ, YOU KNOW, I HAD SUCH A HARD TIME FINDING PARKING ON OHIO STATE CAMPUS OR THINKING ABOUT DINNER PLANS.

SO WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IN OUR YOUTH AND YOUNG AGE IS WE'RE ABLE TO FILTER OUT ALL OF THAT STUFF AND FOCUS ON WHAT'S ON TASK, BUT AS WE GET OLDER, THERE IS A LOT OF OVERPROCESSING THAT IS HAPPENING, SO A LOT OF INFORMATION IS JUST COMING AND WE'RE TO THE BEING ABLE TO FILTER THINGS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT TO US.

SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY SEEMS TO UNDERLIE A LOT OF THESE AGE RELATED DECLINES AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING.

>> WHEN YOU'RE RESEARCHING WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT AND DATA DO YOU COLLECT AND HOW DO YOU PROCESS THAT INFORMATION?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IS WHO DOES MINDFULNESS WORK FOR?

IT DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE.

WE HAD A SMALL STUDY WITH ABOUT 74 OLDER ADULTS.

OUR PILOT RESULTS SEEMED TO BE SUGGESTING IS THAT MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OLDER ADULTS, REALLY IS BENEFITING PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOOD COGNITIVE RESOURCES TO START WITH.

IF YOU HAVE POOR COGNITIVE RESOURCES YOU ALREADY HAVE COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS IT'S TOO LATE TO ENGAGE IN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION.

THIS IS A RESULT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLICATED, WHICH IS WHY I THINK OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION REALLY AS A PREVENTATIVE INTERVENTION.

I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING, COULD WE LOOK AT MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR MID LIFE ADULTS WHO MAY BE AT RISK FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE BECAUSE IT RUNS IN THEIR FAMILY OR THEY HAVE LIFESTYLE FACTORS LIKE A HIGH BMI, HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AT A GREATER RISK FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

IF WE CAN USE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION FOR ADULTS HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET TO DO THAT STUDY AT SOME POINT.

>> WHAT IS THE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION LOOK LIKE?

>> WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SHOW YOU?

>> I WOULD LOVE THAT.

>> LET'S DO THAT.

>> YOU GOT IT.

OKAY.

I'M GOING TO LEAD YOU THROUGH ONE OF THE FIRST PRACTICES THAT WE LEAD OUR PARTICIPANTS THROUGH WHEN THEY GET STARTED WITH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PROGRAMS.

IN THIS PRACTICE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE ARE REALLY COMMITTING TO BEING RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT.

SO WHAT I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO IS I'LL INVITE YOU TO JUST GENTLY CLOSE YOUR EYES, ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS UP, UP, UP, FEELING THE STRETCH, AND EXHALING.

HOW DOES YOUR BODY FEEL SITTING HERE IN THIS MOMENT JUST SIMPLY NOTICING, PAYING ATTENTION TO ANYTHING THAT SHOWS UP IN THIS BODY?

MAYBE YOU NOTICE CERTAIN SENSATIONS.

ONE THING THAT WE NOTICE, WE ALL NOTICE, IS THAT OUR MIND WANDERS OFF THINKING ABOUT THE PAST, THE FUTURE, NO BIG DEAL.

WE JUST GENTLY PICK UP OUR MIND.

AND BRING IT BACK TO NOTICES YOUR BREATH.

IN JUST ANOTHER MOMENT, I'LL RING THE BELL THAT WILL SIGNIFY THE END OF THIS PRACTICE.

[ bell ringing ] >> WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OWN MEDITATION WU WITH YOU.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY MIND AND OUR MINDS AND CONNECT BACK TO THE RESEARCH HOW OUR BRAINS WORK?

>> OUR WORK HAS SHOWN THAT MINDFULNESS TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS CAN HELP REDUCE WHAT I HAD DISCUSSED BEFORE, IS MIND WANDERING.

ESPECIALLY DURING TASKS THAT REQUIRE THE FOCUS, RIGHT.

BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT NOT ALL MIND WANDERING IS BAD, BUT IT IS WHEN YOU ARE FOCUSING ON SOME THINGS THAT ARE CHALLENGING OR FOCUSING ON TASKS THAT REQUIRE YOUR COGNITIVE SKILLS AND THEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT X, Y, AND Z THAT WILL IMPACT YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THE TASK.

>> WRAP UP KIND OF HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH MINDFULNESS AS AN AVERAGE CONSUMER FROM A RESEARCHER STANDPOINT WHAT MINDFULNESS CAN PROMISE AND WHAT MINDFULNESS IS NOT?

>> YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS FIELD OF CONTEMPLATE OF SCIENCE AND THE SYSTEMIC STUDY OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION IS REALLY WHAT I WOULD CALL IN ITS INFANCY.

WE HAVE VERY FEW SOLID TRIALS AND I THINK WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT IT CAN HELP IMPROVE MIND WANDERING, IT CAN HELP STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS OF THE BRAIN, BUT WE STILL NEED LARGE, WELL POWERED STUDIES AND STUDIES THAT INCLUDE REPRESENTATIONS OF MINORITIZED COMMUNITIES TO SEE IF IT HELPS WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

BUT SOMETIMES MINDFULNESS IS ALSO USED AS A PANACEA FOR EVERYTHING, RIGHT, AND THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE.

MINDFULNESS IS ONE PATHWAY TOWARDS HEALTH.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SAY, IT'S PERSONALLY BENEFITTED ME.

I WOULD SAY GIVE IT A SHOT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TRYING IT, BUT DO IT IN THE CONTEXT OF BEING -- DOING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF A PROGRAM LIKE A MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION PROGRAM AND IF IT WORKS FOR YOU, THEN THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

>> MY TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY IS THAT THE BRAIN IS SO POWERFUL ON ITS OWN, BUT SOMETIMES WE DO NEED SOME TOOLS AND PRACTICES TO HELP IMPROVE IT.

AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE MORE SCIENCES.

WHAT'S YOUR TAKEAWAY?

>> ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS THE BRAIN CAN ALWAYS LEARN AND BE TRAINED AND AS I GET OLDER I RESONATE WITH THAT.

IT'S NOT A ONE AND DONE SITUATION.

THE BRAIN CAN ACTIVELY LEARN ALL THE WAY THROUGH OUR DEATH.

AND THAT'S "QED WITH DR.

B."

THAT'S ME.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> DR. B WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BRAIN.

WHAT SORT OF THINGS DO YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN ACTIVE?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I VIEW THE BRAIN AS A MUSCLE, AND I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO DO THINGS THAT CHALLENGE ME, A LOT OF READING, VERY HEALTHY.

I LOVE SUDOKO AND CROSSWORD PUZZLES BUT THEN I DO THINGS LIKE REST AND RELAX AND SLEEP.

YOU HAVE TO SLEEP A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO MAKE SURE THE BRAIN CAN PROCESS AND DO ITS HOUSEKEEPING TO STAY HEALTHY.

I DRINK A LOT OF WATER.

WATER IS GREAT FOR HYDRATION OF OUR BODY BUT OUR BRAINS ARE 70 TO 80% WATER.

YOU HAVE TO DRINK A LOT OF WATER FOR YOUR BRAIN HEALTH AS WELL.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> HEALTH CARES ABOUT S.T.E.M.

IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PATEL BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT.

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.