photo credit: Puppy Zwolle

Not to be confused with “music-induced tickle” where playing the piano triggers a sneeze or “blip syndrome” when relaxation brings on the sensation of an impending loss of consciousness–exploding head syndrome is all bark and no bite.

No headache in fact! Just the sensation that your head is going to explode and then just as your are slipping into the twilight stage of early sleep–a really, really, really loud bang (like a gun going off inside your head) and you’re awake, startled–head intact.

Although uncommon, I’ve had several worried but otherwise well patients ask about it. No worries though, Exploding Head Syndrome is not associated with any known neurological disease.

The current best guess scientific explanation goes something like this:

You collapse into bed and fall fast asleep before your built-in brain-alerting pathways have had the chance to fully finish “powering down”. As a result, that ever so slight delay grants you a “listen” into the inside workings of the “not-quite-asleep-not-quite-awake” brain.

Then KABOOM!

Or as the Boy Wonder would say to Batman: “holy metacognitive musings Batman!”, “is my head still intact?”

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Exploding Head Syndrome: It’s Not What You Think

photo credit: Sadistos

Finally, the Finnish Twin Cohort of some 11,220 subjects including some 3,000 twin pairs, is able to shed some scientific light on the genetic nature of sleep-walking.

But first–sleep-walking, (as you may already know), has nothing to do with walking.

Sleep-walking can consist of any number of seemingly purposeful behaviors such sitting up–eyes wide-open, going to the bathroom, dressing, undressing and occasionally even driving a car.

However “normal” the behavior appears, these people are still in deep, non-REM sleep and may stay that way for up to thirty minutes. Contrary to popular belief, waking a sleep-walker does not cause harm and in fact is highly recommended to remove them from a potentially dangerous situation (such as driving).

Here’s what “sleep-walking” looks like to a wide-awake observer (usually a family member)!

* Eyes open during “sleep”
* Blank look on face
* May sit up and appear “awake” during sleep
* Walking during sleep
* Detailed activity of any type during sleep i.e., arranging table items, using the phone
* No recall for the episode upon awakening
* Confused, disoriented upon awakening
* Sleep talking = nonsense

A normal sleep cycle has several distinct stages ranging from light drowsiness to a deep, deep sleep (if you’re lucky that is). Each night we normally go through several of these cycles.

Sleep walking (somnambulism) most often occurs during deep, non-REM sleep (stage 3 or stage 4) during the early part of the evening.

If “sleep-walking” behavior occurs during REM sleep (during the early morning hours), this is most likely a relatively new sleep disorder known as RBD (REM Behavior Disorder). With REM behavior disorder, people act out violent dreams and may injure their bed partner by punching, kicking or even jumping out of bed–all while still in REM sleep!

If that’s not weird enough, Bram Stoker’s Dracula may in fact have been inspired by his own observation of the automatic behaviors associated with sleep-walking and the works of several reknowned physiologists and physicians such as, David Ferrier, John Burdon-Sanderson, Thomas Huxley, and William Carpenter.

To these late-Victorian neurologists, these automatic behaviors suggested that humans were no more than “soulless machines” incapable of exercising free-will.

Thankfully, the truth lies somewhere between the two.

From a purely genetics standpoint, sleep-walking is 10 times more likely if a first-degree relative has a history of sleepwalking.

In fact, sleep-walking, from a sleep-disorders arousal standpoint, lies somewhere in between the sleep-state and the wake-state–not unlike Dracula’s trance-like vampiric behavior–a veritable mixed “state of being”.

As a final note, if you happen to be a sleep-walker without a family history of sleep-walking, consider cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. Try keeping a regular sleep schedule and if all else fails–keep a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula at your bedside. Pleasant dreams?

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Son Of A Somnambulist: Sleep-Walking Is Inherited!

photo credit: Khazaei

While most savants are made, not born, genetic tendencies have a role to play — at least in mice. Genetically engineered mice lacking the ability to synthesize the protein SHANK1 learn at an accelerated rate compared to normal mice. The SHANK1 protein is responsible for building synapses–the junction where all brain communication takes place.

But what if instead of messing with someone’s genetic make-up (we don’t want to be genetically engineering people now do we?), a more convenient method existed to tap into innate savant abilities?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) utilizes rapidly changing magnetic fields to induce electric fields in the brain by electromagnetic induction. No surgery, no electrodes no mess, just a really sophisticated magnet that is able to coax a population of neurons in the neocortex to depolarize and discharge an action potential.

TMS is still under intensive study as a relatively non-invasive way of treating resistant forms of depression, migraine, seizure disorders, tinnitus, ALS and MS to name just a few.

For an intriguing yet fun demonstration, watch how the person in the following video consents to having his speech center “turned off” with careful application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Want What Savants Got? Try Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

On the morning of December 10th, 1996 Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Harvard intellectual and neuroanatomist, suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke that damaged her left-hemisphere seemingly beyond hope of recovery. Now no longer restrained by the constant chatter originating in her left hemisphere, her newly liberated right-hemisphere opened the door to instant nirvana.

Dr. Taylor spent the next eight years recovering her ability to walk, talk and speak. Watch and listen as a respected scientist vividly describes her “Stroke Of Insight”.

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Instant Bliss: It’s Just To The Right Of Your Left Hemisphere

So why bother. Why waste valuable research money on such an incredibly rare disease anyway?Because FFI is one of a handful of prion-mediated diseases. Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles lacking nucleic acid. Generally speaking prions break all the rules regarding biological life forms as we know it. Nevertheless, they exist and native forms are found naturally in the brains of all mammals. A mutant prion however will replicate unchecked, decimating the brain in process. The end result is a brain filled with holes, sponge-like (spongiform) and demented.

Other prion-mediated diseases you may have heard of include:

Bovine-Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow)
Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease
v-CJD (variant Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease)
Scrapie

All of the prion-mediated diseases are characterized by a rapid onset of dementia and death. Cows get it (Mad Cow), sheep get it (Scrapie), we get it, (CJD, FFI).

Still, all of the above are exceedingly rare diseases and soon new high-tech, silicon nano-sensors that change vibrational frequency when prions bind will be available to detect Mad Cow disease before it shows up at the local meat market.

As it turns out, understanding how rogue prions cause disease may be the key to understanding all neurodegenerative disorders.

Cholesterol metabolism within the brain is carefully regulated and with very good reason. Cholesterol synthesis exerts exquisite control over cell membrane function and cell signaling (cell-to-cell communication). When prions are allowed to replicate unchecked, cell membrane function suffers and as a result the enzyme phospholipase A2 becomes hyperactive. Activated phospholipase A2 triggers a flood of inflammatory mediators with the conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes.

Bingo, presto (stir and mix over a life-time) add massive amounts of damage due to neuroinflammation and you have the makings of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and a whole host of other dementias and neurodegenerative disorders.

Don’t let all of this keep you awake at night though! Here (finally I know), is the take-home message…

Get your cholesterol checked. Ask for a VAP test to measure all the parameters of cholesterol synthesis. Ask your doctor to measure a simple bio-marker for inflammation called hs-CRP and with your doctor’s permission, take 81 mg of aspirin a day. Feast daily on antioxidant and polyphenol-rich foods , sleep tight, manage your stress, and when the silicon-based nano-sensors become available, I’ll let you know.

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Fatal Familial Insomnia: No Sleep And Then You Die

If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. Welcome to the “New World Order” of Neurosociety complete with neuroethics, neuroesthetics and most probably neuroticism.

If there were ever a time to understand one’s own neurobiology, the time is now. If there were ever a time to understand one’s own mind, the time is now.

A classical zen koan says it best:

A young monk asked the zen master, “I have just entered this monastery. I beg you, Master, please give me instructions.” The venerable zen master asked, “Have you eaten your rice gruel yet?” The monk answered,
“Yes, I have.” The zen master said, “Then wash your bowls.”

Remember, fear is the mind-killer. The very thing you don’t want to do, is most probably the very thing you should be doing.

Namaste!

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Have You Seen My Ventral Tegmental Area?

Go on a major neuro-mapping expedition and adjacent to the parahippocampus you’ll find the infamous fusiform face area (FFA). A little known area of the brain responsible for facial recognition. Mess with it and you have “prosopagnosia” face-blindness. Yep, your own face is no longer familiar. Brain trauma or a major mental illness creates a disconnect between the limbic system (emotional center) and the fusiform face area. The emotional disconnect leaves you wondering about “who you are”.

Regardless, Dr. Jules Cotard, the french neurologist to put a name to it in 1880 was the first to describe this rare neuropsychiatric disorder. Not “seeing” your own face can cause a whole host of other delusional symptoms. Like, my flesh is rotting, major organs are missing or since “I’m dead” I cannot be killed, therefore I am immortal. You gotta love the overly optimistic delusional rational. There was a lesson to learn when I started this post but I don’t know what it is anymore.

Welcome to “Neuro-Strange But True“. The first of many strange, but hopefully insightful neurological conundrums designed to increase your dendritic spine density. (Ah, maybe that was the point). If you can come up with a better name, send it to me!

This is a post from The Neuroprotective Lifestyle by Kerry Friesen, M.D.

Whew! I Thought I Was Dead: Cotard’s Delusion