Brainpower Rules

This week there's another chance to hear the programme devoted to the brain first broadcast in February.

To give us an overview of what our brain can do, Professor Frank Sengpiel, director of Cardiff Neurosciences Centre, joins the programme with some fascinating insights.

Wales has some leading neuroscientists and presenter Adam Walton talks to Professor Julie Williams about the latest pioneering work at Cardiff University to understand what might cause Alzheimer's and other dementia related illnesses. Julie is Professor of Neuropsychological Genetics at Cardiff University and she led the team that last year made the biggest genetic discovery in Alzheimer's disease for more than a generation.

Adam also talks to Professor Linda Clare at Bangor University about a recent study involving cognitive rehabilitation for people with dementia. The University's School of Psychology has been conducting a three-year trial for the Alzheimer's Society and their recent results give a very positive endorsement of the therapy.

We understand so much more about the way our brain functions thanks to the application of new technology and brain imaging and Clare MacKay, a senior research fellow at Oxford University, joins the programme to talk about her work in this field. She explains that neuroimaging is an exciting and rapidly evolving science with lots of possiblities.