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Exploring the Mind | Sickness and Memory: How the Immune System Changes the Brain
Join Dr. Natalie Tronson, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, as she describes the way immune system changes during illness can interfere with memory formation, and how this affects the development of post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia.
Memory is critical for the ability to function in the world. By storing and retrieving information about the relationships between places, events, and outcomes, our memories allow us to adjust our behavior to act in accordance with the current situation. We use our memory to navigate around our environment, efficiently finding our way to work and back home; to avoid dangerous places and things, to find food, and to recognize families, friends and colleagues. This central role of memory in our everyday lives means that disorders of memory are particularly impactful. Deficits in memory are one of the first and most notable symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, because they severely impact the ability for individuals to function independently in the world. Excessively strong memories are also problematic. For example, persistent memories of trauma contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to individuals avoiding places that trigger retrieval of those memory. But how do memory processes go bad? One thing we know about memory systems is that many different factors in our lives can change how well memory is stored. Stress can make some memories stronger, and some memories weaker. Illness also changes how well we can learn and remember information. This flexibility in how memory systems work also means that they are vulnerable to disruption by stress and sickness.
Natalie Tronson is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. After her undergraduate degree from the University of New South Wales, in Australia, Dr. Tronson moved to the United States and completed her PhD at Yale University, followed by a post-doctoral position at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on how the brain stores and retrieves memory, how memory is changed during stress and illness, and sex differences in these processes. Dr. Tronson’s research combines behavioral approaches and molecular analyses in an animal model of memory, with the goal of identifying new ways to prevent and treat memory disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia.
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Exploring the Mind | Do the Roots of Psychopathy Lie in Early Childhood?
The cold and calculating psychopath captures our imagination in movies and books, but what do we know about psychopathy and its development? In this talk, Luke W. Hyde briefly describes what we know about psychopathy in adults and examine an early risk factor for psychopathy in children and teens. The lecture includes a description of recent findings which aid our understanding of the development of psychopathic traits via “nature” and “nurture", and presents research identifying potentially malleable and preventable risk factors for this dangerous outcome.
Luke W. Hyde, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Clinical and Developmental areas of the Department of Psychology. He received BA from Williams College and PhD in Clinical and Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience. He research focuses on the development of antisocial behavior (e.g., aggression, rule breaking) in youth and the impacts of adversity on youth and families. Much of this research has focused on how experiences like parenting and living in a dangerous neighborhood impact children’s brain and behavior leading to psychopathology.
Dr. Hyde’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Brain and Behavior Foundation, and the Avielle Foundation. This research has been recognized by early career awards from the Society for Research in Psychopathology, the Association for Psychological Science, and Division 7 (Developmental Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.
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Bright Nights Community Forum | Postpartum Depression: What You Don't Expect When You're Expecting
Women frequently experience mild mood changes during or after pregnancy, but if these symptoms become severe, they require treatment. Often misunderstood and conflated with the “baby blues,” postpartum depression occurs in nearly 15 percent of women and can interfere with their ability to care for or bond with their babies. Although highly treatable, many women are reluctant to seek care for a variety of reasons including lack of information about the illness, misconceptions about its treatment, and shame due to stigma and societal pressures.
Samantha Shaw, MD, Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine, gives a brief overview presentation reviewing the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression; treatment options; and strategies to avoid common “traps” of postpartum depression. The presentation is followed by questions and discussion with a panel of experts including Lisa Anderson, MSW, Social Worker, Michigan Medicine; Monica Starkman, MD, Associate Professor Emerita of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School.
This event was a partnership with the U-M Depression Center. For more information on the Center, visit their website or contact Stephanie Salazar, 232-0330, or sawaters@umich.edu
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Bright Nights Community Forum | Self-Help Tools on the Internet for Mood Disorders: A Practical Guide
If you or a family member has struggled with a mood disorder, have you ever thought about getting help online?
eHealth is the use of technologies such as online psychotherapy, informational websites, social media, forums, blogs, and video games to educate, provide social support, encourage screening for disorders, offer self-help strategies and psychotherapy, and reduce stigma. By using eHealth technologies, people can access mental health materials whenever and wherever they like, work at any speed that is comfortable in the privacy of their own home, and play an active role in their health. Further research and development of eHealth tools for mood disorders is needed. However, the availability and quality of these tools has increased considerably over the last decade.
In order to provide an overview of self-help tools on the Internet, how to determine the quality of a particular tool, and to share some specific examples of available eHealth initiatives, the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library presented this Bright Nights community forum.
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In Our Own Words
Courageous survivors of Larry Nassar and the leaders of organizations fighting sexual assault unite for a panel discussion on the landmark case against the former Michigan State University physician convicted of abusing hundreds of girls and women.
Wayne County SAFE’s Trinea Gonczar and three other Nassar victims Larissa Boyce, Jessica Smith and Christina Baker Barba will conduct a panel discussion on the impact of these historic cases at a launch event for inourownwords.us. They will joined by Brigitte Gurden from Lansing’s Eve Inc., Natalie Rogers of Reclaim MSU, Michigan Public Radio Reporter Kate Wells and Alexa St. John, editor of the Michigan Daily.
On November 8th, the Heartland Independent Film Forum with the support of its media sponsor, the Michigan Daily, will launch a new website with a searchable database presenting more than 1,400 pages of unabridged victim impact statements at inourownwords.us. This resource is designed to help students, their professors, families, journalists and attorneys understand this decades-long pattern of abuse so that it never happens again. Created by web designer James Sparling, the site also honors the brave women who, with the help of the Indianapolis Star, broke this story.
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Author Event | Jennifer Pharr Davis
Author Jennifer Pharr Davis visited the Library to discuss her incredible accomplishments in the world of endurance hiking, backpacking, and trail running, and her latest book, The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience.
Jennifer Pharr Davis founded Blue Ridge Hiking Company with the belief that "the trail is there for everyone at every phase of life" and with the goal of getting people–especially women and children–outdoors on their own terms. Pharr Davis is an ambassador for the American Hiking Society, she was featured as one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year in 2012 and her record-setting Appalachian Trail hike in 2011 was named "Performance of the Year" by Ultrarunning Magazine. Jennifer Pharr Davis has hiked with her husband and young daughter in all fifty states and she is currently hiking the Continental Divide Trail in sections through the Rocky Mountains.
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Author Event | The Poisoned City: Anna Clark on the Flint Water Crisis
Anna Clark's new book is an account of the disastrous decisions that switched Flint, Michigan's water supply to a source that corroded the city's aging lead pipes—and the eighteen months of activism that finally forced the state government to admit that Flint's water had been poisoned with lead. In the first full account of this American tragedy, The Poisoned City recounts the gripping story of Flint’s poisoned water through the people who caused it, suffered from it, and exposed it. The Poisoned City is a chronicle of one town, but could also be about any American city, all made precarious by the neglect of infrastructure and the erosion of democratic decision making.
Anna Clark is a journalist living in Detroit. Her writing has appeared in ELLE Magazine, The New York Times, POLITICO Magazine, Next City, and other publications. She received the 2017 Excellence in Environmental Journalism award from the Great Lakes Environmental Law Council. Her writing was a “notable” pick in Best American Sports Writing 2012; a “best commentary” finalist from the 2015 Mirror Awards; and a 2016 first-place winner from SPJ-Detroit in online investigative reporting.
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Visions 2018: AT Guys
Learn about the latest technology that can improve your quality of life. J.J. Meddaugh discusses accessible mobile phones and tablets including iPhone and Android devices, the latest in computer software, braille displays, portable devices, smart assistants, and what's on the horizon.
J.J. Meddaugh is an accessibility consultant, trainer, entrepreneur, programmer, and overall tech geek, writer, and enthusiast. Specializing in bettering the lives of the blind and visually impaired through technology, training, and support, J.J. is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. He can be heard each week on the Blind Bargains Qast, a podcast focusing on access technology trends and reviews.
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Bright Nights Community Forum: The Adolescent Brain - Substance Use, Depression, and Recovery
Important features of brain development exist during the adolescent period, and this developmental phase matters when we talk about adolescent depression and substance use. Understanding these developmentally specific features of depression and substance use helps with parental monitoring, understanding, responding effectively to youth, as well as knowing more about what to expect and how to discern when more help is needed. It is common for parents to wonder, "are they just being a moody teenager?" or "isn't it normal to experiment with alcohol or drugs during adolescence?" Sometimes parents are unsure which condition, substance use or mental illness, is primary or what needs to be treated first.
In order to address these and other dilemmas in relation to dual diagnosis in adolescence, The University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor District Library present a Bright Nights community forum entitled, “The Adolescent Brain: Substance Use, Depression, and Recovery”.
Dr. Joanna Quigley, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry; Associate Medical Director for Child & Adolescent Services, Ambulatory Psychiatry & University of Michigan Addiction Treatment Services (UMATS), gives a brief overview presentation reviewing the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression; signs, symptoms and impact of substance use during adolescence; the intersection of these conditions; how they influence one another and what this can mean for long term development. She speaks about the importance of early intervention and prevention, as well as response focused on education and effective dialogue.
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Can Stress be Beneficial? Perspectives from Wild Animals
Stress is constant in our lives. From the breakup of a relationship, the death of a loved one, or the frustrations associated with your morning commute, many of us unfortunately experience daily stressors associated with these types of situations. These adverse experiences can be associated with the release of stress hormones such as cortisol. If the situation that is causing us stress is short term, we usually cope and recover. However, if we experience stress for a long period of time (“chronic stress”), this may have very negative effects on our physical and mental health and overall well-being.
From an evolutionary perspective, this is somewhat puzzling. Why would such a system evolve where our physiological responses to challenging situations have negative consequences to our health and well-being? If stress is “bad”, then why do all animals (not just humans) experience it? Could there be situations in which stress is actually good, at least from an evolutionary perspective?
This presentation focuses on understanding the benefits of stress in wild animals from an evolutionary perspective. It presents examples of our research examining how stress experienced during pregnancy may have beneficial effects on offspring, at least in squirrels, and how elevations in stress may cause highly social animals like meerkats to be more cooperative.