Physiological Psychology Course Blog

Summary: Amyloid plaques are the result of beta-amyloid protein deposits that build up in-between nerve cells in the brain as neurons deteriorate. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that affects the brain. Synaptic connections begin to shrink as neurons die which causes the trademark symptoms that include: decline in both spoken and written speech; decline in the ability to recognize people and objects; decline in judgement/decision making; and decline in motor function. Solanezumab is a drug that was in development to slow the effects of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease by attacking amyloid plaques within the brain. The results from clinical trials, however, showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the conditions of those given the drug to those who were given a placebo. There are approximately 47 million people who suffer from some form of dementia globally; 60 to 80% of which suffer from Alzheimer's disease. This setback struck the c...

Summary: Researchers monitored a group of 24 children from the Oklahoma and Tennessee Schools for the Blind as they played video games. The participants were screened beforehand and most were shown to have vision below the legal blindness limit of 20/200 as well as poor peripheral vision. The students were divided into 3 groups: one where they played a puzzle/control game similar to Tetris; one where they played an action game called Ratchet and Clank; and one where they played the game designed by the experimenters. Each game was played up close to large screen where a projector cast the image of the game. The goal of the researcher's game was to track multiple objects and respond when another object appeared at random. The point of the game was to force the players to spread their attention over a wide theater of vision with an emphasis on the edges of their vision. The groups that played the Tetris-like game and the custom designed researcher's game were shown to have as ...

Link: http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/11/29/women-and-men-have-different-visual-perceptions/113186.html Summary: This post is about a brand new study on men and women seeing things differently. They both look and absorb information in different ways, which does throw a suggestion at gender differences. Studies where done on over 500 participants over the course of a 5 week period to monitor and judge how comfortable these participants felt while looking at a face on a computer screen. The study showed that women looked more at the left handed side of faces and have a strong left eye bias. The study also showed that women will explore more of the face than men will. The psychologists saw that it was possible to tell what gender the person was when scanning the faces based on scanning patterns of how they looked at the face. It shows an 80% accuracy and since the sample size was large, researchers knew that this was not due to chance. Researchers are able to eliminate that this is n...

Link: http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/11/27/dna-plays-role-in-choosing-mates-with-similar-academic-achievement/113074.html Summary: This article was about how DNA can affect mating choices with those of similar academic success. People who are predisposed for any high academic achievement are more likely to marry those with similar DNA. Most romantic partners are chosen through “associate mating” this means that people with similar phenotypes tend to pair up more often than randomization. This can go from skin color to age to intelligence to weight. It is more likely that people with similar education levels will pair up rather than those with different education levels. Researchers are predicting that this “associate mating” is going to increase genetically and social inequality in future generations. There was a study done to see if associative mating was present in DNA. The research was done on 1,600 cohabiting couples in the United Kingdom and was colead by Dr. David Hugh-Jone...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-players-in-the-obesity-puzzle-the-brain-s-glial-cells/ Gilal cells are used to insulate and support neurons.  Studies have show  that obesity leads to increased activation of glial cells in the hypothalamus. Two more recents studies were conducted in order to support this theory. In the first study, researchers used  genetic to remove insulin receptors from astrocytes. They then used  positron emission tomography imaging. It revealed that these mice did not have enough glucose reaching their brains, so they were unable to adjust the amount they ate to balance the sugar level. In the second study,  researchers removed insulin and leptin from astrocytes. The results showed that hormones work together to regulate metabolism. I choose this articles because I know a lot of friends and family who suffer from obesity. Some people like blame the person for being obese. When in reality, hormones play a role in metabolism...

http://neurosciencenews.com/risk-taking-adolescence-5304/ Were you an extreme risk taker growing up? Did your parents express a concern about your behavior as an adolescent? In this article, researchers have discovered a strong correlation between imbalanced brain activity and behavioral control that adolescents experience. While it is expected that adolescents take risks and venture on their own, it is devastating when during adolescence people have outbursts and begin to be involved in dangerous activity, such as taking drugs. In previous studies, researchers found that adolescents have difficulty suppressing risk-taking behavior due to the low activity in the prefrontal cortex along with high activity in the nucleus accumbens. Heidi C. Meyer conducted a study using a chemogenetic approach, known as Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) in order to recreate the imbalance that an adolescent would have in their brain. The experiment included adult rats...

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/07/how-zika-breaks-into-the-brain/491873/ Zika is a virus that is spread through mosquito bites. This article discusses how Zika effects  neural cells in the brain.  According to the article, researchers have suggested that some brain cells  that are present in newborns remain in the brain during adulthood. These brain cells are susceptible to Zika. They cells are known as neural progenitor cells. In newborns, neural progenitor cells build a complex brain. In adults, they replace and replenish damaged neurons.Neural progenitor cells are essential in learning and memory, and resistant to Zika.  A study was conducted on mice in order to see the effects that Zika has on neural progenitor cells. The results showed that Zika caused brain impairment and cell death.   Researchers believe that a person with a healthy brain could fight off Zika. It's people that have a weakened immune system, who are at high risk. ...

http://neurosciencenews.com/exercise-meth-addiction-5297/ In the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, researchers came to their hypothesis based on the similar reward centers found in both methamphetamine and the running wheel activity. It was Oliver Rawashdeh’s goal to combine a drug that could treat meth addiction with a non-harmful way, being exercise, to also counteract meth addiction. Addictions can negatively affect the circadian rhythms, which strongly correlates with the increase for the desire of the certain drug. Dr. Rawashdeh states that successful rehabilitation could be linked to the disturbance in the circadian rhythm. In this research, scientists studied mice, in which the suprachiasmatic nucleus was removed. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is known to be located within the hypothalamus that regulates the overall circadian clock. By removing the suprachiasmatic nucleus, researchers were then able to deactivate the methamph...

  Scientists may have found a way to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Inflammation and tau oligomers, a protein that helps form the path ways for the cell to receive nutrients and to dispose of waste. The toxic protein will clump together preventing nutrients from getting where they need to be, and eventually because of this causes the brain cells to die. The inflammation caused from the toxic tau protein also bonds together, breaking connections in the brain which also lead to Alzheimer's disease. The article also discusses how doctors doing routine checks on the back of ones eyes can help detect other health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Which also in turn could lead to the disease.   I found this article spoke to me because my Grandmother had Alzheimer's disease. If possible to find more information on this neurodegenerative disease we can slowly find more ways to Combat it. In the earlier chapters of class we learned how impo...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/science/brain-implant-eases-communication-by-late-stage-als-patient.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBrain&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection Lou Gehrig's Disease, also known as ALS, is a terrible disease that degenerates the body causing muscles to weaken which can lead to paralysis and cause respiratory failure and the finally death. This article demonstrates how a patient suffering from this tragic illness is able to communicate using an implant that sends brain signals to software in a computer. The Patient's name is Hanneke De Bruijne and due to her disease, is unable to move anything but her eyes. Researchers came together to create a device to help her communicate. They did this by surgically implanting a brain-computer interface to her motor cortex. Even though she is paralyzed, her brain is still generating electr...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161123124253.htm This article discusses how researchers conducted a study in order to determine which areas of the brain are affected that causes stuttering. They did this by performing proton shift imaging which takes a look at the neural density this is related to stuttering in 47 children and 47 adults Before reading this article, I assumed that stuttering was caused by impairment in the Broca's area because this is part of the brain that is responsible for speech production. Along with impairment to the Broca's area, I thought the motor cortex was involved as well. However, this article informed me that not only is the Bohland speech-production network that is associated with the regulation of motor activity, but attention and emotions also play a part. The areas of the brain that are responsible for regulating attention are important when it comes to monitoring behavior. Emotions is pretty straight forward. Those who suffer...

The article that I chose is addressing the topic of a “God spot” in the brain. A “God spot” was an idea that researchers labeled as the part of the brain that is solely responsible for individuals’ inclination towards spirituality. However, some researchers from the University of Missouri conducted some newer research that labels spirituality as a more intricate and multi-faceted occurrence. They concluded that individuals being spiritual was a result of several parts of the brain being activated at once. The researchers came to this conclusion by realizing that there a positive correlation between individuals’ spirituality and activation of several brain structures. Damage to the right parietal lobe prompts the individual to start to neglect their body or their general sense of space. The study included examining twenty individuals with severe injuries that had a direct effect on the right parietal lobe. The researchers would ask several questions about their inclination and experien...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-new-target-for-treating-mania/ Bipolar disorder and Gout, a type of arthritis, have one thing in common, uric acid. Too much uric acid causes gout and bipolar disorder and reducing uric acid is being recognized as a treatment for bipolar disorder. Uric acid is made up of compounds called purines. Purines are found in many different types of foods and are produced by the body. In bipolar disorder the compounds and neurotransmitter, adenosine, being broken down too quickly causes the over-production of uric acid which leads to mania. Two different groups were tested with two different treatment drugs and a placebo. The drug treatment group received the drug valproate, a mood stabilizer, and allopurinol. The second group was given valproate and a placebo pill. The group receiving allopurinol showed sign of improvement with mania and lower uric acid levels. Another suggested treatment is for patients suffering from bipolar disorder to change...

http://www.medicaldaily.com/anorexia-and-bulimia-brains-people-eating-disorders-communicate-backward-403660 An article posted by Medical Daily online, discusses a study conducted to examine the difference in the brain of a non-eating disorder person and the brain of a person with an eating disorder. Researchers studied how both women with anorexia or bulimia and healthy women reacted to tasting sugary foods. The researchers found that when the healthy women were tasting the sugary foods their hypothalamus was motivating them to eat. The hypothalamus of the women with anorexia or bulimia was sending signals from other regions in the brain that would override the hypothalamus and discourage eating the sugary food. This was novel and informative research. The study conducted answered the question of what is happening in the brain of someone with an eating disorder when they are presented with food.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/hot-dogs-offer-window-into-canine-emotions/ Scientists have done studies that show the biological effects when a person is frightened. When a person experiences fear the blood leaves their extremities and rushes to the organs and muscles in the body, so the person can be "ready to go." Thermographic video cameras show the temperature of a persons body through color. When a person is relaxed their extremities will be more red/orange and closer into their body will be blue/purple and when they are frightened their extremities will be more blue and the inside of their body more red.  Taking this biological effect into consideration the author was curious to see if dogs had the same experience when they experienced fear or uncomfortableness. A study was done with several dogs where they were alone for a short amount of time, which caused them to be more frightened and on edge and then they were reunited with a person, which ...

http://time.com/4282023/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-on-no-sleep/ An article posted by Time Magazine online, discussed the impact of insomnia or lack of sleep on the parts of the brain that regulate cognition, emotion and sensory processes. A study was done that focused on white matter in the brains of a group of people with insomnia and a group of healthy sleepers. The study found that people with insomnia had less white matter connectivity than those without insomnia. Researchers have suggested that this disruption in signals is triggered by thinning of the myelin surrounding the neurons. This study is novel and relevant research. Many people, including myself, experience insomnia and are not aware of what is actually going on in the brain during insomnia.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2016/nov/23/obesity-alters-brain-structure-and-function This research was conducted by Lucy Cheke and her colleagues at the University of Cambridge. Cheke and her colleagues invited a few participants into her lab to complete a virtual treasure hunt. Once this task had been completed, they then answered a series of questions that tested their memory of the task. Cheke found a clear relationship between Body Mass Index—a measure of weight relative to height—and apparent memory deficits. This data collection showed that the higher a participant’s BMI, the worse they performed on the Treasure Hunt task. Cheke found that being overweight or obese not only impacts memory function, but also affects future eating behavior by altering recollections of previous eating experiences. Previous research indicates that obesity affects areas of the brain that are used in memory and imagination. This article hinted at the possibility ...

This article is about the relationship of mixing energy drinks and alcohol on mice. According to study, when the mice were given energy drinks and alcohol together they would have a similar effect to mice who were given cocaine.  The researchers also detected increased levels of ΔFosB, which is marker of long-term changes in neurochemistry.  The mice that were exposed to caffeinated alcohol during adolescence were less sensitive to the effects of cocaine. Which means a mouse would use more cocaine to get the same feeling as a control mouse.  I found this article interesting since many adolescents and young adults tend to drink energy drinks.  In class we learned about addiction and conditioned/ learn tolerance. When the article described how a mouse that was exposed to caffeinated alcohol would need more cocaine then a control mouse, it reminded me of conditioned tolerance.   http://neurosciencenews.com/alcohol-energ-drink-neurodevelopment-5337/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-new-brain/201610/humans-are-genetically-predisposed-kill-each-other      Regrettably, it isn't anything new or out of the ordinary that people are killing and being killed by each other on a frighteningly regular basis. I'm sure most (if not all) of us have heard about or even seen unthinkable violence enacted on someone or something by another human.      Aggression is regulated by the prefrontal cortex, which acts to suppress aggression. Among the two types of aggression, this article is concerned with predatory aggression, which is observed in humans by planned/premediated violent crimes against others. The article even lists ways in which violence is used in consumption for entertainment: animal fighting--bullfighting and dog fighting, hunting, and historically, roman colosseums.      Out of 1,024 mammalian species studied, violence against one's own kind was determined to be about ...

This article discusses the number one thing college students lack... sleep! Most students tend to lose sleep for various reasons, but the most productive (or maybe the least?) reason would be cramming. Cramming is the art of attempting to feverishly teach oneself everything that should have been learned over the course of the semester. However, according to this article, perhaps the precious few moments before leaving one's dorm to hike to the classroom should be used less for last second studying and more for sleeping. The article discusses the importance of re-consolidation, a process that takes place most strongly during sleep. The idea being expressed is that the nap will allow for information to be processed and stored more effectively, and thus be more useful to dig up during the exam. While the notion behind this is in good intent, there may be a flaw in the understanding of re-consolidation. In order for the nap to be effective, one would need to enter REM, which in a sho...

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/29/addiction-changes-brain-biology-in-3-stages-experts-say.html According to The New England Journal of Medicine, addiction can be broken down into three stages: binge and intoxication, withdrawal and negative affect, and preoccupation and anticipation. The authors state that each of these three stages affects the brain in a unique way and affects a person’s behavior, altering both the way the react to stress and their ability to control certain actions. The first stage of addiction is binge and intoxication. The main idea of this stage is that people take a drug in order to feel euphoric. In some cases, intoxication can lead to changes in the connectivity of the brain, which results in a feeling of distress when the drug is not present in the body. An important function of the human brain is its capability to get a person out of stressful situations, which leads into the second stage: withdrawal and negative affect. The second stage i...

The article discusses how dogs may also have episodic memory. The Dogs were trained to imitate human behavior using the “Do as I Do” method. Which is when the dog is trained to perform an action then the owner or researcher commands them to “Do it”. The dogs were tested after a minute and an hour later, which were a short and long interval. The study found that the seventeen dogs were able to recall the actions when requested to imitate. After long periods of time, the dog’s behavior to imitate did decrease. I found this article very interesting since I have three dogs. It also relates to what we started learning in class, about how memory works. I don't think we often think about how animals are similar to us, we are so used to having them as pets that we often don't think about how our actions can affect them.  I think a lot of the students can try this out with their pets.  http://neurosciencenews.com/episodic-memory-dogs-5587/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201611/neuroscience-research-shows-how-mood-impacts-perception This article discusses how a person's mood can reflect creativity and attention. Ghent University's Naomi Vanlessen and colleagues call this theory the "board and build" theory. Based upon their findings, happiness is correlated with more creative thoughts and an open mind. When completing a task or thinking about a topic, being in a happier mood can actually broaden horizons and can allow a person to think outside of the box. It is believed that being in a negative mood can cause someone to ignore other possibilities to a problem. Happiness can lead to a generally diffuse style of processing. When a person is happy, they may be able to take in a wider array of stimuli. However, this may cause the person to think in a less analytical way. Depending on the type of task, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Thinking less analytically could allo...