Tauhere UC Connect: Hard to swallow – retraining the brain
It’s something we often take for granted – the ability to drink a glass of water or enjoy a meal with friends or family. Consider those notable life events – birthdays with decadent cakes, champagne celebrations and indulgent holiday feasts. But what if you couldn’t swallow? What if illness or injury took away these simple, and suddenly not so simple, pleasures?
In her free livestreamed public talk, Hard to swallow – retraining the brain, UC expert Distinguished Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee will explore the seemingly simple task of swallowing.
“Swallowing requires the precise orchestration of 32 paired muscles, controlled by seven nerves and multiple brain regions – all in about 800 milliseconds,” Distinguished Professor Huckabee says.
“But how can you change a what most people would consider a reflex? We used to think you couldn’t however, our recent research is proving quite the opposite.”
On Wednesday 3 August at 7pm, in her Tauhere UC Connect public lecture, Hard to swallow – retraining the brain, Distinguished Professor Huckabee will take you on the remarkable journey of this seemingly simple task, from infant swallowing to adult; and then from impairment to recovery.
She will explore the remarkable capacity of the brain to modify this most complex of motor behaviours and will explore new UC-developed rehabilitation approaches, retraining the brain in how to swallow.