A Matter of Opinion

BY BILL GLOVIN Editor-in-Chief

In April 2014, Cerebrum posted an article titled: “Equal ≠ The Same: Sex Differences in the Human Brain,” by Larry Cahill at the University of California, Irvine. Soon after, six female academicians presented their point of view. “Why Males ≠ Corvettes, Females ≠ Volvos, and Scientific Criticism ≠ Ideology began with: “We welcome this opportunity to correct some of the misapprehensions and mischaracterizations in this account and present a more nuanced view of the relations among sex, brain, and gender.”

This issue’s cover story offers a fresh, updated look at what is still a provocative and debatable topic. One of my advisers, the late pioneering endocrinologist Bruce McEwen, recommended we invite Catherine Woolley at Northwestern, who had long ago stood out in his Rockefeller University lab as a graduate student and who had since gone on to acclaim for groundbreaking research on estrogen-driven plasticity. Her article aptly begins with, “Sex differences in the brain are real, but they are not what you might think.” My hope is that Woolley’s article, and my podcast with her, will help you form your own thoughts.

We are also fortunate to have a leader in the field of big data, Vince Calhoun, take on a topic that has enormous potential to alter neuroscience and mental health: big data neuroimaging. As imaging and computer power continue to evolve, Calhoun—founding director of the tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science in Georgia examines the origins of the field and neuroimaging’s potential to solve issues within neuroscience and mental health. He can also be heard on an episode of our podcast

Other features in this issue include articles on psychedelics to treat depression, the impact of diet on the brain, and the new field of environmental neuroscience. Our neuroethics column tackles some of the dangers of legalized marijuana—especially as those dangers concern developing brains. Our new Clinical Corner column offers a resident’s first-person account of treating a patient with a new noninvasive surgical procedure called focused ultrasound.

These are indeed challenging times for science and medicine. As Covid-19 continues to rage, a rollout of a vaccine cannot come fast enough. Finding ways to slow it down, deal with its aftermath, and defeat it completely will continue to dominate our thoughts. Stay well. l

Emerging Ideas In Brain Science

Bill Glovin Editor-in-Chief

Seimi

Rurup Assitant Editor

Podcast

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, Incorporated. 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 publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, 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

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Letters may be edited for length and clarity. We regret that we cannot answer each one.

Brain In The News

Links to brain-related articles we recommend:

> Scientific American: Governments Worldwide Consider Ditching Daylight Saving Time

> New York Times: The Healing Power of Singing

> Wall Street Journal: How to Stop the Negative Chatter in Your Head

> New York Times: When It Comes to Living With Uncertainty, Michael J. Fox Is a Pro

> Washington Post: A pandemic pod could help you get through winter, experts say. Here’s how to form one.

> Consumer Reports: Brain-boosting supplements may have high doses of unapproved Rx medications

> New York Times: Your Brain Is Not for Thinking

> Star-Ledger: Living with long-term effects

> New Scientist: Living electrodes for linking brains to computers tested in rats

> Smithsonian Magazine: The New Science of Our Ancient Bond With Dogs

> Rutgers Magazine: Great Minds

> Washington Post: Atypical forms of dementia are being diagnosed more often in people in their 50s and 60s

> Star-Ledger: A road map to transform the mental health system

> New York Times: Hearing Aids Could Use Some Help

By The Numbers

4 drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for Alzheimer’s disease, though more than 100 have been tested.

30 countries were represented at this year’s International Neuroethics Society virtual meeting, nearly twice as many as the previous meeting in Chicago.

36 advanced degrees in neuroscience were awarded to Black students in 2018 out of a total of 493.

40-50% of Covid-19 patients develop neurological or psychological problems while they are in the hospital.

300,000,000 olfactory receptors are used by a dog, in contrast to 6 million in a human.

2,500 partner events were held in 2019 during Brain Awareness Week, which will be held this year from March 15-21.

10,000 mental health “wellness” apps are available for a broad range of conditions.

When we engage kids in sports, we don’t expect them to grow up to be a pro athlete—we do it for the joy of the game. Science is no different: Kids who discover the joy in science will not necessarily grow up to be a scientist, engineer, or physician, but as a member of a questioning and informed electorate. And we as a society really need that.”

— John A. Pollack, Ph.D., co-director of the Chronic Pain Research Consortium at Duquesne University and winner of the 2020 Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award.

ISSUE: Hearing aids, which cost on average $4,700 a pair and are barely covered by Medicare or private insurance, are crucial to one-quarter of Americans in their 60s and nearly twothirds of those over 70 who suffer from hearing loss. The damaging consequences of hearing loss can include social isolation, an increased risk of falls, and much higher rates of dementia. Despite 2017 legislation from Congress that would allow hearing aids to be sold directly to consumers, without a prescription, the Food and Drug Administration had failed the draft legislation to establish safety and effectiveness benchmarks for these over-thecounter devices.