To The Best of Our Knowledge

from Wisconsin Public Radio

The mind and the body meet in the brain. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, two of the world's top brain doctors claim that what you feel affects how you feel. Dr. Norman Rosenthal., the man who discovered Seasonal Affective Disorder (Winter Blues), says there's an Emotional Revolution in Western medicine, and researcher Antonio D'Amasio explains the difference between feelings and emotion. Also, traumatic brain injury, and using family bonds to battle cancer..

Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the man who discovered SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - is back with "The Emotional Revolution." He and Anne Strainchamps discuss several examples of how our feelings influence our bodies, and what we can do about it. Rosenthal says heart attack patients with untreated depression are six times more likely to have further health problems, and that the ancient evolutionary role of smell may put some science behind aroma-therapy. Rosenthal advocates being open to alternative, non-drug therapies.

SEGMENT 2:

Psychologist Dan Shapiro is the author of "Mom's Marijuana: Life, Love and Beating the Odds." The book tells the story of Shapiro's long fight with Hodgkin's Disease which prompted his mother to cultivate marijuana to help him cope with the nausea of chemotherapy. Shapiro says the support of his family had a curative effect. Also, neuro-scientist Antonio Damasio tells Steve Paulson the difference between feelings and emotion. He says by understanding the details of what the body is doing when we experience an emotion, science will be able to develop better therapies and interventions. Damasio's latest book is "The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness."

SEGMENT 3:

Karen and Rachel Brennan talk with Steve Paulson. Rachel suffered severe brain trauma and has no short-term memory. Karen tells the story of her daughter's long road to recovery in the memoir "Being with Rachel." Karen describes what Rachel was like before her motorcycle accident, and how she serves as Rachel's memory now. Rachel has this advice for other brain-injured people: Keep on truckin'. Also, Benedict Le Vay is the author of the Bradt guide to "Eccentric Britain." He tells Jim Fleming that many customs still exist in England and are extremely important to the community, even though the reason for them is long forgotten.

Books:

• Antonio D'Amasio, The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness (Harvest Books)
• Benedict Le Vay, Nigel Dempster, Eccentric Britain: The Bradt Guide to Britain's Follies & Foibles (Bradt Publications)
• Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., The Emotional Revolution: How the New Science of Feelings Can Transform Your Life (Citadel Press)
• Dan Shapiro, Mom's Marijuana: Life, Love, and Beating the Odds (Vintage)
• Karen Brennan, Being With Rachel: A Story of Memory and Survival (Norton)

Music:

• “Feelings” from The Greatest Love Songs of All Time (Capitol) Performer: Ferrante & Teicher
• “John Greer’s Two-Step” from Dancing Home Flying Fish FF70543 Performer: Stephen Wade
• “In Memoriam J.R.” from Epitaphs and Portraits Seabreeze Productions, P.O. Box 200242, London Terrace Station, NY, NY, 10011 Performer: Craig Urquhart
• “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” from The Chairman Dances Nonesuch 79144-2 Performer: San Francisco Symphony/Edo de Waart
• “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” from Noel & Gertie (old mono lp) RCA LCT 1156 Performer: Noel Coward

Distribution dates:

• week of 04/14/2002 - hour 1