Noise and the Brain The Problem – Noise pollution is increasing. It can cause deafness, noise induced tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hyperacuisis (overreaction to noise) – Further results include irritability, depression, and losing much of the flavor of life. Why Is It Happening? Louder environments accompanied by little negative public reaction. The NY […]
Is Rest Critical to Creativity? (8/23/11)
Where Is Music in the Mind? You may never have heard of Charles Limb. He’s a otolaryngologist and musician with joint appointments at the Johns Hopkins Medical School and the Peabody Institute, one of the nation’s finer music consrvatories. He wants the cochlear implants he puts in people’s ears to hear music better, and figures […]
Singing in your sleep (7/25/11)
Composing New Songs Do you sing in your sleep? Or just write music as you slumber? Barry Manilow does. Often he hears songs for the first time in his dreams. Keeping a recorder next to his bed, some of his biggest hits, like “One Voice,” appeared to him fully fleshed out as soon as he […]
Rock yourself to sleep? (6/29/11)
You’ve Got Rhythm There are many effective strategies to help you sleep. That’s a simple conclusion from two preliminary studies in the last two weeks demonstrating that brain cooling caps and gently rocking beds can both improve “objective” sleep measures. Both involve changing internal body rhythms. The better news is that there are dozens of […]
Getting undepressed – by yourself (2/23/11)
Getting Undepressed Without Drugs I treat many, many sleepy people. Many of them, especially those with sleep apnea, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia, are or have been clinically depressed. Lots of them have seen their GPs and been placed on antidepressants without success. They’re already on a laundry list of medications, and in hard economic times […]