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 ...
Yes, snow, and yes, GAH!!!
I liked it just fine when I could see it on Mt Charleston, but up close and personal is just too much. I’ll call the place in St George soon, and find out where I am on the list. When I get to #10, I’ll start to pack my books and mementos. When I’m #5, I’ll pack the dishes. The rest will be easy. For an old hand. This time, I’ll use boxes because I won’t have to store the stuff like I did for the move here.
:o])
I had no idea the Boy Scout uniforms came in Tom Sizes.
Happy New Year all you undeaders!
Of course, we still don’t have the flying cars, undersea cities, vacations on the moon or Mars, teleporters, and worst of all ...
... we still have liberals.
But Happy New Year anyway. The best to all of you and all of yours for 2020.
I remember turning my Eagle Scout’s uniform shirt (with all the merit badges sewn on) into a wall hanging. It was a little tough finding a frame that thick, but at least I didn’t have to store it.
Thanks! I’ll take it! ;o]
Tom doesn’t see himself as a uniform-wearing person.
Bill took his uniform with him.
I am not well-noted for designing uniforms that people are psychologically comfortable in.
But when it was my time to wear a uniform, I managed to cope.
Maybe his new home doesn’t have much closet space. I haven’t been there: Vlad and Kathleen helped him move.
My feelings are hurt a little, but I won’t mention it to Tom. He would just look at me like, “You must be kidding.” Maybe his feelings are hurt at being pushed out into the adult world, not that he won’t do fine once he gets used to it.
I have worn a uniform, but I have never been uniform.
Good one.
I wear a skirt and a blouse.
Shannon is curled up in her cat bed - I washed her blanket - in the middle of Tom’s empty room. I’m sure she misses Tom’s snoring alongside.
This reminds me of when I went away to college in 1984: I came home for Christmas to find that my mother had turned my bedroom into her tax office. It was like a Clue!
LOL.... and father of veterinary medicine?
Well! You’re just one big frickin’ ray of sunshine...
Laz, see 2087...
Cargo pants, graphic tee shirt. So far this year, no jacket even in the snow.
I haven’t had to use my Big Coat, just my Medium Jacket.
Very nice. :)
Yeah! Every day I wake up and think, “We were supposed to have flying cars and instead we have Twitter! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?”
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.