Science AMA Series: I am Dr. Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist specializing in brain imaging, cognition, and consciousness. Our work involves uncovering the intricate mechanisms of the human brain. Ask me anything

Mental Clarity & Brain Health
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I am Dr. Adrian Owen, a neuroscience professor here to discuss our latest discoveries in brain research.

For over a quarter-century, I have been captivated by the human brain—how it operates, why it functions as it does, and what occurs when it malfunctions. At the Owen Lab at Western University in Canada, my team investigates human cognition utilizing tools like fMRI, EEG, and sleep laboratories. We’ve discovered that 20% of individuals in a vegetative state are actually aware and conscious (I’ve detailed this in my recent book, ‘Into the Gray Zone’, available at www.intothegrayzone.com).

We also debunked the idea that brain-training apps actually boost intelligence (spoiler: they don’t).

Currently, my team is working on an exciting project to understand how sleep deprivation affects specific brain regions. We are testing tens of thousands of people globally to determine why sleep is necessary, the ideal amount required, and the various effects of sleep loss. Figures like Arianna Huffington and her organization, Thrive Global, have helped highlight the importance of this research. Since we cannot bring everyone to our facility, we are conducting this study online at www.worldslargestsleepstudy.com or www.cambridgebrainsciences.com. We anticipate publishing our results in scientific journals in about half a year.

So, if you have questions about sleep research, cognitive training, or communicating with those in the ‘gray zone’ between life and death… AMA!

I will be online at 1:00pm EDT (10:00am PDT / 5:00pm UTC) with my colleagues from the lab and the sleep study platform. Ask us anything!

Update: We are live! Send us your questions! Verification: http://imgur.com/a/NvPMK

Update 2: Thanks for all the great questions! I tried to get to as many as possible. This was a blast. Until next time—now it’s time for some pineapple pizza! http://imgur.com/a/Yy88r

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This AMA is being preserved by The Winnower, a platform for scholarly publishing that supports both traditional and non-traditional academic outputs, recognizing that scientific dialogue happens beyond just journals.

To cite this session, please use: https://doi.org/10.15200/winn.150038.82260

You can find more information and contribute at authorea.com

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Do you think that studying psychedelics and other mind-altering substances could offer valuable data for our grasp of consciousness and other neuroscience concepts?

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Has the relationship between the brain and the gut started to receive more attention in your investigations?

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I’ve struggled with insomnia since I was young. I rarely get more than 4 hours of sleep, often staying awake for 20 to 48 hours at a time. Interestingly, if I sleep more than my usual 4 hours, I feel incredibly exhausted, similar to ‘oversleeping.’ I try to avoid sleep meds and use exercise or other common tips, but nothing seems to help. Do you have any unusual suggestions? Also, what is the most frequent long-term consequence of insomnia you see? Sorry if this is rambling, I’m currently sleep-deprived!

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I’m a biochemist. I have a hunch that quantum mechanics might influence memory and ultimately result in consciousness. What is your perspective on this? Are you aware of any active research in this field?

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Dr. Owen, thank you for doing this and for your work. What metrics do you wish you could track but currently can’t? What technology will eventually surpass fMRI in helping us understand the brain’s inner workings?

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I am paralyzed from the waist down. Is it true that the brain region responsible for walking has died, or is it just dormant? Also, I have major sleep issues—could this be linked to my paralysis (from Transverse Myelitis 32 years ago)? I had trouble even when I was working full-time.

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What do we know about how an infant’s brain functions? I have a 7-week-old, and I often wonder how confusing the world must be when neural connections are just starting to form.

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Thanks for the AMA, Dr. Owen. As a kid, I dreamed of a device that could record dreams for later viewing. Is it possible that we might one day image or collect data from dreams? Are you looking into whether people can learn facts or skills while asleep? Has there been a specific ‘breakthrough’ case in your gray zone research? What is the most amazing thing you’ve discovered in your career, and what originally sparked your interest in the brain?

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If you are resting in bed but can’t fall asleep, do you still get some of the benefits of sleep on a smaller scale, or is it the same as just being awake? This has always made me curious, thanks!

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Hi Dr. Owen, a friend of mine is trying a polyphasic sleep schedule, sleeping only 4 hours a day in one-hour chunks. He’s been doing it for a month and claims there are no downsides. Is it possible some people just don’t need much sleep, or is he mistaken? What are the typical short and long-term effects of this kind of sleep pattern?

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Does the specific time of day we sleep affect its quality? If I sleep from 11pm to 7am, I feel great. But if I sleep from 3am to 11am, I feel terrible. Why does that happen?

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  1. Do people in a vegetative state have a sense of time? 2) Why are dream images so clear while waking imagination feels fuzzy and distant? 3) If brain games don’t work, how can someone actually increase their intelligence? 4) Have you ever had a subject watch their own brain activity in real-time to see if it helps them control their mind? Also, I’m a psych undergrad—are there any interesting neuro-related tests I could do for my thesis without expensive equipment? Thanks for everything you do!
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Hello Dr. Owen, how much does stress impact our cognitive abilities? Also, does waking up during a specific sleep stage change how we feel for the rest of the day?

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Are we actually conscious? Or does the brain function like a deterministic computer, creating the illusion of free will and consciousness as a side effect? Are our decisions made before we even realize we’ve made them?