#neuroscience

#neuroscience

This summer, I did something unusual for me: I hit pause. After a year that included launching an in-person summit for nearly 200 women, hosting a retreat in Cabo, launching my podcast (with co-host Dr. Nicole Martin), and releasing a book, I was, in a word, tired. The kind of tired that no amount of coffee or color-coded planner could fix.

In a previous post, I described the life of Heinz Lehmann, a young German physician who fled the rise of Nazi power and settled in Canada, where he played a major role in the recognition of chlorpromazine as a treatment for psychoses. As it turns out, he was one of many talented physicians and scientists who settled in Britain, the U.S., and Canada, where they contributed to the growth of neuroscience and neuropharmacology.

We tend to think that we experience the world as it is. We see and hear things, store them away as knowledge, and then take new facts into account. But that's not how our brains actually work. In reality, we filter out most of what we experience, so that we can focus on particular points of interest. In effect, we forget most things so we can zero in on what seems to be most important.

'I got woken up by a massive thump on the shoulder. So I opened my eyes, and I could see next to my bed a very vague hazy version of Robin as if he was pushing himself through treacle to be seen, and I was just transfixed, and I could see him become more and more clear, I could see the outline of his hair and his face, but he suddenly just dissolved from the top down.'

Children's brains are more attuned to unusual details instead of familiar patterns, resulting in high scores for intuition, unlike older individuals who rely on established patterns.

Erin Kunz of Stanford University indicates that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can restore speech for paralyzed individuals by decoding signals from the brain's motor cortex, revealing intended speech.

Tim Gregory notes that the most climate-concerned environmentalists are often the least supportive of nuclear power, despite its potential to mitigate global warming through zero carbon emissions.

Caffeine can make the sleeping brain more active and less restful, particularly in young adults, according to a study from the University of Montreal.

Fear-based messages often activate a resistance response in the brain, leading to further entrenchment of beliefs. Instead, messages highlighting benefits promote openness and learning.

The researchers used virtual reality to show test subjects images of human faces displaying signs of infection, revealing a distinct neurological response compared to neutral and fearful faces.

In his book, Awakenings, Sacks describes their condition: "They would be conscious and aware - yet not fully awake; they would sit motionless and speechless all day...as passive as zombies."

The accelerated ageing occurred even in people who didn't become infected, with structural changes in brain scans most noticeable in older people, male participants, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Citizen neuroscientists have collected nearly 8,000 brain-activity recordings across Tanzania and India, yielding data equivalent to lab-quality recordings for under US$50 per participant.

I called the book Still Me because it's not just from the perspective of the person with dementia; I mean it from the perspective of the carer too. You are not just a carer, you are entitled to a life outside that.

Providing opportunities for children to engage in parent-directed and self-selected play can support this rapid phase of synaptic growth for boosted cognitive development and emotional maturity.

Lying is baked into human behavior. Research indicates that most people lie occasionally, while some lie daily. However, not all lies are intended to harm.

The first brain regions to rouse during waking up are associated with executive function and decision-making, indicating a structured wave of activation from front to back.

Zafar's professional journey transitioned from being a patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder to investigating treatments for the condition at a molecular level.

The brain organizes conversations by adapting to the timescale of the dialogue, using overlapping systems for short exchanges and distinct processes for longer narratives.

Psychosis is not a diagnosis, it is best understood as a final common pathway of multiple conditions. What unites these causes is their impact on the brain's ability to interpret reality.

Creativity arises from dynamic interaction between different neural networks, particularly the default mode network and the executive control network, promoting spontaneous thought and focused evaluation.

Researchers discovered marked structural differences in the brains of psychopaths, notably in areas that control emotional regulation, impulse control, and social behavior.

Matthew Sacchet, director of the meditation research program at Harvard Medical School, indicates that meditation, while beneficial for many, can also lead to significant suffering in some individuals. This unexpected outcome has prompted calls for greater scrutiny by researchers and clinicians into the effects of meditation beyond its therapeutic applications.

Cognitive neuroscience has made significant progress in mapping the neural circuits that underpin emotions, memory, perception, and cognition, highlighting the physical structures involved.

To help yourself relax, try stretching and taking breaths with an extended exhale.