Dr. Nicole Rust is an emotion neuroscientist and author of Elusive Cures, a bold new book exploring why neuroscience still hasn’t solved brain disorders — and how we can change that.Despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent, conditions like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia remain without true cures. Rust argues that part of the problem is how we think about the brain — not as a simple domino chain of causes and effects, but as a self-looping, complex system more like a hurricane. Fixing it isn’t about finding a single “broken piece,” but about helping the brain relearn its way back to health.Expect to learn why our traditional models of mental illness are flawed, how feedback loops in the brain make treatment harder, why emotions aren’t localized to one brain region, the staggering advances that now let scientists record from a million neurons at once, how psychedelics may unlock childhood-like plasticity, why pairing them with therapy is key, how AI is transforming neuroscience, the future of mental health research, and much more…Timestamps:00:00 – Intro03:20 – Can We Actually Cure Brain Disorders?06:05 – The Precision Medicine Problem in Epilepsy08:35 – Migraines: A Modern Success Story10:20 – Are All Brain Disorders Even Curable?12:15 – Why We Can’t Eliminate Negative Emotions13:40 – Alzheimer’s vs. Psychiatric Disorders: Why One is Easier to Target15:30 – The Domino Theory of the Brain — and Why It’s Wrong18:10 – Feedback Loops: How the Brain Defies Simple Fixes21:05 – Antidepressants, Complexity, and the Butterfly Effect24:00 – Why Psychiatry Hasn’t Found Biological Fingerprints Yet26:55 – Studying Mood: From Brain Circuits to Gut Bacteria30:10 – The Gut–Brain Connection in Emotional States33:02 – Redefining ‘Cause’ in Neuroscience36:14 – How Psychedelics Affect the Brain (and Why Research is Hard)39:45 – The Cultural and Regulatory Barriers to Psychedelic Studies43:30 – Are We Studying Psychedelics at the Right Speed?46:18 – Why Mental Health Isn’t Just a Brain Problem49:12 – The Role of Environment in Brain Disorders52:05 – Could Psychedelics Transform Mental Health?56:28 – Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Built-In Adaptation System1:00:15 – Why Cures Might Not Be Universal1:03:42 – The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis1:06:50 – Spectrums vs. Phase Transitions in Depression1:11:14 – Rethinking How We Define ‘Normal’ Mood1:14:22 – How Definitions Shape Mental Health Treatment1:18:35 – The Brain–Body Conversation We’re Not Having Enough1:22:14 – Quantum Mechanics, Continuums, and Consciousness1:25:33 – Why Theories of Mind Matter for Cures1:28:56 – What Science Still Doesn’t Know About Mental Health1:33:44 – The Next Big Breakthroughs We Should Be Chasing1:37:02 – Final Thoughts & Where Mental Health Science Goes Next...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

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