Understanding the Brain

About Understanding the Brain

This podcast is designed for individuals with or without a background in science to the modern field of neuroscience. Drawing on everyday experience and popular books, as well as current research to enlighten the listener. Join us in this exciting and fun journey

Publisher

Circle Of Insight Productions

Category

education · health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 May 2020

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

69 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Why Smells Trigger Memories Faster Than We Expect

   Explore the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and neural pathways connecting odor recognition with autobiographical memory. Explain the difference between conscious recollection, emotional associations, and the brain's processing of familiar scents.

2. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Serotonin and the Brain: Why Antidepressants Take Weeks to Work

   Serotonin plays an important role in mood regulation, emotional processing, sleep, and communication between neurons, but its relationship with depression is far more complicated than a simple chemical imbalance. In this episode of Understanding the Brain, we explore how serotonin signaling works, why antidepressants can alter neurotransmitter activity within hours yet take weeks to produce clinical improvement, and how the brain adapts through changes in receptor sensitivity and neural plasticity. We also examine what happens when serotonin activity becomes dangerously excessive, including the neurological mechanisms behind serotonin syndrome and its potentially life-threatening symptoms.

3. 

   12 Oct 2026

   How the Brain Adapts to Antidepressants: Receptors, Circuits, and Neuroplasticity

   Antidepressants influence neurotransmission relatively quickly, yet meaningful clinical improvement often takes longer. This episode explores receptor signaling, neural adaptation, stress circuitry, and neuroplasticity in depression treatment. Discover why changes in brain function are more complicated than the familiar chemical-imbalance explanation.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 3 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

6

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Understanding the Brain

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.