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 ...
If you do get called back to work make sure you’ve got a supply of face masks.
Have been doing a bit of reading on this ,face masks are what is keeping the infection rate so low in Japan.
Plus it is amusing going to the shop in a respirator.
Dogs look at you understandingly ,humans runaway.
If you dress up like Darth Vader, the social distancing will take care of itself, and a respirator is included.
Nah, little kids will follow you around asking for your autograph!
Risky manoeuvre dressing as DVader around these parts.
The census records a number of Jedi Knights in this area. Not kidding ,it is recognised as a religion in the UK.
Why does that not surprise me, Moosie?
*Scratches head**Puzzled expression *
No Idea. :D
Did you get your box of Rivets?
Ribbit , Ribbit, Ribbit....
Oh, who’s afraid of Jedi Knights?
Anyone dressed as DVader.
:D
Lol and thank you.
Hey, y’all.
D’afternoon!
Howdy. It’s wet, here. How are things in your neck of the woods?
Camilla and Gonzo have hunkered down for the duration of the rains. (On the same perch, I might add.) However long that lasts. I, however, have had more than enough rain to last at least the next year. Or longer.
Good Evening SG.
At least they have one another.
As do we, sitting here on our perch, staring at the bars.
Good evening to you moose, wherever it is you live.
Discovered from the map at...
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3827443/posts?page=115#115
...that the old places have been renamed UTLAs, Upper Tier Local Authorities
...sounds as though there has been some political re-structuring of the ruling class without all the traffic bother of tumbrils, guillotines, and such.
Missed all that.
Lots of name changes, eh?
Rather like the sound of Heads-on-Pikes-Along-Thames....much better new name if you ask me. UTLAs indeed. Hmmph
LOL!
I’m working with various Young Parties on sorting their clothing out. When that’s done, perhaps a soothing British murder is in order.
Good Evening to you too ,Covenantor
‘”Rather like the sound of Heads-on-Pikes-Along-Thames....”
When do we start? :D
Those other names have been around for a long time, just looks like someone has played BS Bingo and created a new name for the Local Authorities.
Jurisdictions and responsibilities don’t follow county lines or each other’s boundaries,looks like they may have tidied things up a bit for the time being. But is worth keeping an eye on.
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