Massachusetts General Hospital Neurologist can Literally Feel His Patients' Pain

Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital can literally feel the emotional and physical sensations of his patients.

Mirror-touch synesthesia is a condition which causes individuals to experience the same sensation (such as touch) that another person feels. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital has mirror-touch synesthesia, a neurological trait that affects two out of 100 people.

Joel can literally feel the emotional and physical sensations of his patients. "Someone is doing compressions and as this is going on, I'm feeling the compressions on my chest as if it were happening on my body. As he died, I felt this kind of hollow slipping sensation and after that I ran to the bathroom and threw up," Salinas was quoted as saying by CNN.

Renowned Neurologist Devises Four �Brain Hacks� to Fight Stress
The four simple steps devised by a top neurologist, professor Ian Robertson helps trick the brain to fight stress and turning it to one's advantage.

‘Joel Salinas, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital can literally feel the emotional and physical sensations of his patients.’

"It's essentially a glitch in my brain's wiring where I feel physically on my body what I see other people feeling. For example, if you are gasping for air, I feel like I'm gasping for air. If you're having a panic attack, I feel like I'm having a panic attack," he said. The first case of mirror-touch synesthesia was reported in 2005. While growing up, Salinas always sensed that he was a little different and could feel the emotional and physical sensations of others as a kid. "I remember watching cartoons as a kid. I'd watch Wile E. Coyote, and if he got hit by a truck, I got hit by a truck," he said.

"Even in high school, I saw a lot of fights, and that was tough." It wasn't until his first year of medical school that he learned about synesthesia. Later, he was tested for mirror-touch and confirmed he had it. "He is very much in tune with how you're feeling and how those feelings change over time. When I was in his office for the first time, he said, 'How are you?' and I said, 'I'm OK, but I'm anxious.' His response was, 'I know,' " Bob McGrath, Salinas' patients recalled.

Salinas said he uses mindfulness to stay focused, especially around patients who are suffering from their own injuries and disorders. He has also written about his experiences in a new book, "Mirror Touch: Notes From a Doctor Who Can Feel Your Pain."

Veteran Neurologist Oliver Sacks Reveals He Has Terminal Liver Cancer
Veteran Neurologist Oliver Sacks has disclosed his diagnosis in an op-ed in the New York Times titled My Own Life.

Source-ANI

Shortage of Vascular Neurologists in US
US is experiencing an increased shortage of neurologists who specialize in stroke care, especially in the rural areas.

Many Neurologists Unaware of Safety Risks Related to Anti-epilepsy Drugs: Study
A fifth of U.S. neurologists appear unaware of serious drug safety risks associated with various anti-epilepsy drugs finds a study by John Hopkins researchers.