BUSM Participates in Museum of Science Brain Health Fair

Boston University School of Medicine was well represented at the annual Brain Health Fair that took place at the Museum of Science on March 23-24. As part of an ongoing, multi-layered collaboration with the museum, BUSM presented at several activity stations and keynote presentations during the two-day event.

COM MOS 3Presentations were given by BUSM faculty Drs. Bertran (Russ) Huber and Andrew Budson.

Huber, Assistant Professor of Neurology, spoke on “Using Fluorescent Microscopy to Study CTE and PTSD.”  He discussed the tools and methods neuropathologists use to detect CTE, and what the current studies are telling us about this disease.

Budson, Professor of Neurology, addressed, “Seven Steps to Managing your Memory: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What to Do About It.” He explained how individuals can distinguish changes in memory due to Alzheimer’s versus normal aging, what medications, vitamins, diets and exercise regimes can help, and the best habits, strategies and memory aids to use, in seven simple steps.

COM MOS 2Some of the BUSM-hosted activity stations at the fair included displays of brains to teach about CTE and dementia, coloring sheets and handouts about traumatic brain injury & PTSD, an interactive computer task that tests memory, and exploration of the brain through visual, auditory, tactile, taste and olfactory illusions.

The BUSM groups were joined at the activity stations by other Boston University groups. One station exposed participants to a new field of brain science research called brain machine interfaces, which are devices that have been engineered to assist people who have lost motor function. During this activity, participants controlled robotics using muscle signals to remotely maneuver them to perform various tasks. Another group used prism goggles to shift a participant’s field of vision by 10 degrees to demonstrate neuroplasticity and the role of the cerebellum in motor adaptation. After a few minutes of using the goggles, participants adapted to this discrepancy and were able to perform motor actions successfully due to the adaptability of the cerebellum.