Posted on 10/14/2019 10:45:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin
In the 1950s, researchers stumbled upon a new class of drugs that provided relief for those suffering from schizophrenia. These drugs were known as antipsychotics and, as the name suggests, they reduced symptoms like hallucinations and delusions — primarily by reducing the levels of dopamine in the brain. This led clinicians and scientists to argue that dopamine was linked to the experiences of psychotic symptoms, and a concerted research effort ensued, seeking to solve the puzzle of why excess dopamine might produce hallucinations.
Although it was later shown that increasing dopamine could produce hallucinations, establishing a consistent link between them, it has not been clear why.
They achieved this by taking advantage of a simple fact: Your brain is lazy. It makes shortcuts to understand the deluge of information that bombards it daily. If you’re presented with consistent information, consistently, your brain adjust its expectations of reality in turn. This is the basis of Bayesian theories of how we perceive the world – that is, the brain makes inferences about the world around us based on statistics and probabilities on what is likely to occur.
[I]ncreasing dopamine made it more difficult for participants to adjust their perception — an effect comparable to how the hallucinators had struggled. Moreover, the extent to which participants struggled was strongly associated with the severity of hallucinations — but not with any diagnosis of schizophrenia. In other words, the difficulty appeared to be associated with a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Using brain imaging, the researchers also showed that an increased capacity for dopamine release, from a part of the brain known as the striatum (an area involved in schizophrenia), was associated with the severity of hallucinations. Together, these experiments showed that excess dopamine was associated with difficulty in accurately predicting reality.
(Excerpt) Read more at inverse.com ...
The Floof is ready to start the day with massive amounts of energy!
Good morning.
It has taken forever, but I’ve lost 12 pounds since moving here!! I’ve needed to do it for several years, but I just couldn’t seem to find the discipline.
How are you this morning?
Good morning. I slept in until after 6:00. Jake was feeling needy.
We have a big church event tonight and a big Envirothon event tomorrow. Also, today is DP’s birthday.
Happy Birthday, DP!!!
I thought I would sleep in, but I fell asleep at 1600 and slept almost straight through until 0210. I think I woke up three times, but went back to sleep.
It was an amazing feeling to come out into the living room and find it clean (I did get the rug vacuumed!) and that there was a sofa in here!! I had to sit on it to make sure it was what I wanted. Yep!! Comfy and nice looking!
Yesterday (or maybe Tuesday) I began watching a new series called “Shetland.” Very good in the British who-dunnit style that leaves you breathless by the time the surprise killer is caught. Of course, its one of those programs that you really need subtitles on, if you expect to understand the story line.
I’ll have to look for it on our streaming services, if I ever get a chance to sit down. I like atmospheric British shows where everyone talks really funny.
This is atmospheric, for sure! The Shetlands are notorious for foul weather, and in four episodes, I haven’t seen the sun...
But oh, the beauty of the place!! Makes me want to go there.
And once you’ve been there, you could try the Faroes.
I have a book from Dover containing Samuel Johnson’s (the famous Dr. Johnson of the dictionary) “Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland” and James Boswell’s “Journal of the Tour to the Hebrides.” They went there in 1773.
Anoreth wants to go to the Faroes.
My Favorite Daughter went to high school with an exchange student from the Faeroes. I guess it was a good thing.
I always thought if I had a place of my own, with more than one sleeping closet, I’d like to have an exchange student, but that idea took a long time to die.
I found a stain in the Christmas vest I want to wear Sunday, and I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out how to remove it without ruining the beadwork and embroidery.
Can you put a pin over it?
No, it’s right next to the buttonhole, and a total of 2” long. I have some spot/stain remover on it and will check it again before I try to wash it out. We’ll see....
Thank you.
Is it still morning? Yes! Good morning!
Happy Friday Eve!
Happy Friday Eve!
Happy Friday Eve to you, as well!
Well I washed it, and I won’t know how much, if any, of the stain I was able to remove, but when it dries, I may try some Wite-Out on it. I mean, what have I got to lose? If that doesn’t work, maybe I’ll try some white nail polish....
Nobody ever sends a poet on a diplomatic mission.
.
Turning Pages
The scholar turns the pages on Napoleon's excesses,
And Hitler didn't do much better with his plans,
His nature does not yield much to these militant expresses,
And well he knows the folly that is Man's.
The best of wisdom says that one should leave this man alone,
For he has distilled wisdom from the ages.
The things that shall be written he has gleaned from what's been sown,
And he has no reluctance turning pages.
NicknamedBob . . . . . . . . . . . 3/24/2005
I hope it goes well.
Nobody ever sends a poet on a diplomatic mission...
But they should, ya know? I mean, diplomats should be empathetic as well as diplomatic.
They should be able to say "When I look at you, time stands still," and make it sound romantically poetic. Instead, they say, "You've got a face that would stop a clock!" and the whole thing loses its pizzazz.
*tagline*
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