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 ...
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Do stay home! It’s much safer.
DP, James, and Vlad just got home from the Boy Scouts’ overnight Christmas party. Pat wasn’t able to go because he came down with a digestive crud yesterday. He seemed to be improving by late evening: when I went to bed, he was sitting with his computer, sipping club soda and nibbling dry toast.
I usually fix cinnamon toast or Mexican cocoa when I have an upset stomach. I know people who say mint or ginger, but I’ll stick with cinnamon.
I want to get my hair cut again before January, but even by Great Clips’ pricing, it will have to wait. I also need to get bedding and pillows for the sofa, and hope, when I order them, that they get here before my daughter does. I’ve already been price-checking so I just need to make sure I set aside the money on payday. Plus the haircut... *sigh*
Diet 7-up is my go-to, but the other boys drank it all.
Poor Pat has emerged. He says he hasn’t thrown up in 12 hours. I found some “chai” with cinnamon and ginger, and I’m making a cup for him, with sugar.
I hope he feels better soon, poor kid.
All this talk of things to drink makes me want to go have a cup of raspberry cocoa. Lin’s carries it but only from November to January, so I have to stock up on the stuff. Just like ice cream, its something I can consume all year long. ;o]
My right knee is killing me, and I think it’s because the brace has lost its elasticity. It was the first one I got, and it’s not holding the knee laterally.
Sorry about your knee! My mother said hers is improving.
I’m glad to hear that your mother’s knee is improving. The aging process can be a bear, for sure.
Especially if you do stuff like walking outside, in the dark, by yourself.
I’ve learned that’s a bad idea. At least take your phone with you.
Whenever I go outside in the dark, I take my phone and a flashlight with me. Mostly because its very, very dark here. No skyglow and no real security lights. I’m not interested in the concept of “faw down, go boom.”
When I fall down, I have to do an inventory before I pick myself up again.
Haha! I thought I was the only one who did that! Great minds, Bob!
Thank you for ethereal (polydactyl?) kitteh.
*tagline*
I looked at all the pictures of this kitten, and I don’t think he has extra toes.
I know.
I miss the funny or weird things he’d find.
He has two cats that are very confused and looking for him.
Jinx is being a little beast about it.
Frost kitteh has thumbs.
I yield to the higher authority on all matters eldritch, which certainly describes the ice-gray kitteh.
Are you hanging on, Darks?
The cats will have a hard time for a while, but they’re self-absorbed at heart: they’ll find a new Prime Servant.
Trying.
We’re all kinda having it rough.
I know, catz will decide on a new prime servant.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.