Recorded Webinars

The Luria Neuroscience Institute is pleased to introduce webinars about the brain and the mind. The programs are intended primarily for professionals concerned with mental health and with brain and brain disorders, but they are also open to the members of the general public.
The webinars feature Elkhonon Goldberg, Ph.D., ABPP., a clinical neuropsychologist and cognitive neuroscientist, and Diplomate of The American Board of Professional Psychology in Clinical Neuropsychology. His critically acclaimed and bestselling books have been translated into 16 languages.

Fee:
$165 for a three-hour webinar.

Executive Functions and the Frontal Lobes

Executive functions represent the highest level of cognitive control and involve goal formation, planning, mental flexibility, impulse control, working memory. Executive functions are mediated by the prefrontal cortex and related structures. In this webinar we will examine their cognitive composition, neural mechanisms, changes throughout the lifespan, and gender differences. We will also examine how executive functions become impaired in a wide range of neurological, neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurogeriatric disorders.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Executive functions and frontal-lobe functions: are they the same?
1:20 – 1:40 pm EST Components of executive functions (planning, impulse control, working memory, and others).
1:40 – 2:00 pm EST Novel approaches to understanding the frontal-lobe functions.
2:00 – 2:20 pm EST Frontal lobes and large-scale networks (Central Executive, Default Mode, and others).
2:20 – 2:40 pm EST Executive functions and laterality.
2:40 – 3:00 pm EST Executive functions and sex differences.
3:00 – 3:20 pm EST Regulation of emotions: frontal lobes and amygdala.
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Executive functions and intelligence.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Executive functions in development and aging.

Executive Dysfunction in Brain Disorders

Executive functions are the most fragile of all cognitive functions. They are affected in a wide range of neurological, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurogeriatric disorders. In this webinar we will examine how executive functions are affected in various dementias (including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and Frontotemporal dementia); traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular disease, neuropsychiatric disorders (including schizophrenia and affective disorders), infectious encephalopathies, seizure disorders, and other clinical conditions.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Executive dysfunction in dementias (Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia).
1:20 – 1:40 pm EST Executive dysfunction in traumatic brain injury (reticulo-frontal disconnection syndrome).
1:40 – 2:00 pm EST Executive dysfunction in cerebrovascular disorders (CVA, aneurysms).
2:00 – 2:20 pm EST Executive dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome).
2:20 – 2:40 pm EST Executive dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, affective disorders).
2:40 – 3:00 pm EST Executive dysfunction in movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease).
3:00 – 3:20 pm EST Executive dysfunction in infectious encephalopathies.
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Executive dysfunction and seizure disorders.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Executive dysfunction and laterality.

Dementias

Dementias are among the most prevalent neurocognitive disorders presenting a unique set of clinical and societal challenges. In this webinar we will review several major types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and its relationship to Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and others. For each of these disorders we will discuss the underlying neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis, and cognitive characteristics. We will also discuss cognitive aging, as well as both protective and risk factors associated with it.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Epidemiology and demographics of dementias.
1:20 – 2:00 pm EST Alzheimer’s disease: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis. Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis.
2:00 – 2:20 pm EST Fronto-temporal dementia: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis. Vascular dementia: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis.
2:20 – 3:00 pm EST Korsakoff’s syndrome: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis. Mixed dementias: neurobiology, epidemiology, natural history, neurocognitive characteristics, and diagnosis.
3:00 – 3:20 pm EST Mild Cognitive Impairment and its relationship to dementias. Diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and misdiagnosis.
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Memory impairment in dementias and the fallacy of old diagnostic criteria. Executive impairment in dementias: still underrecognized.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Arousal impairment in dementias. Changes in the epidemiology of dementias and possible causes behind them. Cognitive aging: its characteristics, protective factors, and risk factors. Cognitive enhancement and surrounding controversies.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a highly prevalent condition sometimes referred to as a “silent epidemic.” In this webinar we will review various types of TBI (closed, open, blast); various causes and unique characteristics of motor vehicle accidents, workplace-related, military and sports TBI; various mechanisms of TBI (diffuse axonal injury, contre-coup, neurometabolic cascade); cognitive characteristics (particularly executive and memory impairment); recovery from TBI and long-term outcomes; and forensic issues commonly associated with TBI.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Types of traumatic brain injury (TBI): closed, open (penetrating and perforating), blast. Severity and criteria of traumatic brain injury (TBI): mild, moderate, severe.
1:20 – 2:00 pm EST Causes of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
2:00 – 2:20 pm EST Focal vs. diffuse components of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Neuroanatomical structures most vulnerable in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Natural course of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the multiple forms it may take.
2:20 – 3:00 pm EST Secondary complications in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cognitive consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
3:00 – 3:20 pm EST Executive deficit in traumatic brain injury (TBI).
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Memory impairment in traumatic brain injury (TBI): anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in sports and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Military traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forensic issues in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Creativity and Cognition

Creativity is a complex construct involving multiple components. We will discuss the various components of creativity. Creativity is not a monolithic trait; there are many paths to creativity. Even the most innovative creative individual ahead of his or her society is a product of that society. We will discuss the relationship between individual creativity, cognition, and the host culture. In order to be recognized by society as creative, a scientific or artistic product has to be novel. But novelty alone is not sufficient; the product must also be relevant. We will discuss the relationship between creativity, novelty, and salience. The relationship between creativity and intelligence has intrigued psychologists for decades. We will discuss this relationship, as well as the limitations of current approaches – intelligence defined as IQ and creativity as performance on “divergent thinking” tests. The connection between creativity and psychopathology has intrigued scientists, clinicians, and the general public for years. We will discuss the evidence for and against this relationship, as well as the possible brain mechanisms behind it. Can creativity be enhanced? We will discuss some of the programs designed to enhance creativity, or at least it components and prerequisites. Is creativity is the unique attribute of human cognition? This point of view may flatter our feeling of exceptionalism but rudimentary creativity may be present already in other species. We will review the evidence.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Creativity and society. Innovator vs consumer.
1:20 – 2:00 pm EST Creativity deconstructed. Building blocks of creativity.
2:00 – 2:20 pm EST Innovation, salience, and how they interact in the creative process.
2:20 – 3:00 pm EST Creativity and intelligence. Are they linked and when do they become uncoupled?
3:00 – 3:20 pm EST Creativity and psychopathology: Affective disorders, FTD, and other conditions.
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Enhancing creativity? Creativity as the new focus of educational process.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Evolutionary roots of creativity. Defining and studying creativity in other species. Creativity and artificial intelligence.

Creativity and the Brain

Numerous claims have been made in the scientific and popular literature, linking creativity to specific brain structures. Which among these claims are accurate and which are tabloid oversimplifications? The multicomponential nature of creativity implies that multiple brain structures are involved. The right hemisphere has a preferential relationship to novelty-seeking. We will discuss the evidence for, and the mechanisms of this relationship. The prefrontal cortex is critical for decision making and for determining what is important. We will discuss the mechanisms of how this happens. Even the most original innovation is built on previously accumulated knowledge and concepts. The left hemisphere is particularly important as the “repository” of such knowledge. What is the relationship between the deliberate and effortful vs. the unconscious and spontaneous? These two complementary components of the creative process may be related to the hyperfrontal vs. hypofrontal brain states. We will discuss this relationship. Is there a genetic basis for creativity? This question is closely linked to another one: the genetic basis of intelligence. We will discuss both questions. The age of a solitary genius is mostly over. Increasingly the creative process is a team process both in science, industry, and the arts. We will discuss the nascent research into group creativity.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:20 pm EST Facts and fads of creativity. No single locus in the brain.
1:20 – 1:40 pm EST Creativity, novelty, and the right hemisphere.
1:40 – 2:20 pm EST Salience, decision making, and the frontal lobes.
2:20 – 2:40 pm EST “Standing on the shoulders of giants” and the left hemisphere.
2:40 – 3:20 pm EST Perspiration and inspiration: hyperfrontality and hypofrontality.
3:20 – 3:40 pm EST Creativity and the genes: candidate genes and whole genome.
3:40 – 4:00 pm EST Group creativity: How different brains can work better together.

Laterality and Functional Organization of the Brain

Laterality is a fundamental feature of brain organization. In this webinar we will discuss why the traditional understanding of hemispheric specialization fails to capture all its essential aspects, and will introduce a new understanding of brain laterality which permits a broader evolutionary perspective. We will review the neuroanatomical and biochemical differences between the two hemispheres; their respective (and changing) roles in cognition across the lifespan; examine gender and handedness differences in laterality; as well as the relationship between hemispheric specialization and emotions. We will also review the nature of hemispheric specialization across species throughout evolution.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:30 pm EST Where the traditional notions of hemispheric specialization got it wrong.
1:30 – 2:00 pm EST Functional laterality and brain anatomy. Laterality throughout evolution.
2:00 – 2:30 pm EST Novel approaches to hemispheric specialization.
2:30 – 3:00 pm EST How the two hemispheres develop and age.
3:00 – 3:30 pm EST Laterality and gender and handedness differences.
3:30 – 4:00 pm EST Laterality and regulation of emotions.

Laterality and Brain Dysfunction

A number of neurocognitive disorders impact the two cerebral hemispheres to unequal degrees. In this webinar we will review several such disorders from the standpoint of hemispheric specialization. They will include neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. dyslexias, non-verbal learning disabilities); dementias (e.g. frontotemporal dementia); striatal disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome); neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia); and certain cerebrovascular disorders. We will also discuss why certain forms of diffuse brain dysfunction may masquerade as lateralized brain disease.

Agenda
1:00 – 1:30 pm EST Laterality and learning disabilities (dyslexias vs NVLD).
1:30 – 2:00 pm EST Laterality and dementias: Is fronto-temporal dementia lateralized?
2:00 – 2:30 pm EST Laterality and striatal disorders (Parkinson’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome).
2:30 – 3:00 pm EST Major cerebrovascular disorders and cerebral hemispheres.
3:00 – 3:30 pm EST Laterality and neuropsychiatric disorders: Schizophrenia and the left hemisphere.
3:30 – 4:00 pm EST Laterality and differential functional breakdown threshold.