Cerebrum Fall 2021

Cerebrum Fall 2021

EMERGING IDEAS IN BRAIN SCIENCE • FALL 2021

THE PRESSURE TO PERFORM

FALL 2021 | VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4

FEATURES 16 The Pressure to Perform

Are those who perform before the public—hundreds, thousands, even millions of spectators at a time—at heightened risk of mental illness? It’s complicated. By Carl Sherman 22 Migraine: The Road to New Targeted Drugs The 2021 Brain Prizewent to four individuals whose independent research led to useful treatments for a disorder affecting a billion people. By Brenda Patoine 28 Magic of the Mind After receiving his degree in neurobiology, our author decided to pursue a career as a magician, a profession that requires a unique understanding of how the mind works. By Daniel Roy

34 Brain Trees

A sampling of work by Dana Simmons, Ph.D., a neuroscientist who created works of art from the beauty she saw through the use of microscopy to study autism. By Bill Glovin

SECTIONS 6

Advances • Notable brain science findings Briefly Noted • By the Numbers, Brain in the News

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11 Bookshelf • A few brain science books that have recently caught our eye 11 In Memoriam • J. Allan Hobson and Elaine Snell 12 Clinical Corner • A Conversation Worth Having, By Adam P. Stern, M.D. 14 Neuroethics • False Hope and Deep Pockets, By Philip M. Boffey 42 Awards • And the Winner is: Neuroethics Essay Contest

4 From the Editor | 5 Contributors | 44 Advisory Board | 46 Cerebrum Staff

COVER ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL HERTZBERG

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FROM THE EDITOR

Batter Up

BY BILL GLOVIN Editor-in-Chief

EMERGING IDEAS IN BRAIN SCIENCE

I t’s been a while, but I still clearly remember the stress and anxiety that came along with pitching for my high school team in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Leading up to high school, I had always played third base when I wasn’t pitching—a position I much preferred. But because I had an effective curve ball and threw strikes, the coaches insisted I pitch. I came to hate the spotlight and the idea that so much of the game’s outcome depended on my performance. As time went on, baseball felt more like a chore and something I played because the world around me expected it, and I was glad to finally leave the pressure behind me. That’s the reason why basketball star Kevin Love’s admission about coping with stress and depression was so relatable to me and countless others. His admission on a mostly taboo subject seemed to finally open the floodgates to a frank discussion about the pressures performers face in a way that hadn’t been addressed before. Performers came forward from almost all walks of life to say the issue was much more than about stage fright, and to empathize and say “thank you” for the courage in speaking up. Love’s struggles especially resonated with high- profile performers, many of whom opened up about their need to justify multimillion-dollar contracts, the pressure to keep people around them employed, and the need to meet the expectations of fans, the media, and even entire countries—as was the case with Simone Biles and the recent Tokyo Summer Olympics. And so, many questions ensued: Why do some performers struggle and not others? Can their stress and anxiety be prevented or treated? What happens in the brain to cause such calamity? We hope our cover story provides some of the answers. Another story we are proud to present is one about the evolution of a new class of drugs for migraine, a problem for an estimated one billion people and one that’s categorized as second on the list of brain disorders affecting people worldwide. Our story traces the path that four individuals took in various labs around the world to win the most recent Brain Prize. Much like the many Covid-19 stories we’ve run, it is science working to humanity’s benefit. We also are also fortunate to have Daniel Roy tell his story of how his passion for magic coincided with him receiving a degree in neurobiology, and how brain science helps inform his work as a professional magician. Finally, we showcase the art of Dana Sutton, a neuroscientist who was inspired to create works of art after using microscopy to conduct her research on autism spectrum disorder. All in all, a power-packed issue, which we hope you enjoy. l

Bill Glovin Editor-in-Chief Seimi Rurup Assitant Editor

Brandon Barrera Editorial Assistant

Carl Sherman Copy Editor

Carolyn Asbury, Ph.D. Scientific Consultant

Bruce Hanson Art Director

Cerebrum is published by the Charles A. Dana Foundation, Incorpo- rated. DANA is a federally registered trademark owned by the Foundation. © 2020 by The Charles A. Dana Foundation, Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publica- tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles. Letters to the Editor Cerebrum Magazine 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 16 Floor New York, NY 10020 or [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity. We regret that we cannot answer each one.

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CONTRIBUTORS

The Pressure to Perform > Page 16

CARL SHERMAN has written about neuroscience for the Dana Foundation for ten years. His articles on science, medicine, health, and mental health have appeared in national magazines including Psychology Today , Self , Playboy , and Us . He has been a columnist for GQ and Clinical Psychiatry News , and is the author of four books. He holds a doctorate in English literature and has taught

at various universities. When not writing about the mind, the brain, and the interesting things people do with them, he enjoys travel, listening to music, looking at art, and copyediting. He lives and works in New York City.

Migraine: The Road to New Targeted Drugs > Page 22

BRENDA PATOINE is a freelance science writer, reporter, and blogger who has been covering neuroscience research for more than 30 years. Her specialty is translating complex scientific findings into writings for the general public that address the question of “what does this mean to me?” She has interviewed hundreds of leading neuroscientists over three decades, including six Nobel Laureates. She founded ScienceWRITE Medical Communications in 1989 and holds a degree in journalism from St. Michael’s College. Other areas of interest are holistic wellness, science and spirituality, and bhakti yoga. Brenda lives in Burlington, V.T., with her cat Shakti.

DANIEL ROY , a professional magician, received a B.S. degree in neurobiology from the University of Pennsylvania. He has appeared at the Hollywood Magic Castle and the Chicago Magic Lounge, and his audiences have included Fortune 500 Companies, Hollywood actors, and members of the U.S. Congress. In 2019, he became one of the youngest magicians ever to receive the

Magic of the Mind > Page 28

Milbourne Christopher award for Close-Up Magician of the Year.

DANA SIMMONS holds a Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of Chicago, where she researched autism spectrum disorder and its connection to the cerebellum. While performing experiments in the lab, Simmons found that neurons called Purkinje cells looked like microscopic trees and began creating digital art that represents the tiny trees of the brain. Dana now works as a

Brain Trees > Page 34

medical writer in Washington, D.C.

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ADVANCES Notable brain-science findings

BY NICKY PENTTILA

P eople with COVID-19 infections have reported symptoms including brain fog, loss of sense of taste and smell, seizures, and both mild and severe strokes. Researchers in the UK were able to take advantage of the huge >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46

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