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 ...
Sorry, mine has iodine in it, As do I, as a matter of fact.
Some people don't like that, but it beats a sore throat.
That was actually something that was said quite often around the dinner table, especially by the ugly older brothers. The ones who always had “secret projects” my sister and I were included out of. ;o]
As for iodine, I take three drops a day. Life is good!
I have a whole garden! I am busily transmuting the iodine into tellurium, though, just because I can.
Behold the power!
I asked a pharmacist and a guy standing at the counter what I should take for my headache. The pharmacist recommended acetylsalicylic acid. The guy at the counter recommended aspirin.
I asked, “What’s the difference?”
The pharmacist said, “Aspirin is $2 for a bottle of 100 pills. Acetylsalicylic acid is $2 a pill.
I thought Tellurium was a planet on Star Trek.
Nope. It’s on the periodic table, next to iodine.
Not particularly near either sodium or chlorine.
Yep. That was another term we used a lot: acetylsalicylic acid. No wonder the kids in school didn’t like me. I couldn’t say “salt” or “aspirin.” Hmpf. Go figger.
Everyone needs a basket of squeeful Floofs to start the day!
Good morning.
I take it you’re back from sunny FL and dropped smack into the chaos of home again. Still, I hope the visit was enjoyable!
Nope, still in Florida. We’ll leave for the airport about 8:30. I’m about to get dressed and finish packing, which will wake Sally up.
Wow. Good for you!!
I’ll say a little prayer that all goes well between FL and home.
Here we are at the airport, standing by We are 8 and 10 on the standby list.
The only time I ever flew stand-by I managed to be called right away, both directions, so that’s not too bad. I don’t know enough about it to like it, but as long as it works!!
Good luck, then! I bet Jake will be glad to see you, or bawl you out for being gone, or both. And Shannon may actually spew in honor of your return! ;o]
We have boarding passes, just have to wait to get on. The one gate agent was all, “Completely full flight, yadda yadda,” so I went to ask if we should start for the gate to the next flight, and the other agent said all the non-revs would get on.
Well, that’s good news!! Sometimes, you just have to be able to outsmart the script.
We’re home. I’ve sorted some laundry, put away my things, located my bedroom slippers, and apologized to both cats.
Apologizing to cats is very important. They can be vicious, even without opposable thumbs.
It has been raining since about 1330 yesterday. That soft rain that just never quits or eases until the storm is past. And this seems to be a large, strong storm.
*face palm*
Gonzo is so lonely he now answers my “pill” alarm, which is a tiny sneeze.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, he will have a friend! (Thanks to my New Nephew and his wife!)
Good morning!
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.