Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
Hello,
I am Dr. Marie Beatrice Hyppolite. I hold a doctorate in Health Science with emphasis on Global Health and master’s degree in social work. I have over 14 years of experience in the field of health and human services.
This podcast is primarily focused on mental health and the quality-of-life elements that affect it such as divorce, death, domestic violence, trauma, toxic relationships, and single parenthood to name a few. It is no secret that mental health challenges continue to profoundly impact modern society although not enough discussion is given due to stigma. Research has shown an increase of 25 % in mental health crises after COVID-19. It is important to have honest, uncomfortable conversations about mental health while being supportive. Although we are interdependent, change begins with the individual, hence “your world.”
I welcome you to join me on my journey and look forward to your responses.
Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
The Brain's Hidden Connections
Brain disorders are never isolated problems. In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Joseph takes us on a journey through the interconnected landscape of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease, revealing how our brains function as part of a complex bodily system rather than as isolated organs.
The discussion introduces a compelling geographic dimension to Parkinson's risk – the existence of a "Parkinson's Belt" across certain American states where environmental factors increase susceptibility. Dr. Joseph offers practical advice for protecting yourself and aging loved ones, highlighting how seemingly simple life choices like where you live, what you eat, and how often you exercise can significantly impact your neurological health as you age.
Perhaps most fascinating is the behind-the-scenes look at Parkinson's research funding and scientific exploration. Dr. Joseph passionately advocates for more open-minded research approaches, sharing how his own work revealed unexpected cellular mechanisms beyond the traditional focus on alpha-synuclein and Lewy bodies. Through the beautiful analogy of sorting rice to find unexpected elements, he illustrates how scientific discovery often comes from following evidence wherever it leads – even when contradicting established hypotheses.
Whether you're concerned about brain health, caring for someone with a neurodegenerative disorder, or simply fascinated by how science evolves, this episode offers valuable insights into both the cutting-edge research and practical approaches to maintaining cognitive wellbeing. Subscribe to Your World with Dr. Beatrice Ippolit for more conversations that connect science with everyday life.
Hello everyone, I'm Dr Beatrice Ippolit and this is your World. Can change in the brain occur in long-term effect on cognitive abilities, personal regulation and impulse control?
Speaker 2:Of course, If you have anything, it's the same. Okay, the focus is on the brain. Let me do a systemic approach. I'm taking a systemic approach where I'm not focusing on the brain. Let's see the whole organisms right. Let's say you have a problem. You have a cut on your arm. If you leave that cut untreated, that can impact your whole arm in a long walk can even end up with.
Speaker 2:You can even cut it if possible, because it can be infected so badly you cannot live with it. You have to cut your arm. That's the systemic approach. I see any part of your body, so I'm considering brain as a part of your body. It's the same thing for it. If you have a defect in any part of your brain and that defect is not being held under control, you don't put in the control. You'll try to get this under control. Of course, in the long run that will affect not only your brain, that will affect your whole system, your whole body, your whole organism. Although we talk about different parts of our body, but they are all linked to each other and your brand is a major component of the system of your body because all the message, all the signals, they are being sent from your brand to the rest of the body. The answer to your question is, of course, if you have problem your brain and it's not being treated, it's not being under control, of course in the long run it will impact your whole system.
Speaker 1:If I may say, without the head, the body cannot function that's exactly true.
Speaker 2:That's the same way. I can function without my arm, but my head if I don't have it. That's what I said. All the messages are being sent from your brain. That's why dopamine is extremely important. If dopamine cannot be secreted as your transmitters, the signal cannot be sent throughout your body. So now that can lead to several type of other diseases, all the whole dementia categories we spoke about earlier.
Speaker 1:Okay, so then, I've heard you, I understand and I thank you for all this information that you know you are sharing with us so far, but what can we really do for Parkinson's?
Speaker 2:What can we do? It's the same thing I said earlier. The first thing I would say we think about those causes like genetic factors or environmental factors. But what can we do? Something that depends on us is to try to get ourselves under control, our whole body under control, Control what we are eating. I said it. Our diet is important, right, and we saw the environmental factors, like the chemicals that are being released, and we saw there is a high equivalence depending on where you live. So if you don't want to be prone as we are aging, of course we are prone to those kind of defects. But one thing that depends on us, it's where we live.
Speaker 2:If you live in what we call the Parkinson's Belt, those people are prone in the United States, for instance, If you live in Utah, you live in Colorado, which I'm going there at the end of this month for a conference. So if you live there, you're more prone to Parkinson's disease because of the environmental effect on these regions here. Probably, if you have your aging parents, try to go to a place where the environment factors is not as elevated for those people to get Parkinson's. You can go to a place somewhere in New York is not a bad place. A lot of people tend to go to Florida or go to Texas. But the prevalence is very high in those southern states as well because of aging, Because you got a lot of aged people who live there. They retire, they go there right. But if you're a young person like you are in the 60s you think you can live in Florida, you can live in Texas. That's a good place to live because you can see a high prevalence of Parkinson's disease in those, those states, not among those. This age range.
Speaker 2:I spoke about 60 to 70. That's not it. But it's higher in those who like 75 and up, because those are the retired people. They go and live there. So it's aging issues, so they are more prone to to this disease. So that's why they get it. You see it higher in those states, but it's not because of the environment per se. So you can go and live in a place that is better. Exercise it's very good because when you're exercising, you're helping your body to get rid of a bunch of non-needed chemicals. Right, you help your body to get rid of these. That's good for you. When you're exercising, your muscles, your excuse me your organs, they function better, so your brain also will function better. So by exercising.
Speaker 1:Here when you're talking, dr Joseph. So I come to conclusion that, while there is no cure for Alzheimer, the only thing that people can rely on is ongoing research and adverse treatment. Am I right?
Speaker 2:You are definitely right because, again, we do not sleep and I think when you say Alzheimer's, you probably were talking about Parkinson's disease. You were referring to Parkinson's.
Speaker 1:We just said oh, I just said Alzheimer's. We just said oh, I just said Alzheimer's. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think it's Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's yes, we are not sleeping. It's an emerging field. A lot of scientists are working in that field to see specifically with the Parkinson's foundations. They are raising funds and supporting research at this level to see if they can find a cure. Of course you have some lidopovo, for instance. There are some treatments you can take to help you to feel better. It's not a cure per se, but there are treatments available you can take to help you to feel better with those kind of diseases, to try to stimulate your neuronal cells in this case. So they act directly on those cells to see if they can stimulate the production of dopamine, which is very good.
Speaker 1:You know, compared to Alzheimer's disease, how challenging Parkinson's can be.
Speaker 2:If you remember the statistics I gave about Alzheimer's, we have more people diagnosed with Alzheimer's than we have with Parkinson's disease. So from there we would say people diagnosed with Alzheimer's would say Alzheimer's is quite challenging, more challenging compared to Parkinson's disease. However, the projection is not in our favor and we have an aging population fever and we have an aging populations. It's like we have more people who are over 50, then we have younger people, so that means we are prone to have more people diagnosed in the long run, no degenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. So if we do not try to get everything under control right now, in the long run it can be very challenging. That is why, again, we do not sleep on that. We don't wait until the problem comes to us. We are proactive, scientists are proactive. We're trying to see how we can get things under control, including those who are working in the field of Parkinson's disease trying to get things under control. Although I'm saying that probably at the end, the research is right now a little bit split on that situation.
Speaker 1:In what way and why.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what happened? Actually, those who are working on Parkinson's disease, including the Parkinson's Foundation, they invest more in scientists who are working on alpha-synuclein, which is this little protein I spoke about earlier with Lewy body accumulation in the Sub-Saharan era. But it seems like the research is evolving. At the end of my PhD we realized that there was a paper that came out that was very provocative in the sense that they showed that all the money that was being spent in that angle working on alpha-synuclein. It seems like there are other ways to understand that disease. It's not like the alpha-synuclein per se, but it seems like that ATPase that I was talking about, which a lot of focus was put on. It seems to have other functions in the cells than trying to get those alpha-synclin lower bodies, get them out of control. So it seems like research is going a different way, which is good for science. It's good. Like this ATPase, we saw that it has to do with polyamine, like those chemical secretions, how they can transport those chemicals in and out of the lysosomes of the cells the lysosomes are literally the garbage for the cells how they can control the level of those polyamines in the cells. So it's a brand new way to find, probably to work with Parkinson's disease.
Speaker 2:That's why, when we as scientists, we must be open-minded, you don't? That's what again we call it research. We are not working because we know the result. We expect a certain type of result, but sometimes our expectations can lead us way, way, way away from what we get. We may expect to get this result, but at the end we have something else. We cannot change it. That's the result, which could be better, it could even be better. So we have to follow what we get. What else can we get from it? And that's exactly what happens in that film.
Speaker 2:I love what we are doing, the research we're doing, the people we are working together with in the lab. It's great. So I wish specifically parkinson's foundations I'm just calling on them because they have a lot of money where they help research, they give money to work on Parkinson's disease but I wish they can be more open-minded in a way that they do not only focus in one angle. They need to be more open-minded to see other angles, angles. I know, if I put a project out there, if I, if I put a grant for a specific project, if it doesn't go in that way, I mean when you say other project is the focus is more on Parkinson or dementia the focus on Parkinson just from the get-go.
Speaker 1:If you got the part, you want them to be more open-minded for their focus to be on dementia, where all the subtypes can be addressed, not even the. I see what you're, but you want them to be more open-minded, for their focus to be on dementia, where all the subtypes can be addressed.
Speaker 2:That's what you're saying, but not even that.
Speaker 1:I'm still talking about Parkinson's disease.
Speaker 2:But what I'm saying is that when you're doing research specifically on Parkinson's disease, there's an angle you can take. It's like in journalism you can see a scene, an accident, you can choose whatever angle you want to report on that accident. Right, it's the same thing. When we're doing research, the lead research on Parkinson's disease focuses on alpha-synuclein, focuses on Lewis bodies. They focus on that. Only the Parkinson Foundation, for instance, they give money specifically for this kind of research, specifically for that.
Speaker 1:However, I can say, because my work at this level is not only, it's not on Alpha Sinuclein- it's like when you walk in a place and they have the money for desks or office supplies only, but people who are dying cannot have water, but because the money is there for office supplies, they will not use it.
Speaker 2:That's the thing. I want them to be more open-minded. Look, I appreciate the work they are doing. The work they are doing is priceless. The Parkinson's Foundation their work is priceless. They are helping a lot of people with Parkinson's disease. They are helping research to move forward. This work is priceless. I really acknowledge that. However, I wish and I'm not even wish I suggest that they are more open-minded. So when they are talking about research, we cannot see only one angle. We do not want to see one tree in the forest. Let's see all the trees in the forest. That's how research should be.
Speaker 1:And those are what leads to those Nobel Prizes.
Speaker 2:I remember Gunther Blobel from Rockefeller. He was my former boss, a mentor actually. He had this kind of vision. You do not do research in the now-minded. You have to open your mind when you're doing research.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:And that's how you get the normal price.
Speaker 1:You cannot do research in the now-minded Exactly because that way you will get to more, better results.
Speaker 2:And there are the areas you will be addressed and focused on in many times, unexpected results is what can lead to the better price and I will not be surprised one of the paper. I published it. What it came from?
Speaker 1:an unexpected result yeah, because while you're searching for things, let's say, for example, dr Joseph. So let's say, for example, dr Joseph, so let's just pretend, like you remember back home, like you know, when our parents were, you know, ready to cook whatever rice, beans or what, they'll put the beans or the rice in a tray and ask you to look for little things you know that is not, you know that is not rice for little things.
Speaker 1:You know that is not rice, so it's like you may find little rocks. You may find little things, so of course they give you the tray to look for little rocks. But at the same time, while you're cooking for little rocks, you saw other things. You saw other things and those other things you should pay attention to them to take them out, because you're not going to cook the rice with those little things.
Speaker 2:That is correct. So that's a good analogy and I really want it to be like that because I always told my students that's actually the very first chapter I teach my biology students, which is the scientific method. We have this process, which is as all as research actually, when research started, actually, that's anyone who is a researcher with following the same process, the same method you see something, you ask questions. When you ask questions, you formulate a hypothesis, you try to give an explanation to it. After trying to give the explanation, you will design an experiment so that you can try to get proof for what you said. You will draw conclusions, but the conclusion that I will be drawing is crow. It came from the experiments. I cannot change that conclusion. I can change my hypothesis, but I cannot change the conclusions no, it's not feasible.
Speaker 2:That's right. You need to follow the lead where it brings you. It may not bring me to when you wanted. Yeah, which is my hypothesis. It can bring me to a totally different way, but I need to open my mind to say no, my hypothesis was that I must get this result. No, you cannot get that's experiment, that's research.
Speaker 1:I always say and even if the result that you found, you know will not serve you and that may serve somebody else, let it be Because, at the end of the day, you're not working for you, you're not working for you. That's my point. You're working for the greater community.
Speaker 2:You're not in the greater community exactly that's what it is you know that's why I say people must be open-minded. I love this forum. Now. I enjoy your world because your world gives you space to speak to the world like this, and that's great. Definitely I enjoy your world because, as scientists look, we have platforms to educate people. I'm not a politician, I'm a scientist. We need to give space for science to evolve. We need to give space to the scientists so that they can speak about how the world is.
Speaker 1:That's why I said earlier stay on your lane. Yeah, we have to stay on our lane.
Speaker 2:Let the politicians deal with the country the way they are managing the country. So let's try to find cure to help people with diseases how they can cure their disease.
Speaker 1:And things are really, really, things are not good. And it seemed like, you know, when you look at the way things are going, you're like, oh, you feel like, hey, society is sinking declining.
Speaker 2:Things are is declining, I don't know. But you know what I still hope the the best is still yet to come.
Speaker 1:I'll say amen to that. But that is not the end of our show. So my other question, if it is not the last which one is more when I say which one? So you know Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which one is more easier to live with?
Speaker 2:Which one is easier to live with. It depends.
Speaker 1:It's the lifestyle you remember when, because I remember last time you said you know, with alzheimer you basically lost.
Speaker 2:Yeah you know, you know it's a memory.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a memory you don't lose your memory it's a behavior, it's movement.
Speaker 2:It's movement but also it's deals with behavior. And dealing with behavior means like we tend to call Parkinson as the movement disease. And we just saw it's not only movement. There are no movement there. We have non-movement symptoms that can be as difficult as the movement and actually, if I can get back to it, when we get the non-movement symptoms, usually they precede the movement symptoms, so you see them even being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Speaker 2:This kind of anxiety. You start those feelings, you start having them even before you get diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and you start having them even before you get diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Now, with Alzheimer's you get to a point where you don't remember anything, you're totally under somebody else's care. But with Parkinson's, because it also has movement with it. So if it has to deal with movement, sometimes you cannot carry yourself. You need someone to help you to stand up, to get up. You need someone to be always by your sides. You got your postural that you cannot keep your posture. And it's not even you, it's involuntarily because you start bending yourself. It's involuntarily.
Speaker 2:So I would say your lifestyle, your attitude towards the disease is what will help you to survive it. You may not remembering anything, but that doesn't make you useless. You can still stay in the house. You're still there. You are not dead. You don't remember, but you're still performing something. You can forget where you put your pen, but that doesn't mean you cannot move in the house. It's the same thing for Parkinson's disease. You may not be able to fully walk on your own, but you can have some help. It's your attitude towards it, your behavior towards towards it, that can trigger how long you can live with the disease or not.
Speaker 1:That's how it is okay, so that's so well. Put anything else before we wrap up?
Speaker 2:anything else, I would just say thank you, uh to you, dr epoli, for inviting me on the stage again. I truly appreciate it and it's always a pleasure whenever I have to come here to your wall to talk to the people in the world, and I'm glad to do that. Thank you to everybody, thank you to those behind the camera, thank you to you and, I hope, specifically to the listeners, your audience. They can learn something about what we talked today.
Speaker 1:I hope so too, man. Thank you so much. It's always a pleasure having you and I cannot wait to be on Podium Dation.
Speaker 2:I will invite you, too, on my show. It's going to be soon, it will. I will invite you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for coming. You look good.
Speaker 2:You look fantastic.
Speaker 1:The family is taking good care of you yeah, my wife always did a good job okay, thank you very much, wifey, we salute you thank you.
Speaker 2:You look great, but as well, dr.
Speaker 1:I knew you were coming, so I had to do something oh my goodness, oh gosh, okay, all Okay. All that said it was with you, dr Beatrice Ippolite, with your walk.