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 ...
I put a jigsaw puzzle together with no help from Camilla or Gonzo.
I think today will be the day that she gets to board with Gonzo. They spend most of the day adjacent to each other in their cages, and she has calmed down to the point that she isn’t freaked out when I cover her cage. All are good signs.
Things may go sideways once they’re together, but I have to try it. If I see signs that they aren’t getting along, she’ll be back in the small cage and I’ll have to get a seed catcher for it because she is so MESSY!
The truck is back, the bill is in my hand and it may be August before I can get to CO.
*sigh*
CO will still be there.
One might expect so, but "rocky mountain high" has a new meaning these days.
Old Tax-lady says air travel is way down, creating opportunities for non-revenue passengers, but she doesn’t want to go anywhere.
Also, if paying loads decrease enough, flights will be cancelled.
Yes, it will, but my Real Brother and his sweet wife may not be. She has a heart problem and he is quite a bit older than I am, and they, as well as my older sister are the reasons I planned the trip to begin with. The fact that my Favorite Daughter is in the same area is incidental, and just represents another floor to sleep on.
Older Sister is moving soon, so she won't be there, and I'm sorry I couldn't see her sooner. But the Real Brother is a very good reason to go.
It is an issue when people are old.
Little angel....
Yes, and this is one brother that I will really miss when he is gone from this earth. We were very good friends when we were younger, with growing families. The rest of my siblings, I mostly love because they are my siblings, but two were old enough to be my parents by the time I was born and two were separated from me by life. That leaves two, one of which is now the eldest in the family (only living brother) and one who is the youngest who isn’t speaking to me. But I still love my siblings.
Morning Floof is looking to see who’s flying the friendly skies.
Shower has been had. I also installed my genealogy programs, which means I can plan on getting something done for James and Abbie.
Today will be busy, but with a strange busyness. Little projects, but necessary.
Did you look at the temp I sent to you last night? Who knew? WOW! 75°!
I did see it, but it was after civilized hours.
I’ll be busy today, too, starting any minute now.
Vlad went out for the paper and said the side door of the van was open, presumably left that way by last night’s occupants, Frank and Kathleen. *sigh*
When it’s light outside, I’ll go see if the battery is dead. Fortunately, there’s plenty of time to call AAA if necessary.
What would we do without AAA?
Call Tom the Son. Bribe with Girl Scout cookies.
LOL!!! I have a photo of that happening... ;o]
I picked up more cookies yesterday.
The van started, so I don’t need AAA or Tom this morning. I’d like to see Tom, though. He makes me laugh.
I have heard nary a word of GS Cookies, more’s the pity!
It seems un-American to not buy at least one box!
Super cute.
I agree.
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