Posts

May 20, 2013

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12:36 AM | NIMH’s Thomas Insel on a New Understanding of the Brain

NIMH Director Thomas Insel on working toward a new understanding of the brain.

May 18, 2013

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1:23 PM | Homeostatic platsicity in a thorny situation

Synapses, the connections between neurons can strengthen and weaken depending on the specific activity at that synapse. This is called synaptic plasticity, and we've talked about it a lot on this blog (here, here, here and here).the strengthening and weakening of synaptic connections corresponds to the spine growing or shrinking (Matsuzaki 2007)However, there is another kind of plasticity that can occur at synapses. This is called homeostatic plasticity. And instead of the synapse strengthening […]

Lee KJ, Queenan BN, Rozeboom AM, Bellmore R, Lim ST, Vicini S & Pak DT (2013). Mossy fiber-CA3 synapses mediate homeostatic plasticity in mature hippocampal neurons., Neuron, 77 (1) 99-114. PMID: 23312519

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May 17, 2013

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3:36 PM | Bach To The Blues: Are Brains Wired To Make Color-music Connections?

Do you see music the same way as your neighbor? Apparently so. U.C. Berkeley psychologists say people in both the United States and Mexico linked the same pieces of classical orchestral music with the same colors, suggesting that humans share a common emotional palette – when it comes to music and color – that appears to be intuitive and can cross cultural barriers. They suggest that our brains are wired to make music-color connections depending on how the melodies make us […]

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5:36 AM | Targeted psychiatric medications

Buffer Interesting lecture on the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders and their treatment. Modern psychiatric drugs treat the chemistry of the whole brain, but neurobiologist David Anderson believes in a more nuanced view of how the brain functions. He illuminates new research that could lead to targeted psychiatric medications — that work better and avoid side [...] No related posts.

May 16, 2013

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11:00 PM | Point of Inquiry | Jared Diamond: How Immigration and Diversity...

Point of Inquiry | Jared Diamond: How Immigration and Diversity Can Help Your Brain Are there cognitive benefits of diversity? Being bi- or multilingual can affect the brain in important ways, says Jared Diamond. This is an excerpt from a special episode of Point of Inquiry hosted by Chris Mooney and Indre Viskontas and featuring guest Jared Diamond, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel. Diamond is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles and […]

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8:42 PM | Is the resting BOLD signal physiological noise? What about resting EEG?

Over the past 5 years, resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) has exploded in popularity. Literally dozens of papers are published each day examining slow (< .1 hz) or “low frequency” fluctuations in the BOLD signal. When I first moved to Europe I was caught up in the somewhat North American frenzy of resting state networks. I couldn’t […]

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5:07 PM | Receta para hacer un encéfalo transparente

El paso 10 de abril aparecía publicado en Nature un método que “hacía transparentes” los encéfalos, llamado CLARITY y que, por su espectacularidad, ocupó periódicos y noticiarios televisivos. Pasado un tiempo razonable, creo que puede resultar interesante para alguno saber cuál es el fundamento de la técnica, que es un prodigio de química aplicada. Permítaseme ir directamente al grano. Para una introducción general este artículo es tan bueno como cualquier otro […]

Chung K., Wallace J., Kim S.Y., Kalyanasundaram S., Andalman A.S., Davidson T.J., Mirzabekov J.J., Zalocusky K.A., Mattis J. & Denisin A.K. & (2013). Structural and molecular interrogation of intact biological systems, Nature, 497 (7449) 332-337. DOI: 10.1038/nature12107

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1:00 PM | The Psychological Science of Storytelling

It hit me about two years ago, sometime after I started this blog. Somewhere between the comedy shows and alarming amount of documentaries I began watching, and the seemingly endless number of people I have met in the last few … Continue reading →

Lacey S, Stilla R & Sathian K (2012). Metaphorically feeling: comprehending textural metaphors activates somatosensory cortex., Brain and language, 120 (3) 416-21. PMID: 22305051

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1:00 PM | The Psychological Science of Storytelling

It hit me about two years ago, sometime after I started this blog. Somewhere between the comedy shows and alarming amount of documentaries I began watching, and the seemingly endless number of people I have met in the last few … Continue reading →

Lacey S, Stilla R & Sathian K (2012). Metaphorically feeling: comprehending textural metaphors activates somatosensory cortex., Brain and language, 120 (3) 416-21. PMID: 22305051

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11:34 AM | The effectiveness of placebo treatment for pain is related to personality traits

Medical researchers have long known that placebo treatments can produce real effects, such as pain relief. Personality traits are also known to influence a person’s response to treatments for certain conditions. A recent studyhas found that personality traits appear to influence how strongly a person responds to a placebo treatment for pain. Personality traits associated with self-control and the regulation of anger in particular were associated with greater pain relief. This raises the […]

Peciña M, Azhar H, Love TM, Lu T, Fredrickson BL, Stohler CS & Zubieta JK (2013). Personality trait predictors of placebo analgesia and neurobiological correlates., Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 38 (4) 639-46. PMID: 23187726

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2:01 AM | Ladies: why Ritalin may not always be helpful. (Hint: sex, genes and dem hormones)

Little note: Since this post, I’ve been mulling over why Ritalin/Adderall doesn’t affect cognitive performance of healthy volunteers. Several reasons come to mind. I wasn’t reading the “right” literature (ie studies with positive results – any suggestions?). Stimulants may only influence brain activation patterns, but not performance. In this case, we can only detect differences […]

Jacobs E & D'Esposito M (2011). Estrogen shapes dopamine-dependent cognitive processes: implications for women's health., The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31 (14) 5286-93. PMID: 21471363

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2:01 AM | Ladies: why Ritalin may not always be helpful. (Hint: sex, genes and dem hormones)

Little note: Since this post, I’ve been mulling over why Ritalin/Adderall doesn’t affect cognitive performance of healthy volunteers. Several reasons come to mind. I wasn’t reading the “right” literature (ie studies with positive results – any suggestions?). Stimulants may only influence brain activation patterns, but not performance. In this case, we can only detect differences […]

Jacobs E & D'Esposito M (2011). Estrogen shapes dopamine-dependent cognitive processes: implications for women's health., The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31 (14) 5286-93. PMID: 21471363

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May 15, 2013

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6:22 PM | What RDoC Research Might Look Like

The month of May is a violent thingIn the city their hearts start to singWell, some people sing, it sounds like they're screamingI used to doubt it, but now I believe itMonth Of May ------The Arcade FireToday is Mental Health Month Blog Day, sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA). It's designed to:...educate the public about mental health, decrease stigma about mental illness, and discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that […]

Vaidyanathan, U., Nelson, L. & Patrick, C. (2011). Clarifying domains of internalizing psychopathology using neurophysiology, Psychological Medicine, 42 (03) 447-459. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711001528

Dichter, G., Damiano, C. & Allen, J. (2012). Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings, Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 4 (1) 19. DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-4-19

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6:22 PM | What RDoC Research Might Look Like

The month of May is a violent thingIn the city their hearts start to singWell, some people sing, it sounds like they're screamingI used to doubt it, but now I believe itMonth Of May ------The Arcade FireToday is Mental Health Month Blog Day, sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA). It's designed to:...educate the public about mental health, decrease stigma about mental illness, and discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that […]

Vaidyanathan, U., Nelson, L. & Patrick, C. (2011). Clarifying domains of internalizing psychopathology using neurophysiology, Psychological Medicine, 42 (03) 447-459. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711001528

Dichter, G., Damiano, C. & Allen, J. (2012). Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings, Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 4 (1) 19. DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-4-19

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6:22 PM | What RDoC Research Might Look Like

The month of May is a violent thingIn the city their hearts start to singWell, some people sing, it sounds like they're screamingI used to doubt it, but now I believe itMonth Of May ------The Arcade FireToday is Mental Health Month Blog Day, sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA). It's designed to:...educate the public about mental health, decrease stigma about mental illness, and discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that […]

Vaidyanathan, U., Nelson, L. & Patrick, C. (2011). Clarifying domains of internalizing psychopathology using neurophysiology, Psychological Medicine, 42 (03) 447-459. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711001528

Dichter, G., Damiano, C. & Allen, J. (2012). Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings, Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 4 (1) 19. DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-4-19

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5:12 PM | You are what you eat – wait, no, you eat what you are. Wait, that’s not it…

The public will never tire of the nature versus nurture debate but here’s a hint: the answer in biology is always both. But if you’ve ever known any twins, you know they can have quite different personalities which, you would think, are attributable to differences in nurture of one sort or another. To understand this better, some scientists […]

Freund, J., Brandmaier, A., Lewejohann, L., Kirste, I., Kritzler, M., Kruger, A., Sachser, N., Lindenberger, U. & Kempermann, G. (2013). Emergence of Individuality in Genetically Identical Mice, Science, 340 (6133) 756-759. DOI: 10.1126/science.1235294

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8:00 AM | What can neuroscience teach education?

Do we really only use 10 per cent of our brain at any one time? And do we use one half of our brain more than the other? The answers are no and no, but that doesn’t seem to stop these claims circulating. The Wellcome Trust’s new education and neuroscience project seeks to banish these […]

May 14, 2013

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5:40 AM | My Case Against Einfühlung First, I’m with...

My Case Against Einfühlung First, I’m with thoughtfulcynic. I’m not a fan of dichotomy when speaking about emotions/behaviors that pepper an entire spectrum. I suppose we can talk about social reluctance to do this another time, but investigating empathy, like other spectrumocities, (n. the state of being on a spectrum. K, I’m making up words, but I think I’ve earned that..I …I just think I’ve earned that.) …LIKE other spectrumocities, our understanding of it may suffer if […]

May 13, 2013

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2:00 PM | 3 Ways To Improve Your Memory We’ve all had difficulty...

3 Ways To Improve Your Memory We’ve all had difficulty remembering things. Trace looks at three things you’d never guess may actually help improve your memory. via DNews Channel.

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1:43 PM | Bingeing and Purging: Keeping the “Positives” and Eliminating The Negatives?

I have been fascinated and perplexed by reports of the seemingly invigorating and anxiety reducing effects of bingeing and purging (purging by self-induced vomiting). Personally, I cringe at the idea of self-induced vomiting and have always wanted to avoid vomiting at all costs, including during food poisoning. The insight from recent blog entries and the subsequent comments has made an impact on me. I see that the motivation to engage in bingeing/purging (b/p-ing) behavior can […]

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12:00 AM | The Inadvertent Psychological Experiment

Escape from Camp 14 is deeply disturbing, and I highly recommend it. Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine HardenEscape from Camp 14 is a chilling tale of Shin Dong-hyuk's escape from a North Korean prison camp. What is so interesting about Shin Dong-hyuk's story as written by Blaine Harden is that he was born inside this North Korean prison camp. Apparently they allow breeding between prisoners as a reward for 'good behavior.'Escape from Camp 14 reveals the obscene violations of human rights that […]

Lee YM, Shin OJ & Lim MH (2012). The psychological problems of north korean adolescent refugees living in South Korea., Psychiatry investigation, 9 (3) 217-22. PMID: 22993519

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May 12, 2013

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10:25 PM | Update on the Great BRAINI Debates

The NSF, DARPA and the NIH sponsored a meeting last week that brought together scientists to brainstorm ideas for the new BRAIN Initiative (a proposal I’ve explored many times, starting here, and most recently, here). Organizers seem to have begun to reassure critics that they are developing more inclusive planning procedures and that the funding mechanisms […]

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5:00 PM | The optimism bias - Tali Sharot Are we born to be optimistic,...

The optimism bias - Tali Sharot Are we born to be optimistic, rather than realistic? Tali Sharot shares new research that suggests our brains are wired to look on the bright side — and how that can be both dangerous and beneficial. via TED Education.

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4:50 AM | Your Unconscious Calls The Shots

A review of Leonard Mlodinow's 'subliminal' focusing on how our unconscious mind rules our behaviors.read more

May 11, 2013

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10:00 PM | A Week in Science with RiAus- 10 May 2013 A Week in Science is...

A Week in Science with RiAus- 10 May 2013 A Week in Science is the science news brought to you by RiAus. This week: Brain Scans can identify psychopaths even in childhood Climate change killed off megafauna No, really- Don’t shop when you’re hungry DNA reveals that most Europeans are closely related Eco-friendly way for iron ore unveiled Brain’s laughter response studied Nurture, not nature, determines your personality You can follow A Week in Science throughout the week on Twitter, […]

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9:00 PM | It’s Okay to be Smart - Why Music Moves Us via...

It’s Okay to be Smart - Why Music Moves Us via jtotheizzoe: Why does music make us feel happy or sad? Or angry or romantic? How can simple sound waves cause so much emotion? First things first, this is the best t-shirt I’ve worn in any episode. I went from my comfy chair to the streets of Austin to investigate whether it might be written into neural evolution. Modern neuroscience says our brains may be wired to pick certain emotions out of music because they remind us of how people […]

May 10, 2013

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11:05 PM | What makes me, me? The cellular correlates of individuality

Somewhere in Germany, a group of 40 genetically identical females are being constantly watched. Implanted with radio-frequency identification transponders (RFID) since 4 weeks old, they are allowed to roam free in a rich, 5-storey mansion, with 20 antennas monitoring and recording their whereabouts. 3 months later their brains will be examined for traces of emerging […]

Freund, J., Brandmaier, A., Lewejohann, L., Kirste, I., Kritzler, M., Kruger, A., Sachser, N., Lindenberger, U. & Kempermann, G. (2013). Emergence of Individuality in Genetically Identical Mice, Science, 340 (6133) 756-759. DOI: 10.1126/science.1235294

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2:00 PM | Scientists Measure Fear Of Missing Out Feeling like you’re...

Scientists Measure Fear Of Missing Out Feeling like you’re missing out on something, like everyone else is doing something cooler than you, is a very real thing. It’s called FOMO, and now there’s a test to measure just how bad you may have it. via DNews Channel.

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6:41 AM | Mitochondrial Disease – A Neurological Perspective

Defects of mitochondrial function have been identified in several neurodegenerative diseases. These include abnormalities induced by mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) those caused by mutation of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins, and in some cases, exposure to mitochondrial toxins.MtDNA mutation are associated with a variety of progressive encephalomyopathies inn which there is evidence of neurodegeneration. These include Kearns-Sayre syndrome myopathy, encephalopathy, […]

McFarland R, Taylor RW & Turnbull DM (2010). A neurological perspective on mitochondrial disease., Lancet neurology, 9 (8) 829-40. PMID: 20650404

Venna N (2004). Mitochondrial neurological diseases: a clinician's perspective., Neurology India, 52 (3) 305-6. PMID: 15472416

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6:41 AM | Mitochondrial Disease – A Neurological Perspective

Defects of mitochondrial function have been identified in several neurodegenerative diseases. These include abnormalities induced by mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) those caused by mutation of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins, and in some cases, exposure to mitochondrial toxins.MtDNA mutation are associated with a variety of progressive encephalomyopathies inn which there is evidence of neurodegeneration. These include Kearns-Sayre syndrome myopathy, encephalopathy, […]

McFarland R, Taylor RW & Turnbull DM (2010). A neurological perspective on mitochondrial disease., Lancet neurology, 9 (8) 829-40. PMID: 20650404

Venna N (2004). Mitochondrial neurological diseases: a clinician's perspective., Neurology India, 52 (3) 305-6. PMID: 15472416

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