Chapter 13: Mental Illness
I found the section on the history of treatment for depression especially interesting because of the "depression helmet" pictures that have been going around online. The helment was just approved by the FDA to treat depression and is available in Arizona.
Electroconvulsive Therapy was first used in the 1930s to induce seizures that would alleviate or diminish depressive symptoms. Now the delivery method varies, but has been shown to improve patient's mood in the short term. However, memory impairment can follow. A more minor strategies is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulations. It was introduced in the mid 80s. rTMS uses a large electromagnet on the scalp to depolarize neurons. Side effects include headaches.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Chapter 12
Chapter 12: Learning, Memory, and Decision Making
One thing I found interesting about this chapter was the recent discovery that specific cells in the hippocampus have been found to respond to a specific person. Even though that gives the impression that individual cells hold specific memories, the textbook said it was most likely that sets of neurons make up memory networks for specific concepts.
I also really enjoyed that the study on bird brains and memory process was illustrated exclusively in play dough. In this study they found out that birds referred back to the amount of time that had passed in order to decide which food to retrieve from where it had be previously buried. This was something I did not know prior to Bio Psych and it adds to my appreciation of birds because that is very impressive to me.
One thing I found interesting about this chapter was the recent discovery that specific cells in the hippocampus have been found to respond to a specific person. Even though that gives the impression that individual cells hold specific memories, the textbook said it was most likely that sets of neurons make up memory networks for specific concepts.
I also really enjoyed that the study on bird brains and memory process was illustrated exclusively in play dough. In this study they found out that birds referred back to the amount of time that had passed in order to decide which food to retrieve from where it had be previously buried. This was something I did not know prior to Bio Psych and it adds to my appreciation of birds because that is very impressive to me.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Affiliative and Reproductive Strategies
The thing I found most interesting about this chapter was the higher rate of bisexuality and homosexuality in babies with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). It's a genetic condition resulting from higher-than-normal levels of androgens during gestation. In my high school psychology class we talked about another study where homosexuality in men was heightened due to changes during gestation. I think research in this area is very exciting because it helps support the idea that sexuality is not a choice which is something I firmly believe.
The thing I found most interesting about this chapter was the higher rate of bisexuality and homosexuality in babies with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). It's a genetic condition resulting from higher-than-normal levels of androgens during gestation. In my high school psychology class we talked about another study where homosexuality in men was heightened due to changes during gestation. I think research in this area is very exciting because it helps support the idea that sexuality is not a choice which is something I firmly believe.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Sleep, Wakefulness, and Conscious Awareness
This chapter covered all things sleep. It was very interesting to learn about the African tribe !Kung who do not have any social rules regarding sleep. Members stay awake for as long as they can and only sleep when they feel like it (including the children) which is vastly different than in our society where parents dream of having their children on tight sleeping schedules. I wish the textbook would have discussed if as a culture their sleeping pattern has rendered them were more or less exhausted than us.
I also really enjoyed the section on Death and The End of Consciousness. It stated that it is only a recent update to define death by a lack of brain function, before it was thought to be the absence of a heartbeat. I will try not to romanticize that sentiment, but I feel like a lot can be said on why people felt their heart held the spirit of life. This section also reminded me of that one time people thought a gif from The Walking Dead was a real MRI of someone dying.
This chapter covered all things sleep. It was very interesting to learn about the African tribe !Kung who do not have any social rules regarding sleep. Members stay awake for as long as they can and only sleep when they feel like it (including the children) which is vastly different than in our society where parents dream of having their children on tight sleeping schedules. I wish the textbook would have discussed if as a culture their sleeping pattern has rendered them were more or less exhausted than us.
I also really enjoyed the section on Death and The End of Consciousness. It stated that it is only a recent update to define death by a lack of brain function, before it was thought to be the absence of a heartbeat. I will try not to romanticize that sentiment, but I feel like a lot can be said on why people felt their heart held the spirit of life. This section also reminded me of that one time people thought a gif from The Walking Dead was a real MRI of someone dying.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Chapter 6 and 7
Chapter 6: Sensation, Perception, and Adaptation
As a person with a high interest in art the Adaptive Functions of Color Vision was exciting to read because I had never heard of it before---and I took color theory! Mark Changizi's "skin theory of color vision" says that we have color vision because it allows us to better understand someone's health (yellow for sick) or emotion (red when angry or embarrassed) based on the colors displayed by their skin. Colors we often use to describe the skin (red, blue, yellow, green) align with the colors that rods and opponent cells respond to!! Another supporting point for this theory is that non-human primates with trichromatic color vision have no fur on their face, while primates who have retained dichromatic color vision have full facial hair. All of which is incredibly fascinating to me.
Chapter 7: Movement
I have anxiety myself and it was interesting to read about the effects our minds have on how we move. An example the textbook gave was on Alicia Sacramone, the Olympic gymnast, who had to wait before she could start her beam routine. It said that her motor memory was likely disrupted which could be what caused her to mess up. Beilock did research on athletes and speculated that those who had high-level automaticity (requiring less cortical input) but then take time to really think about what they are doing disrupt "the movement machine." I use to be in gymnastics as a kid and it was probably for the best that I didn't stick with it. I tend to be an over thinker, so that mixed with flinging my body through the air just doesn't seem like a good mix after reading this chapter.
As a person with a high interest in art the Adaptive Functions of Color Vision was exciting to read because I had never heard of it before---and I took color theory! Mark Changizi's "skin theory of color vision" says that we have color vision because it allows us to better understand someone's health (yellow for sick) or emotion (red when angry or embarrassed) based on the colors displayed by their skin. Colors we often use to describe the skin (red, blue, yellow, green) align with the colors that rods and opponent cells respond to!! Another supporting point for this theory is that non-human primates with trichromatic color vision have no fur on their face, while primates who have retained dichromatic color vision have full facial hair. All of which is incredibly fascinating to me.
Chapter 7: Movement
I have anxiety myself and it was interesting to read about the effects our minds have on how we move. An example the textbook gave was on Alicia Sacramone, the Olympic gymnast, who had to wait before she could start her beam routine. It said that her motor memory was likely disrupted which could be what caused her to mess up. Beilock did research on athletes and speculated that those who had high-level automaticity (requiring less cortical input) but then take time to really think about what they are doing disrupt "the movement machine." I use to be in gymnastics as a kid and it was probably for the best that I didn't stick with it. I tend to be an over thinker, so that mixed with flinging my body through the air just doesn't seem like a good mix after reading this chapter.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Neural Development, Neuroplasticity, and Recovery of Function
Epigenetics are something we have been discussing since the beginning of the semester but we had not really gone into depth into the topic until now. It was by far the most interesting part of the chapter for me because I grew up through the school system with the mentality that changes only took course over several generations. Epigenetics is about how things like starvation or abundant food, high-licking rodent mothers, or even extreme stress can have long-term effects on descendant children. How is this possible? DNA methylation and Histone Acetylation (a remodeling mechanism). Epigenetics may be in place to help speed up the process of changing the DNA code which is necessary in a quick and ever-changing environment.
Epigenetics are something we have been discussing since the beginning of the semester but we had not really gone into depth into the topic until now. It was by far the most interesting part of the chapter for me because I grew up through the school system with the mentality that changes only took course over several generations. Epigenetics is about how things like starvation or abundant food, high-licking rodent mothers, or even extreme stress can have long-term effects on descendant children. How is this possible? DNA methylation and Histone Acetylation (a remodeling mechanism). Epigenetics may be in place to help speed up the process of changing the DNA code which is necessary in a quick and ever-changing environment.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain
Article Response
This article was summed up pretty nicely by the title. Dr. Cryan and other scientists are in the early stages of relating microbes in our stomachs to a variety of influences on our bodies and our brains. Dr. Cryan said his idea was not well received initially which is unfortunate but somewhat understandable. The idea that something so tiny could potentially play a role in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Depression, Schizophrenia, Autism, etc is incredible.
Dr. Sisodia, a skeptic of Dr. Cryan, performed an experiment on mice where they were given antibiotics that would kill off most of the mice's bacteria in their guts. What they found in these Alzheimer prone mice was that their brains had far less of the protein clumps that are linked to dementia. Dr. Sisodia was surprised by the results.
However, this along with the other research discussed in the article does not prove cause and effect. Scientists do not want to give the impression that a cure for the aforementioned diseases is in the near future. Dr. Costa-Mattioli warns parents against going for store bought probiotics because only some strains of L. reuteri alter mice behavior. Much more research still needs to be done according to biologist Katarzyna B. Hooks, "We have the edges of the puzzle, and we're now trying to figure out what's in the picture itself."
This article was summed up pretty nicely by the title. Dr. Cryan and other scientists are in the early stages of relating microbes in our stomachs to a variety of influences on our bodies and our brains. Dr. Cryan said his idea was not well received initially which is unfortunate but somewhat understandable. The idea that something so tiny could potentially play a role in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Depression, Schizophrenia, Autism, etc is incredible.
Dr. Sisodia, a skeptic of Dr. Cryan, performed an experiment on mice where they were given antibiotics that would kill off most of the mice's bacteria in their guts. What they found in these Alzheimer prone mice was that their brains had far less of the protein clumps that are linked to dementia. Dr. Sisodia was surprised by the results.
However, this along with the other research discussed in the article does not prove cause and effect. Scientists do not want to give the impression that a cure for the aforementioned diseases is in the near future. Dr. Costa-Mattioli warns parents against going for store bought probiotics because only some strains of L. reuteri alter mice behavior. Much more research still needs to be done according to biologist Katarzyna B. Hooks, "We have the edges of the puzzle, and we're now trying to figure out what's in the picture itself."
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