10 Things an Electromagnetic Field Can Do To Your Brain link
By Esther Inglis-Arkell
October 21, 2011
10. Shred its DNA
9. Stimulate its growth
8. Train you off of food and water
7. Make you spin in circles
6. Pacify you completely
5. Alter your morality
4. Take out your power of speech but leave your ability to sing
3. Induce pain, disorientation, and deep fear
2. Cause seizures, comas, and death
1. Make you see ghosts
To learn more of the studies done for each of these visit the link.
October 22, 2011
Action Potentials
This is a really great video that explains how neurons pass along messages through their axons using action potentials. The animation helps to visualize and understand it a lot better than I could probably do in words on here. Enjoy!
October 21, 2011
Brians Lacking Connections Function Normally
Brains Lacking Connections Function Normally link
October 20, 2011
People born without the corpus callosum (the main bundle of nerves connections the two hemispheres of the brain) are diagnosed with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC). Its been found that those with AgCC have remarkably normal communications across the gap of the two halves of the brain.
The resting state network in fMRIs look essentially the same in those with normal brains and those with AgCC.
Those with AgCC are missing approximately 20 million connections that are normally there.
AAbout one third of people with AgCC have autism. These findings of re-networking the brain may give them insights on the brains of autistic people.
You may have heard of the studies done in the 1960s by Roger Sperry called the Split-Brain experiments. Essentially what happened was that the patients were experiencing some pretty brutal seizures and the only way to try and stop them was to sever the corpus callosum. Upon doing so they came across a lot of unexpected results. Through many experiments with these patients they found out that the two hemispheres were no longer able to communicate with one another and thus gave birth to the whole idea that each hemisphere has its main objectives (like right hemisphere is more artsy while the left is more analytical and logical). They also found that the left hemisphere tends to make up answers to questions when it does not know the direct answer and instead of admitting as much makes up a logical explanation. you can find more at this link. I just found the correlation really fascinating because up until now you always hear about the differences and what would happen if the corpus callosum was ever severed...but who knew the brain was SO plastic that if born without one it would be able to manage just fine?! It would be interesting to see at what age if ever the corpus callosum would have to be removed/severed that the individual could hope to one day function properly again. A new study for a different day I suppose, but it sure is fascinating!
October 20, 2011
The fMRI on the left is a normal healthy brain.
The scan on the right is the one with AgCC
and as you can see both scans look practically identical.
People born without the corpus callosum (the main bundle of nerves connections the two hemispheres of the brain) are diagnosed with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC). Its been found that those with AgCC have remarkably normal communications across the gap of the two halves of the brain.
The resting state network in fMRIs look essentially the same in those with normal brains and those with AgCC.
Those with AgCC are missing approximately 20 million connections that are normally there.
AAbout one third of people with AgCC have autism. These findings of re-networking the brain may give them insights on the brains of autistic people.
You may have heard of the studies done in the 1960s by Roger Sperry called the Split-Brain experiments. Essentially what happened was that the patients were experiencing some pretty brutal seizures and the only way to try and stop them was to sever the corpus callosum. Upon doing so they came across a lot of unexpected results. Through many experiments with these patients they found out that the two hemispheres were no longer able to communicate with one another and thus gave birth to the whole idea that each hemisphere has its main objectives (like right hemisphere is more artsy while the left is more analytical and logical). They also found that the left hemisphere tends to make up answers to questions when it does not know the direct answer and instead of admitting as much makes up a logical explanation. you can find more at this link. I just found the correlation really fascinating because up until now you always hear about the differences and what would happen if the corpus callosum was ever severed...but who knew the brain was SO plastic that if born without one it would be able to manage just fine?! It would be interesting to see at what age if ever the corpus callosum would have to be removed/severed that the individual could hope to one day function properly again. A new study for a different day I suppose, but it sure is fascinating!
October 20, 2011
Bodies Exhibit
This was a body in the Bodies exhibit that was touring the US for quite some time (actually Im pretty sure it still is). I had the luxury of being able to see the first exhibit in Chicago several years ago. Truly incredible, if it is ever showing in your area I highly recommend seeing it, it really is quite the experience. The ability to observe human bodies in such detail is something no one should ever miss, it really just blows you away at how truly intricate we all are.
October 17, 2011
Quantum Minds: Why We Think Like Quarks
Quantum Minds: Why We Think Like Quarks link
By Mark Buchanan
September 5, 2011
Quantum mathematics can now be applied to more than just quantum theory but also seemingly the mind, decision making, language, search engines, etc.
Quantum mathematics can apparently be applied to language. For instance you would think that if a thing, X, is also a Y, then a "tall X" would also be a "tall Y" - a tall oak is a tall tree. But thats not always the case. A Chihuahua is a dog but a tall Chihuahua is not a tall dog; "tall" changes meaning by virtue of the word next to it. The structure of human conceptual knowledge is quantum-like because context plays a fundamental role.
Computer scientists realized that the mathematics they had been building into search engines was essentially the same as that of quantum theory.
Peter Bruza suggests the reason is to do with our finite brain being overwhelmed by the complexity of the environment yet having to take action long before it can calculate its way to the certainty demanded by classical logic. Quantum logic may be more suitable to making descisions that work well enough, even if theyre not logically faultless.
Some psychologists argue that strict classical logic only plays a small part in the human mind. Peter Gardenfors argues that much of our thinking operates on a largely unconscious level, where thoughts follows a less restrictive logic and forms loose associations between concepts.
By Mark Buchanan
September 5, 2011
Quantum mathematics can now be applied to more than just quantum theory but also seemingly the mind, decision making, language, search engines, etc.
Quantum mathematics can apparently be applied to language. For instance you would think that if a thing, X, is also a Y, then a "tall X" would also be a "tall Y" - a tall oak is a tall tree. But thats not always the case. A Chihuahua is a dog but a tall Chihuahua is not a tall dog; "tall" changes meaning by virtue of the word next to it. The structure of human conceptual knowledge is quantum-like because context plays a fundamental role.
Computer scientists realized that the mathematics they had been building into search engines was essentially the same as that of quantum theory.
Peter Bruza suggests the reason is to do with our finite brain being overwhelmed by the complexity of the environment yet having to take action long before it can calculate its way to the certainty demanded by classical logic. Quantum logic may be more suitable to making descisions that work well enough, even if theyre not logically faultless.
Some psychologists argue that strict classical logic only plays a small part in the human mind. Peter Gardenfors argues that much of our thinking operates on a largely unconscious level, where thoughts follows a less restrictive logic and forms loose associations between concepts.
October 16, 2011
Without Language Numbers Make No Sense
Without Language Numbers Make No Sense link
By Bob Holmes
February 7, 2011
The study studied Nicaragua people who created their own sign language but that had no vocabulary for numbers. These "homesigners" were tested by summarising picture stories in which numbers played an important role. Spanish speaking Nicarguans who weren;'t deaf and deaf people who used American Sign Language performed these tests flawlessly. But homesigners were only accurate at counting numbers up to three or four. For example holding out 9 fingers to represent 10.
They can approximate but have no way of getting to the precise number.
The researchers are still not sure which component of language is crucial to developing an accuarte number sense.
By Bob Holmes
February 7, 2011
The study studied Nicaragua people who created their own sign language but that had no vocabulary for numbers. These "homesigners" were tested by summarising picture stories in which numbers played an important role. Spanish speaking Nicarguans who weren;'t deaf and deaf people who used American Sign Language performed these tests flawlessly. But homesigners were only accurate at counting numbers up to three or four. For example holding out 9 fingers to represent 10.
They can approximate but have no way of getting to the precise number.
The researchers are still not sure which component of language is crucial to developing an accuarte number sense.
Brain 'Rejects Negative Thoughts'
Brain 'Rejects Negative Thoughts' link
By James Gallagher
October 9, 2011
80% of people are optimists even if they dont label themselves as such.
When people hear positive news, all people have more activity in the brain's frontal lobes, which are associated with processing errors. With negative news, the most optimistic people had the least activity in the frontal loves, and the least optimistic had the most.
Optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and a lower death rate, but they also underestimate risks.
By James Gallagher
October 9, 2011
80% of people are optimists even if they dont label themselves as such.
When people hear positive news, all people have more activity in the brain's frontal lobes, which are associated with processing errors. With negative news, the most optimistic people had the least activity in the frontal loves, and the least optimistic had the most.
Optimistic people have a lower risk of heart disease and a lower death rate, but they also underestimate risks.
October 15, 2011
Rhythmic Secrets of the Brain
UCLA Researchers Discover Rhythmic Secrets of the Brain link
By Randolph Jonsson
October 9, 2011
We learn when stimuli are repeated frequently enough that our synapses respond and become stronger. It's been discovered that this change in synaptic strength has an optimal "rhythm" or frequency.
The more distant the synapse is from the neuron's body, the higher the frequency is required for optimal strengthening.
Synapses also strengthen best when frequencies are exactly timed in perfect rhythm. Take away the beat and even with the ideal frequency synaptic strengethening is appreciably compromised.
They also discovered that a synapses optimal frequency changes once it learns.
"Our findings suggest that we can use these tools to deliver the optimal brain rhythm to targeted connections to enhance learning" said Mayank Mehta. Their work will be most beneficial to those with learning disabilities.
By Randolph Jonsson
October 9, 2011
We learn when stimuli are repeated frequently enough that our synapses respond and become stronger. It's been discovered that this change in synaptic strength has an optimal "rhythm" or frequency.
The more distant the synapse is from the neuron's body, the higher the frequency is required for optimal strengthening.
Synapses also strengthen best when frequencies are exactly timed in perfect rhythm. Take away the beat and even with the ideal frequency synaptic strengethening is appreciably compromised.
They also discovered that a synapses optimal frequency changes once it learns.
"Our findings suggest that we can use these tools to deliver the optimal brain rhythm to targeted connections to enhance learning" said Mayank Mehta. Their work will be most beneficial to those with learning disabilities.
October 13, 2011
October 11, 2011
Growing A Brain In A Dish
Growing A Brain In A Dish link
By Jeffrey Toney
May 25, 2011
That doughnut shape decorated with bright green spots, some connected by red pathways, amidst sky blue neighbors could be an artist's creation, but is the result of a creative scientific attempt to grow an active brain in a dish, complete with memories. Really.
The team at University of Pittsburg stamped adhesive proteins onto silicon discs. Once the proteins were cultured and dried, cultured hippocampus cells from embryonic rats were fused to the proteins and then given time to grow and connect to form a natural network. The researchers disabled the cells' inhibitory response and then excited the neurons with an electrical pulse.
Primary rat hippocampal cultures were capable of forming ring-shaped networks containing 40-60 neurons.
This is rather incredible, to be able to grow neurons from scratch? The implications this could have for diseases is quite profound!
By Jeffrey Toney
May 25, 2011
That doughnut shape decorated with bright green spots, some connected by red pathways, amidst sky blue neighbors could be an artist's creation, but is the result of a creative scientific attempt to grow an active brain in a dish, complete with memories. Really.
The team at University of Pittsburg stamped adhesive proteins onto silicon discs. Once the proteins were cultured and dried, cultured hippocampus cells from embryonic rats were fused to the proteins and then given time to grow and connect to form a natural network. The researchers disabled the cells' inhibitory response and then excited the neurons with an electrical pulse.
Primary rat hippocampal cultures were capable of forming ring-shaped networks containing 40-60 neurons.
This is rather incredible, to be able to grow neurons from scratch? The implications this could have for diseases is quite profound!
October 7, 2011
Rat Neurons
link
This website, nikonsmallworld.com, is definitely worth checking out if you ever have the time. It is a photography contest held every year for everything super teeny tiny. There are some really spectacular shots in there. Also it is a touring exhibit! They are going to be in Indianapolis next starting Oct 14th. I have no doubt I'll be posting more pictures from here from time to time but just had to have a little blurb on the site itself. Enjoy!
This website, nikonsmallworld.com, is definitely worth checking out if you ever have the time. It is a photography contest held every year for everything super teeny tiny. There are some really spectacular shots in there. Also it is a touring exhibit! They are going to be in Indianapolis next starting Oct 14th. I have no doubt I'll be posting more pictures from here from time to time but just had to have a little blurb on the site itself. Enjoy!
October 6, 2011
Brain Surgery Using Sound Waves
Brain Surgery Using Sound Waves link
By Emily Singer
July 21, 2009
Doctors in Switzerland performed successful surgeries on 9 patients using only sound waves. Seriously. A new ultrasound device, used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allows neurosurgeons to precisely burn out small pieces of malfunctioning brain tissue without cutting the skin or opening the skull. An experimental version of this ultrasound device is currently being tested in five medical centers around the globe. In addition to using it with Parkinson's patients and those who suffer other movement disorders, scientists plan to test the technology as a treatment for brain tumors, epilepsy, and stroke. The nine patients in the Swiss study suffered from chronic pain that couldn't be treated with medications; the ultrasound surgery successfully destroyed a small area of their thalamus, bringing relief from the pain without other, significant side effects. They hope to start testing the machine on Parkinson's patients, in an effort to bring them relief from some of the the physical side effects of that disease. But not every functional neurosurgeon will accept this new approach, because you cannot do a test before the lesion is made. Scientists are developing ways to use high-intensity focused ultrasound to modulated brain activity in a localized area, which would enable functional testing of the target area before it is destroyed.
Oh what the implications this has! A non-invasive way to do brain surgery, absolutely incredible. And oh you could use this technology for all sorts of surgeries! This is absolutely remarkable, I hope to hear more about these advances soon.
By Emily Singer
July 21, 2009
Doctors in Switzerland performed successful surgeries on 9 patients using only sound waves. Seriously. A new ultrasound device, used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allows neurosurgeons to precisely burn out small pieces of malfunctioning brain tissue without cutting the skin or opening the skull. An experimental version of this ultrasound device is currently being tested in five medical centers around the globe. In addition to using it with Parkinson's patients and those who suffer other movement disorders, scientists plan to test the technology as a treatment for brain tumors, epilepsy, and stroke. The nine patients in the Swiss study suffered from chronic pain that couldn't be treated with medications; the ultrasound surgery successfully destroyed a small area of their thalamus, bringing relief from the pain without other, significant side effects. They hope to start testing the machine on Parkinson's patients, in an effort to bring them relief from some of the the physical side effects of that disease. But not every functional neurosurgeon will accept this new approach, because you cannot do a test before the lesion is made. Scientists are developing ways to use high-intensity focused ultrasound to modulated brain activity in a localized area, which would enable functional testing of the target area before it is destroyed.
Oh what the implications this has! A non-invasive way to do brain surgery, absolutely incredible. And oh you could use this technology for all sorts of surgeries! This is absolutely remarkable, I hope to hear more about these advances soon.
This Thimble-Sized Microscope Could Revolutionize Neuroscience
This Thimble-Sized Microscope Could Revolutionize Neuroscience link
By Robert Gonzalez
September 14, 2011
Once upon a time catching a glimpse of a mouse's brain used to be a ton of work considering how energetic they are. They either had to be held down in place or be trained to walk on a moving platform (not really sure how that helps scientists see into their brains, but hey if it works then it works). But now using this mini microscope (which weighs less than 2 grams) allows scientists to constantly observe mice brains all day long and they are small and light enough that they really dont inhibit the mice in any fashion and they act totally normal, even if it is a funny looking hat.
By Robert Gonzalez
September 14, 2011
Once upon a time catching a glimpse of a mouse's brain used to be a ton of work considering how energetic they are. They either had to be held down in place or be trained to walk on a moving platform (not really sure how that helps scientists see into their brains, but hey if it works then it works). But now using this mini microscope (which weighs less than 2 grams) allows scientists to constantly observe mice brains all day long and they are small and light enough that they really dont inhibit the mice in any fashion and they act totally normal, even if it is a funny looking hat.
Monkeys Can Feel Virtual Objects Using A Brain Implant
Monkeys Can Feel Virtual Objects Using A Brain Implant link
By Robert Gonzalez
October 5, 2011
An international team of neuroengineers have developed a brain-machine interface that's bi-directional (meaning that not only are there signals going from the brain to the body part [like fingertips] but there are also signals going from the fingertips back to the brain) which is something they were having a problem with figuring out how to do up until now. So with this particular brain implant the monkeys were literally able to "feel" the texture of virtual objects because it is signaling to those specific neurons that that is whats going on. This technology is a huge breakthrough and will first and foremost make a difference in quadriplegics lives, let alone what we will do to further advance this technology to other areas of our lives.
By Robert Gonzalez
October 5, 2011
An international team of neuroengineers have developed a brain-machine interface that's bi-directional (meaning that not only are there signals going from the brain to the body part [like fingertips] but there are also signals going from the fingertips back to the brain) which is something they were having a problem with figuring out how to do up until now. So with this particular brain implant the monkeys were literally able to "feel" the texture of virtual objects because it is signaling to those specific neurons that that is whats going on. This technology is a huge breakthrough and will first and foremost make a difference in quadriplegics lives, let alone what we will do to further advance this technology to other areas of our lives.
Standing in Awe
This is how I currently feel. Like there's nothing else in the world, it's just me standing in front of a brain trying to figure it out.
October 5, 2011
HIV Disrupts the Blood-Brain Barrier
HIV Disrupts the Blood-Brain Barrier link
April 15, 2011
40 to 60% of patients with HIV suffer from HIV-related dementia, but why? The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a network of blood vessels with special properties (tight junctions) that keep harmful substances and pathogens out of the central nervous system (CNS). According to the June issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, HIV weakens this barrier by infecting a group of small cells crucial for the maintenance of the BBB: Astrocytes. Considering the important role of the BBB in maintaining CNS homeostasis the findings published in this study may be an important step towards a more complete understanding of HIV-related cognitive impairments.
Interesting! And I just finished reading an article on the important roles of different glial cells today, including astrocytes! This is really quite a finding about HIV, and it looks like we continue to get closer and closer to finding a cure. But of course the first step is understanding how it works before figuring out how to stop it.
April 15, 2011
40 to 60% of patients with HIV suffer from HIV-related dementia, but why? The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a network of blood vessels with special properties (tight junctions) that keep harmful substances and pathogens out of the central nervous system (CNS). According to the June issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, HIV weakens this barrier by infecting a group of small cells crucial for the maintenance of the BBB: Astrocytes. Considering the important role of the BBB in maintaining CNS homeostasis the findings published in this study may be an important step towards a more complete understanding of HIV-related cognitive impairments.
Interesting! And I just finished reading an article on the important roles of different glial cells today, including astrocytes! This is really quite a finding about HIV, and it looks like we continue to get closer and closer to finding a cure. But of course the first step is understanding how it works before figuring out how to stop it.
The Brain's Silent Majority
The Brain's Silent Majority: How the Other 90 Percent of Your Brain Works link
By Bruce Goldman
"Fall" 2009
What a great read! The article's focus is on glial cells (latin for glue) and our long overdue understanding of what their functions are. It's funny because the main focus of pretty much any neuroscientist out there is on the neurons, which of course ARE very important and talented, but thanks to scientist Ben Barres we also now know a lot more about what the majority of the cells in our brain do.
There are three types of glial cells; astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Each one having their own individual job functions in the brain.
Astrocytes, making up a cool 50% of cells in the human brain, are the least understood glial cell of the three, but also apparently has the most interesting job skills. First and foremost it appears they have a lot to do with where and when synapses form (an experiment was done where neurons were in a lab all by themselves, and they seemed finally and even functioned fine by sending along electrical signals. But when they took a closer look they noticed the synapses were few and far between and even then they didnt function as well as they normally do. After adding astrocytes there was an immediate improvement, where a lot more synapses were formed and their messages conveyed a lot faster!) Astrocytes also take care of housekeeping functions such as feeding the neurons (supplying nutrients, energy-rich molecules and neurotransmitter precursors) or mopping up after them (for example, speedily slurping up spent neurotransmitter molecules from the synapses so that the next signal will be a clean one). Astrocytes also secrete a protein called thrombospondin (trying saying that three times fast!) during brain development and when brain maturation is complete thrombospondin expression shuts down everywhere in the brain except the hippocampus (which you should know by now is the center where new memories are formed and where neurogensis still occurs). But, interestingly enough, when the brain is injured astrocytes turn back on thrombospondin expression. Barres asks: Could those astrocytes be playing a part in inducing and repairing synapses in the injured brain? They of course are not sure one way or another, but it sure looks that way doesnt it?
It is also worth noting thrombospondin is one of only two genes that are far more highly expressed in human brains than in those of other primates. The connection is currently unknown.
Oligodendocytes, which account for roughly 40% of the cells in the human brain, extrude a fatty product called myelin, which insulates neuronal surfaces and speeds signals along axons. Myelin is largely responsible for giving heavily myelinated regions of the brain (the "white matter") their lighter color.
Microglia, which make up to about 10% of the cells in a human brain, serve as an immune function in our brains, which are somewhat impervious to immune cells attempting entry from across the blood-brain barrier. Microglia are thought to migrate into the brain in early development, before the barrier is in place. I find this really interesting, I suppose I never thought of our brains to have a "barrier" to otherwise potentially helpful cells in the rest of our body. Its good to know it has its own security team.
So there you have it folks. The neurons may be celebrities, but they surely didnt get there all by themselves!
By Bruce Goldman
"Fall" 2009
What a great read! The article's focus is on glial cells (latin for glue) and our long overdue understanding of what their functions are. It's funny because the main focus of pretty much any neuroscientist out there is on the neurons, which of course ARE very important and talented, but thanks to scientist Ben Barres we also now know a lot more about what the majority of the cells in our brain do.
There are three types of glial cells; astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Each one having their own individual job functions in the brain.
Astrocytes, making up a cool 50% of cells in the human brain, are the least understood glial cell of the three, but also apparently has the most interesting job skills. First and foremost it appears they have a lot to do with where and when synapses form (an experiment was done where neurons were in a lab all by themselves, and they seemed finally and even functioned fine by sending along electrical signals. But when they took a closer look they noticed the synapses were few and far between and even then they didnt function as well as they normally do. After adding astrocytes there was an immediate improvement, where a lot more synapses were formed and their messages conveyed a lot faster!) Astrocytes also take care of housekeeping functions such as feeding the neurons (supplying nutrients, energy-rich molecules and neurotransmitter precursors) or mopping up after them (for example, speedily slurping up spent neurotransmitter molecules from the synapses so that the next signal will be a clean one). Astrocytes also secrete a protein called thrombospondin (trying saying that three times fast!) during brain development and when brain maturation is complete thrombospondin expression shuts down everywhere in the brain except the hippocampus (which you should know by now is the center where new memories are formed and where neurogensis still occurs). But, interestingly enough, when the brain is injured astrocytes turn back on thrombospondin expression. Barres asks: Could those astrocytes be playing a part in inducing and repairing synapses in the injured brain? They of course are not sure one way or another, but it sure looks that way doesnt it?
It is also worth noting thrombospondin is one of only two genes that are far more highly expressed in human brains than in those of other primates. The connection is currently unknown.
Oligodendocytes, which account for roughly 40% of the cells in the human brain, extrude a fatty product called myelin, which insulates neuronal surfaces and speeds signals along axons. Myelin is largely responsible for giving heavily myelinated regions of the brain (the "white matter") their lighter color.
Microglia, which make up to about 10% of the cells in a human brain, serve as an immune function in our brains, which are somewhat impervious to immune cells attempting entry from across the blood-brain barrier. Microglia are thought to migrate into the brain in early development, before the barrier is in place. I find this really interesting, I suppose I never thought of our brains to have a "barrier" to otherwise potentially helpful cells in the rest of our body. Its good to know it has its own security team.
So there you have it folks. The neurons may be celebrities, but they surely didnt get there all by themselves!
October 4, 2011
Online Articles
So I have this lovely little toolbar called Stumble Upon. It's a great time waster but every once in awhile you can really come upon something truly interesting. Here are some articles I have read online in the last couple of days and why I found them so interesting. You'll also be able to find the link to each article next to the titles in case you find it interesting enough to go read for yourself.
The Benefits of Meditation link
By Anne Trafton
May 5, 2011
This really seems to be a hot topic in neuroscience studies right now, a lot of books are coming out on it (most notably Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson, a book I intend on getting around to one of these days if my stack of books ever manages to shrink a little). Anyway this article took the tone of how people who meditate are able to achieve alpha rhythms and maintain them a lot more easily than people who don't meditate at all. Alpha waves help make you better at focusing in part by allowing you to better regulate how things that arise will impact you. Alpha waves flow through cells in the brains cortex where sensory information is processed. The alpha waves help suppress irrelevant or distracting sensory information. God the brain is cool. I really ought to start brushing up on my meditation if I'm ever going to get the 4.0 gpa I need to get into Emory.
Chinks in the Brain Circuitry Make Some More Vulnerable to Anxiety link
By Yasmin Anwar
February 9, 2011
This article is really interesting because the studies it refers to has found TWO different neural pathways that play a role in how we develop and overcome fears. The first pathway is an overactive amygdala, which is home to the brain's primal fight-or-flight reflex and plays a role in developing social phobias. The second involves activity in the ventral prefrontal cortex, which is a neural region that helps us to overcome our fears and worries. The study found that some participants were able to mobilize their ventral prefrontal cortex to reduce their fear responses even while negative events were taking place. Which is good news because there seems to be potential to train people who are not naturally good as doing so to be able to and thus help those who are chronically anxious or those living in dangerous or stressful situations. This is all great news because there have always been two ways of helping those with anxiety disorders, either by cognitive therapy or by drugs. And now scientists will be able to predict which treatment will be more effective depending on which of the two neural vulnerabilities the patient has.
New Neurons Help Us to Remember Fear link
By Robert Sanders
June 14, 2011
The discovery of neurogenesis (the process of creating new cells in the brain) in our hippocampus is surely old news by now. Although there is something we haven't been able to figure out yet; WHY does neurogenesis occur? Well a study recently done helps shed light on at least one reason, "The brain's emotional center, the amygdala, induces the hippocampus, a relay hub for memory, to generate new neurons...In a fearful situation, these newborn neurons get activated by the amygdala and may provide a 'blank state' on which the new fearful memory can be strongly imprinted." In Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson, the book I just finished, he talked for about a whole chapter on how its the amygdala that stores a second "rough" copy of fearful memories (generally called flashbulb memories) that collect a quick sketch of the situation and some contextual details surrounding the threat, and you may not be conscious of why but your amygdala will act up the next time you encounter a similar situation, even if its a non-threatening one (for example, the author talked about witnessing 9/11 and how ever since then he feels particularly anxious on days that have perfectly clear blue skies, even though its not a direct threat in any fashion that's his amygdala trying to tell him to be on the look out). So even though you're having a pleasant day and totally relaxed, your amygdala is still working and will sound the alarms if something similar to a previous threatening event happens. Its your own personal built in security team. And this article now explains that process a little bit more clearly on WHY we are able to, even though usually subconsciously, have such a clear memory response to similar events; because they are completely fresh neurons that have that memory imprinted on them for that exact purpose.
Near-Death Experiences Explained link
By Benjamin Radford
September 23, 2011
I've always found this sort of thing fascinating, we are delving into why some people have "spiritual" experiences that turn out to have nothing to do with spirituality at all. "Near-death experiences are the manifestation of normal brain function gone awry, during a traumatic, and sometimes harmless event...In the book Dying to Live by Susan Blackmore she notes that many near-death experienes (such as euphoria and the feeling of moving toward a tunnel of white light) are common symptoms of oxygen deprivation in the brain." I particularly liked the words of Caroline Watt, "A survey has shown that 82% of individuals who have survived being actually near death do not report a near-death experience. That would seem to undermine the idea that these experience give a glimpse into life after death." Well said, sister.
Lasers Spark Breakthrough in Neuron Regeneration link
By Yang-Yi Goh
September 26, 2011
I highly suggest reading this article yourself, I have half a mind of just copying and pasting it all here. Its actually a very short read but cram-packed full of information and thought-provoking ideas (my kind of article!). But here goes the best recap I can manage: Lasers are able to build up the complex microscopic scaffolding that is needed to deliver and support lab-grown replacement cells. These lasers give scientists a whole new level of control and flexibility because of how much smaller and more intricate it is than existing scaffolding. In the cases of disease like Alzheimers the scaffolds could be harnessed as vehicles that deliver cells to damaged locations along the peripheral nerves, spinal cord and brain, and incite neural regeneration. HOW COOL! Apparently tissue engineering is where its at! The article says that they still believe they are another decade off from having this sort of technology readily available for everyone but its definitely making a lot of progress. It really just blows my mind how far we are coming as a species. And the rate of technology is improving at an accelerated rate, before you know it we will just never die unless we decide we are just tired of being alive.
The Benefits of Meditation link
By Anne Trafton
May 5, 2011
This really seems to be a hot topic in neuroscience studies right now, a lot of books are coming out on it (most notably Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson, a book I intend on getting around to one of these days if my stack of books ever manages to shrink a little). Anyway this article took the tone of how people who meditate are able to achieve alpha rhythms and maintain them a lot more easily than people who don't meditate at all. Alpha waves help make you better at focusing in part by allowing you to better regulate how things that arise will impact you. Alpha waves flow through cells in the brains cortex where sensory information is processed. The alpha waves help suppress irrelevant or distracting sensory information. God the brain is cool. I really ought to start brushing up on my meditation if I'm ever going to get the 4.0 gpa I need to get into Emory.
Chinks in the Brain Circuitry Make Some More Vulnerable to Anxiety link
By Yasmin Anwar
February 9, 2011
This article is really interesting because the studies it refers to has found TWO different neural pathways that play a role in how we develop and overcome fears. The first pathway is an overactive amygdala, which is home to the brain's primal fight-or-flight reflex and plays a role in developing social phobias. The second involves activity in the ventral prefrontal cortex, which is a neural region that helps us to overcome our fears and worries. The study found that some participants were able to mobilize their ventral prefrontal cortex to reduce their fear responses even while negative events were taking place. Which is good news because there seems to be potential to train people who are not naturally good as doing so to be able to and thus help those who are chronically anxious or those living in dangerous or stressful situations. This is all great news because there have always been two ways of helping those with anxiety disorders, either by cognitive therapy or by drugs. And now scientists will be able to predict which treatment will be more effective depending on which of the two neural vulnerabilities the patient has.
New Neurons Help Us to Remember Fear link
By Robert Sanders
June 14, 2011
The discovery of neurogenesis (the process of creating new cells in the brain) in our hippocampus is surely old news by now. Although there is something we haven't been able to figure out yet; WHY does neurogenesis occur? Well a study recently done helps shed light on at least one reason, "The brain's emotional center, the amygdala, induces the hippocampus, a relay hub for memory, to generate new neurons...In a fearful situation, these newborn neurons get activated by the amygdala and may provide a 'blank state' on which the new fearful memory can be strongly imprinted." In Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson, the book I just finished, he talked for about a whole chapter on how its the amygdala that stores a second "rough" copy of fearful memories (generally called flashbulb memories) that collect a quick sketch of the situation and some contextual details surrounding the threat, and you may not be conscious of why but your amygdala will act up the next time you encounter a similar situation, even if its a non-threatening one (for example, the author talked about witnessing 9/11 and how ever since then he feels particularly anxious on days that have perfectly clear blue skies, even though its not a direct threat in any fashion that's his amygdala trying to tell him to be on the look out). So even though you're having a pleasant day and totally relaxed, your amygdala is still working and will sound the alarms if something similar to a previous threatening event happens. Its your own personal built in security team. And this article now explains that process a little bit more clearly on WHY we are able to, even though usually subconsciously, have such a clear memory response to similar events; because they are completely fresh neurons that have that memory imprinted on them for that exact purpose.
Near-Death Experiences Explained link
By Benjamin Radford
September 23, 2011
I've always found this sort of thing fascinating, we are delving into why some people have "spiritual" experiences that turn out to have nothing to do with spirituality at all. "Near-death experiences are the manifestation of normal brain function gone awry, during a traumatic, and sometimes harmless event...In the book Dying to Live by Susan Blackmore she notes that many near-death experienes (such as euphoria and the feeling of moving toward a tunnel of white light) are common symptoms of oxygen deprivation in the brain." I particularly liked the words of Caroline Watt, "A survey has shown that 82% of individuals who have survived being actually near death do not report a near-death experience. That would seem to undermine the idea that these experience give a glimpse into life after death." Well said, sister.
Lasers Spark Breakthrough in Neuron Regeneration link
By Yang-Yi Goh
September 26, 2011
I highly suggest reading this article yourself, I have half a mind of just copying and pasting it all here. Its actually a very short read but cram-packed full of information and thought-provoking ideas (my kind of article!). But here goes the best recap I can manage: Lasers are able to build up the complex microscopic scaffolding that is needed to deliver and support lab-grown replacement cells. These lasers give scientists a whole new level of control and flexibility because of how much smaller and more intricate it is than existing scaffolding. In the cases of disease like Alzheimers the scaffolds could be harnessed as vehicles that deliver cells to damaged locations along the peripheral nerves, spinal cord and brain, and incite neural regeneration. HOW COOL! Apparently tissue engineering is where its at! The article says that they still believe they are another decade off from having this sort of technology readily available for everyone but its definitely making a lot of progress. It really just blows my mind how far we are coming as a species. And the rate of technology is improving at an accelerated rate, before you know it we will just never die unless we decide we are just tired of being alive.
October 3, 2011
My Story
My current pursuit of studying neuroscience has lead me to an obvious path; college. I live in Atlanta, Georgia so after looking online for about five minutes I realized which school would be the best for me to go to: Emory University. If you dont know Emory by just me saying their name, believe me when I tell you they are one of the best Universities in the US with one of the best programs in an array of medical studies, including neuroscience. Now, a little background about me. I went to high school in Indiana, and was a fair student. I got by on about a 3.0-3.2 without really trying very hard. It's kind of silly but I never felt challenged, so I never felt the need to overexert myself with my academia. I then went to Indiana University for a year after which I dropped out because I didn't know what I was doing there and felt like I was wasting my money, time, and energy. And again, didn't really push myself since I didn't have a goal to look ahead to and ended my year with a 2.8 gpa. I moved to Atlanta and have been loving it ever since. Now, as you can imagine, Emory is very prestigious and hold their entering students to a high standard if you are to be accepted. I, of course, do not make the cut. So about two weeks ago I did a tour of Emory and sat in on a information seminar, and afterwards I talked with an admissions adviser and told him what my situation was and asked for guidance on how to go about getting accepted. I was not disappointed, the adviser was more than understanding of my situation and said he admired my current drive for following such a highly regarded and difficult program. He then went on to tell me about Georgia Perimeter College and said to go there and get my Associates. That will allow me the chance to get my gpa up to Emory's standards and also get all my prerequisites out of the way so once I transfer to Emory I will start as a junior and only have to take classes required for my neuroscience degree. Not only that but it'll save me 80-100 thousand dollars in the process (by not attending Emory for the first two years). Not a bad deal! So I just put in my application the other day for GPC and will hopefully start classes in January. And, fingers crossed, some of my credits will transfer from IU. And the best part is, I'm excited! I'm excited to get back to school and start delving into the world of neuroscience. Now I know I probably wont be able to start taking those classes til I get to Emory (in another year or two) but now that I have a goal in mind I feel more prepared than ever to exceed in my classes. I hope this gusto doesn't leave any time soon, it's very invigorating having this passion pushing me forward. It feels good. It feels like I have a purpose, a challenge that I am ready to rise to and accomplish. I'll talk more on how things are going once things start to progress.
October 2, 2011
Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson
Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life link
by Steven Johnson
May 3, 2005
Every time I read Mind Wide Open I remember why its been such a staple in my life for the last five years. Its personable with anecdotal stories of his experiences delving into his own mind. He's funny and you can just tell he writes how he talks making it that much easier to understand this complex topic and also be able to relate to it by going "Oh yeah I've experienced that before!". Now that I am on this neuroscience kick I figured it would be good to start with what I already have so I decided to reread Mind Wide Open and take notes on it. So here are some of my favorite excerpts.
-There are four current theories of consciousness:
1. Inanimate objects, like broccoli and teakettles, are conscious in some different way from us. That qualia (the brains representation of both the external world and the body's mental state - the "faceness" of a loved one, or the "emotioness" of the emotional feeling) is a property of matter itself, and the human brain is simply the most advanced qualia recording apparatus yet evolved.
2. Something unique exists in the configuration of cells that makes consciousness happen in brains and not broccoli.
3. A mystery substance not yet understood by science - quantum behavior perhaps, or some kind of spiritual life force - that turns a bunch of interconnected cells into a feeling brain.
4. One of the properties of consciousness is that it cant explain itself regardless of how far we come scientifically.
I find this extremely interesting, I suppose I have never considered consciousness before or where it comes from. This is definitely a topic I intend to delve into further, Johnson offers a couple of recommendations on books to look into if you're interested in this topic; The Feeling of What Happens by Damasio, Consciousness Explained by Dennett, The Race for Consciousness by Taylor, and The Emperors New Mind by Penrose.
-For language to evolve, humans needed a viable theory about the minds of other people - otherwise, they'd just be talking to themselves. What a great thought! It's funny, but oh so true. We really had to have realized that other people have the same emotions and feelings as we do to have found the need for language to communicate with one another.
-The bigger the society in which the individual lives, the bigger its neocortex is relative to the rest of the brain. To thrive in a complex society, you need a big brain and vice versa.
-When you track a projectile flying through the air, your brain intuitively calculates its point of origin by imagining its trajectory in reverse. Ha!
-Sue Carter studied prairie voles, who are well known for being monogamous for their whole lives (very uncommon, less than 5% of all mammalians are). When she injected oxytocin into their brains they formed even more tenacious bonds than usual. And when she injected a oxytocin blocker they instantly became polygamous and didn't form any pair bonds. Well now I know how monogamy happens... or doesn't. Us humans obviously dont have nearly enough oxytocin to keep us totally loyal and monogamous. I wonder once this information becomes more well-known if people will seek having more oxytocin put into their brains to become truly monogamous with their partner. Would that be romantic? The new true way of getting married?
-Speakers are 46% more likely to laugh than listeners and only 15% of the sentences that triggered laughter were humorous in any way. And you're 30 times more likely to laugh when you're with people than when you're alone.
-Laughter is an instinctive form of social bonding, the largest amount of human laughter occurs in childhood - rough&tumble play, chasing, etc. Its a way of pair bonding with parents and reinforces parenting through the "tougher" years. And thus we have childhood to thank for laughter. Thank you childhood!
-Sadness is marked by a decrease of activity in the prefrontal cortex, while happiness triggered an increase in such activity. Prefrontal cortical activity is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. One of the side effects of the way the brain creates the feeling of sadness is a reduction in the overall umber of thoughts that the mind produces. Isn't that interesting? Now is it sadness that causes us to decrease our prefrontal cortical activity or is it a decrease in prefrontal cortical activity that causes sadness? That is one thing that I suppose we will never truly know, but at least you know the next time you are feeling blue and not having many grand ideas that once the sadness passes you will regain your super awesome powers of having the best ideas ever.
-Only using ten percent of your brain is a sign of efficiency, not underachievement. Arguing that we'd be better off with one hundred percent is like raving how great Shakespeare would have been if he'd managed to use all 26 letters in each of his words, instead of a small fraction of the alphabet. I myself have heard someone saying the same thing before (how if only we used 100% of our brain...) and even then I thought they sounded ridiculous, but I couldn't place why or an argument to say otherwise. But I love how Johnson stated his argument, its a good metaphor. I'm pretty sure our brains would overheat and explode if we used 100 percent of it constantly.
Next up is Synaptic Self by Joseph LeDoux. I read a lot of articles online today and will make a post on those in the next day or two as well. I hope you are finding this all as fascinating as I am! Cheers!
by Steven Johnson
May 3, 2005
Every time I read Mind Wide Open I remember why its been such a staple in my life for the last five years. Its personable with anecdotal stories of his experiences delving into his own mind. He's funny and you can just tell he writes how he talks making it that much easier to understand this complex topic and also be able to relate to it by going "Oh yeah I've experienced that before!". Now that I am on this neuroscience kick I figured it would be good to start with what I already have so I decided to reread Mind Wide Open and take notes on it. So here are some of my favorite excerpts.
-There are four current theories of consciousness:
1. Inanimate objects, like broccoli and teakettles, are conscious in some different way from us. That qualia (the brains representation of both the external world and the body's mental state - the "faceness" of a loved one, or the "emotioness" of the emotional feeling) is a property of matter itself, and the human brain is simply the most advanced qualia recording apparatus yet evolved.
2. Something unique exists in the configuration of cells that makes consciousness happen in brains and not broccoli.
3. A mystery substance not yet understood by science - quantum behavior perhaps, or some kind of spiritual life force - that turns a bunch of interconnected cells into a feeling brain.
4. One of the properties of consciousness is that it cant explain itself regardless of how far we come scientifically.
I find this extremely interesting, I suppose I have never considered consciousness before or where it comes from. This is definitely a topic I intend to delve into further, Johnson offers a couple of recommendations on books to look into if you're interested in this topic; The Feeling of What Happens by Damasio, Consciousness Explained by Dennett, The Race for Consciousness by Taylor, and The Emperors New Mind by Penrose.
-For language to evolve, humans needed a viable theory about the minds of other people - otherwise, they'd just be talking to themselves. What a great thought! It's funny, but oh so true. We really had to have realized that other people have the same emotions and feelings as we do to have found the need for language to communicate with one another.
-The bigger the society in which the individual lives, the bigger its neocortex is relative to the rest of the brain. To thrive in a complex society, you need a big brain and vice versa.
-When you track a projectile flying through the air, your brain intuitively calculates its point of origin by imagining its trajectory in reverse. Ha!
-Sue Carter studied prairie voles, who are well known for being monogamous for their whole lives (very uncommon, less than 5% of all mammalians are). When she injected oxytocin into their brains they formed even more tenacious bonds than usual. And when she injected a oxytocin blocker they instantly became polygamous and didn't form any pair bonds. Well now I know how monogamy happens... or doesn't. Us humans obviously dont have nearly enough oxytocin to keep us totally loyal and monogamous. I wonder once this information becomes more well-known if people will seek having more oxytocin put into their brains to become truly monogamous with their partner. Would that be romantic? The new true way of getting married?
-Speakers are 46% more likely to laugh than listeners and only 15% of the sentences that triggered laughter were humorous in any way. And you're 30 times more likely to laugh when you're with people than when you're alone.
-Laughter is an instinctive form of social bonding, the largest amount of human laughter occurs in childhood - rough&tumble play, chasing, etc. Its a way of pair bonding with parents and reinforces parenting through the "tougher" years. And thus we have childhood to thank for laughter. Thank you childhood!
-Sadness is marked by a decrease of activity in the prefrontal cortex, while happiness triggered an increase in such activity. Prefrontal cortical activity is a strong predictor of idea generation and overall liveliness of thought. One of the side effects of the way the brain creates the feeling of sadness is a reduction in the overall umber of thoughts that the mind produces. Isn't that interesting? Now is it sadness that causes us to decrease our prefrontal cortical activity or is it a decrease in prefrontal cortical activity that causes sadness? That is one thing that I suppose we will never truly know, but at least you know the next time you are feeling blue and not having many grand ideas that once the sadness passes you will regain your super awesome powers of having the best ideas ever.
-Only using ten percent of your brain is a sign of efficiency, not underachievement. Arguing that we'd be better off with one hundred percent is like raving how great Shakespeare would have been if he'd managed to use all 26 letters in each of his words, instead of a small fraction of the alphabet. I myself have heard someone saying the same thing before (how if only we used 100% of our brain...) and even then I thought they sounded ridiculous, but I couldn't place why or an argument to say otherwise. But I love how Johnson stated his argument, its a good metaphor. I'm pretty sure our brains would overheat and explode if we used 100 percent of it constantly.
Next up is Synaptic Self by Joseph LeDoux. I read a lot of articles online today and will make a post on those in the next day or two as well. I hope you are finding this all as fascinating as I am! Cheers!
October 1, 2011
Experiencing What I'm Reading
Something really amusing happened last night. I am currently reading Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson again and I just finished the preface which mentioned a particular occurrence when you're in a mildly interesting/relaxing conversation with a friend and they happen to mention something that is particularly stressful to you (a deadline you had forgotten about or an ex that you hate) and suddenly your sympathetic nervous system kicks in and your heart beats a little faster and you might start to sweat a little and then your friend then says something interesting/funny that makes you completely forget what you were just stressing about. As the conversation continues on you are still feeling the anxiety from the previous stressor in your mind/body, but cant remember why you are feeling anxious and have to retrace the conversation back to whatever it was so you can place the feelings you are having to something rational. Well that happens because the verbal conversation part of your brain happens in a different area than the emotional evaluations (and is the area that releases chemicals in accordance with your emotions that are attached to your thoughts/conversation). Apparently there is a time lag between those two different areas, the former takes only milliseconds to take place and react whereas the emotional reactions to what is being said can take seconds to even minutes to take place. And even then the chemicals are released all throughout your body so it can take even longer for them to subside. I find all of this extremely fascinating and is precisely the reason why I want to study this in depth. So! All of that being said, we had two friends spend the night last night that are on their way back to Indiana and they were going to leave super early in the morning to get on the road. So in the middle of the night I wake up from a sound out in the living room, its all still dark and I turn over and realize my boyfriend is still in bed next to me and its NOT him that's already up (when it usually is). Oh my god. Someone is breaking into our house. So I tap him on the shoulder with adrenaline screaming throughout my body and I finally realize that we had friends stay the night and they are getting up and leaving. All of this happened within probably about five seconds from the moment I was startled awake but it took me probably about ten minutes before I could calm myself down enough to be able to fall back asleep. In those minutes I found it really amusing because this is precisely the kind of thing the book was talking about. Even though I KNEW that no one was in the house that shouldn't be there and everything was absolutely fine and dandy, I could still feel the adrenaline pumping in my veins, my heart beating rapidly, my sweat glands enacting, my mind as awake and sharp as if someone splashed me with cold water. I love science.
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