Neuroscience Education and Understanding Cognitive Disorders
Where Every Brain Has a Story
Neuroscience Education and Understanding Cognitive Disorders
Where Every Brain Has a Story
Our Services
Expert Neuro Cognitive Education
What We Do
At Between Neurons, we believe that understanding the brain is essential for comprehending the complexities of people, especially those affected by cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, Brain Vascular Disease and others.
We aim to make neuroscience accessible and practical while providing meaningful insights into these conditions. Our efforts support families, professionals, educators, and communities in better understanding cognitive disorders and the individuals living with them.
Our mission is to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and everyday life through evidence-based neuro cognitive education and educational consulting services. We aspire to offer practical resources and foster impactful conversations that empower people to provide informed and compassionate support.
About Between Neurons - Daniela Russo
Meet Daniela Russo
Hi, I'm Daniela Russo
I'm a gerontologist, neuro educator, dementia consultant, speaker, and the founder of Between Neurons.
For over 30 years, I've been fascinated by one question: Why do humans behave the way they do? That curiosity led me into neuroscience and shaped the way I teach today.
I believe every brain is unique. Whether someone is living with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, another cognitive disorder, or simply ageing, behaviour is never random—it's communication. When we understand the brain, we stop judging people and start understanding them.
My work combines neuroscience, gerontology, psychology, Montessori principles, and practical strategies that professionals, families, and organisations can use immediately. I love turning complex science into stories, simple language, and memorable moments that make people say, "Now it finally makes sense."
My mission is to make neuroscience accessible, challenge outdated ideas about dementia, and help build a more brain-informed world—one conversation at a time.
Welcome to Between Neurons. I'm glad you're here.
Videos
Now Available: Dementia Care Training
I'm excited to share the release of my latest Dementia Care Training.
This training is designed to help aged care professionals, support workers, leaders and anyone supporting people living with dementia better understand the brain behind behaviour. Combining neuroscience, gerontology and practical strategies, the course moves beyond task-focused care to provide approaches that can be applied immediately in everyday practice.
Whether you're new to dementia care or looking to deepen your knowledge, this training will challenge traditional thinking and inspire a more human, brain-informed approach.
Watch now and start transforming the way you see dementia care.
▶️ https://training.eccq.com.au/course/introduction-to-dementia-and-culturally-responsive-care/
Dementia Is Not a Disease. It Is a Clinical Condition.
One of the biggest misconceptions in brain health is calling dementia a disease. It isn't.
Dementia is a clinical syndrome (or condition)—a collection of symptoms caused by diseases or injuries that damage the brain. Memory loss is only one possible symptom. Changes in language, vision, behaviour, movement, judgement, personality and problem-solving can all occur depending on which brain networks are affected.
The brain is not one organ doing one job. It is a city made of different neighbourhoods.
🧠 Frontal lobe – planning, judgement, personality, emotional regulation and behaviour.
👂 Temporal lobe – memory, language and hearing.
✋ Parietal lobe – spatial awareness, body awareness and attention.
👁️ Occipital lobe – vision and visual processing.
⚖️ Cerebellum – coordination, balance and fine movement.
❤️ Brainstem – breathing, sleep, heart rate and essential life functions.
This is why different diseases create different experiences.
• Alzheimer's disease often begins by affecting memory networks in the temporal lobe and hippocampus.
• Frontotemporal degeneration primarily affects the frontal and temporal lobes, leading to changes in personality, behaviour or language.
• Vascular cognitive impairment depends on where blood vessels have been damaged, producing highly variable symptoms.
• Dementia with Lewy bodies commonly affects attention, visual processing, sleep and movement because several brain systems become involved.
• Posterior cortical atrophy mainly affects the back of the brain, making vision and spatial awareness more difficult despite healthy eyes.
• Parkinson's disease primarily affects dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. While it begins as a movement disorder, many people later develop cognitive changes if the disease spreads to wider brain networks.
Different diseases.
Different brain regions.
Different symptoms.
The word "dementia" simply describes the impact those diseases have on thinking and daily life—it does not tell us which disease a person has.
The more we understand brain biology, the more precise our language becomes.
And when our language becomes more precise, our care becomes more compassionate.
Understand the brain. Change the story.
- World Health Organization. Dementia (Fact Sheet).
- National Institute on Aging. What Is Dementia? Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis.
- Alzheimer's Association. 2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures.
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Diagnostic criteria for Major and Mild Neurocognitive Disorders.
- Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. Neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive syndromes.
Explore our Educational Neuroscience Gallery
