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 concur. Weird A.M. Almost as if there were thieves and grimlins at play this A.M.
Hi! Not on a train!
Morning Floof says DST bad, make fur go crazy.
Good morning.
It will take me a while to get used to this new time, but with any luck, by the time we change back, I’ll have it down to a science.
My pill order came sometime yesterday afternoon, but no knock, no doorbell, so it wasn’t until I checked my email this morning that I saw it was sitting on my stoop.
w00t!
Or kittehs?
Good morning. I am sticking to my clock-time schedule regardless of what the sun is doing. Dang government sun! The rest of the family, not so much.
Pat has Spring Break this week, so we don’t have to leave for Monroe until after 8:30 for the Excursion including Weight Watchers, the bread outlet, and the gas station.
Gas was $1.95/gal in South Carolina, but I think it’s still over $2.00 here. Maybe I’ll be surprised when we get to the QT on 74.
Hai. Dasn’t desturb da kitteh. It iz sadz.
Happy Tuesday. Not bad staying in Brooklyn instead of New Jersey this week, except the room is much smaller. I almost came in without my coat and tie because they were in the closet and not on a hook by the door.
I wonder if the tank in the oil market will ever hit the pumps.
More likely it will only hit my IRA.
Good morning. Happy escape from New Jersey. Also Trash Day, at least in these parts.
Kitteh lives in Kuwait. Thatz why she sadz.
Prices have been falling steadily here, but you life Upnorth, so ...
Thanks! It was just sitting there, and uh...er... ;o]
We’re still looking at $2.75 +/- for gas.
The Muppet Birds don’t care what time the clocks say or the government. When its light out, they sing. When its dark, they sleep. Simple.
I have to go to the library today to pick up the first volume of a set I thought I had gotten the first volume of. Meantime, I have Endeavor, DCI Banks and Murdoch, who looks positively stuning in a tux! Eyes I could fall into...
I will probably have to spend a lot more nights in New Jersey. NYC has what I call the Rush Limbaugh rule. If you spend 181 or more nights in the city for work purposes, you’re supposed to pay City taxes. This is regardless of whether you rent, own, or stay in a hotel.
I’m pretty sure they put that in place when Rush first announced his move to south Florida, which was followed soon after by him moving his broadcast facilities there.
And such perfect, straight, white teeth. And good manners!
They sure do know how to create a welcoming business environment!
“$2.75” for Gas”..
Oh how I dream of $2.75 for Gas.
Been at the $10 mark for years.
Just popped in to say Howdy to you all.
Haven’t Abandoned Ship , just stupidly occupied.
Howya! I was worried that you were in a shallow grave near Midsomer Worthy!
Greetings,TC.
It was little too shallow...I crawled out again.
In the Station Pub at the moment having an early Dinner and a couple of Ales.Perfect end to a day. :)
Sounds nice. It’s gloomy and drizzly here. Kathleen has a riding lesson this afternoon, a roofing examiner - sent by our insurance company - is coming to look at the roof, and I have a church meeting this evening.
Usual stuff except for the roof guy.
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