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 ...
“The stupid! It BURNS!!!” I think of that when I see stupid people, and wonder why they don’t draw their hands back in pain. Then I recall, it’s why the word “stupid” was coined.
How’s it going over there, this afternoon/evening?
I see, a disturbance causing things to appear out from the time folds where they were hiding.
Could be. Pulling back a puckered rug.
Hmmm....
I’ll check outside for Blancmange.
Good Morning ‘Face.
This morning has been sunny for the first time in weeks.
You forget what a blue sky looks like when the rain is in residence.
We have a general election coming up next month!
The choice is (Conservative) Brexit & 20bn extra spending or (Labour) No Brexit & 150bn extra spending.
What a choice.
I trust all is fine in Your patch of the Union? :)
Your election options sound a lot like ours, but you don’t have to wait a year to vote on it.
In our town council election Tuesday, our guys won. Well, three guys and a lady. I have confidence that they’ll keep the bathrooms open at the park and even pave a street or two.
Fall has definitely come to the mountains, and I’m waiting for that first dusting of snow to show up on Pine Valley Mountain. I love to look at it, though I don’t like driving in it. However, its one of those things that one never forgets — driving in snow!
Does the Queen have and power in the governance of GB? Of are the Royalty just figureheads? I’ve been confused by that for a lot of years.
Congratulations on the voting integrity of you and your neighbors!!
I’d be interested to see if a few streets get paved!
It was a clear victory for all our candidates, not close. One street just outside our subdivision was leveled off and graveled almost a month ago, and it’s still gravel. 45 MPH speed limit: people keep wiping out on the curve. Zot knows if it will ever be asphalt again.
One of the problems with streets around here is a confusion of city, county, state, and federal authority. Some are even supposed to be maintained by the HOAs.
Too many cooks spoil the soup.
In NV, its very plain to see where the counties and cities end and begin. The street that divided Las Vegas and North Las Vegas was distinctive. The two cities couldn’t decide on a paving contractor, so one side (LV) was smooth and well maintained and the other side (NLV) was broken asphalt, potholes and crack repair lines.
Happy Friday Eve, everyone.
Kitteh reminds me of a story my mom used to tell about when she was dating my dad. They had gone to sit back to back on a dam and just talk when he suddenly said, “Don’t move!” It turned out he was getting a migraine and the aura messed with his balance. She sat there scared out of her gourd for what seemed like hours (but based on my own experience was likely 45 minutes to 1 hour) afraid she’d sneeze or something and kill her boyfriend.
Anyway, I saw the kitteh and heard it say, “Don’t move!”
“You know, ih... if I’m a... a King, where’s my power? Can I... can I form a government? Can I... can I l-levy a tax, declare a... a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because... the nation believes that when I s... I speak, I speak for them - but I can’t speak.”
King George VI from that marvelous movie, “The King’s Speech”
It’s like that when you cross from North Carolina to South Carolina.
When our neighborhood over in the wildlands was still under the maintenance of the developer there was a bit of snow that piled up on the road. A good bit, as it turned out.
They sent over Mutt and Jeff with their two pickups equipped with plow blades to try to clear the road, which is a slight uphill grade to a cul-de-sack.
Mutt would ram his truck just as far up into the snow as he possibly could. Then Jeff would tow him out and take his run. They traded off like this, to the entertainment of the few residents, for a couple of hours.
“Does the Queen have and power in the governance of GB?”
HMQ has the final say on all acts of Parliament. She has the power to refuse Royal Assent and prevent an act becoming law. This has happened recently with the smart-meter bill. She declared it ‘unconstitutional’. That was the end of that.
She gives the PM ‘Guidance’ during her weekly audience with the PM.
She grants permission for Elections and the forming of the Government, and can refuse either.
When a new Political leader is elected by the People She is the one who grants them the position of First Lord of the Treasury/PM.
She also opens Parliament at the start of each year with a reading of ‘Her Government’s’ proposals for the new term.
The legal system is in Her name, hence Courts.
Her powers are more far reaching than She ever uses ,She has chosen to reign with a light touch. Unlike Queen Vic who used all powers available to her.
Having an elected head of state is not for us...good grief, no...cough.
You can see the county lines on our roads too.
Rough to smooth in an instant.
Have you tried a little hot tea for that *cough*?
Off to the salt mines. Kathleen needs to read, and then I have to help Frank with a quiz on Current Environmental Issues.
Or NV to AZ. AZ has some of the best roads I've ever driven on.
And in case I never mentioned it, Utah's contribution to the international highway system is that white line on the right-side edge of the roads and highways. As I kid, I always knew when we were back in Utah, even if I didn't read the sign because the white line was there, helping my one-eyed Dad to stay on the road! ;o]
Unngh. Migraines. If a person has never had one, there is no way to explain the most unpleasant experience.
Sometimes, Kittehs will tell you not to move because it saves them from having to chase you down and sit on you.
“Don’t move!” indeed! I moved and look what happened!!! My beautiful fur is WET!
LoL!
Tea with a dash of Brandy in it. :)
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