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 ...
:-D
Of course, the truth is that the Democrats have impeached Santa.
Santa didn’t kill himself...
That would be a thrill for the catz!
I just read an Andrew McCarthy article in which he asks, “If the articles of impeachment are never transferred to the Senate, is the President impeached?”
He goes on, “Sure, it’s a stupid question. But we’re living in stupid times.
Hey, Moose, I see the House of Commons passed BrExit and the House of Lords is likely to pass it next month.
Congratulations! It’s nice to know somebody’s government around here can function.
I just mentioned the stupidity factor to T-c about another subject, concerning my daughter. Yes, there is a lot of that. She is still a Democrat at heart.
I read that article, too, and I agree. Stupid times.
I had another nap with Jake. He likes it when people are poorly. It looks like he’ll be able to canoodle with Patrick the next few days.
Unngh. Another awful night. Periodic insomnia is a real bear.
Good morning. Sorry you had a rough night. I’ll be back in a minute with a cat.
Still thinking of you and your family, Darks. It’s a difficult time of year to be in your situation, if only because you see the sun so little!
What beautiful amber eyes on that Floof!
Good morning.
I hope you’re feeling much better this morning and that the chicken soup has been a help. I think I’m going to make some corn chowder this morning. I do that and I smell it cooking and lose my appetite. I get full from the aroma. Lucky me.
Today, I’ll try to find more Nativities and get out the Christmas china. I don’t recall if I still have glassware for it, though. I may have to go to Dollar Tree and see if they have any water goblets left.
She’s a high-end British Shorthair breeding mother. Don’t hate her because she’s better looking than we are ...
Congestion, sinus headache, cough are all at manageable levels.
I can’t hate anything that has more hair than I do!
Hopefully, today will find you feeling better, what with the soup and stuff.
I just put the top coat on my nails, so when its dry I’ll go in and do the dishes, then dirty some down while I make the chowder. Enough for two days, because its so good.
Rocky will come by and get her packages today, and that will be good. She wanted to come about 1600 yesterday, but I just couldn’t deal with it. Chances are I would have had to take them out to her car and I’d have to have gotten dressed to do it. So today it is.
True.
I end up beat and sleepy all weekend from work during the week.
Thank you.
I was reminded today of last year when Elen came home from boot camp, and I said she had “the Parris Island Upper Respiratory Crud,” and your dad said, “Is that like Kennel Cough?” It’s still funny!
Good afternoon. I’m listening to a podcast and boiling chicken to make a casserole tomorrow. Jake is very interested in the chicken, but he’ll have to wait until it’s cool.
The foot crud from the showers that eats your feet despite using shower shoes is.. interesting.
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