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 ...
Reality check: I just picked up my prescription at Walgreen’s and as I was headed out the door, I spotted a small bottle of cider vinegar. The whole thing said “Organic Apple Cider Vinergar” and one pint was $10.99!! What???
A medium-sized bottle of “organic, unfiltered” apple cider vinegar is like $4 at Walmart.
Walgreen’s mixes low-priced, advertised, loss-leader items with high-priced impulse items.
I can’t think of why apple cider vinegar should cost more than a dollar for a quart, “organic” or otherwise, but I don’t live where there are apple trees any more.
It’s supposed to be a magical weight loss thing.
We knew that growing up a few hundred miles north of here, where a very large apple orchard was only a block away and cider could be had for a few cents a gallon, along with vinegar.
Pasting “organic” on an item doesn’t necessarily mean it was grown naturally, with natural fertilizers and pest control. I’d rather get my produce at a farmer’s market.
And paying $11 a pint for it is stupidity, plain and simple.
</rant
Gives you the trots!
Out here, we call it “Rocky Mountain Two-Step.”
Regal Kitteh in his Lyon Pose! Gonna ROWR you!
Good morning.
Shower has been had and foot has been dressed again (Getting tired of this) and next up is a letter to Charlie, then I’ll walk it over to the mail box in the rain. More rain. All day rain. Most of next week rain. *sigh*
He’ll show you his Claw.
All our activities are being called off due to Coronavirus caution, the county’s water-quality snafu, or both. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. Maybe some housework or yardwork.
Oh, crikey! Boredom and lethargy stalk the town of Boring, NC! EEEEEK!!
I’ve decided I have to make a schedule because I get side-tracked and things don’t get done.
Also, since I think the water here is tainted, I’m going to check the cost of delivery, at least until I move, because I don’t think I’ll ever get anything done unless I write to the Suits.
So, now’s the time to write to Charlie. Be back in an hour!
Crikey! I just went out to go mail Charlie’s letter, and wasn’t going to use my bumbershoot. Until I opened the door to actually go out. The invention of the umbrella was a clever move.
As is the common phrase here, “Oh, my HECK!” My jacket is soaked as are my slacks, because of the wind-driven rain that is coming down in buckets. I tucked Charlie’s letter into the waistband of my pants to keep it dry, as the wind was blowing right at me.
From what I can see on the weather map, Charlie is getting rained on as well. And that means lots of flooding for them and lots of idiot drivers.
It is not raining here, presently, but it is cloudy. The Cub Scouts did outdoor cooking last night, 6:30 to 8:00. It was so nice to have them outdoors, not cold, not raining, not windy ...
Some of the trees here are in bloom, which seems rather strange considering the cold and wet weather we’ve been having.
I don’t think I’ve heard of any outdoor cooking. The only odors that have wafted my way are fireplace odors.
Happy Friday everyone.
Another train ride is in store for this guy. But at least I can start the weekend.
My daughter decided not to come visit us fro spring break because of coronapanic. She’s concerned she may not be able to get back.
I guess you can’t cure stupid.
Everything out there wants to kill you. Even the trees would fall on you as you walk by if they knew how.
You would not want to know what was in the bottom of the iced tea I got from the McDonald’s in Brooklyn on Monday.
And no, since you would not want to know, I’m not telling.
But that McDonald’s is off the list.
Could you use Apple Cider Vinegar as hand sanitizer?
Just askin’.
Eew. That would really reek.
Thank you for sparing us the grossness of your iced tea. I’m still not interested in it.
In another month, everyone will be sporting “I survived the WuFlu Panic of 2020!” T-shirts. (You heard it here, first!)
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