Phantoms in the Brain The writings of Oliver Sacks and others have shown us that we can learn much about ourselves by looking closely at the deficits shown by people with neurological problems. V.S. Ramachandran has seen countless patients suffering from anosognosia, phantom limb pain, blindsight, and other disorders, and he brings a remarkable mixture of clinical intuition and research savvy to bear on their problems. He is one of the few scientists who are able and willing to explore the personal, subjective ramifications of his work; he rehumanizes an often too-sterile field and captures the spirit of wonder so essential for true discovery. Phantoms in the Brain is equal parts medical mystery, scientific adventure, and philosophical speculation. Watch the full documentary now (playlist - 1 hour, 39 minutes)
Changing brains: why neuroscience is ending the Prozac era | Science | The Observer Mice are used in research into optogenetics, which suggests that even finer control of the brain may be possible. Photograph: John B Carnett/Popular Science via Getty Images The psychiatric drug age may have reached its peak. Although mind-altering medications are being prescribed in record numbers, signs of a radically new approach to understanding and treating mental illness are emerging from the deep waters of neuroscience. No longer focused on developing pills, a huge research effort is now devoted to altering the function of specific neural circuits by physical intervention in the brain. The starkest indication that drugs are increasingly being thought of as yesterday's cutting-edge comes from the little mentioned fact that almost all the major drug companies have closed or curtailed their drug discovery programmes for mental and neurological disorders. This is largely because these drugs tend not to be very specific in their effects on the brain. Let's make this clear.
How Alcohol Affects the Brain General Effects of Alcohol on the Brain Alcohol can affect several parts of the brain, but in general, alcohol contracts brain tissue and depresses the central nervous system. Also, alcohol destroys brain cells and unlike many other types of cells in the body, brain cells do not regenerate. When alcohol reaches the brain, it interferes with communication between nerve cells, by interacting with the receptors on some cells. Chemical Effects of Alcohol on the Brain To understand how alcohol interferes with brain function, it is necessary to know a little bit about normal brain function. The gap between cells where neurotransmitters are active is called the synapse. When alcohol is introduced to the synapse, the normal neurotransmission may be affected. Effects of Alcohol on Brain Parts Alcohol affects different parts of the brain in different ways. The cerebral cortex and alcohol Affect thought processes, leading to potentially poor judgement. The limbic system and alcohol
Your Memories Need Their Sleep Ann Whitman (212) 223-4040awhitman@dana.org The big test is tomorrow—should you stay up late and study, or cut short the cram session and get a good night’s sleep? Most if not all students face this dilemma at some point in their lives. This issue doesn’t affect only students or business people whose performance depends heavily on memorization. The good news is that researchers may soon find ways to counteract this process, by helping people to sleep better and by developing techniques to strengthen specific memories during sleep. A recent awakeningThere have long been tantalizing hints of the relationship between sleep and memory. But testing the relationship between sleep and memory was and still is tricky. Sleep itself is not a uniform process. The scientific shift towards SWS as the major memory-consolidation phase began in the mid-1990s with experiments in animals, the results of which were later confirmed in human subjects. How does memory consolidation work? Published August 2012
Subliminal Stimuli Explained Subliminal Articles There is a lot of misunderstanding about the term subliminal and how subliminal messages, especially those found a subliminal CDs, work. Subliminal messages are not just verbal commands. They can take the form of a single hidden word, entire sentences or even images which elicit an emotional response at a subconscious level. Therefore most subliminal messages, in popular use, are better referred to as "subliminal stimuli". The word "subliminal" is used to refer to anything that is registered by the brain but is only offered to the senses below the threshold of conscious perception. Subliminal stimuli refers to anything that stimulations the brain and senses at a subliminal level. For example an image may be shown so quickly to an individual that all he or she is consciously aware of is a flash of light or imperceptible image. Likewise a verbal message may also be hidden, or "masked", behind other sounds so that the words being spoken are imperceptible.
Revista chilena de nutrición - ACIDOS GRASOS OMEGA-3, ENFERMEDADES PSIQUIÁTRICAS Y NEURODEGENERATIVAS: UN NUEVO ENFOQUE PREVENTIVO Y TERAPÉUTICO Rev Chil Nutr Vol. 36, N°4, Diciembre 2009, págs.: 1120-1128 Rodrigo Valenzuela B. (1), Karla Bascuñan G. (1), Alfonso Valenzuela B. (2), Rodrigo Chamorro M. (3) (1) Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile Dirección para correspondencia Psychiatric depression and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, have shown a considerable increase in recent decades, particularly in Western countries. Key words: Omega-3 fatty acids, neurodegenerative diseases, nutrition and disease prevention. Las enfermedades psiquiátricas y neurodegenerativas han experimentado un considerable incremento en las últimas décadas, particularmente en los países de occidente, destacando entre las de origen psiquiátrico la depresión y entre las neurodegenerativas la esclerosis múltiple y la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Palabras clave: ácidos grasos omega-3; enfermedades neurodegenerativas; nutrición y prevención de enfermedades.
BrainMind.net Lecture 3 The Left Hemisphere From: Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, Clinical Neuroscience by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. (Academic Press, New York, 2000) Language, Consciousness, Handedness, Aphasia, Apraxia, Alexia Agraphia, Depression, Schizophrenia, Ego-Centric Speech & The Origin of Thought Handeded and Hemispheric Functional Laterality The left half of the brain controls the right hand. Among 80-90% of right handers, and over 50-80% of those who are left handed, the left cerebral hemisphere provides the neural foundation and mediates most aspects of expressive and receptive linguistic functioning (Frost et al., 1999; Pujol, et al., 1999). As demonstrated with functional imaging and blood flow studies, when reading, speaking, and naming, the left hemisphere becomes highly active (Buchel et al., 1998; Evers et al., 1999; Frost et al., 1999; Peterson et al., 1988, 1990; Price, 1997; Pujol, et al., 1999). The Language Axis "Gnosis" means to "know" Agnosia means, not to know.
Serotonin And Happiness Are Regulated By Gut Bacteria - BMED Report University of College Cork (UCC) scientists have shown that brain levels of serotonin, the ‘happy hormone,’ are regulated by the amount of bacteria in the gut during early life. Their research is being published today in the leading international psychiatry journal, Molecular Psychiatry. This research shows that normal adult brain function depends on the presence of gut microbes during development. Serotonin, the major chemical involved in the regulation of mood and emotion, is altered in times of stress, anxiety and depression and most clinically effective antidepressant drugs work by targeting this neurochemical. Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC used a germ-free mouse model to show that the absence of bacteria during early life significantly affected serotonin concentrations in the brain in adulthood. “We’re really excited by these findings” said lead author Dr. Material adapted from University of College Cork.
BrainMind.net It has now been well established that the right cerebral hemisphere is dominant over the left in regard to the perception, expression and mediation of almost all aspects of social and emotional functioning (e.g. Borod, 1992; Cancelliere & Kertesz, 1990; Freeman & Traugott, 1993; Heilman & Bowers 1995; Heilman et al. 1985; Joseph 1988a; Tucker & Frederick, 1989; see below), including the recall of emotional memories (Cimino et al., 1991; Rauch et al., 1996; Shin et al., 1997). This emotional dominance extends to bilateral control over the autonomic nervous system, including heart rate, blood pressure regulation, galvanic skin conductance and the secretion of cortisol in emotionally upsetting or exciting situations (Rosen et al. 1982; Wittling, 1990; Wittling & Pfluger, 1990; Yamour et al. 1980; Zamarini et al. 1990). However, this dominance does not appear to extend to the immune system (Meador et al., 1999). Aphasia & Depression Wernicke's Area
Neuroacoustics: The Healing Power of Sound ALBUQUERQUE, NM—The experience of sound is at the very core of human consciousness, and it can be a powerful tool for healing, said Jeffrey Thompson, DC, at the annual meeting of the American Holistic Medical Association. For more than 20 years, Dr. Thompson has been exploring neuroacoustics and the therapeutic application of sound. “It is akin to the picking of a lock on the neurophysiologic processes that the body already uses to heal itself,” said Dr. Primordial Sounds and Self-Awareness Perception of sound begins in the womb, and it begins very early. In many respects, it is through sound that a gestating human becomes aware of itself. Recordings of primordial sounds can be used therapeutically to access aspects of consciousness and memory to which an individual is typically unconscious. Physical Resonance Much of Dr. Almost everyone has seen images of a wine glass being exploded by sound. Dr. Coupled Oscillation and Biosynchronization Binaural Beats and Hemispheric Synchronization Dr.
BrainMind.net When hallucinations follow depth electrode or cortical stimulation, much of the material experienced is very dream-like (Gloor 1990, 1992; Halgren et al., 1978; Malh et al., 1964; Penfield & Perot 1963) and consists of recent perceptions, ideas, feelings, and other emotions which are similarly illusionary and dream-like. Indeed, the right amygdala, hippocampus, and the right hemisphere in general (Broughton, 1982; Goldstein et al., 1972; Hodoba, 1986; Humphrey & Zangwill, 1961; Kerr & Foulkes, 1978; Meyer et al. 1987) also appear to be involved in the production of deam imagery as well as REM sleep (chapter 10). For example stimulation of the amygdala triggers and increases ponto-geniculo-occipital paradoxical activity during sleep (Calvo, et al. 1987), which in turn is associated with REM and dreaming. The Right Hemisphere & Dreams. Forgotten Dreams. Most individuals, however, have difficulty recalling their dreams.
Neurological disorder MMF found to be caused by vaccines: scientific proof (NaturalNews) It is a little-known condition that can trigger persistent and debilitating symptoms similar to those associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and fibromyalgia, but is also one that the medical profession at large is still unwilling to acknowledge. And yet emerging research continues to show that macrophagic myofasciitis, or MMF, is a very real condition brought about as a direct result of vaccines that contain aluminum adjuvants, which become lodged in muscle tissue and lead to severe neurological damage and other problems. First identified in 1998, MMF is characterized by debilitating muscle and joint pain, chronic inflammation, and incapacitating fatigue. Though clearly distinct from both fibromyalgia and MS, which are also now believed by many to be neurological conditions triggered by vaccines, MMF is similar in that it appears to involve the demyelination of the central nervous system, or the loss of the fatty layer myelin sheaths that protect nerves.