Goal, Gadget, & Good News: Nights + Vacation
I started on the nights/vacation rotation. Somewhat of a soft start—the remainder of the year I will not have 2 weeks off for every 2.5 weeks I work. But, beginning on nights was a gift, terrifying as it was. I was able to work with several different teams and I learned so much from our amazing midwives. I am honestly a bit sad to be on vacation because I was making a teeny-teeny-tiny bit of progress, but I know work will be there when I return. Please enjoy this rotation’s installation of Goal, Gadget, & Good News.
Goal: Do what Dax Does
My commute during nights gave me the opportunity to follow-up on a recommendation to check out Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert. Probably because I grew up watching Punk’d, I was a bit skeptical before I started. Now, I am totally hooked. He is an excellent host and connects with his guests in a way that makes me find them all compelling and relatable. Much to my surprise, this included guest Gwyneth Paltrow. I so enjoyed this episode, and my goal stems from a conversation they had regarding relationships. I believe it was actually Dax who spoke about fear underlying conflict: when something becomes an issue, there is often a fear within us being triggered. I keep returning to this idea and sharing it with others because I cannot help but notice it in my own life. I instantly connected with this idea in my relationship with my fiancé, Kevin, but in any relationship, interaction, or conflict (internal and external) this idea can apply. For instance with work, feedback is simply feedback, meant to make me a better doctor. However, if fear of not becoming a competent and reliable doctor takes hold, feedback is harder to receive, integrate, and appreciate. This is not to say my life is free of all internal and external conflict, but it is freeing to understand myself a little better—thanks to who would have guessed it? Dax. Shepard.
Gadget: Sheet masks
So I really like the alliteration of the title of this series, but let this post demonstrate how loosely I am interpreting the word gadget. In any case, I freaking love sheet masks. During nights, it was all about the little treats because working nights, being disconnected from the rest of the world for several days at a time, is tough. Sheet masks are basically a two to three-dollar and 15 minute investment in feeling fabulous (and maybe making up for years of inadequately hydrating my skin). I love the JAYJUN brand, but honestly I am not picky. Sheet masks rule. During nights, I would put one on after getting home in the morning, keep it on while brushing my teeth and browsing Insta for a few minutes, then peel it off and go to bed for the day. If you haven’t tried these little face gifts, give them a go.
Good News: The Science Behind Exercise Progressed
Exercise is good for us in countless ways, but the mechanics of its positive impact on learning and memory has not been fully elucidated. However, Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) published a study in June 2019 that shared some exciting news about why exercise is good for our brains. The article is here for those interested, but here are the cliff notes.
Mice were allowed to run on a wheel for up to two hours. On average, they ran about 3 km. Researchers demonstrated that three days following “acute exercise,” there was a 50% increase in the dendritic spines of the cells of dentate gyrus. This is an area where “higher cortical information converges” and they reported this “increase in spine density reflected an increase in number of synapses.” They then identified a “novel effector of structural plasticity: Mtss1L” that was responsible for inducing the “spine-like protrusions” and playing a role in “synaptic plasticity.” In other words, dendritic spines can be thought of as the little protrusions on our brain cells that allow these cells to connect and communicate. Researchers found that the density of these connections increased three days after exercise and returned to baseline at 7 days after exercise, changes they attributed to a protein that also increased following exercise. The researchers hypothesized that perhaps exercise is a “preconditioning signal that primes exercise-activated neurons for contextual information.” So, what’s the catch? Most importantly, this is a mouse model study, so its results are just that: a model. How molecular changes in a mouse able to run on a wheel apply to the complexity of human learning, memory, and behavior is not predictable. But, it is exciting nonetheless and an enjoyable read for those of a science persuasion. Basic science research (not aptly named—nothing basic about it) is pretty beautiful in the way the studies are designed: each step of the study challenges and clarifies the assumptions and findings of the step prior.
That’s all! Thanks for reading folks.
Ari
Reference:
Chatzi et al. “Exercise-induced enhancement of synaptic function triggered by the inverse BAR protein, Mtss1L.” eLife 2019;8:e45920. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.45920