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 ...
Good morning to you! It’s been quite a while ... how are you?
I take kelp to increase my iodine. Sometimes it’s in capsules, and sometimes it’s tablets. Depends where you buy it.
What a sweet kitteh!
The shower has been had and I’m still trying to deal with the power of the storm that has hit. My lower back seems like it’s in constant spasm, and that’s not good.
The GOOD news is, I was looking for a knit coat pattern yesterday, and after about an hour, I was surprised to find the pattern (free!) for a coat I wanted to make when I was in Del Rio. I don’t know where the book is now, but the even better news is that I need only one more skein to make it! And seven buttons... :o])
Like I said, I use the liquid. I don’t have to buy it often. One little 2 oz. bottle holds 320 servings.
Good morning.
I just did the quiz at Merriam-Webster.com, and I missed a question because - get this! - they say both, “You’ve got another think coming,” and, “You’ve got another THING coming,” are correct! GAH!
In the same context, I mean. Of course, if part of your delivery was backordered, it would be correct to say, “You’ve got another thing coming next Friday.”
I am doing well. Just couldn’t sleep.
I understand. My cats make sure I get up early.
Same here.
They had plenty of food in one bowl, but they wanted the second bowl to be full, too.
*phew*
I am SO glad to know that I’m not the only person who is bothered by stuff like this!! I’ve never heard of “got another THING coming.” It defies logic unless used in the context you stated. GAH! Is right!
I just finished a 300 piece jigsaw to help my brain get started. Now I need to write a letter. Or two. I think.
Poor Gonzo. Almost as soon as I got into bed yesterday, I heard rain hitting the swamp cooler housing and figured I had better get out and put the plastic trash bag across the driver’s seat. When I got back in, I left my wet shoes by the door, and this morning when I went to put them on, Gonzo screamed at me. I had to bring them to the desk to put them on so he would stop. *sigh* One more day!
Hiya, Jet!
Sorry if it seemed I was ignoring you. It wasn’t intentional. We haven’t seen you for a very long time. How have you been?
No worries Face. I am good. Hope all is well with you.
Jake has been really grouchy this morning. When I didn’t leap up to let him out to the garage, he came over and patted me on the foot and meowed loudly.
That’s good to know!
May good things find their ways to your door. ;o]
Got any 3s? Oh. OK. I fold.
Petz. Maybe they have their radar on for something eerie. Or odd. Or oddly eerie.
Yep, Jake is glad you’re home. You’re such a pushover.
Kathleen is up. She doesn’t stay up late. I haven’t seen Frank yet: the Perfect Houseguest was invited to a friend’s house yesterday and then invited to stay over. I guess they’ll bring him home before he runs out of clean underwear.
Or maybe they’ll just unofficially adopt him.
The orange marking are always impressive to me .......
For that, they’ll let you live.
Thank you.
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