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Let them eat cake! Marie-Antoinette in Versailles

This week Zoe, Grace and I went to a ballet at the Royal Opera of Versailles. We took the train down to Versailles in the rain and had a moment of panic when our connecting train was delayed. Thanks to our fantastic Uber driver, however, we made it to the palace just in time for the show. Seeing a ballet was my top bucket list item while in Paris, so this was a highlight of my time here so far. The Malandain Ballet Biarritz performed their contemporary ballet Marie-Antoinette choreographed by Thierry Malandain. The work explored the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI from their wedding night in 1770 (she was 15 and he was 14) to the storming of Versailles in 1789. The coolest part of the experience for me was that the ballet depicted specific scenes in Marie Antoinette’s life, like watching the play Perseus with Louis XVI, that happened in the same theater we were sitting in. Being able to watch the ballet that takes place in Versailles from Versailles was definitely a unique experience that added a very special component to the show.

The dancers and orchestra receiving a standing ovation.

The final scene of the ballet was at the beginning of the French Revolution. According to legend, Marie Antoinette’s hair turned white overnight, on the day before she was to be executed. When I researched more about Marie Antoinette’s life after the show, I learned that this is a phenomenon that has been recorded a few times in history that is now referred to as “Marie Antoinette syndrome”. While “Marie Antoinette syndrome”, or the sudden whitening of hair, is largely believed to be a myth, Skellett et al. argue that the historical account of Marie Antoinette can simply be explained by either temporary hair dye washing or alopecia triggered by stress (Skellett et al. 2008). The link between stress and alopecia can be seen in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis that is involved in regulating stress hormones. Some patients with alopecia areata have had upregulated levels of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) receptors in hair follicles (Paus et al. 2009). CRH is a key hormone in the HPA axis that leads to the release of cortisol. Since Marie Antoinette was definitely experiencing extreme amounts of stress the night before her execution, her HPA axis was probably secreting a lot of CRH and a lot of cortisol. This evidence could then help explain the case of “Marie Antoinette syndrome” she experienced.

One more of the Royal Opera house
Girls night out

References:

Paus, R., & Arck, P. (2009). Neuroendocrine perspectives in alopecia areata: does stress play a role?. The Journal of investigative dermatology, 129(6), 1324–1326. https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2009.111

Skellett, A. M., Millington, G. W., & Levell, N. J. (2008). Sudden whitening of the hair: an historical fiction?. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 101(12), 574–576. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.2008.080337

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I think Eiffel into Paris-dise :)

This past Wednesday I went on a picnic with some of my classmates under the Eiffel Tower. I was hesitant in going as I had already seen the Eiffel tower on our boat trip and didn’t see the point of seeing the Eiffel Tower from that close… but oh was I wrong! When we got there we saw so many sections of open turf occupied by so many people from all over the world. I heard all these different languages and saw many different faces, which reminded me of home with the extent of the US’s diversity. One thing that connected all these different people was our collective shared experience of witnessing the awe of the Eiffel Tower. This same phenomenon happened to me and my classmates. As the evening continued I noticed another perk of being here instead of the Arc de Triomphe. I saw that we were growing closer and started to share things we had in common. It was then that I realized that new friendships were sprouting from one of those turf patches.

POV: you are a patch of grass (Photo of new friends!)

It didn’t take long for laughs and overall good vibes to flood our conversations. Someone soon suggested that we do a little photo shoot which really kicked things off. Often times we get a little insecure when we lose for photos but that didn’t happen here with so many of us hyping each other up allowing us to take some amazing photos. The energy of these photo shoots reminded me of the same energy that’s created with my friends back home, which prompted me to dive deeper into the neuroscience of friendship. From this, I learned that striatum plays an important role in social behavior as it encodes rewards from social situations (Báez-Mendoza and Schultz, 2013). One thing that i found is that social isolation during chronic social isolation can actually weaken the dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, so I am really happy I went and have been willing to go out more than I do back home in the states (Báez-Mendoza and Schultz, 2013). This newly found information really opened my mind up to the science of social behaviors and friendship. Upon searching the literature is there were very few recent studies looking into this topic which came as a surprise to me. Altogether though, this was a fun experience! 10/10, I highly recommend!!

This is me holding up the Eiffel tower, so much fun!

References

Báez-Mendoza, R., & Schultz, W. (2013). The role of the striatum in social behavior. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00233

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Photo Post 2: Luxembourg Gardens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this trip, my roommate and I have been blessed to have the Luxembourg Garden only a five-minute walk away. After waking up early one morning and getting breakfast to go, I decided to explore the park a little more. It was nice to see people on their morning walks or runs. As I wandered, I came upon the miniature version of the Statue of Liberty in New York and the beautiful fountain next to it. In a study conducted by Ward Thompson et al. (2012), they found that parks help with stress reduction and mental health overall. With this in mind, I am very excited to enjoy all that the gardens have to offer while I am here. 

Reference:

Ward Thompson, C., Roe, J., Aspinall, P., Mitchell, R., Clow, A., & Miller, D. (2012). More green space is linked to less stress in deprived communities: Evidence from salivary cortisol patterns. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105(3), 221–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.12.015

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Better Health: French Wining and Dining Over American Whining

Samantha Feingold

As of today, I have officially been in Paris for two and a half weeks. As it is my first time in Europe, I continue to ask myself why the French are healthier than Americans, with one of the “lowest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world,” and what aspects of Parisian lifestyle I can incorporate into my own (Powell et al., 2010). I have internally balanced the cultural differences I have observed, trying to determine what factors outweigh the negatively viewed characteristics. Does the amount of walking Parisians do override the amount they smoke? Does the local food that is less processed outweigh negative effects of foods high in saturated fats like cheese? Is the secret to their health simply attitude and social culture, which results in less stress and greater happiness, the reason they live longer? To answer the question you’ve all been waiting for, and one I hear over and over, how do Parisian’s drink so much wine but stay so healthy? I have found myself wondering if the increase in my own wine consumption during the trip is problematic but realized that is only by American standards. Perhaps, the cultural view of alcohol (where it is viewed as a guilty pleasure) in the United States prevents the reduction in stress and otherwise positive benefits that are seen in France (Hansel et al., 2010).

Figure 1. A photograph of a dinner, at Il Padrino, featuring a glass of L’ambrusco (an Italian sparkling red wine) and a glass of rosé. The French typically have food with their wine and spend much longer enjoying a meal than Americans (Powell et al., 2010).

Two weeks in, I currently believe that all these factors have close relationships with stress and stress may be the leading cause of negative health outcomes after comparing populations: “Americans can and should look to the French as a model for a healthy lifestyle that includes not just what a person eats, but the attitudes, behaviors, and social context within which one operates” (Powell et al., 2010). While one study (Hansel et al., 2010) studied the relationship between moderate drinkers to those that never drink and found cardiovascular and other health benefits in the moderate to low drinkers, stress undoubtedly connects as well. In Paris, the culture regarding wine is carefree and people take time to enjoy their meal (and take their time off work quite seriously- getting about 6 weeks of vacation time per year) (Powell et al., 2010). While the connection between potential health benefits and wine consumption is challenging to statistically separate from stress, I have concluded that when in combination, if I take the time to taste life (like the French taste by savoring) I don’t need to feel stressed about justifying ordering wine with dinner.

Figure 2. Lauren Cobitz and I enjoying a glass of wine at dinner (photo taken by Rachel Lebovic).

Sources

Hansel, B., Thomas, F., Pannier, B. et al. Relationship between alcohol intake, health and social status and cardiovascular risk factors in the urban Paris-Ile-De-France Cohort: is the cardioprotective action of alcohol a myth?. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 561–568 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.61

Powell, L. H., Kazlauskaite, R., Shima, C., & Appelhans, B. M. (2010). Lifestyle in France and
the United States: an American perspective. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(6), 845–847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.029


 

 

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Wait…is this soccer? Photo Post #2

 

This past Friday, we all made the transition from obnoxious American sports fanatics to obnoxious European sports fanatics! Adorning French face paint, we headed up to the top of the stadium to rugby, I mean, football, which was surprisingly brutal physically for the players. I counted 6 potential head injuries for my chosen player, #7. Luckily, it seems that there actually has been extensive research into both the implications of soccer-related head injuries and how they can be prevented as early as youth soccer leagues. In fact, one study looked at implicating behavioral skills training, or BST, into youth soccer programs to demonstrate and enforce a safer means of “heading” the ball that leads to less physical duress. These researchers found that there was vast improvement amongst the players after BST as opposed to players without BST, so perhaps this practice should be implemented in more youth sports programs.

References:

Quintero, L. M., Moore, J. W., Yeager, M. G., Rowsey, K., Olmi, D. J., Britton‐Slater, J., Harper, M. L., & Zezenski, L. E. (2019). Reducing risk of head injury in youth soccer: An extension of behavioral skills training for heading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.557

 
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Exploring Saint-Louis Hospital

Ally Grubman

This was a picture I took on the way to the dermatology museum on the Saint-Louis Hospital campus in Paris. While we didn’t get to actually visit the museum on this trip, the hallway outside of it had many pictures and portraits of patients with dermatological illnesses. These illnesses were interesting to look at and related to the paper we were talking about in class at the time. Mainly, some of the portraits of the patients had chancres, the main symptom of early syphilis, which is what our last paper was about. This helped me visualize the illness we had just been talking about and put it all into perspective. Can’t wait to go back and actually see the museum next time!

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Photo Post 1: A Surprise Football Game

This past Friday night, June 3rd, we all headed towards the Stade de France to watch what I thought would be my first Rugby match. Much to all our surprise, at the start of the game, we realized our mistake– we were watching a Nations League football match (France vs Denmark). The crowd was full of contagious excitement and I couldn’t believe our luck. I was very happy to be able to witness a football game in person, especially in the Stade de France. I saw the players pass the ball from person to person and even use their heads to block it from going to the other team’s goal. This reminded me of all the times we have learned of the risk of head trauma, concussions, and TBIs in sports. In a study by Rodrigues, Lasmar, & Caramelli (2016) they found that “heading the ball accounted for 30.5% of concussions”. When you think of how many people all around the world participate in this sport, that number becomes very scary. 

Rodrigues, A. C., Lasmar, R. P., & Caramelli, P. (2016). Effects of Soccer Heading on Brain Structure and Function. Frontiers in Neurology, 7(38). https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2016.00038

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Chocolate: Cognitive enhancer?

On May 30th, our class took a trip to Choco-Story where we had a mini-workshop on how to coat and decorate various foods in delicious melted chocolate. We were each given marshmallows, chocolate fudge squares, and candied orange strips to dip into our preferred melted chocolate– milk or dark chocolate. In addition to this, we were also able to fill chocolate bar molds and create–or attempt to create– intricate designs.

Me holding a bag of chocolate creations from the workshop.


In our neuroethics class, we recently discussed cognitive enhancers and their implications. For our reflection, Dr. Rommelfanger asked us the following question: Does coffee count as a cognitive enhancer? Initially, I said that no, coffee is not a cognitive enhancer because it only has short-term effects and its consumption can result in an increased state of anxiousness– an opposite effect. However, I left the discussion with a change of heart. Both coffee and chocolate contain caffeine, which has a tendency to improve alertness and attention which are qualities of a cognitive enhancer. 




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A visit to the Sacré-Cœur-photo post

 

The apse mosaic named Christ in Glory.

 

This morning, we made our way to the basilique Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. We started our journey off by having a nice lunch at one of the local restaurants paired with some Lebanese-style ice cream. Loaded with energy, we tackled the seemingly never-ending stairs. However, the reward of the view was absolutely breathtaking. The beauty extended into the inside, where I was met with stained-glass windows and awe-inspiring images of saints and Jesus Christ. 

As I sat alone in the pews, waiting to go light a candle at the altar, I felt such a strong wave of sereneness and a sense of belonging. In an effort to connect this to neuroscience, I thought back to the relationship between religion and mental health. Personally, I was taught that in moments of stress and confusion, I should pray and find comfort in God. In recent studies, it is suggested that practicing religion has a “protective” effect on our mental health. 



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The Happiest Place on Earth

Last Sunday, my roommate and I woke up bright and early to head to Disneyland Paris and enjoy the day at the happiest place on earth! Once it was confirmed that I would be traveling to Paris, I made sure to pack my Minnie Mouse ears– a souvenir that I have held onto for the last ten years. 

Khushi, Solanch, and I at Disneyland Paris.

 

Once we got there, we got a map and created a list of attractions and rides that we wanted to make sure to cross off of our list. We started the day off at Frontierland where our first attraction was a spooky tour of the Phantom Manor which was the perfect ride to begin with– nice and slow. However, once we headed over to Discoveryland, I began hearing loud screams coming from the Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain. I should probably note that I’m not a big fan of rollercoasters, in fact, I try to stay away from them. I knew that the main park was meant to be family-friendly, so I was anticipating the classic attractions such as the teacups. 

Disneyland Paris light show, celebrating their 30th anniversary.

 

After some internal conflict, I decided to carpe diem and go for it– I was in Disneyland Paris after all. Once we were close to the front, we could see people turning back after being so close to facing their fear. We could also see the look of shock in people stumbling off of the ride, with their hair in disarray after facing such speed. During the ride, I held onto the restraint as if my life depended on it– which felt like the actual task. My head and body were shaken back and forth, hitting the sides of the seat. Once the two minutes of darkness were over, I struggled to get out of my seat and felt very dizzy. After surviving the ride, I had a small headache for the next 30 minutes. 

 

Solanch and I during a non-thrill ride. Notice how I’m clenching my headband out of fear

 

This experience made me wonder if rollercoasters and head discomfort/injuries could be associated. I found that evidence suggests that motion during a roller coaster ride does not meet the threshold of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Evans, 2020). While there are case studies that present individuals who have suffered brain injuries after a ride, it cannot be solely attributed to the ride itself, but the condition of the rider and if they have prior known – or unknown- brain/neck injuries. Learning raised concerns about the insufficient warnings for the “thrill” rides, even at Disney. Should theme parks be more explicit in their warnings or should riders be the judge of their participation in rides? 

Evans, V. (2020). Newton’s laws, G-forces and the impact on the brain. Australasian Journal of Neuroscience , 30(1), 24–29. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.273755632351926