The Earl & Doris Bakken Heart-Brain Institute (BHBI)

Earl Bakken was a pioneer in the recognition of the mind body connection and since the 1960’s, his passion was to start an in-depth study of these interactions. This dream was fulfilled with the creation in 2004 of the Earl & Doris Bakken Heart-Brain Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

There is mounting scientific evidence that the patients’ psychological response to acute medical events like a heart attack greatly determines how they do long-term. Thus, understanding the relationship between mood disorders like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and heart disease is critical. Beyond these examples there is a large literature, often discounted by modern science, that suggests that integrative lifestyle approaches improve patients’ wellbeing. The least controversial and best supported of these approaches is exercise. However, other approaches—including yoga, biofeedback, and mind-body stress-relieving techniques—have their supporters, and are being studied to further determine their clinical benefit and what might be the mechanism responsible for such benefit.

The mission of the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute was to advance the study of this heart brain connection in order to lead to a better understanding of many other chronic diseases and the development of novel therapies, which would ultimately improve patient care and outcomes. The Earl and Doris Bakken Heart-Brain Institute at Cleveland Clinic was dedicated to promoting research and education related to heart-brain interactions, to discovering new treatments and cures for cardiovascular and nervous system disorders that build upon these interactions, and to offering a range of healing solutions that treat the patient as a whole. After 7 years of operations, the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute at Cleveland Clinic was discontinued in 2011.