Imagine loving a musical instrument, but one day, after years of practice, you wake up with a twitch. You can't play it anymore -- not like you used to. There is something involuntary in your body, causing you to flinch a bit, tense up, not be able to play. This is known as "focal dystonia," and it can end careers.
URMC Ph.D. candidate Molly Jaynes is researching a therapy, a kind of cure. This hour, we talk to Jaynes about what might cause the condition and we explore the value of music in our own development.
Jaynes will give a presentation as part of the Rochester Museum and Science Center's "Science on the Edge" lecture series. The lecture, "Playing an Instrument Changes Your Brain," is scheduled for Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
- Molly Jaynes, Ph.D. candidate in translational biomedical science, University of Rochester Medical Center
- Daniel Menelly, chief program officer for science & technology, Rochester Museum & Science Center
- Jonathan Mink, MD, Ph.D., Frederick A. Horner Endowed Professorship in Pediatric Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center
