Epilepsy Defined

Information Television Network (ITN)

Simply stated, epilepsy is an electrical storm in the brain—but that definition is the only thing that is simple about epilepsy, a vastly complex mental disorder. This program uses case studies of two boys, 9 and 16, and a 10-year-old girl as a starting point for creating a broadly inclusive definition of epilepsy that references febrile seizures, partial and complex seizures, generalized seizures, tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, status seizures, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In addition, medical specialists discuss causes of epilepsy, typical ages of onset, diagnosis methods, and a spectrum of treatments that includes ketogenic nutrition, medications, vagal nerve stimulation, and brain surgery. (30 minutes)

Fighting Skin Cancer and Brain Tumors with New Methods

Telepool

Two of the most aggressive and deadly forms of cancer may soon become the targets of powerful drugs that work in tandem with the body’s own immune system. This program explores recent research in the development of biochemical weapons to fight brain and skin cancer. Visiting a German pharmaceutical company at the forefront of these advances, the film shows how TGF (transforming growth factor) beta proteins create a protective layer around brain tumors and how antisense agents are deployed to break through these malignant defenses. Microscopic time-lapse views illustrate the process. The use of humane animal cloning to produce bispecific antibodies for fighting skin cancer is also illustrated in detail. Numerous expert interviews are included. (30 minutes)

Is Seeing Believing? New Frontiers in the Science of the Senses

BBC Worldwide Learning

From cooking breakfast to driving home from work, we rely on the body’s natural interfaces for nearly every task. Ironically, our senses are easily fooled and seem to affect each other in strange ways. This program follows new explorations in biology, neurology, and psychology that are shedding light on how the five senses work—not just as individual abilities but in tandem. Demonstrations feature bizarre optical illusions that reveal the subjectivity of color; a magic show that illuminates the eye-brain relationship; a synesthete who makes fresh food taste stale through the use of ambient sound; and a man who lost his sight as a child and has learned how to echolocate, bat-style, by clicking his tongue. Original BBC broadcast title: Is Seeing Believing? (50 minutes)

The Secret World of Pain

BBC Worldwide Learning

Some people suffer chronic pain long after an injury has healed, while others can jump from a two-story building and not feel a thing. This film reveals the physiological foundations of both scenarios as it examines the mechanics of pain perception. Viewers meet a family whose unique genetic code has lent insight into the sensation of pain, while a man who cut off his own arm to save his life describes what he felt—and what he didn’t feel—during the unthinkable experience. Researchers are finding that even early childhood events play a role in the ability to tolerate pain, and that a blend of neurology and psychology yields promising new treatments in its management. A BBC Production. (52 minutes)

Human Brain Development: Nature and Nurture, with Helen Neville, Ph.D.

Davidson Films

The fascinating interplay of genetic predispositions and experience in the development of the brain after birth is demonstrated in this program filmed at the Brain Development Laboratory at the University of Oregon. Three profiles of plasticity are depicted with compelling footage of behavioral, MRI, and EEG research into the development of visual perception and language acquisition from infancy through old age. A congenitally Deaf young woman, university students with unimpaired hearing, and lively preschool children participate in controlled studies that illustrate both how neuroscience research is conducted and how all brains change over time and circumstance. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. A part of the series Neuroscience. (27 minutes)

Aldous Huxley: Darkness and Light

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

This program looks back at the life and work of Aldous Huxley. Best known for Brave New World, Huxley left behind a large body of work, from his early novels which helped set the mood of the Roaring Twenties, to his essay "The Doors of Perception," which became the manifesto of the 1960s drug culture. The program evaluates Huxley's legacy with the poet Stephen Spender, close friends Yehudi Menuhin and Huston Smith, the late drug guru Timothy Leary, biographers Sybille Bedford and David Bradshaw, critic John Carey, geneticist Steve Jones, Huxley's widow Laura and his son Matthew, and in extracts from archival interviews with Aldous Huxley himself. Filmed in California, where Huxley spent most of his life, and in Maryland and England, the program features numerous extracts from Huxley's major works. (50 minutes)

Brain and Nervous System: Your Information Superhighway

Cambridge Educational

This program explores the brain and nervous system, using the analogy of computers and the Internet. Topics discussed include electrical impulses and how nerve messages travel; parts of the brain and their functions; how the brain and spinal cord are protected; the senses; and diseases, drugs, and their effects on the brain and nervous system. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (31 minutes)

The Senses: Skin Deep

Goldcrest Films

This, the first of two programs on the senses, looks at those sense receptors that depend on contact with the immediate world: taste buds, touch sensors, and olfactory cells. These receptors also sense heat, pain, and pressure. The complex world just beneath the skin is re-created with realistic models, showing events like the pulling of a hair seen from the viewpoint of the root. (26 minutes)

Pain Management: Doctors, Patients, and the DEA

Nightline

High-dose pain management therapy involving narcotics has placed doctors and patients under scrutiny by federal regulators. Is the Drug Enforcement Administration simply cracking down on criminal overprescription and prescription forgery, or is it unfairly targeting doctors for merely doing their jobs, and punishing people with chronic pain? This ABC News program weighs in on the question through interviews with DEA Administrator Karen Tandy, a doctor convicted of overprescribing, and a patient serving a 25-year prison sentence for possessing too much pain medication. (22 minutes)

War of the Sexes: Spatial Abilities

Filmoption International

Packing the trunk, finding the right road, parking in a tight spot-are these masculine tasks, best accomplished with a man's mechanical aptitude and spatial reasoning? This program resists broadly brushed stereotypes, but does identify disparities in the ways men and women operate machines, manipulate tools, focus on tasks, and navigate. Accompanying two teams as they race to organize and complete an extended car trip, the program juxtaposes a woman's use of personal reference points and outside assistance with the male penchant for self-reliance and schematic course-plotting-while observations from psychologists and neurologists link these tendencies with brain evolution. (45 minutes)

Brain Tumors: New Hope, New Treatments

Information Television Network (ITN)

Several years after he was given less than a year to live, David, a patient with glioblastoma multiforme, is alive and cancer-free. In this program, Henry Friedman, of the Duke University Medical Center; Michael Prados, of the University of California at San Francisco; and other medical experts use case studies to show how scientific advances in the areas of brain mapping, laser surgery, and chemotherapy are offering patients like David a new lease on life. Information on the symptoms and risk factors involved with cancers of the brain is included. (24 minutes)

The Sexual Brain

KCET TV

Study of the brain provides some of the answers that separate cultural and social from physiological distinctions between the sexes. Mammalian brains, including our own, show distinct differences between male and female in the thickness of the cortex and the size of the corpus callosum. The program shows some startling effects of hormone injections on brain structure and raises provocative questions about the sexual and reproductive roots of structural differences between males and females. (28 minutes)

The Brain-Body Connection

WETA - TV

Every year it becomes more apparent that mental and physical health are closely intertwined. This program, hosted by noted journalist Garrick Utley, presents research on the link between depression and disease, the brain's role in athletic performance, and the treatment of chronic pain. Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health, Harvard Medical School, The Salk Institute, and elsewhere share their remarkable findings on topics such as the relationship between depression and platelet clotting, how synapses are hardwired, and the development of a drug to block the encoding of pain memories. The program features segments with singer Judy Collins, who struggles with depression; major league baseball pitcher Orel Hershiser; and Joffrey Ballet dancer Taryn Kaschock, who copes every day with the pain of scoliosis. (57 minutes)

Cracked, Not Broken: One Woman's Struggle with Addiction and Recovery

Open Door

Nothing reveals the dangers of drug addiction more accurately than honesty. In this intense program, filmmaker Paul Perrier interviews a family friend, crack cocaine–addicted Lisa, in her dingy hotel room where she prostitutes herself to earn the money she needs to buy drugs. Although she grew up in a middle-class family, attended good schools, and had well-behaved friends, Lisa began drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs in her early teens. She speaks frankly about her many stints in recovery programs, her failure to stay clean after leaving them, and her life as an addict. Since the completion of this video, Lisa has used it as a way to raise substance abuse awareness by educating others about addiction and as a tool for her own recovery. Some content may be objectionable. (52 minutes)

1938 (Year by Year: 1929-1967)

History Education

Year by Year looks at 1938. Orson Welles’ radio broadcast of War of the Worlds panicked Americans across the country. In the U.K., Neville Chamberlain delivered his famous speech, “Peace in Our Times.” Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (45 minutes)

Wipe Out: The Silent Epidemic of Brain Injury

National Film Board of Canada

From the cold-blooded standpoint of statistics, one might expect the leading health threat for men under 35 to be alcohol, drug abuse, or gang violence. Instead, it is head trauma—often brought about by addictive physical risk-taking. This program tells the story of three young men living with permanent brain damage from injuries suffered in extreme sports. Chris Dufficy, a professional snowboarder, struggles with ongoing memory problems. Jon Gocer planned to follow in Chris’s tracks until a skateboard wipeout erased much of his memory. And Chris Tutin’s dreams are a shadow of what they used to be—his cerebellum was crushed in a dirt-bike accident. Together, these case studies offer valuable insight into what many doctors call an invisible epidemic. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. (51 minutes)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Information Television Network (ITN)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a medical mystery, even though it affects approximately ten percent of adults. Using case studies and cutting-edge medical research, this program seeks to understand chronic overreaction of the bowels-a condition that has its roots in the complex interaction between the brain and the intestinal tract. Symptoms; exacerbators, including stress, hormonal fluctuations, and a history of childhood abuse; and psychosocial factors such as the stigma of bowel-related disorders are considered. (24 minutes)

The Psychology of Pain

Skillbank Solutions Ltd

Wracked by emotions, the mind will often increase pain, while control of feelings such as fear, loneliness, and stress will generally reduce pain. This program presents the psychology of pain, along with ways to manage physical discomfort through therapy, various relaxation techniques, and coming to terms with physical limitations. (18 minutes)

Before I Die: Medical Care and Personal Choices—A Fred Friendly Seminar

Fred Friendly Seminars

In the drive to save lives, American medical technology prolongs the dying process for many, creating a number of end-of-life scenarios that have done much to rob death of its dignity and significance. This Fred Friendly Seminar, moderated by Harvard Law School’s Arthur Miller, brings together a diverse group of panelists, including Yale professor Sherwin Nuland, author of How We Die; bioethicist Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania; Rabbi Maurice Lamm, of Yeshiva University; and Anna Quindlen, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. Together they confront medical and cultural issues such as advance directives, palliative care, physician-assisted suicide, the need to re-spiritualize the dying process, and the overall difficulty of discussing death. A viewable/printable viewer's guide is available online. (60 minutes)

Do You See What I See? The Science of Color Perception

BBC Worldwide Learning

When a movie hero leaps into a taxi and shouts, “Follow that blue car!” he takes the driver’s understanding of color for granted. But, physiologically speaking, can we be sure that the hues we perceive are the same? How do you actually describe them? To what degree are they created in our brains? This program explores what color really means to us, with expertise drawn from the realms of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and art. Shedding light on the role of color in the animal world and how it influences moods and reactions, the film features brain researcher Beau Lotto, who conducts a series of experiments to prove that perception is key. Meanwhile, color-blind artist Meghan Simms prepares to undergo gene therapy in the hope of improving her response to chromatic stimuli. A provocative and engaging report. Contains brief nudity. A BBC Production. (59 minutes)

TEDTalks: Allan Jones—A Map of the Brain

TED

How can we begin to understand the way the brain works? Perhaps in the same way that cities can be understood: by making a map. In this visually stunning TEDTalk, Allan Jones shows the audience how his team is mapping out which genes are turned on in which brain region, and what the implications of this gene expression are. As CEO of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Jones is leading an ambitious project to build an online, interactive atlas of the human brain.

Bigger, Better, Faster, More: Brain Doping

Java Films

Drugs that “enhance” thinking are nothing new—caffeine and even more addictive substances have, for better or worse, altered our cognitive abilities for centuries, while medications have long been prescribed for conditions like ADHD. But scientists are at work on entirely new kinds of brain-boosting advances which will be nonaddictive (theoretically, at least) and designed for general use. This program explores some of those innovations as it visits neuroscience research laboratories around the world. From the brave new world of “intelligence pills” to the technique known as transcranial direct current stimulation, pioneered by University of Sydney professor Alan Snyder, the film helps viewers assess the possibilities at hand. Is a new era of human creativity dawning, or will the end results amount to cosmetic neurology or worse? (52 minutes)

Angina: New Ways to Treat Chronic Chest Pain

Information Television Network (ITN)

It’s one of the scariest medical symptoms for people who are generally healthy: a tightening, painful feeling in the chest known as angina. In some cases, this chest pain can be a serious warning that requires immediate treatment. But for the millions of people with chronic, stable angina, the discomfort is something that can be readily managed with a variety of treatments. This episode of Healthy Body, Healthy Mind takes a look at what generally causes angina, what can be done to prevent it, and how it can be effectively treated with lifestyle changes, innovative drug therapies, and medical procedures. (27 minutes)

Building Your Brain: Inside the Human Body

BBC Worldwide Learning

The human brain is so sophisticated it takes more than 20 years to mature, making brain remodeling an essential part of growing up, as this program shows. Viewers find out how a newborn baby makes sense of the world—and meet a 1-year-old who copes with only half a functioning brain, Moken “sea gypsy” children who train themselves to see clearly underwater, a Vietnamese girl who speaks 11 different languages, and a 13-year-old stock car racer who proves that teenagers like to take risks. The video also looks at scans that display just how many brain connections are lost between the ages of 11 and 20. A BBC Production. Part of the series Inside the Human Body. (59 minutes)

Sleepiness: When Your Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

Andana Films

Although it might not be a crime to operate a motor vehicle when sleep-deprived, the truth is that a drowsy driver is just as dangerous as a drunk one. The impact of sleepiness on young minds in the classroom is alarming, too—and it’s staggering to think of the productivity lost when workers nod off on the job. This program looks at how the brain succumbs to sleep and how that process might be better managed, or even prevented, using specially developed tools and treatments. Introducing the concept of hypovigilance while outlining the role of the thalamus in sensory perception and the significance of circadian rhythms in daily life, the film follows the work of accident-analysis experts and visits a lab combining cognitive neuroscience with driving simulators. Meanwhile, a biologist describes his study of “time shifts” and how exposure to various colors, especially blue, can enhance alertness. The result is a fascinating look at the intersection of physiology, neurology, safety research, and the improvement of human efficiency. (Portions with English subtitles, 53 minutes)

The Private Eye: How the Senses Perceive Reality—The Real Thing

BBC Worldwide Learning

Like a team of private eyes, the five senses pick up clues from outer stimuli and then, with input from the brain, put those clues together to form an understanding of reality. But does this process provide an accurate representation of what’s going on in the physical world? In this program, James Burke describes the physiology of human perception and explains why the brain sometimes arrives at the wrong conclusions as it works to make sensory data conform to an individual’s expectations. The functioning of sense receptors as they deliver messages to the brain is illustrated using colorful, detailed animations. A BBC Production. Part of the series The Real Thing. (29 minutes)

Intracytomplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (in Spanish)

Ebix Inc.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, is a form of in vitro fertilization in which fertilization occurs outside of the body. (In Spanish.)

Keeping Your Back Healthy

Krames StayWell, LLC

Most people experience back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is one of today's most common health problems. Normal aging and certain physically demanding occupations tend to cause spinal discs to wear out. Bad posture and poor movement patterns can speed up that process. This program describes the care and proper balance needed for lifting heavy objects. Providing clear instructions and showing model techniques to help avoid strain and injury, the video is especially relevant for seniors. Topics include the correct posture for proper support, large and small muscles, reaching and twisting, and easy-to-remember tips. (6 minutes)

Breaking Barriers: Chronic Pain—The Healing Arts

BBC Worldwide Learning

An 86-year-old woman with osteoarthritis; a young man with severe back pain brought on by heavy lifting; a middle-aged woman with rheumatoid arthritis and a car-crash injury worsened by a sexual attack—all three are featured in this film’s alternative medicine case studies. Shot at Boston’s Lemuel Shattuck Hospital when a pilot program focusing on chronic pain was in full swing, the documentary follows health care professionals using conventional and alternative medicine to combat patient stress and suffering. Ted Kaptchuk, director of the Pain and Stress Relief Clinic at LSH during that time, describes the many non-Western methods used in attempts to reduce pain and distress. Meditation, acupuncture, Ayurvedic treatments, and support groups are some of the strategies presented. A BBC Production. A part of the series The Healing Arts. (50 minutes)

Bladder Function: Neurological Control (in Spanish)

Ebix Inc.

When the bladder fills with urine, sensory nerves send impulses to the brain indicating that the bladder is full. The sensory nerves connect with other nerves in the spinal cord to relay this information. In turn, the brain sends impulses back to the bladder instructing the bladder to empty its contents.

Feeling Pain

Ebix Inc.

The pain receptors in your skin detect tissue damage. For example, when a bee stings, your peripheral nerves send a pain signal to your brain, which analyzes the pain signal.

Nerve Conduction: Intermediate

Ebix Inc.

Your nervous system has two parts, each containing billions of neurons. The central nervous system contains your brain and spinal cord, a fibrous, ropelike structure. The peripheral nervous system consists of thousands of nerves that connect your spinal cord and brain to your muscles and sensory receptors. Your peripheral nervous system transmits signals to and from the central nervous system for your reflexes, voluntary movements, and sensory information. In a peripheral nerve, each fascicle (nerve bundle) has hundreds of nerve fibers. In a neuron, dendrites (treelike structures) receive signals from other neurons and special sensory cells. These cells provide feedback on the environment—for example, on whether it is hot, cold, or painful. The axon sends signals from the cell body, where the nucleus is, to other neurons. Motor neurons manage voluntary and involuntary muscle control. Many neurons are insulated by myelin sheaths, much as pieces of electrical wire are insulated by plastic. A myelin sheath protects the axon, allowing electrical signals to move faster along it. The chemicals used for signaling between a neuron and another cell are called neurotransmitters. The chemical signal crosses a synapse, a space about a millionth of an inch wide. Neurotransmitters allow the billions of neurons in your nervous system to communicate with each other and with muscle cells.

The Creative Brain: How Insight Works

BBC Worldwide Learning

Today, scientists are using some unusual techniques to try to work out how these moments of creativity—whether big, small, or life-changing—come about. They have devised a series of puzzles and brainteasers to draw out our creative behavior, while the very latest neuroimaging technology means researchers can actually peer inside our brains and witness the creative spark as it happens. What they are discovering could have the power to make every one of us more creative. A BBC Production. (53 minutes)

The Mind Reader: Unlocking My Voice

BBC Worldwide Learning

In a world exclusive, Panorama follows a group of severely brain injured patients and reveals the revolutionary efforts made to help them communicate with their families and the outside world. They witness the moment when a patient regarded as vegetative for more than a decade is able to answer a series of questions whilst inside a brain scanner. The findings have profound implications for the patients and their families, as well as ethical consequences for scientists and medical staff. A BBC Production. (60 minutes)

Performative Psychology - The Embodiment of Emotions: Mary and Kenneth J. Gergen

Marsha Van Winkle

The Gergens demonstrate the power of embodiment of emotion rather than just talking about feelings in this brief and amusing interview. They also recommend some helpful exercises for students.

Mind the Altitude

Cinetic Rights Management LLC.

Alpinist Kurt Diemberger sits down with Philip Lieberman to explore how memories are shaped by extreme environments and how the brain copes with the effects of altitude.

10 Things to Know About (Series 1): The Brain

Network Ireland Television

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It produces our every thought, action, memory, feeling and experience of the world. But what happens when the brain goes wrong?

Changing Minds

BBC Worldwide Learning

In this episode, Professor Robert Winston and Professor Tanya Byron discover how our teenagers' changing brains mean that what they choose to do at 16 can shape their lives forever. With surprising new research in human biology and neuroscience, we reveal how the most baffling aspects of teenage life can be explained and illuminated by the latest understanding of the changing teenage brain. The brains of our 16-year-olds are wired to feel more self-conscious, to be more mentally creative, and to feel more intense pleasure than at any other time in their lives. Through intimate stories, compelling archival footage and experiments, Child of Our Time brings you the inside story of today's 16-year-olds.

Using Sound

BBC Worldwide Learning

Dr. Helen Czerski examines the extraordinary messages sound waves carry and how they help us understand the world around us. Visiting a hidden location buried beneath the hills of Scotland, Helen experiences some of the most extreme acoustics in the world. She discovers how sound has driven the evolution of biological systems and complex relationships between creatures that exploit sound. Through the story of a cochlea implant patient, Helen explores the complicated way our ears can translate sound waves. On the North Sea, she investigates how marine archaeologists use sound waves to uncover human stories buried beneath the sea.

After a Heart Attack: At Discharge

The Wellness Network

Become familiar with the common information that your cardiac team will review with you upon discharge from the hospital and the importance of following your discharge instructions.

Diabetes and Emotions: Recognizing Stress

The Wellness Network

Learn the common symptoms of stress and the importance of learning how to manage it.

Changing Your PICC Line Injection Cap

The Wellness Network

Learn when and how to safely change the injection cap on your PICC line.

Common Emotions After Heart Surgery

The Wellness Network

Understand the range of emotions commonly experienced after heart surgery.

Diabetes: The Importance of Skin and Foot Care

The Wellness Network

Learn how managing your blood glucose levels will help you to prevent or delay skin and foot problems.

Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen

The Wellness Network

Understand how Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen work to help you manage pain. Also, understand the possible side effects to be aware of and how to properly use and store these medications.

Hydromorphone

The Wellness Network

Understand how Hydromorphone works to help you manage pain. Also, understand the possible side effects to be aware of and how to properly use and store this medication.

Morphine

The Wellness Network

Learn how Morphine works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain, possible side effects to be aware of, and how to properly use and store this medication.

My Baby's Brain Condition

The Wellness Network

Learn about brain injuries and bleeding in babies. Includes common brain problems, tests, and what to expect.

New Mom: What to Expect During Your Hospital Stay

The Wellness Network

Understand what to expect during your hospital stay after birth including your health, bonding with your baby, and using fall prevention and other safety strategies.

Pain Management After Surgery

The Wellness Network

Learn about the pain that can be expected following a surgical procedure and possible ways it may be managed. Also, learn the importance of rating your pain so it can be properly treated.

Pain Management Through Labor and Delivery

The Wellness Network

Once you reach your third trimester of pregnancy, it’s time to start planning for your baby’s birth. Whether you intend to go with conventional or natural childbirth, it’s important to familiarize yourself with methods of pain management during labor and delivery. A class offered by your provider, hospital, or birth center can educate you about your options, as can instruction from a childbirth educator or a doula.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA Pumps)

The Wellness Network

Learn how a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump helps you safely control your pain medication.

Pressure Ulcer: Introduction to Treatment

The Wellness Network

Watch how pressure ulcers are treated and monitored for possible infection.

Preventing Pressure Ulcers in the Hospital

The Wellness Network

See the common strategies used in the hospital for preventing pressure ulcers.

Restoril

The Wellness Network

Learn how Restoril works to calm the signals that are firing in your brain to help you sleep, the possible side effects to be aware of, and how to properly use and store this medication.

Storing and Updating Your Advance Directive

The Wellness Network

Watch these common tips for making sure your advance directive is accessible to those who might need it and how to update it as often as you wish.

Body A La Carte

Sideways Film

We live in a world where self-image has become an obsession, where we can no longer ignore the role that science and technology play in our never-ending quest for beauty and youth. Through touching and meaningful stories, as well as the testimonies of doctors and plastic surgeons, and enlightening interviews with experts from related fields, this program explores the increasingly popular and fascinating phenomenon of cosmetic procedures.

Whose Death Is It Anyway? Tough Choices at the End of Life

Independent Production Fund

Whose Death Is It, Anyway? Tough Choices at the End of Life emphasizes the importance of personal involvement in decisions about one's care at the end of life. Highlighting the types of care many people receive, it realistically explores the difficulties surrounding end-of-life decision making during five segments that feature families sharing end-of-life discussions and experiences. In addition, a dynamic studio audience of laypeople and professionals discusses issues raised by the stories in the segments.

Teaching the Adolescent Brain: The Engaged Teen

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development d/b/a ASCD

This program takes audiences to actual secondary school classrooms to showcase teaching practices that are especially effective at helping teens learn and retain new content.

Teaching the Adolescent Brain: Know Your Brain, Know Yourself

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development d/b/a ASCD

This program frames the issues discussed in previous parts of this series from a student's perspective, providing insights into what is going on in teenagers' heads.

Public Housing Influenced by a 1970s Experiment (Retro Report on PBS)

PBS

Public housing policy is being influenced by a 1970s experiment. Newborn tests are a legacy of a boy who spent life in a bubble. Medical professionals raise concerns about brain injuries in sports. Too few people (not too many) is a problem. Andy Borowitz takes on the Space Force.

The Boy Inside: Trapped by Tourette's

Scorpion TV

The Boy Inside follows an extraordinary year in the life of a teenager with one of the worst cases of Tourette's in America. Zack Lamb’s twitches and the strange sounds he makes are uncontrollable – and they are getting worse. As Zack’s behavior gets more extreme and more dangerous, his mother is forced to explore radical treatments. But what if she’s made a terrible mistake?

The Brain Tumor Nobody’s Heard of

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A brain tumor is always a scary diagnosis, even if it’s benign. Vestibular schwannoma – a benign tumor that grows on the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain – has symptoms that can easily be attributed to the normal signs of aging. Even so, they can affect balance, hearing, and facial muscles, requiring surgery.

NPH: Reversing Brain Disorder?

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

It's a condition that looks like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, but normal pressure hydrocephalus is reversible.

Melt Away Chronic Pain

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Chronic pain affects almost 100 million Americans, and can make daily life challenging. This may not sound appealing for those who are suffering, but experts say that certain forms of exercise can provide the relief they are looking for.

Overprescribed Opioids

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

With new guidelines from the CDC, pain management clinics offer an effective alternative to drugs

Fighters get Concussions too!

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

For the first time, researchers are using cutting-edge technology to monitor repetitive head trauma in fighters.

Brain Cancer Vaccine: Glioblastoma Breakthrough

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

It’s the most deadly form of brain cancer, but now a vaccine may make a huge difference for patients fighting glioblastoma.

Cartiva: Toe Joint Replacement

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

For athletes and others who spend a lot of time on the balls of their feet, toe pain and arthritis can become crippling. Surgeons now have a new option to relieve pain and keep patients on their feet.

Revolutionary Catheter For PAD

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A cutting-edge catheter is greatly improving treatment for the estimated eight million Americans who suffer from peripheral artery disease, or PAD.

Runners’ Brains Work Better?

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

It's good for your heart and good for your muscles, but is running good for your brain? A pair of researchers has found that it improves connectivity in parts of the brain; the parts that lose traction as we get older.

Using Math to Fight Brain Cancer: Medicine’s Next Big Thing?

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Cancer-fighting teams may soon include a mathematician. Tumor growth isn’t as random as once thought. Researchers are aiming to use math to find the best treatment for brain cancer tumors.

A Chemo Shot to the Brain!

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Brain tumor treatment involves high doses of radiation and chemotherapy, which can cause debilitating side effects, especially for younger patients. Now, a new treatment option targets the tumor directly, and leaves some of the toxic side effects behind.

Infant Brains Show Autism Early

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Researchers say studying babies’ brains may be a critical part of unlocking some of the mystery behind autism. It could help researchers determine which children are likely to develop autism, allowing for an earlier diagnosis and intervention.

Resisting the African ‘brain drain’ that has created a health care crisis

NewsHour Productions

A "brain drain" is sending many of Africa’s highly skilled workers abroad—and leaving a painful void in their absence. But an organization called Seed Global Health is training new medical professionals and encouraging them to remain in their native countries, where they are so desperately needed. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Uganda as part of his series Agents for Change.

Novocure Brain Treatment for Glioblastoma

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

One of the most common and aggressive brain cancers, glioblastoma is hard to treat. Now, doctors are using a new device to give patients more time to fight it.

New Drug Stops Pediatric Cancer

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

See how one little girl is still helping to fight a deadly brain cancer in kids even after she lost her battle with the disease.

Removing Brain Tumors with New Adaptive Hybrid Surgery

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A new radiosurgery-guided procedure is allowing surgeons to remove brain tumors like never before.

Visualase for Brain Tumors

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A new FDA-approved device is helping patients with recurrent brain tumors.

Cryoablation for Amputees

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

A procedure used to treat cancer is now being used to bring relief to millions of amputees with phantom limb pain.

New Test for Brain Tumors

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

Glioblastoma is one of the most common and aggressive brain cancers, and it is hard to treat. Now, doctors are using a new test to give patients more time to fight it.

Addiction

PBS

As the deadliest drug epidemic in American history rages, follow the cutting-edge work of doctors and scientists as they explore how addiction affects the brain and how we should address our opioid crisis.

Cancer Moonshot

Inside Science

An interview with Steven Kalkanis at the Henry Ford Health System. What is the cancer moonshot?

Clinical Nurse Specialist—Career Q&A: Professional Advice and Insight

Cambridge Educational

What is it like to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist? In this Career Q&A video interview, Miranda Broyles talks about his career path, what he does on the job, and the keys to success as a clinical nurse specialist. He also offers candid advice on breaking into the profession as well as insight into the industry’s biggest challenges and how the field may change in the next ten years.

Healing Spaces (Cool Spaces)

PBS

The Ruvo Center in Las Vegas and the Yale University Health Services Building are showcased.

Sound (Animal Super Senses)

BBC Worldwide Learning

Journey through the world of sound—from the deepest rumbles to the highest squeaks. This episode reveals sounds beyond the range of our human hearing, shows what it actually looks like to ‘see’ with sound and how alligators create such low infrasonic pulses that they physically make the water dance. A BBC Production.

Temporary Splinting of a Fracture: Common Pediatric Medical Procedures

American Academy of Pediatrics

A complete review and demonstration of the procedure for temporary splinting of fracture, including splint preparation, splint placement, and extremity immobilization. Procedures shown in this series should only be performed by medical professionals with the appropriate training.

Bats

BBC Worldwide Learning

Bats have colonized remote corners of the planet to become one of most widespread mammals on Earth. Chris Packham explores their incredible anatomy, physiology, and senses to understand what enables them to thrive in some surprising places. Tiny hairs on their wings give them a detailed air-flow map during flight, heat sensors on the nose of vampire bats means they can sense the most blood-rich areas of a prey's body, and iron oxide particles in the bat brain may act as a compass allowing them to find the most direct route back to the roost. A BBC Production.

Why Scratching Makes Us Even Itchier

Inside Science

A new study by neuroscientists shows that the brain chemical serotonin intensifies itchiness in mice. The problem: Serotonin is exactly the chemical released by the brain when we scratch, creating a vicious cycle.

Pain Management in the Elderly

ClickView Pty Limited

Pain is something we all experience and is something that many people fear, especially as they grow older. Long term experiences of pain may well become increasingly common as we head towards an ageing society beset with multiple chronic diseases. It is therefore imperative that medical professionals understand the implications of pain and incorporate appropriate actions to assess and deal with pain into their patient care. This program considers all of these issues and looks broadly at pain management in the elderly. Three pain management experts share their insights with us, examining what pain is, assessment methods and common treatments available.

The Final Word

McIntyre Media Inc

When Dr. Larry Librach was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer he knew it was bad news; most patients with his type of cancer survive only a few months. In a series of interviews with Dr. Marla Shapiro, whom Librach once taught, he recalls the first time a patient died in front of his eyes, as he tried to manage his pain after he was abandoned by the medical system. This experience galvanized Librach to champion palliative care in Canada and worldwide, so that those with little chance of survival can still have "a good death." Librach says that "dying is as important as birthing, and we need to make sure that people are cared for at both ends of life."

Physical Care

Classroom Productions, Inc

This program teaches nurses how to provide physical care for terminally ill patients.

Bereavement Issues

Classroom Productions, Inc

This program examines the stages and ramifications of grief, mourning, and bereavement and considers how the way in which a nurse interacts with a patient's family can help or hurt.

Premature Newborn Care: Brain Basics

The Wellness Network

See how your preterm baby’s brain continues to grow after birth.

Stroke: Common Effects of Right Brain Injury

The Wellness Network

Learn the damaging effects caused by a stroke in the right side of the brain and how working with your healthcare team can help you recover.

Ultracet

The Wellness Network

Learn what Ultracet is and how it works to help manage pain. Also, understand the possible side effects to be aware of and how to properly use and store this medication.

Understanding Coronary Artery Disease

The Wellness Network

Watch how coronary artery disease develops, leading to potential artery blockage and myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

What Is a Living Will?

The Wellness Network

Understand what a living will is, and hear some common questions you should consider while creating your own.

Preventing Colon Cancer: Part 1

The Wellness Network

Part 1 looks at the substantial number of lives that can be saved through simple screening and cancer awareness. The program features interviews from expert physicians from Memorial Sloan-Kettering, the University of San Francisco, and the Jay Monahan Gastroenterological Center at the Weill Medical College. Learn more about how to prevent colon cancer and what you can do if you are diagnosed with it.

How Do Doctors Define Concussion?

Inside Science

What is a concussion? The precise definition still eludes us in many ways. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, and a good clinical definition of a concussion is a trauma-induced alteration in the level of neurologic functioning. But what does that mean exactly? "In simple terms, a concussion is when a blow is sustained to the head that manifests itself in some form of consequence, whether that is a symptom that is precipitated, or whether it's an actual neurologic deficit that arises from that blow to the head.