Neural networks in the brain are active 24/7 and so require a continuous supply of nutrients via the cerebral blood vessels. As we age the cerebral vascular system can become compromised resulting in damage to neurons and a consequent impairment of cognition. Cerebrovascular dementia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly but can also occur in younger people as a consequence of genetic mutations. In this episode professor Thiruma Arumugam of LaTrobe University talk about the causes and consequences of cerebral small vessel disease. The good news is that there are several different measures people can take to reduce their risk for cerebrovascular dementia.

LINKS

Vascular dementia reviews

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163724000965?via%3Dihub

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6420146/pdf/emss-81050.pdf

Biomarkers of vascular dementia

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163724000655?via%3Dihub

Intermittent fasting and vascular dementia

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11224924/pdf/jomes-33-2-92.pdf

William Brady deploys behavioral experiments, big data analytics, and natural language processing to elucidate how human psychology interacts with social media technology to affect morality, emotions, and decision-making. Until very recently in their evolution any one human interacted with no more than a few dozen others during their lifetime. Moreover, those interactions were face-to-face. By its very nature social media is often subjecting our brains to situations for which they are not evolved to deal with properly. Politicians, large corporations, and ‘influencers’ with agendas are taking advantage of several features of social media to benefit themselves and their in-group (political party, religion, ethnicity, and more) at the expense of large swaths of society. Content intended to trigger outrage is a particularly prominent tool in their social media toolbox. In this episode Dr. Brady talks about his research on the spread of moralized content (moral contagion) on social media and how it muffles critical thinking and thoughtful conversations and cooperation amongst individuals with different perspectives on issues. This is big problem for which solutions are not easy given that algorithms are purposely designed in ways that amplify moralized content because this increases the profits and power of those who peddle the outrage, fear, and outgroup hostility and schadenfreude.LINKS

Brady lab page: https://williamjbrady.com/

Relevant published articles:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=brady+wj+social+media&sort=date&size=200

In this episode I provide an overview of the evidence that certain chemicals produced by plants and fungi are beneficial for brain function and health. I focus on the fact that the function of these phytochemicals or mycochemicals in the plants or mushrooms is to defend them from being consumed by insects and other animals. We and other animals evolved mechanisms to tolerate the noxious chemicals. We avoid too much of them because they have a bitter taste, and our cells respond to the chemicals by activating adaptive stress responses (antioxidant enzymes, protein chaperones, neurotrophic factors, etc). By these hormesis-based mechanism way plant-based diets enhance brain resilience and counteract aging and disease processes.

LINKS
Articles on dietary phytochemicals and brain health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4081729/pdf/pr.113.007757.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5841445/pdf/nihms946635.pdf

https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/science/article/pii/S0166223606002001

Review article on mycochemicals

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10647524/pdf/ijms-24-15596.pdf

Evolutionary perspectives

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4586293/pdf/nihms678801.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087184523000439?via%3Dihub

Recent Nature Medicine study

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03570-5