Nature & Nurture #128: Dr. Camilla Nord - Neurotransmitters, Prediction Error, & Mental Health

Dr. Camilla Nord is a neuroscientist, leader of the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge, and the author of The Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health.

In this episode we talk about The Balanced Brain, prediction error as the source of positive and negative emotion, how dopamine controls motion, motivation, and pleasure, how serotonin regulates mood and response to the social world, and how anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications work on the brain. We also talk about the neuroscience of hallucinations in schizophrenia and on psychedelics, the role of homeostasis and the gut microbiome in regulating mood consciously and unconsciously, interactions between the brainstem and cortex in producing consciousness, the role of mindfulness in mental health, and much more. 

00:20 Understanding Emotions and Brain Processes

01:40 Exploring the Impact of Novelty and Curiosity

02:10 Introversion, Extroversion, and the Pandemic

03:16 Understanding Anxiety and its Role in Academia

05:05 The Balanced Brain: A Discussion on the Dynamic Nature of the Brain

06:56 The Influence of Predictive Processing on Mental Health

16:54 Exploring the Role of Psychedelics in Mental Health

21:22 The Interplay of Biology and Social Factors in Mental Health

23:22 Understanding the Role of Disgust in Mental Health

33:52 The Impact of Social Hierarchy on Mental Health

37:20 The Impact of Social Hierarchy on Academics

40:30 The Role of Dopamine in Motivation and Action Planning

42:11 Understanding Parkinson's Disease and Dopamine's Role

44:14 Differences Between Dopamine and Serotonin in Mental Health

45:30 The Effect of Antidepressants on Perception and Mood

47:55 The Role of Serotonin in Depression and Its Treatment

55:38 The Potential of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Treating Depression

01:02:32 The Continuum of Mental Disorders and the Role of Genetics

01:11:37 The Role of Spirituality and Rationality in Mental Health

#neuroscience #mentalhealth #Medication #SSRIs #serotonin #dopamine #depression #psychopathology #society #videogames #brainbodyinteraction #CamillaNord #anxiety #schizophrenia #antidepressants #cognitivetherapy