NeuroBlog

Hey, it's Granvil again. I just listened to an interview with an author, Sharon Begley, who did a fair amount of research into neuroplasticity, or how the brain changes in response to various stimuli, on NPR.
(I just listened to the first seventeen minutes because then it went into question and answer.)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7131130
The author mentioned quite a few very interesting things about neuroplasticity, and so here are a selected few.
It has been known for a while that when people practice particular physical skills the regions of the motor cortex that regulate those skills gets larger. However, several Harvard neuroscientists recently had people play a piano exercise and others imagine playing it for an hour a day for a week and both groups had the same level and type of motor cortex expansion. That's fascinates me because it shows the power of cognition. Actually quite a few of her examples showed the physical effects that simple thinking can have on the brain. She described another study where people given cognitive therapy for depression, which encourages the patient to avoid catastrophizing minor problems, actually showed changed brain patterns and structure and people given this form of cognitive therapy actually had 1/3 the rate of relapse into depression as did those just given SSRIs. Finally people with post-traumatic stress disorder, when treated with exposure therapy which exposes them in a safe environment to the stimulus that causes the stress and encourages cognitive rejection of the stimulus as a threat, actually slowed their amygdala which had been triggering their stress. The author actually mentioned that the Dalai Lama was very interested in this research and had contacted various of these scientists as the research shows the power the mind can have on the brain which supports various buddhist practices and especially meditation. That's a rather interesting point of intersection between science and religion.
She also discussed how exercise can trigger the continued growth of neurons as long as the exercise is voluntary (as shown in various lab animals), which definitely provides yet another incentive for exercising, as if there weren't already enough.
Finally she talked about how in people who are blind from birth or a really young age the visual cortex (which makes up almost a third of the brain) actually adapts to perform other functions such as recieving tactile and auditory sense information. She talked about how important it was because it shows the plasticity of even such a large and normally very specialized region of the brain. I also think it is fascinating because it provides a physical explanation for why those who lose one sense gain augmented abilities in another. Another interesting aspect of this was that in some people, the visual cortex actually becomes the region that processes braille. One woman had a stroke in her visual cortex, and you would think it wouldn't be a big deal because she was already blind, but she totally lost her ability to process and understand braille. It amazes me that the brain is changeable enough throughout its lifetime to grow new neurons that can make enough of a difference in the use of large areas of the brain that they change from processing visual signals to tactile and language signals in one's lifetime.

Rosemary

In the episode of House that followed the super bowl last night, a woman at the South Pole had various symptoms that everyone's favorite smart alec vicodin addicted doctor, House, had to diagnose via video communication. After several misdiagnoses, the woman fell into a coma and her companion had to drill a hole in her head with the ice equipment to relieve the pressure in her head. She immediately woke up, and it was discovered that the bone marrow flowing out of her broken toe was the cause of all her problems. Don't you hate when that happens?

Not sure how long this recap will be about this particular episode
http://www.fox.com/house/recaps/

Rosemary

Well since I was kinda pegged as the animal rights kid in class, I figured this article would be appropriate. Europe is about to ban animal testing for cosmetics, so the companies are seeking an alternative way of making sure their products won't fry off the consumers' faces (well, kinda). The replacement (which admittedly will not completely replace animal testing) is a plastic microchip filled with human cell cultures that can be used to text toxicity. If the cells, which can mimic human liver, bladder, kidney, heart, skin or lung cells, stop growing...that's bad news.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-01-25-ratalternatives_N.htm

I heard this story on NPRabout a professor trying to treat a reduce a man's appetite by doing a procedure called "deep brain stimulation." They ran currents thru the hypothalamus, and the man reported that he had the sensation of deja vu and could vividly experience the sights, sounds and colors of a experience he had many years ago. With increasing intensity, the experience of the scene became richer. When the same spot was stimulated again, the same experience was brought to mind. Several other memories were repeatedly revealed.

While the patient didn't have any control over what he was experiencing, it seems that the circuits containing the memories can be stimulated. It is not clear whether someone with diseased circuits (a la Alzheimers) could have similar effects. However, this is still a Big Deal, especially as the "richness" of the experience could be altered depending on the stimulus directly applied to the brain.

Basically, memory is whack. This makes me think of that Built to Spill song with the line "I want to see movies of my dreams." I could totally see this as some futuristic mall kiosk... like a photo booth... where you could go in and get a little video tape (and by that I mean a tiny digital video file that can go onto your micro phone) of your dream. I could be into that.

David Doobin:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05pork.html?ref=science

This article was in the New York times the other day, and it was particularly interesting in how it portrayed the epidemiological analysis of studying diseases. The workers at the local pork factory began to slowly development this illness characterized by weakness in the legs and lower body due to extensive spinal chord swelling.

All of the workers who became ill worked in close proximity to the 'head' table, which is where the hogs head is ground up at very high pressures, spewing animal brains onto the nearby workers. The theory at first behind the hog brains was that the exposure to the hog brain itself was enough to trigger the widespread reaction found in the workers, common to a critically sever allergic reaction.

The researchers are currently unsure as to why specifically this symptoms and inflammation occur with exposure to hog's heads, although they are working towards an answer.

This is Susan with another blog post...and have you ever wondered why, after stubbing your toe, you automatically rub it? It doesn't seem like it would help, but actually, it does. It also explains why you can scratch and scratch till you start bleeding and not really be in pain, but if you cut yourself, you're automatically in pain. Apparently, the pleasure center of your brain is activated when you scratch, and the pain expressing part is repressed. And rubbing your injury also has a similar effect of blocking pain receptors so that you feel less pain.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4221631&page=1

Grace Barnett

Many people who have amputations or lost limbs feel what is called a phantom limb. It is when the person thinks that their limb is still there and it often causes pain or discomfort. The example in the article is about a woman who had an amputated arm and thought that she could feel the fingers (in her amputated arm) clenching into her fist all the time--this was obviously uncomfortable for her. Researchers have developed a computer-generated virtual reality system that gives patients the sensation of having their missing limb back. When used on patients who have phantom limb issues, the system has been extremely sucessful with releiving the pain. Research has shown when the patient feels like they have their limb back, their pain subsides.

http://earthlink.com.com/Virtual+reality+can+ease+phantom+limb+pain/2100-11393_3-6135401.html

Hey,
It's Daria. You know, I sometimes use some pills like Aleve for my headaches-especially on the weekends- so naturally as I came across this article when I was browsing New York Times Health Section it was hard avoiding it.
The article mentions that just about 4% of Americans suffer from daily headaches due to different reasons like jaw disorders, stress and such. That was not a surprise; the surprise was that the researchers now believe that the overuse of the headache-treating medications could also be a cause of frequently-occurring headaches. Of course, the only way to see if the headaches are at least partly caused by the medications is to ask the patient not to take them for a while. The bad part of this is that it usually takes up to two months after the consumption of the last pill for the researchers to conclude that if the headaches are actually caused by them; a rather long waiting period. Fortunately, the participants actually showed signs of improvement and were suffering less headaches after they were being taken off the medication, as the results of this research indicates.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-headache-ess.html">http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-headache-ess.html

Hi,
It's Daria. This Science Daily website is amazing. I was looking for some topics under smoking and a lot of articles showed up; one the more interesting ones was about the relationship between the chemistry of the brain and smoking. While it's known that smoking cigarettes is one of the most harmful habits, hell researchers still manage to find more harmful aspects of it. According to this recent study, smoking alters the chemical make-up of the brain. This fascinating research, by comparing the brain of smokers vs. non-smokers at the cellular level, found out that in some parts of the brain the concentration of an amino acid called N-acetylaspartate (NAA) was significantly lower in the smokers' brain compared to the brains of people who are not addicted to nicotine. This amino acid reduction was more apparent in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which is part of the brain that's known to be responsible for feeling pleasure and pain. Even more fascinating is that according to this research and previous studies "reduced level of NAA" has been known to contribute to some serious illnesses like dementia, bipolar disorder and even alcohol dependence. Also the smokers' brain, especially the female smokers' brains, contained less choline which is responsible for cell membrane metabolism.
Well, here is another reason for quiting; if you can anyway.
Here's the link to the article:
"http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128140728.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128140728.htm

Hi,
It's Daria. Finding a cure for AIDS has been one the main focuses of the research community for decades. Well, we may have taken a step forward because according to this study, performed by the government researchers, a new receptor for the HIV virus has been found. Apparently, this receptor guides the virus to the gut after the entry of the virus to the body where it starts attacking the immune system. This receptor, which is mainly a carrier of the immune cells to the gut, can also act as a receptor for the HIV virus and the fascinating thing about is that no matter how you obtain the disease, this process happens which is why the researchers believe that this could be a "huge improvement in the field". Some drugs are already being tested that are known to inhibit the activities of this type of receptor which could indeed be very helpful in treating this disease.
Below is the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/health/11aids.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/health/11aids.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

It's Daria. You know the hits in football have always fascinated me.You see 'em regularly during the games, like the monstrous hit Reed- Colts excellent linebacker- had on the Titans punt returner during the week 17 game between these two times. The punt returner didn't suffer concussion but he didn't return punts the rest of the game either. Anyway, I had posted something about the studies relating concussions and depression in the lives of some football players before. This recent study, done by this Nigerian doctor, is truly fascinating. This doctor, examined the brains of 4 deceased football players who suffered depression during their lifetime and suffered multiple concussions and migraines during their careers. Two of these former players committed suicide. Although the study is not complete yet, it's a step forward in recognizing the real effects of these rating-boosting hits on the players.
Here's the link to the article:
"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402480.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402480.html

Click to follow link

This NYTimes article wonders why we haven't pondered the mechanism of muscle fatigue more thoroughly. Did you know that muscle fatigue do to build up of lactic acid is a recently debunked theory? Were all those magic school bus episodes wrong?
It is newly theorized that muscle fatigue is linked with calcium leakage. We learned in neuroscience that calcium can interfere with protein folding and render them useless. But in muscles, the normal amount of calcium released during normal amounts of activity are increased and even start to leak during excessive exercise, causing weaker contractions of the muscle. "At the same time, the leaked calcium stimulates an enzyme that eats into muscle fibers, contributing to the muscle exhaustion."
This hypothesis was indirectly concluded by Dr. Mark in a study of why heart muscle weakened . He found that as muscle worked harder and harder, especially when it is damaged, the body requires more blood. This triggers the sympathetic nervous system to secrete more epinephrine and norepinephine, hormones that allow muscle to contract harder. The secretion of these hormones caused more voltage gated calcium channels to become overstimulated, leaking calcium. When a drug that blocked calcium channels was administered to a group of experimental mice, it was found that they could run 10 to 20 percent longer than a control group.
There is a lot of speculation that these drugs will be abused by athletes too. How unfortunate.

Diane

Diane here:
Let's talk about the things I do when I sleep. For a while people have asked me if I dream that I am eating when I fall asleep. This is because my jaw rhythmically clenches and unclenches. You can basically know the instant that I fall asleep when my jaw starts chewing away. I looked this up online and supposedly I have a neurological condition called Bruxism. According to wikipedia, "Bruxism is caused by the activation of reflex chewing activity; it is not a learned habit." but I read somewhere else that Bruxism can be diminished through therapy or something. It can lead to headaches, the wearing down of tooth enamel, and from mild to severe cuts on the insides of your cheeks. Sometimes I would wake up with headaches or find little cuts inside of my mouth. I figured the cuts were from sleeping on one side of my face too often. But now I know.
My cousin also has a really bad case of Bruxism. She grinds her teeth really loudly. It is a decibal level I cannot reach trying to grind my own teeth. The amount of force you have to apply to your teeth to make it sound like loud knuckles rapping on the desk is ridiculous. Supposedly it is one of the most common sleep disorders affecting from 30-40 million people.

Here is that cool link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxism

This is Bridget.

I just read a New York Times article dealing with the social power of mimicry in persuading someone to do something. The research that is presented in the article asserts that when we are mimicked, in a loose fashion in which our actions are mirrored by the other person in a conversation so that we do not pick up on the subtle copying of our behavior, we are more likely to feel a social connection with that person, and more likely to be persuaded to their point. It is of vital importance that the mimicking is subtle and not picked up on, because once it is seen, people often associate mimicry with being mocked, and all potential for forming a bond with the stranger is lost. This article delves into different techniques used by salespeople in order to seem familiar and comfortable with their potential customers. Some people pick up regional accents, some, when in one to one contact, mimic the movements and habits of the customer, and others find out the situation of the customer, pretending themselves to have that exact same scenario in their lives, so as to be more relatable, and approachable. The effect of such mimicking appears to be entirely psychological, in that we, as humans, feel an inexplicable bond to people that we share something in common with. The message of the article is that though being charmed through this sometimes natural ability of people to mimic their counterparts in a conversation is nice enough, the manipulation of such persuasive power can be something to look out for and to catch ourselves in when falling too quickly into a deal.
It is interesting to note that being mimicked in a good way brings about a certain feeling of pleasure, since it most likely activates the brain circuits that deal with feelings of empathy towards fellow humans. If we feel that our situations are parallel and similar to this mimicking stranger, it is hard to not feel empathetic toward the other person, and give them rather unfounded trust.
I know personally that I am usually very easily persuaded by people who evoke my empathy. I would like to think that my decisions regarding whether or not I place my trust and confidence in someone or whether or not I am easily persuaded by someone that I do not know that well are entirely my own (well, in truth, all decisions are my own). But after understanding more about the subtle differences that can allow a person to manipulate my empathy and thus bring about responses from me that are rather illogical, I have to be careful about that feeling of “innately” relating to another person. Maybe they are just mimicking my actions, reminding me of the comfort that I know myself well and thus must know this person better than I actually do. It is interesting to see how scenarios will differ equipped with the knowledge of how other people can affect my psychological decisions, whether subconscious or conscious.

Here’s the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/12mimic.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087&em&en=14e4efc0e2d86811&ex=1202965200

Jenny Schieltz

People who read in Chinese have more brain structures devoted to reading than people who read in English

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050430/bob9.asp

This article first talks about a little boy named Ethan who talks to other children awkwardly and didn’t say his first word until the age of 3, but has incredible reading ability. Before he could read, he was fascinated by printed letters. Now in 4th grade, he reads and spells as well as most high school seniors, but his comprehension of written passages is only average for his age. Scientists refer to his condition as “hyperlexia”. It combines autism-like speech and social problems with a jump-start on reading.
Brain-imaging analysis was performed on Ethan and others to try to understand how the brain processes reading. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that reading invokes activity in a unique set of brain regions. Ethan exhibited unusually intense activity in some of these brain regions when compared with older children who read as well as he did.
The article then discusses the difference in brain activity when reading Western-style alphabetic text versus pictographic writing systems like Chinese. Findings are beginning to show how learning to read triggers certain universal brain structures, no matter what the language. But, at the same time, other brain responses critical for effective reading vary with the nature of one's writing system. All writing systems represent spoken language, but they have different design principles. Chinese characters represent bigger chunks of spoken words than letters do. Studies of blood flow and electric responses indicate that Chinese readers activate many of the same left brain areas that English readers do. However, right brain regions involved in vision also contribute to reading Chinese but not to reading English.

Ever wonder why you can't seem to remember what happened tuesday afternoon, but can't forget the time you heard a friend got in an accident? The reason for this is that events that are very traumatic are harder to forget, and the brief time surrounding the event is usually hardwired into your brain. Traumatic events often trigger magor mental changes, such as stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, in order to deal with what is occuring. Because the brain uses both external and internal stimuli to generate body commands, emotions can greatly influence the accuracy of memories. When one encounters a very emotional experience, the brain triggers responses to help the body cope with such dramatic changes. These triggers act like a signal to the brain that someting important is occuring and thus such memories are deemed important, and thus are harder to forget.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402042.html
This is Sarah Jenks

Feel like no matter how much you eat, you're never satisfied? Don't blame your stomach; it might be your brain that is at fault. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (that's right, ice cream might literally be addictive) has found a link between eating habits and brain functioning. Heavier patients had a harder time feeling full then did thinner subjects in a study where their stomachs received the same relative "fullness". The left rear amygdala was recorded as becoming more active as subjects began to feel full. Suggesting that this part of the brain may be responsible for decreasing food desires. Interestingly, the amygdala is the part of the brain which governs emotional responses, which may help researchers understand why people with eating disorders also have emotional issues as well. So, next time you can't fit into those jeans, don't suck in your stomach, try poking at your head and see if that helps at all.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20080111/stomach-full-brain-may-not-know
Posted by Sarah jenks

Jerzy
http://www.neurosciencenews.com/neuroscience-memory-research-pain-brain.htm

A 2007 study suggests that chronic, long-term pain may stem not from a physical injury itself, but rather the memory of it. Professor Vania Apkarian describes the phenomenon as, "the inability to turn off memory of the pain." To test this hypothesis, researchers subjected rats to D-cycloserine, a drug designed to interfere with memory function. The result was a 30% decrease in pain in the variable group. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, the rats' interaction with the environment was also profoundly effected. To test the interaction with the environment, both rats were placed in a dark room- the preferred location for nocturnal animals. When the control group was subjected to physical pain, they fled to a light room located adjacent to the dark room. The variable group, however, remained in the dark room. As for the relevance to humans, researchers predict that, "if we give this drug, [people will] say, 'I still have pain, but it doesn't bother me as much." If this is indeed the case, D-cycloserine could represent the future in pain relief.

Nat here:
Remember when Dean Kamen said he had an invention that would change the world, but it just ended up being the Segway, which definitely hasn't changed much? Well Kamen is back with something that is sure to have a much more considerable impact. He and his team have created a new type of prosthetic arm, nicknamed "Luke" (get it?), that can be controlled through foot pedals, nerves or muscles, and provides force-feedback so the user knows just how hard he's gripping whatever it is that he's gripping. With the thousands of amputee soldiers returning from overseas, the Luke comes at a particularly good time for prosthetics. And considering the increased understanding of how to control electronic and mechanical devices through brain activity, I think we aren't too far away from prosthetic limbs that perform almost as well (even better, i.e. Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man) as the real thing.

Check out the video, its pretty amazing:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/video?id=221

This is Bridget.

Having just completed the exam where having this virtual tour of the brain and its functions would have been pretty useful, I have the beautiful timing of finding it now. Nonetheless, this National Geographic site, though not an article, is extremely informative and has really cool virtual images that illuminate different parts of the brain and explain the corresponding functions of that part of the brain. I just thought fellow neuroscience students might appreciate having another source to help visualize all of the details about what exactly is (and where it is) in that extremely complex structure up there. The site allows you to stimulate the brain in varying fashions to see what part of the brain responds to what environmental stimulus, and also allows an introduction to neuroanatomy as well as brain malfunctions and diseases. I know this sounds kind of nerdy, but it is really cool and helpful, you should definitely check it out:

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/brain-article.html

In addition, there was a quick blurb on one of the pages regarding the human body and health that said that Mondays are actually dangerous to human health. Due to an increase in blood pressure because of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system on Monday mornings, that arises from the acute survival sensation that one needs to merely "survive the day, and then the week," people are more susceptible to heart attacks on Monday morning than other points throughout the week. I thought this was pretty scary to learn about, and it made me think that all of that angst about the week is really not worth it at all if it is that detrimental to overall health. This just goes to show that proper stress management techniques are vital to healthy functioning and productivity.

Jerzy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/86668.php

A 2007 study concluded that auditory perception and visual perception are not unrelated. As one researcher explained, "merging research suggests that rich information from different senses come together quickly and influence each other so that we don't experience the world one sense at a time." With this information in mind, a research team investigated the link between hearing and gender perception. The team first created a series of ambiguous faces by essentially combining photos of men and women. Test subjects were next asked to identify the gender of the people in the photos. While looking at the photos, however, subjects listened to a pure tone that either fell in frequency of either 100-150 Hz (a male voice) or 160-300 Hz (a female voice). Although the sounds in question were merely beeps, participants overwhelmingly selected the gender associated with the respective frequency range. Voice, thus, can have a significant effect one's visual perceptions. As for future studies, one researcher speculates that other senses, such as that of smell, could also have a significant impact on visual, and consequently gender, perception.

Jerzy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/86671.php

A study conducted at the University of California, San Diego found cannabis to have the potential to be an effective pain killer for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, diabetes or shingles. The effectiveness of the drug, however, depends on the dosage. A low dose had negligible effects, while a high dose actually increased the response to pain. Antidepressants, too, can be ineffective, if not counteractive, if taken in high doses. A medium dose, however, resulted in moderate pain relief. Patients smoking a medium dose of cannabis (4% THC by weight) experienced a 34% reduction in HIV-associated sensory neuropathy pain. The effects generally took 45 minutes or more to occur. This study provides a strong case to continue investigating the possible benefits of cannabis. Researchers are optimistic that medicinal marijuana could eventually be an effective alternative for patients who don't respond well to usual treatments, such as ibuprofen. As for anyone looking to "self-medicate", the article makes no mention of therapeutic benefits for any problem outside of the aforementioned ailments. So, at least for the time being, you should probably stick to Advil to cure that headache.

Sam Brusca Posting: It seems to have been a while since there was a lot of talk about the benefits of classical music. In 1993, the first research was conducted at the University of California. The results were exciting: listening to Mozart or other classical music before taking spatial reasoning tests (such as puzzles) increased the subjects scores 8-9 points. It is thought that Classical music, with all its complexity, is interpreted and broken down in the same neural pathways as spatial reasoning. Thus, the classical music "warmed up" the brain for better puzzle taking ability. Since then however, there have been numerous other experiments that have found no validity in the Mozart Effect. Most critics seem to think that the music simply elevated or depressed the test takers' moods to one more suitable for puzzle solving. Ironically, the Mozart Effect's popularity has grown over the years. An article presented by Stanford University seems to think that the Mozart Effect was absorbed by parents' increasing obsession with education and that no actual tests have been done with babies. I don't know if the Mozart Effect is totally bogus. When I study or write a paper, listening to classical music seems to help me focus. However, " help focusing" does not reason that the classical music actually effected my memory. So, it seems like a myth has been busted, and all the baby mozart hype is unwarranted.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/february2/mozart-020205.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/mozarteffect2.shtml#howmuch

By Caroline Haeberle

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22729220/

Studies have been conducted showing that people from different cultures actually have different brain "wirings." The studies involve people from America and people from Asia having their brains monitored by fMRIs while solving puzzles. The results show that Americans have a harder time making "relative" judgments since regions of the brain that deal with mentally demanding tasks lit up, while people from East Asia had a harder time making "absolute" judgments for the same reason. These results are the first to show that cultural difference extend to brain activity. It goes to show that Americans' emphasis on the individual and Asians' emphasis on the community as a whole have a great impact on the way they go about their daily lives.

Hola from Rosamaria,

I've noticed that nearly all of the blog reports on this website are purely scientific which is all well and good, considering the nature of the class. But the realms of science fiction and popular cultures are equally fascinated with the workings of the mind.

One of my favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, revolves around the premise that specific memories can be targeted and erased. The film gets its name from a line in the poem "Eloisa to Abelard" by Alexander Pope.
How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd
(vestals were the virgin holy females priests of ancient Rome)
In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the fictional Lacuna Incorporation offers a service to the brokenhearted--a return to the state of "the blameless vestal's lot." By eradicating all trace of memory of a specific event, or more commonly a specific person, Lacuna gives its heartbroken and desperate patients peace of mind.

The movie is a love story, following the 2 year romance of the emotionally withdrawn artist Joel and his free-spirited girlfriend Clementine backwards through the memories that are being erased from Joel's mind. Let me back up a minute. Okay, first of all Joel and Clementine got into a heated argument and so on an impulse, Clementine goes to Lacuna, inc. to erase Joel from her mind. When Joel finds out, he goes to Lacuna to find out about the procedure. Dr. Mierziak explains the process:
1. The patient collects every belonging that reminds them of the person to be erased. (pictures, letters, jewelry, etc.)
2. A computer "map" is made of the person's memories at Lacuna, inc. as the patient, strapped in a chair, looks at each and every object.
3. That night, the patient takes a sleeping pill, and a technician comes over to the patient's house and erases the target meomories with a special machine.
Alarmed, Joel asks if there is any risk of brain damage. Dr.Mierziak responds, "Well, technically speaking, the operation IS brain damage, but it's on a par with a night of heavy drinking. Nothing you'll miss."

Halfway through the procedure as Joel is running through his memories, he realizes as painful as losing Clementine was, it is far worse to lose all memory of her. He desperately struggles to hold on his memories as they are being eliminated one by one.

...and well obviously I can't tell you how it ends, because I am notorious for ruining the endings for people!

Here's the url to the trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1GiLxkDK8sI

Here's the url to the movie website:
http://www.eternalsunshine.com/

And just for giggles, here's the url to its Internet Movie Database site:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0338013/

Grace Wang

A new study conducted by Columbia University researchers has found that the sex of the surgeon may influence whether or not a woman receives radiation treatment after breast cancer surgery. Although this data is still preliminary, it raises interesting questions: most notably, do characteristics of your physician or surgeon dictate the type and quality of medical care you will receive? This concern can obviously permeate into all realms of medicine, including treatment of neurological disorders and response to brain tumors.

In the current study, the Columbia University researchers sought to determine why breast cancer treatment still varies among patients with similar ailments. They focused on radiation treatment given to women after lumpectomy procedures. Radiation treatment is a hallmark of quality cancer care and has been demonstrated to reduce breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Unfortunately, many women still do not receive it. This study set out to find potential underpinning reasons.

The researchers investigated approximately 30,000 women aged 65 and older who were diagnosed with breast cancer between the years of 1991 and 2002 and who received a lumpectomy procedure. They also obtained data on the 4,453 surgeons who operated on these women. Earlier studies on this topic have isolated several characteristics that seem to determine whether a woman will receive post-surgical radiation – a patient’s race, age, and how far she lives from radiation therapy facilities. The most recent report, however, looked at the doctors involved in the lumpectomies after controlling for demographic groups who have been determined less likely to receive radiation therapy (older women, black women, unmarried women, those living in rural areas, etc.)

It was discovered that women who received radiation were more likely to have had either a female surgeon, an experienced surgeon, or someone trained in the United States. This result has been attributed to the closer relationships that female surgeons develop with their breast cancer patients, which can lead to better communication and sympathy on the female surgeon’s part. Although this data has been amassed from a large population of breast cancer patients, we should still be careful in analyzing its results. As stated in the article, this study is not meant to make breast cancer patients weary of seeking out male doctors. Contributing factors need to be investigated further.

I found this article very interesting because it shows that there may be a correlation between personal characteristics of your doctor and what type of medical care you receive. For the most part, I believe that the majority of people do not stop to think that the medication they are prescribed or the type of surgery they receive for a particular symptom may differ, sometimes vastly, between physicians. In extreme cases, disparities in treatment can sometimes lead to death. This is just another important consideration as some of us head towards the medical profession…

By Caroline Haeberle

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97112.php

According to the article above, come this Valentine's Day people in love have more to look forward to than a Hallmark card and candy in a heart shaped box. Those in love could actually be improving their heart health, says Julie Damp, M.D. Their is apparently a change in their neuro-hormonal levels that is beneficial to whole body health as well as heart health. The idea is that people happily in love have less stress and anxiety, therefore lowering the levels of hormones that go hand in hand with these things.
The article also suggests giving your Valentine dark chocolate for his or her heart because the high levels of cocoa have heart healthy flavanoids.

Jenny Schieltz

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080213/health-highlights-feb-13-2008.htm

This short article in U.S News and World Report today (the second one down the page) says that a new study finds that the combination of hostility and depression can have negative effects on your heart. Researchers examined correlations between emotional symptoms and blood markers of inflammatory proteins in 360 healthy people age 50-70. They found that "patients with depressive symptoms and hostility were more prone to higher levels of the inflammatory proteins interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein -- each of which have been linked to heart disease risk." All thought causes are complex, this study shows that treating depression may be important for physical as well as mental health reasons.

Jerzy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93300.php

According to a 2008 study, a ninety-minute daytime nap speeds up the process of long term memory consolidation. There are two types of long term memory: memories of "what", and memories of "how to". A brief daytime nap was found to improve the latter. To prove this, two groups of participants were asked to bring their thumbs and fingers together in a specific sequence. Subjects were evaluated based on speed and accuracy. After being taught the sequence, half of the participants were permitted to take a 90 minute nap. When tested later on that evening, the group that took the nap preformed substantially better than that which stayed awake. It is interesting to note that after both groups received a full night of rest, the groups' performances were nearly identical. The nap, therefore, was only responsible for speeding up the learning process. Unfortunately, researchers are unsure of precisely which mechanisms sleep enhances. Should they be discovered, researchers believe it will be possible to artificially improve memory. Until that happens, however, a daytime nap is an effective alternative.

This article is extremely interesting-- it discusses how trading on the stock-market can lead to the activation of brain circuits that are also activated by drugs. The more risky the trade, the more pleasurable the feeling. This can lead to such a pleasurable rush, or addiction, that people end up losing literally billions of dollars in the market. I wonder if this could cause a withdrawal syndrome-- in other words, if an "addicted" trader were unable to trade, would he experience symptoms?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/business/worldbusiness/07trader.html?scp=3&sq=neuroscience&st=nyt

Marie Locke

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97129.php

This article explored the similarities between opiates and nicotine through experimentation. In their experiments, rat brain tissues displayed a large overlap in dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward centers between opiates and nicotine. Dopamine is released in areas such as the nucleus accumbens to naturally reward activities such as food, some drugs, and stimuli that become associated with them. The two very different drugs of opiates and nicotine result in an extraordinarily similar effect of dopamine signaling, and researchers hope to use this similarity to find additional treatments for addiction. It seems really fascinating that researchers can use the way the drugs overlap in order to create additional methods of treatment.

Lauren Barousse

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96538.php

Similar to the article comparing opiates and nicotine, researchers have also identified the area of the brain which drives the compulsion to seek drugs, even when it is detrimental to the persons well being. Researchers tested this by selectively switching off the drug seeking part of the brain, and their results further supported the role of part of the brain called the striatum. This area is activated by reward. This article illustrates the possibility of using this information for both treatment and possible prevention of drug use, and further research into this part of the brain has a promising future.

Lauren Barousse

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/12mimic.html?em&ex=1203051600&en=6987e1200efad2c8&ei=5087%0A

This article discussed many different studies psychologists have been doing for almost a century, involving the art of persuasion. Their results suggest that the immediate “click” between people has a strong tie into the mimicry. People are highly susceptible to similar tendencies and even voice tone. Researchers suggest that identifying this habit in people can help avoid skillful sales techniques, or even improving their own skills in connecting with people in social situations. This article further justified conclusions I think most people have from observing social situations, but I thought it was really interesting that they also tied it into sales and the business world.

Lauren Barousse

From Connell Owings:

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2008/01/31/keeping-your-brain-fit_print.htm

This article discusses several different ways you can keep your memory and thinking sharp. This especially applies to people of older generations, but it is still quite interesting. Nintendo and several other video game distributors have come out with video games that are good for your brain. It’s kind of funny to picture your grandmother or grandfather playing a Nintendo game, but it’s the new healthy thing to do. The article discusses how over time, the brain does begin to shrink and brains with Alzheimer’s disease shrink about twice as fast. It points out that the prefrontal cortex, which controls the working memory, and the hippocampus, which is also involved in memory, are most affected by this shrinkage. However, in the past decade or so, research has confirmed that the brain can continue to grow into the late years of a person’s life, and especially with some sort of stimulation. With the rapidly increasing number of cases of Alzheimer’s disease, I couldn’t begin to think of a reason for people not to try a few of these simple things. The article points out that vigorous, or really any, exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, making the brain larger and thus, improving thinking and memory. Certain foods such as fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that are also recommended to mitigate the effects of memory loss. Other games like crossword puzzles are also encouraged.

Hey, it’s Grace Wang…

I just read a very interesting New York Times article written by a practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Friedman, who believes that drugs created by the study of neuroscience can never truly replace traditional therapy for patients suffering from “mind diseases” such as schizophrenia and depression. You can read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/health/19mind.html?ref=science

Dr. Friedman makes a clear delineation between medicine of the mind and medicine of the physical body in justifying his belief and draws upon a personal anecdote during which a patient asks if he himself had ever undergone psychotherapy. Intrigued, Friedman asks himself whether a heart surgeon is required to undergo bypass surgery in order to be a good heart surgeon. His answer is, not surprisingly, no. So what then is intrinsically different between treating someone for a heart attack and treating someone suffering from schizophrenia or some other disorder of the mind? Why does one require the physician to engage in an experience the patient himself must endure?

Friedman concluded that it is the personal connection established between the patient and doctor which set the two scenarios apart. Whereas a cardiothoracic surgeon can successfully conduct heart surgery on a patient under deep anesthesia (who need not meet the surgeon!), a psychiatrist cannot be successful in treating schizophrenia without first developing a trusting relationship of give-and-take and compassionate understanding with his patient. Therein lies the treatment. Therefore, it is helpful for a psychiatrist to have undergone psychotherapy himself for he who has experienced is more likely to relate meaningfully to his patient and subsequently provide useful treatment.

Dr. Friedman holds this relationship shared between the patient and psychiatrist in high regard. Although he believes the field of neuroscience holds much potential, he is not convinced that drugs, artificially created in a laboratory, can ever evoke the same response as two human beings interacting with one another.

Hey, this is Grace Wang again…

I am absolutely fascinated by neurodegenerative diseases, and stumbled across this article, which discusses research currently being conducted at Harvard and MIT which holds great promise for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Read more here: http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19080/

Currently, those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders can only be treated for their symptoms; prevention and reversal of these disorders has not yet been possible with current medical technology. This is a great cause for concern given that neurodegenerative disorders continue to plague an increasingly large fraction of the population who are helpless as their neurons and neuronal connections disintegrate into nothingness…

Research at Harvard and MIT offers positive change, however. A gene called SIRT1 and a plant compound found in red wine, resveratrol, have been shown to protect against neuron degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. After developing what is considered a human equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease, the laboratory mice experienced impaired spatial learning and found it increasingly difficult to associate cause and effect sequences. Miraculously, treatment with resveratrol restored the learning capabilities of the impaired mice to a level compared to normal mice and decreased the death of neurons and their connections. This finding is extremely important because it shows that resveratrol is both neuroprotective and can improve cognitive function, even after the onset of severe neurodegeneration.

This effect can also be achieved with activation of SIRT1, which has been shown to keep cells robust in a wide variety of settings. Compounds activating SIRT1 must, however, be able to bypass the blood brain barrier in order to be effective. This is a concern important to those developing drugs targeting the brain.

Both possible therapeutic pathways, resveratrol and SIRT1 activation hold great promise in treating those individuals already suffering from neurodegenerative diseases by reversing neuron death. This is, unfortunately, an advancement which has not yet been possible.

From Brendon Ellis:

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20071228-000001.xml

The author of this article suggests that smell plays a larger role in selecting a mate than previously understood. Despite our unawareness, the odor of a significant other has extremely significant biological effects. For instance, reproduction with another individual who one deems to "smell good" often allows for a more genetically diverse offspring. Claus Wedekind, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, demonstrated this through his experiment by having 44 men sleep in gray shirts for two nights in order to collect their body odor. He then had 49 women smell the shirts and indicate which ones they preferred. When analyzed, the data suggested that women, more often than not, chose the shirt of a man "immunologically dissimilar" to themselves. This data indicates that odor plays a far greater role in love than previously believed. Not only do wives smell the pillow cases of their absent husbands for memories sake or boyfriends lovingly sniff their girlfriends necks just to remember, but now, this experiment proves that odors and pheromones allow an individual to a find a biologically satisfying partner.
Elizabeth Svoboda continues her argument by supplying data that connects a higher miscarriage rate to a "higher degree of MHC similarity," and even longer intervals between conception for these couples. She also submits that the birth control pill (or "The Divorce Pill" as she likes to call it) can send off false pheromones; these mixed signals make it very difficult for both sexes. For instance, if a woman goes off the pill, then her boyfriend/husband might respond negatively to the new body odors. In fact, she might respond differently; the birth control could have acted on her reception of her significant others' odor.