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 ...
Some memories just don’t fade into the mists of time and distance.
Others? I WILL them to disappear! ;o])
Not to mention what might happen to whomever wielded the iron.
I don’t have that much blood to donate, thanks.
Happy Monday, everyone. I worked from home today. We found an apartment at our new digs near the in-laws and will move in in early March if accepted.
Is this good news? I thought you moved back into your house in the Wildlands because you loved it there? And now, you’re moving into an apartment?
I’m so confused! :o[
Akshully, I moved back to the wildlands until it was time to find a place near the in-laws. But they’re the reason Mrs. ArGee said, “It may be time to leave NYC.” Otherwise we’d still be in that apartment.
I don’t think any one truly loves it here. It’s peaceful but not some place I’d retire to.
And by “any one” I meant in my family. I’m sure there are those who would never live anywhere else.
And we don’t even have a home for the mentally ill.
Ah. OK. It seems I vaguely recall something about the in-laws, but not specifics. Thanks. It’s really none of my business, but I see you as part of my fambly, so... ;o]
I hope the apartment works out for you. Maybe you could persuade the inlaws to move to a boring Southern state. We have cake!
Frost on the windows? Is the Floof on the inside or the outside?
The laundry is done, except for hanging the sleep shirts, and I have to wait a bit for that. As always.
Last night, I slept most of the night without coughing, so that was good.
I’ve gathered up all the papers that No C sent me with instructions for various procedures, and have put them into a file for future reference. :o[ I didn’t realize I had picked his brain so often, but in none of the notes did I detect a hint that he was losing patience with me.
Flowers.
I’m glad you had a better night.
Brothers are doing one another an injury upstairs, sigh.
Yes, there was mayhem in our house when we were growing up because of “competition,” dontchaknow. Things have been relatively quiet, though, since Cain was a pup.
Some days, I miss the low-level noise, and then I hear the little ones being obnoxious in the hallways between meetings and I think, “Nah. I’d rather hear myself think!”
Thank you.
“Nah. I’d rather hear myself think!”
For some reason, my brain said, “I think I’ll just stay here and drink!”
LOL! That sounds VERY good! :o])
It will have to be another day, though.
I'm not sure if it's official here or not, but we're full up anyway.
Morning, Bob.
Afternoon, Bob.
Mentally ill is a state of mind.
;o]
My mental condition is estate of mind.
Very punny, Bob! Thanks! I’ll have to remember that. ;o]
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