Interneuron - Issue 3.3 by theinterneuron

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 3 4 6

My Strange Addiction: Exercise By: Ellis Martin-Wylie

MOVIE REVIEW: Concussion By: Sandy Ma

Sports Psychology

By: Toni Dayno

A Brighter Future for Spinal Cord Injuries By: Aquila Akingbade

Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction: The Dark Side of Anesthesia By: Tracy A. Dyer

10 11

A Maddening Crowd: Causes and Effects of Mob Mentality By: Terese Pierre

Some food for thought... Artwork By: Jenny Chin

Interview with Brain Day With Karen Misquitta

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

Letter from the

Editors

Contributors Authors

Dear Readers,

Ellis Martin-Wyllie

For many of us, the long extended winter we experienced caused us to go into hibernation. The cold and dark days made it harder to get up in the morning and get some exercise. Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to get back out there and enjoy the weather! Soccer. Football. Tennis. These are just some of the sports that tempt us to drop our studies, only for a moment, in order to breathe in the fresh air the outside world offers us. Although it may be hard to believe, leaving our books behind to exercise is actually beneficial for learning and memory. For those of you who don’t believe it, why not read through our magazine to learn how closely the health of our brain also depends on our physical exercise. The Interneuron team is proud to present you with Issue 3.3: Sports & The Brain! Sports are not only able to improve our physical well-being, but they are also able to improve our mental well-being. But what happens when we get a concussion when playing sports? How does this affect how we think and how we behave? Are there rules and regulations that are there to protect us? What about spinal cord injuries? Are there any treatments that can help patients regain mobility? In this issue we look at how individuals with sport-related injuries may be prevented and how some people may be given a second chance at life. We would like to thank all of our wonderful contributors and dedicated editorial team for making this magazine possible. We are always looking for individuals who are passionate about neuroscience and who are willing to share their ideas about how neuroscience affects everyone. Interneuron prides itself in being an accessible publication for students of all knowledge levels in neuroscience to share their ideas and opinions. If you have an idea for an article or theme for future issues, give us a shout at interneuron.utoronto@gmail.com or leave a post on Facebook page. For those of you who think you would like to contribute to our magazine through a larger role, we will be posting information about next year’s executive team recruitment shortly. Thank you to all our contributors and readers for an amazing year and have a great summer!

Aquila Akingbade

Susmita & Priscilla Editors-in-Chief

Toni Dayno Tracy A. Dyer Terese Pierre Sandy Ma Front Page Artwork Andrea Macanović Artwork Jenny Chin Layout Aileen Zhou Exectuive Team Priscilla Chan Susmita Sarkar Toni Dayno Wazaira Khan Ann Sheng Wan Xian Koh Alicja Dobrzanski Suroor Aziz Photography by: Sandy Ma

My Strange Addiction: Exercising By: Ellis Martin-Wylie The

Canadian

Physical

Activity

Guidelines

nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa. In this case,exercise is

recommend that adults engage in 150 minutes of

used as a tool to control weight in addition to

moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity per week,

manipulating caloric intake.

yet, a supporting recommendation in the same

The exact cause of exercise addiction has been a

document claims that, “more physical activity provides

topic of debate among researchers. Although the

greater health benefits”1. Although this claim holds true

endorphin hypothesis is popular belief, the sympathetic

for the majority, it could be misleading; exercise

arousal hypothesis may be a more likely explanation.

researchers are well aware that the relationship

The brain naturally releases beta-endorphins when the

between exercise levels and physical and mental health

body engages in exercise, also known as the “runner’s

is not exclusively linear . Working out, an otherwise

high”. But, the blood brain barrier causes a biological

healthy habit, becomes dangerous when it is excessive,

roadblock for the transit of peripheral beta-endorphins to

obsessive, and it interferes with daily functioning.

the brain4, refuting the endorphin hypothesis. The

Researchers speculate that exercise addiction exists in

sympathetic arousal hypothesis claims that excessive

0.3 to 0.5% of the general adult population . The first

exercise results in decreased arousal at rest5. This

step to overcoming exercise addiction is reaching out for

lethargic resting state prompts the need to increase

help, followed by self-control strategies, which include

arousal by engaging in consistently higher levels of

reducing exercise levels and/or adopting a new form of

exercise to offset the suppressive effects on the

exercise.

sympathetic system.

Exercise dependence is

Exercise addiction is regularly characterized and

difficult to diagnose and often goes unreported because

diagnosed by factors that areconsistent with the criteria

most addicts are unaware that their behaviour is

for substance dependence outlined in the Diagnostic

harmful. Professionals can help with treatment by

and Statistical Manual . Addicts may experience

working with the addict to reduce their physical activity

tolerance, a need to consistently increase exercise

levels and/or switch to a new type of exercise.

levels to achieve the same effects; withdrawal, anxiety and fatigue when the addict is not able to exercise; loss

References

of control, the inability to control or cut down exercise

1. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, “Canadian Physical

levels; conflict, exercise interferes with professional and personal

activities;

and

continuance,

excessive

exercise continues despite the known negative

Activity Guidelines For Adults,” (2011). Retrieved from http:// w w w . c s e p . c a / C M F I l e s / G u i d e l i n e s / CSEP_PAGuidelines_adults_en.pdf 2. Heather Hausenblas & Danielle Symons Downs, “Exercise dependence: a systematic review,”Psychology of Sport and Exercise

consequences.

3, (2002):90.

Exercise addiction can be classified into primary

3. Kata Mónok, Krisztina Berczik, Róbert Urbán, Attila Szabo, Mark D.

and secondary exercise addiction. Although the general

Griffiths, Judit Farkas, Anna Magi, Andrea Eisinger, Tamás Kurimay,

signs of addiction are similar, the two subcategories are

Gyöngyi Kökönyei, Bernadette Kun, Borbála Paksi, &

distinguished by one criterion, comorbidity with an

Zsolt

Demetrovics, “Psychometric properties and concurrent validity of two exercise addiction measures: A population wide study.”Psychology of

eating disorder. Primary exercise addiction involves the

Sport and Exercise 13, (2012): 744.

act of exercise as an end in itself. The addict engages in

4. Yasuko F. Jacquet, “β-Endorphin, Blood-Brain Barrier, and

the action for the inherent effects of exercise, and so, the

Schizophrenia,”The Lancet 315, no. 8172 (1980): 831. 5. Kevin Thompson & Paul Blanton, “Energy conservation and

behaviour is not better described by another mental

exercise dependence: a sympathetic arousal hypothesis,”Medinice

illness. Secondary exercise dependence occurs in

and Science in Sports and Exercise 19, no. 2 (1987): 95.

conjunction with eating disorders, such as anorexia

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

Sports Psychology By: Toni Dayno As the weather starts to lighten up, we often see

predicted the risk associated with an overuse injury in

more and more people running through the 6ix. Running

track and field athletes. Therefore it was not necessarily

is a sport defined by endurance, tenacity and mental

the workout itself that best predicted the injury per se,

strength. However, some people begin to take the

but the individual’s ability to use the maladaptive

mental game to the extreme and begin to ignore bodily

cognitive strategy of self-blame during recover. Self

sensations that suggest overtraining.

blame can be characterized by the inability to perceive

One of the most common injury among track and

oneself accurately. In athletes, an inaccurate self -

field athletes is overuse injury, where the athlete

perception such as a self-enhancement motive and/or a

maintains injury due to

self-verification

contributing factors such as

prove to be detrimental if found

overreaching,

in a situation where the athlete

repeated

fails

and the length of time used

standards. This lack of ability to

for recovery. One of the

perform

major risk factors of an

distress to the athlete and

acute overuse injury is the

trigger an irrational persistence

cognitive appraisal process

in training, further perpetuating

that

the risk of overuse injury.

begins

with

the

meet

can

exposure to micro trauma

detection of some unusual

motive

can

their

cause

own major

In this paper, researchers

body sensation. This can go

interpret

either two ways once the

providing groundwork for a

athlete

psychological intervention for

appraises

the

sensation as unusual. The

the

returning

results

track

and

field

athlete either stops and judges whether the sensation

athletes allowing for a psychological flexibility in

aligns with the appraisal or the athlete denies the

response to the maladaptive coping strategy of self

sensation and continues with the workout despite the

blame. So put simply, stay steadfast on your summer fit

sensation. If the latter becomes habitual, then this

goals but do allow for some flexibility in pushing through

serves as a detrimental risk factor for overuse injury

during those hard days, account for them and approach

(McCraken & Morley, 2014). In a study done by Timpka

gain pains smart. Happy Summer Training!

and colleagues (2015), researchers were interested in exploring the idea of certain psychological factors that

References

may play role in predicting risk for overuse injury. If

McCracken LM, Morley S. The psychological flexibility model: a basis

found, this could have certain implications for

for integration and progress in psychological approaches to chronic pain management. J Pain 2014;15:221–34.

incorporating psychological interventions to returning

Toomas

athletes post-injury.

Kowalski,Victor Bargoria, Joakim Ekberg, Sverker Nilsson, Per

In a 52 week survey, researchers found that the maladaptive cognitive strategy of self -blame best

Timpka,

Jenny

Jacobsson,

Örjan

Dahlström,

Jan

Renström. The psychological factor ‘self-blame’ predicts overuse injury among top-level Swedish track and field athletes: a 12-month cohort study. J of Sports Med 2015 ;49:1472–147

A Brighter Future for Spinal Cord Injuries By: Aquila Akingbade As a current rugby player and former football player, brain and spinal cord injuries are some of my top worries. I have seen several players knocked unconscious by a bad tackle, and some of my past teammates have been ruled out of contact sports by their doctors. According to sciontario, 11 Ontarians sustain a new spinal cord injury (SCI) per week, 33 000 people are currently living with SCIs, and approximately $2.67 billion are incurred Canada-wide for treating SCIs.1 To better understand the pathophysiology and various outcomes of SCIs, a brief neuroanatomy lesson is due. The spinal cord consists of a bundle of neurons, axons, and glia that extend from the base of the brain, and blood vessels that provide critical nutrients necessary for their survival. The SC is an information highway which shuttles sensory information from cutaneous vessels, organs, muscles, to the brain, and back. Thousands of axons exit the vertebrae (rings of bone constituting the protective spinal column) and connect the SC to muscles and the rest of the body. Where these nerves exit the column determines their functions, listed in descending order below: i.cervical spinal nerves (c1-8): innervate the neck, arms, hands, diaphragm, ii.thoracic spinal nerves (1-12): innervate upper-back and chest muscles, iii.lumbar spinal nerves (1-5): innervate the lower-back, abdomen, buttocks, iv.sacral spinal nerves (1-5): innervate the

thighs, lower legs, feet, external genital organs and anus.

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

Injuries usually occur when a force shatters or puts

with the healing cord.3

pressure on the vertebrae, crushing the axons of the

Another pharmacological agent is HP184, a

spinal cord. The extent of the injury, and to a large

sodium and potassium channel blocker which blocks

degree, the outcome, are determined by how many

conduction-inhibiting

axons are damaged; fewer damaged cells correlate with

exposed after demyelination. Several phase II trials

less functional loss. Aside from the primary mechanical

have been conducted on humans regarding its efficacy

damage which cuts axons and damages cell

and complications, and patients showed improved

membranes, thus leading to neuronal death, secondary

motor function and muscle strength.4

injury ensues as a result of decreased blood flow

Macrophages have been implicated in exacerbating

(impaired delivery of oxygen and nutrients), release of

SCIs by releasing toxins, proteases, and cytokines.

toxic amounts of the excitatory neurotransmitter

Methylprednisolone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that

glutamate (which binds to AMPA receptors on neurons

functions by crossing the cell membrane and binding to

and oligodendrocytes), and inflammation due to

certain cytoplasmic receptors, effectively modifying

immune cells crossing the blood-brain barrier.2

transcription and protein synthesis, and inhibiting

After injury, MRIs, CT scans, and plane x-rays can

macrophage

ion

infiltration

channels

the

that

become

injury

site.

be used to diagnose the extent of injury. Physicians then

Neuroprotective benefits include, but are not limited to,

use the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment

increased oligodendrocyte survival and improved

Scale to classify injuries on a scale of A to E, with A being

neurological function.5

complete loss of motor and sensory function below

In summary, there are a plethora of interventions,

injury site, and E being normal sensory and motor

including

functions. SCIs occurring lower in the spine typically

replacement therapies, that intervene at different stages

result in less impairments compared to higher injuries.

of SCI. Compared to the early 20thcentury when SCIs

With regards to research, exciting discoveries are

resulted in certain death, neuroscience has come a long

being made in several labs studying neuroprotection,

way to expand life expectancies and improve the quality

regeneration, cell replacement, and retraining neural

of life of people with SCI. In addition to the

circuits and improving neuroplasticity. One such project

pharmacological

investigated the mechanism of action of the drug ISP.

patients can undergo surgical interventions to reposition

After injury, glial scar tissue forms, barring the surviving

the spine and fix the bones. So, while the risk of injuries

axons from synapsing with other neurons. They express

remains with contact sports, athletes can be more at

chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs), which are

ease knowing that there are several treatment options

glycoproteins that inhibit axonal outgrowth by binding to

out there, with many more discovered each year.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase Ď&#x192; (PTPĎ&#x192;) on axons. ISP is

References

a peptide mimetic of CSPG. It functions by reducing CPSG

inhibition,

and

increasing

serotonergic

neuroprotective,

regenerative,

approaches

discussed

cell

above,

1.http://www.sciontario.org/what-is-an-sci. 2.http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/detail_sci.htm. 3. Lang, B. T. et al. Modulation of the proteoglycan receptor PTPsigma promotes recovery after spinal cord injury. Nature518, 404-408 (2015).

synapses. Rats with SPI injected with ISP significantly

4. Gensel, J. C., Donnelly, D. J. & Popovich, P. G. Spinal cord injury therapies

regained locomotor and urinary control, as compared to

in humans: an overview of current clinical trials and their potential effects on

control rats. ISP is highly regarded because unlike some

5. Sloka, J. & Stefanelli, M. The mechanism of action of methylprednisolone in

current treatments, it does not require physical contact

intrinsic CNS macrophages. Expert Opin. Ther. Targets 15, 505-518 (2011). the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis11, 425-432 (2005).

Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction: The Dark Side of Anesthesia By: Tracy A. Dyer If you’ve ever gone under anesthesia and woken

and thus reduces the probability that the neuron will fire.

up to find that things just weren’t quite right, chances are,

Why is this significant? Interestingly enough, in-

you were probably onto something. In fact, this concep-

creased GABAARs activity is associated with a depres-

tion comes to mind when pondering the whopping one

sion in brain function during anesthesia2. It was previ-

third of patients who undergo anesthesia only to later

ously assumed that once the anesthetic drug is eliminat-

experience some form of cognitive impairment that can

ed, the activity of the GABAARs would rapidly return to

include confusion and poor brain function in the days

baseline and thus no longer impair memory2. However,

following their operation1. This phenomenon has been

using the murine model, Zurek et. al found that a single

dubbed as Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction

treatment of etomidate increased cell surface expres-

(POCD) and, although it may be a temporary experience

sion of α5 subunit–containing GABAARs (α5G-

for some, past and recent research suggest that POCD

ABAARs) for at least 1 week2. They also found that these

sufferers have a much higher risk of developing demen-

α5GABAARs could increase the level of inhibitory sig-

tia1.

naling to the neurons via an increase in tonic inhibitory How might this work? Prior research indicates that

current2. This sustained increase in α5GABAAR activity

certain anesthetic drugs may increase the levels of pro-

compromised memory performance by compromising

inflammatory cytokine levels in brain tissue, ultimately

synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (the area of the

leading to cognitive impairment3—a mechanism

brain primarily associated with memory)2.

thought to also underlie Alzheimer’s disease1. Another

These key findings suggest an intriguing mecha-

theory suggests that lack of oxygen to the brain, also

nism to account for the widespread occurrences of

caused by certain anesthetic drugs, may have demen-

memory deficits after general anesthesia.Overall, they

tia-associated effects1.

explain a long-term effect on memory loss receptors by

However, a more recent study at the University of

providing evidence for a mechanism which was formerly

Toronto offers novel insights into the processes associ-

unrecognized. Indeed, this will be a key area of research

ated with memory-loss receptors in the brain, which are

for future studies on the long-term, often underplayed,

activated by anesthetic drugs to ensure patients don’t

dark side of anesthesia.

remember traumatic events during surgery . In this

References

study, led by Dr. Agnes Zurek, male mice were given a low dose of the anesthetic etomidate for 20 minutes . 2

1. Hope, J. Does going under the knife spark long-term memory loss? General anaesthetic can trigger condition linked to dementia. Daily Mail

Online

(2014).

<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/

article-2820652/does-going-knife-spark-long-term-memory-loss-

The results showed that mice showed higher γ-

general-anaesthetic-trigger-condition-linked-dementia.html>

aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs), activity

2. Zurek, A. A. et al. Sustained increase in α5GABAA receptor function

a week later—all despite the overall performance being

124, 5437–5441 (2014).

been restored in the animals2. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, reduces the activity of its target neuron

impairs memory after anesthesia. Journal of Clinical Investigation 3.Shen, X. et al. Selective Anesthesia-induced Neuroinflammation in Developing Mouse Brain and Cognitive Impairment. Anesthesiology 118, 502-515 (2013)

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

MOVIE REVIEW: By: Sandy Ma A neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by

big corporations, such as the NFL. Through raising the

Will Smith), makes a discovery of a new disease in Mike

topics, it was able to raise awareness to the issues, but

Webster’s (a retired center-field football player for the

due to the high quantity of topics shown it was unable to

Pittsburg Steelers) brain after he was found dead in his

address each issue adequately, leaving the viewers

truck. The NFL oppose his findings of the new disease,

confused, and hopeless.

CTE (chronic traumatic encepathology), after his

Intermixed with somber shots and a romantic love

attempts to publish it, as it would greatly diminish their

story, the rule of thirds was obeyed, the close ups were

business.

well done, and omission of gory details was fantastic.

͞All we have to do is finish the game: we finish; we

The dramatic music was played intensively during

win!͟ were the famous words of Mike Webster and the

emotional scenes, but so much so that it left the viewer

ones he gave to Justin Strzelczyk, an old teammate,

lacking a good verbal explanation of the scene -

after Justin told Mike his problems with his mind.

resulting the music to only cause an emotional mess in

Strzelczyk, like Webster, later died of CTE, along with 4

the viewer, rather than to enhance the story.

other NFL players.

The movie ends abruptly and ambiguously. This

CTE, a progressive degenerative brain disease,

could be due to the fact that the problem is ongoing, not

can be found in patients with continuous concussions or

well addressed, and still little research being done.

intensive hits to the head, this causes degeneration of

However, there is recent news of the NFL admitting to

brain cells and often leads to high levels of tau protein.

the link between football and CTE, contrasting this

The disease is associated with memory loss,

movie, where the major plot was the fight between the

aggression,

NFL and Dr. Omalu.

depression,

confusion,

and

usually

resulting in dementia due to continuous degeneration. Based on a true story, the movie introduced many

Source for CTE: http://www.bu.edu/cte/about/what-is-cte/

topics such as racism, injuries with contact sport,

Source for news article: http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/nfl/nfl-

Catholicism, miscarriages, and lack of transparency in

quickly-backpedals-after-admitting-to-link-between-football-and-cte

The Maddening Crowd Causes and Effects of Mob Mentality By: Terese Pierre

Artwork by: Jenny Chin

Remember the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup

self-evaluation and decreased evaluation apprehen-

Riot? A four-hour-long mass of lootings, burnings and

sion causing antinormative and disinhibited behavior,â&#x20AC;?

injuries caused by a lost hockey game, costing the

such as acts of violence.

city approximately 5 million dollars in property dam-

There are many factors that contribute to deindi-

age.1 How does this happen? How can otherwise decent

viduation and mob mentality. The main one is

people be swept up in a wave of undulating and

anonymity. When people are in a large group, they

volatile madness? According to psychologists and

gain anonymity. In sports riots, this kind of anonymity

cognitive scientists,

called

can be achieved through face paint, matching uni-

deindividuation, which produces a mob mentality.

forms, or simply darkness3. Since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s unlikely for an

Deindividuation is a â&#x20AC;&#x153; psychological state of decreased

individual to be singled out in a crowd, there is

this

phenomenon

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

decreased likelihood they would be caught doing some-

ments fueled with adrenaline and alcohol, such as

thing wrong4. After all, if people can’t single you out for

sports stadiums9.

your actions, they can’t judge you or punish you—

Not all fans, however, become violent. How can violent mob mentality in sports be prevented? While

there’s no concern for social evaluation in a mob5. In

law enforcement can help, since team identification

addition, individuals in a crowd may feel a “ dimin-

is so crucial to a person, the mob itself is more apt

ished sense of personal responsibility for collective

to prevent such incidents via peer pressure. Though

actions.” 6

peer pressure is often portrayed in a negative light,

A common hypothesis is that when people are

the mob, or society as a whole, can use it to enforce normative behaviors and reduce deviants: individuals

in large groups, they become detached from their own

do not like being singled out for immoral actions that

morals and beliefs, and are likely to do things they

their group, or team, rejects10.

would normally consider wrong7. How can that happen?

So next time you’ re at a sports game and

A 2014 experiment performed by Mina Cikara and her

someone gets cheers from throwing a beer bottle or

colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University investigated the underlying effects of deindividuation on the brain.

a nasty slur, practice self-reflection before you start seeking that kind of approval from your team. And if things get out of hand, leave.

They used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure how a person's sense of self (or self-reference) changed. The medial prefrontal cortex activates when people think about themselves, and becomes

References 1. Bailey, Ian (June 20, 2011). “Bill for damages to be much higher than for the 1994 Vancouver riot” . Toronto: Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 21, 2011. 2. Postmes, T., & Spears, R. (1998). Deindividuation and

dormant when people act in groups. During the

Antinormative Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 123

experiment, participants were asked moral questions

(3), 238-259.

while competing individually and in groups. The

Contagion, and Deindividuation in Crowd and Collective Behavior,

investigators discovered that people who competed in groups had the least active medial prefrontal cortices, answered the questions least ‘ morally’

and

were more willing to harm their competition. In addition, these people couldn’t remember the questions asked during the study; the questions were about their own morality, something

3. David M. Neal (1993) A Further Examination of Anonymity, Sociological Focus, 26:2, 93-107 4. Trafton, A. (2014, June 12). When good people do bad things. Retrieved from http://news.mit.edu/2014/when-good-people-do-badthings-0612

http://news.mit.edu/2014/when-good-people-do-bad-

things-0612 5. David M. Neal (1993) A Further Examination of Anonymity, Contagion, and Deindividuation in Crowd and Collective Behavior, Sociological Focus, 26:2, 93-107 6. David M. Neal (1993) A Further Examination of Anonymity, Contagion, and Deindividuation in Crowd and Collective Behavior, Sociological Focus, 26:2, 93-107

that they weren’t focused on when they were busy

7. Trafton, A. (2014, June 12). When good people do bad things.

crushing the other team.8

Retrieved from http://news.mit.edu/2014/when-good-people-do-bad-

From a psychological perspective, fan identifica-

things-0612 8. Cikara, M., Jenkins, A. C., Dufour, N., & Saxe, R. (2014). Reduced

tion serves a functionally important purpose. Identifi-

self-referential neural response during intergroup competition

cation with a team gives a person social support,

predicts competitor harm. Neuroimage, 96, 36-43.

which protects against loneliness and depression. These group identities can be exacerbated in environ-

9. Handwerk, B. (2005, June 20). Sports Riots: The Psychology of Fan Mayhem.

Retrieved

from

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/

news/2005/06/0620_050620_sportsriots.html 10 Ibid

Some food for thought... Artwork by: Jenny Chin

“Flow” is a term used to describe the mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity. In the field of sports, flow is of great significance in terms of focusing all attention on body movements and muscle power. How do athletes achieve this? What are the different aspects required to attain a flow state? Read more at: https://www.psychology.org.au/ Content.aspx?ID=4988

How smart can artificial intelligence (AI) get? After chess and Jeopardy, AI’s have conquered another game: the ancient Asian game of Go. What can computers teach us about neuroscience and how our brains work? Read more at: http://www.nature.com/news/google-aialgorithm-masters-ancient-game-ofgo-1.19234

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

An Interview with Brain Day Karen Misquitta, B.Sc., President of Brain

Brain Day is a program where university students

known that; they are so smart! A lot of the volunteers feel

at all levels, from any discipline, teach children across

like they need to have a background in science; it helps,

Toronto about the brain in a fun and interactive way. The

but we don͛t expect them to know everything. The kids

children are especially taught on the importance of

also don͛t expect you to know the answer to every single

keeping the brain safe.

question. As long as you are able to engage the children

The program was started in 2005 by a

with the material, that is what matters. We are happy to

neurosurgeon at Toronto Western, and it has since

help and train anyone who is having a hard time with the

expanded to 6 other Canadian cities, with Toronto being

material. We have mandatory in training sessions even

the largest. Currently it is being run by an organization

if you have a science background.

called Parachute. Initially the program was part of Brain Week, but it has since expanded to happening in the

What do you think that students get out of it?

latter 3 months of the winter semester (March, April, and

They learn facts that they didn͛t know beforehand,

May). The program is undergoing a name change due to

engaging with children, be able to explain complex facts

the expansion, and they will be calling themselves ͚Brain

simply - a skill that is essential in learning. Teaching

Wave͛.

simply is quite difficult, but this is great practice. It is also such a good opportunity to learn so much about the

How did you get involved in with Brain Day?

brain.

I heard of Brain Day in my second year of undergrad from a friend. That was my first year participating and I

What about the growth of the club?

absolutely loved it. I͛ve stuck with it ever since - this will

We keep growing and we are trying to have new

be my fifth year participating and third year as executive.

techniques to reach out to more people. We have a lot of classrooms to be able to go to since we started but we

Who are the volunteers? We have undergrads, graduates, med student,

would like to keep expanding. The best way is word of mouth, teachers tell other teachers, and it keeps going.

really anyone who is a student at U of T. You don͛t need to have a neuroscience background; we will train you! However, you͛d be surprised at how much the kids know. We had a table at the Ontario Science Centre and a boy

What is a trick you use to engage the children? A jello brain presentation: that is the one thing they always go for!

came up to me and said: ͞Did you know that little kids have a frontonelle?͟ At his age, I would have never

2015-2016

Executive Team

Sandy Ma Photography. https://www.facebook.com/clayhumans/ Top: Priscilla Chan, Susmita Sarkar (Editor in Chiefs); Toni Dayno (Marketing Director) Middle: Wazaira Khan, Ann Sheng, Wan Xian Koh (Submission Editors) Bottom:

Alicja Dobrzanski (Webmaster); Aileen Zhou (Layout Manager); Suroor Aziz (Finance Director) Photo not shown: Andrea MacanoviÄ&#x2021; (Cover Artist)

Interneuron . Volume 3, Issue 3 . April 2016

Get involved with Interneuron! Interneuron is always looking for contributors! If you are interested in joining as a writer, artist or photographer:

- Send us an email: interneuron.utoronto@gmail.com - Join our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/UTInterneuron - Tweet us: @InterneuronUofT