The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger
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Episode 50: Show Notes
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s another scourge raging in the U.S: loneliness. About 17% of Americans reported feeling lonely “a lot of the day yesterday,” when polled by Gallup earlier this year, and a staggering 41% of single people said they did.
Doctors at PNI discover loneliness in their patients, often for specific causes that can be treated. Dr. Courtney Voelker, director of PNI’s Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, sees patients with hearing so compromised that they can’t follow conversations with loved ones.
Dr. Amit Kochhar, director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at PNI, has patients who are unwilling to socialize because their facial paralysis prevents them from smiling or expressing other emotions. And Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan, Director of Psycho-Oncology at the Pacific Brain Health Center, works with patients struggling with depression from a cancer diagnosis. Each of them has tools to help. Dr. Voelker restores hearing with cochlear implants.
Dr. Kochhar repairs facial nerves to restore facial function. Dr. Gowrinathan offers cognitive therapy, writing groups, and even horse therapy. Horses have some of the highest emotional intelligence in the animal world, and cancer patients often find relief from just being around them.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about how PNI doctors are fighting the loneliness epidemic.
About Dr. Gowrinathan
Shanthi Gowrinathan, MD, is an accomplished inpatient and outpatient psychiatrist, specializing in both Women’s Psychiatry and Psycho-oncology (Cancer Psychiatry) who works collaboratively in the care of her patients. Dr. Gowrinathan integrates her recommendations with the patient’s medical teams to ensure a whole person, interdisciplinary and cohesive treatment approach. Gifted with the strong ability to empathetically connect with her patients quickly, Dr. Gowrinathan is proficient at diagnosing and treating psychiatric disease in the context of complex medical issues such as cancer diagnosis.
About Dr. Voelker
Courtney Voelker, MD, PhD (DPhil Oxon), is a Rhodes Scholar and board certified neurotologist. She is Director of Otology/Neurotology-Lateral Skull Base Surgery; and Director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She is an otolaryngology – head & neck surgeon who takes care of adult and pediatric patients seeing a wide range of inner ear and skull base conditions. A Super Doctor Rising Star award recipient, she is committed to offering top quality, compassionate care to all her patients.
About Dr. Kochhar
Dr. Amit Kochhar, MD, is double board-certified in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is the director of the Facial Nerve Disorders Program at Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.
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