Stimulate Your Mind

Prof. Nasser Kashou Interview at SBMT Conference. Professor Nasser Kashou discusses his brain research with functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) for rehabilitation and therapy in adults and neonates. In this quick interview I discuss the two presentations given at the Annual World Congress of Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT). These talks were presenting the results of our published papers in the journal of Neurophotonics. The titles of the talks were (1)  Hand Grasping and Finger Tapping Induced Similar Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Cortical Responses; and (2)  Somatic stimulation causes fronto-parietal cortical changes in neonates: an fNIRS study. For more details on the methods, results and other studies please click on this link . The citation of these full manuscripts are listed below. Kashou , Dar, Hasenstab, Nahhas, Jadcherla. Somatic stimulation causes fronto-parietal cortical changes in neonates: an fNIRS stu...

Can we determine feeding ability of newborns by imaging their brain? In this publication our purpose was to investigate the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a tool for assessing how a baby would develop feeding capabilities. Feeding capability, or lack thereof, is an issue when babies are born before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy, also known as preterm. The reason why this is a problem is because at preterm the brain (cerebrum and cerebellum) is not fully developed. Meaning, for example, if the baby is born around 35 weeks, the brain, an organ which essentially controls our body and senses, still needs time to grow in size and function. Ideally, 39 weeks is best for a healthy pregnancy. Other organs needing time to fully develop are the lungs and liver. Thus, consequences of early birth include: breathing, hearing and vision problems as well as developmental delay and cerebral palsy. For the babies born preterm, they are immediately placed in infant incubators ...

Scientific publications are written for scientists which indirectly leave out anyone who does not have a scientific education. A good rule of thumb is, if we as scientists cannot explain our research in a simple way then we probably do not fully understand it ourselves. Additionally, part of being a good scientist is thinking about how a particular manuscript, research study, technology, application, etc. can be used beyond the aim of its original purpose. Both the aforementioned points are important; however, seem lacking in the scientific community. A few years ago I had a discussion with a friend, an intellectual individual, who was constantly reading books and had already published his own book. At that time he mentioned that although he reads a lot, he finds it hard to read, comprehend or keep engaged in scientific papers or publications. Paraphrasing, he thought that scientists lived in a bubble, writing only for each other and essentially ignoring the rest of the world. H...