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 came downstairs this morning about 6:30 and found the back door standing open. It was 25 degrees outside. Either DP and the boys left it open all night, or Sally opened it when she came home from work.
On the upside, it caused the furnace to turn on and warm up the upstairs rooms for a change.
I’m relieved to hear you’re feeling better! I was worried. I’ve had enough sadness this month.
Crikey. My niece in Winnipeg doesn’t get to see sunrise until almost 0900! And I found out it’s $1.15 for a letter to go to Canada, but since I’ll only be writing once a week, I think it’s OK. I’m still in the dark about the Walmart card, though. I shop too early to get Customer Service peeps who are knowledgeable.
Email the corporate office?
Yep, we have some 25° cold here, too.
One of the wisemen on the large Nativity broke the hand bearing a gift, and the coaster for one of my Christmas cups broke, so I have to get the glue out and get busy.
I still need to find the “Brick-em” Nativity. Maybe, if I get out my Christmas dishes, it might be in the container under them. (I have no idea why I’ve waited so long to do this...)
I DID find my yarn wreath, so that’s a good thing! I just have to hang it. ;o]
Where will you mail the library?
That’s speeded up, but it kinda felt like it was happening that way.
I thought of email. If I can recall the address.... I’ll hunt for it. I know its around somewhere.
Oh, Crikey!! That was horrendously discouraging! GAH!!
Not to Okinawa.
*I had to fix my tagline...*
Tag line repair - cheap.
I’ll probably tweak it again!
I went out to run some errands and found that someone had tried to appropriate my new windshield protector. So now, I’ll drive into my parking space to cut down on the visual temptation. Vegas made me paranoid, but this little episode increases the paranoia.
So now, I’m going back out to put it on again. I hate people.
Darn, that’s super obnoxious. What is wrong with people? Also, write your name on the back with a Sharpie in really large letters, so that if it turns up on someone else’s windshield, you can prove it’s yours.
They would have to break the windows to get the cover out because there are “weighted wings” that go between the door and the cab, so the wings can’t be pulled out and the thing stolen.
Now, the question is, if I set the alarm on the truck, will I even hear it? My bedroom is on the back side of the building, so I think I’ll wait for Rocky to come and get her packages, then tell her the problem. She usually parks out front, but if I can move the BB SUV to her spot, chances are good that I can set the alarm and hear it. At least I can listen in my sleep, like a good mom!
Over here you could just write MAGA on it.
Of course, someone might break your windshield.
Anyway, you should always drive into your parking space, because backing in is just wrong.
I seem to remember something about a serpent.
Oh, that makes sense. I thought she was walking in.
Yeah, but trying to take someone’s windshield cover? That seems like someone’s stealing Tom’s old flip-flops off my doorstep, just because they can.
It’s easier to unload the groceries if I back in, since they are in the cargo area. It’s a two space parking area, bordered on three sides by sidewalk, and there is a security light about a foot beyond the sidewalk. If I back in to the curb, I always let it roll forward a bit so the back end isn’t over the sidewalk. Though I think no one uses the sidewalk but me.
The only Dumpster on the property is to my right as I pull in to the space, and most people just walk behind my car (or in front of it) to dump their trash.
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