Getting the Word Out: Neuroscience Getting the Word Out: Neuroscience Education and OutreachEducation and Outreach

Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.University of Washington, Seattle, WAUniversity of Washington, Seattle, WA

E-mail: chudler@u.washington.eduE-mail: chudler@u.washington.edu

Getting the Word Out?

• Why is it important to understand the brain?

• When is the right time?

• How can difficult concepts be discussed?

Why Study Neuroscience?Why Study Neuroscience?• Emotional costEmotional cost of neurological disorders on families of neurological disorders on families

and on individualsand on individuals

• Economic costsEconomic costs of neurological disorders to society of neurological disorders to society

• EducationEducation “Standards/Benchmarks” “Standards/Benchmarks”

• Career OpportunitiesCareer Opportunities

• Drug Abuse Awareness / Violence Drug Abuse Awareness / Violence

• Education PracticesEducation Practices

SocietyFamily/Individual

Standards/Benchmarks/Guidelines

NEUROSCIENCENEUROSCIENCE

??

Emotional/Economic Cost

Sleep Disorders 70,000,000 $100 billion

Hearing Loss 32,000,000 $2.5 billion

Depressive Disorders 20,900,000 $70 billion

Traumatic Head Injury 5,300,000 $60 billion

Stroke 5,200,000 $73.7 billion

Alzheimer’s Disease 5,300,000 $148 billion

Multiple Sclerosis 400,000 $10.6 billion

Schizophrenia 2,400,000 $62.7 billion

Parkinson’s Disease 1,500,000 $5.6 billion

Tra. Spinal Cord Injury 5,300,000 $10 billion

Huntington’s Disease 30,000 $2 billion

Disease Total Cases Total Costs

!

$!

$

! $

!Statistics from Brain Facts, Society for Neuroscience, 2008, 2012.

Ovbiagele et al., Forecasting the future of stroke in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, Stroke, 44:2361-2375, 2013.

By 2030:

•3.88%: US population (>18 years of age) will have had a stroke.

•$183.13 billion: Total direct annual stroke-related medical costs.

•$56.54 billion: Indirect annual costs (attributable to lost productivity)

Impending “Surge”(Stroke)

Impending Global “Surge”(Dementia)

Ferri, C.P., et al., Global prevalence of dementia: a Delphi consensus study, The Lancet, 366:2112-2117, 2005.

YEAR

Peo

ple

wit

h d

emen

tia

(mill

ion

s)

2001 2020 2040

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Estimates of dementia

24,300,000

42,300,000

81,100,000

Autism Spectrum Disorder

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.htmlhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1ANYDIS_CHILD.shtml

• 1 out of 88 children diagnosed with ASD• $40,000 – $60,000/yr cost to treat children with

ASDs (in addition to medical costs)

• 1 in 5 children, currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental disorder.

Education Benchmarks/Guidelines

“Next Generation Science Standards”

http://www.nextgenscience.org/

Education Benchmarks/Guidelines

Biology 11-12: By the end of this course, students will have an understanding of the structures and function of the nervous system.

Grade 5: By the end of the grade, students will have recognized how the main systems of the human body work together.

http://www.gov.bc.ca/bced/

Social ConsequencesSocial Consequences(Ethics)(Ethics)

LegalLegal: : lie detectors, polygraph, courtroomlie detectors, polygraph, courtroom

MedicalMedical:: brain death, life, drug abuse, mental brain death, life, drug abuse, mental health treatment, mental competencyhealth treatment, mental competency

Social ConsequencesSocial Consequences

Gogtay et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 8174-8179, 2004.

“During the same period, the brain has not reached adult maturity, particularly in the frontal lobes, which control executive functions of the brain related to decision-making.” – APA brief

[Roper v. Simmons, 2005]

US Supreme Court Bans: 1) Death Penalty and 2) Life in Prison Without Possibility of Parole for Juveniles

[Miller v. Alabama, 2012 | Jackson v. Hobbs, 2012]

Social ConsequencesSocial ConsequencesBrain Scans as Lie

Detectors!

Pearson, H., Nature, 441:918-919, 2006

June 26, 2006: ACLU requests via the Freedom of Information Act all records held by the Dept. of Defense, National Security Agency, CIA, FBI and Departmentof Homeland Security on the use of fMRI and other brain scanning methods that seek to detect truth, deception, guilty knowledge, accurate recollection or recognition to support interrogation or to identify individuals for questioning.

http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/26031res20060628.html

Social ConsequencesSocial ConsequencesA Brain Scanner Near You?

“No Lie MRI”http://www.noliemri.com

“Cephos”http://www.cephoscorp.com/

“No Lie MRI has potential applications to a wide variety of concerns held by individual citizens. •Risk reduction in dating•Trust issues in interpersonal relationships•Issues concerning the underlying topics of sex, power, and money”

NEUROETHICS: Are we moving too fast?NEUROETHICS: Are we moving too fast?

What CAN be done? What SHOULD be done?

• Brain Imaging: job screening; parental control; security

• Neurocognitive Enhancement: “smart drugs” vs. tutoring

• Psychopharmacology: alter personality; selective memory

• Neurogenetics: screening of children/adults for disorders

• Machine-Brain Interfaces: therapeutic vs enhancement

Science (Neuroscience) LiteracyThe public is fascinated by the brain. We all must be able to evaluate this information.

Fact or Fiction – Brain MythsFact or Fiction – Brain MythsWhat does the research say?

1. Right brain/left brain

2. Enriched environments (Use it or lose it?)

3. Critical periods

4. Water

5. Stress

6. Sleep

7. Brain Use?

8. Full Moon?

Sharing Science

• Contests

• Brain Awareness Week

• Classroom Visits and Workshops

• Laboratory Tours

• International Opportunities

Society for Neuroscience“Core Concepts”

Brain is the body’s most complex organ.

http://www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience/core-concepts/

Neurons communicate using electrical & chemical signals.

Genetically determined circuits are foundation of the nervous system.

Life experiences change the nervous system.

Intelligence arises as brain reasons, plans, solves problems.

The human brain endows us with a natural curiosity to understand how the world works.

Fundamental discoveries promote health.

The brain makes it possible to communicate knowledge through language.

Brain Awareness WeekBrain Awareness Week (BAW) is an international effort organized originally by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Society for Neuroscience to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research.

http://www.dana.org/brainweek/

Brain Awareness WeekBrain Awareness Week “Open House”

Classroom Visits

Bookstore and library displays

Public lectures and events

Contests Drawing Writing

I have billions of cells in my noggin,

That order my limbs when I'm joggin'.

When the oxygen flows, I thinks and I knows,

That the brain's a real technical organ!

My name is Sarah, can't you see. I'm a kid with Epilepsy.Don't be afraid, I'm not seizingBut if I do, please no teasing.

Classroom Visits• Approximately 1-2 visit/month to local

schools.

• Hands-on activities and “take-home” material to reinforce web-based instruction.

Teacher Workshops• Local/National/International

• Methods and resources

Lab Tours• Methods

• Careers; Life in the lab

Concept: How is Information Transmitted?Concept: How is Information Transmitted?

(The Synapse)(The Synapse)

Dendrite

Soma

Axon

Terminal

Concepts, Demostrations, ModelsConcepts, Demostrations, Models

International Opportunities

Scotland

Japan

India

International OpportunitiesJapan

International OpportunitiesIndia – Neuroscience for Monks

Supported by the Sager Family Foundation (http://www.teamsager.org)

International OpportunitiesIndia – Neuroscience for Monks