Spotlight Replay: Episode 50. Loneliness, a Panel Discussion: Drs. Shanthi Gowrinathan, Amit Kochhar and Courtney Voelker

Survey after survey is telling us that Americans are increasingly feeling lonely. It’s a trend that’s been growing for years and, while it was exacerbated during the pandemic when we were instructed to socially isolate, it continues even as society has reopened. In this Spotlight Replay, we revisit a panel discussion in which three doctors at Pacific Neuroscience Institute tell how they help people deal with different causes of loneliness. Doctors at PNI discover loneliness in their patients, often for specific causes that can be treated. Dr. Courtney Voelker sees patients with hearing so compromised that they can’t follow conversations with loved ones. Dr. Amit Kochhar has patients who are unwilling to socialize because their facial paralysis prevents them from expressing emotions. And Dr. Shanthi Gowrinathan works with patients struggling with depression from a cancer diagnosis. Each doctor has tools to help ease the social impact of these neurological diseases. Let’s listen in!