Physiological Psychology Course Blog

          I read the article Taking an Hour Long Afternoon Nap Improves Memory and Cognition in Older Adults . This article talked about a study that used about 3,000 Chinese adults aged 65 and older. More than half the people in the study said they took afternoon naps about 30 to 90 minutes long (on average around 60 minutes). All the participant took tests to access their mental status. These tests included simple questions such as the date, and basic math problems. They were also asked to memorize and recall words. The results found that individuals who took naps did better on the mental tasks compared to people who did not take a nap. Even the length of the nap affected the results. Participants who slept longer or less than an hour decreased in their mental ability.           The findings of this research made sense that naps would increase mental abilities. I thought this because taking a nap in the afternoon gives your brain a “break” to release any stress that could

            I read the article Solving the Puzzle of Alzheimer’s Disease . This article interested me because my grandpa had Alzheimer’s and finding anything close to how Alzheimer’s works is being one step closer to finding a cure. This article talked about recent research on a compound called AC253 that could possibly inhibit the protein amyloid. Amyloid has been found in large amounts in Alzheimer’s patients brains and is thought to be a major part of the development of this disease. Researchers at the University of Alberta found that AC253 can help protect nerve cells from the destruction of amyloid. Experiments were done on mice to prove this. Mice who had a lot of amyloid in their brain got injected with AC253 and were found to have improved in their memory and learning. Knowing that Alzheimer’s highly impacts your memory, this experiment is good news.             I thought this article was an interesting read. Before reading this, I didn’t know what the main protein was t

Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170221150747.htm This article introduces new research that could provide huge insights into the future of medicine regarding mental health problems.  In normal brain development, the average adolescent engages in a process called "synaptic pruning," which essentially selectively snips away about half of the synapses in our brain in preparation for adulthood.  This process is essential to healthy brain functioning; however, research has shown that many individuals with mental health problems, particularly those on the autism spectrum or with schizophrenia, do not experience synaptic pruning, resulting in an abnormally high number of dendritic spines.  It is believed that this abnormally high number of dendritic spines/synapses is what causes many of the cognitive impairments seen with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia.  Recent research has shown that there are drugs that enhance the function of "inhibi

How Dads Bond with Toddlers Summary: In a recent study at Emory University, researchers found that when fathers are given doses of the hormone oxytocin, they experience increased brain activity in regions of the brain that are associated with reward and empathy. This result was found when the fathers were given pictures of their toddlers to view, and the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging in order to compare the men what were given doses of oxytocin, compared to the men that were not. The researchers detected more brain activity in the caudate nucleus, dorsal anterior cingulate and visual cortex, in the fathers who received the oxytocin. This evidence suggest that oxytocin may lead to more empathy and reward feelings, and help fathers with increased motivation to pay attention to their children. In the study, all of the men were healthy and have toddlers between the ages of one and two. It has been known that oxytocin is associated with being a maternal hormone

The Science That Could Make You Crave Broccoli More Than Chocolate Link-   https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/02/neurogastronomy/516267/ Summary-   The beginning of this article explains how the preferences of sweet tasting foods are biologically ingrained into our brains. An assistant professor of exercise and nutrition science at St. Catherine University in St. Paul Minnesota, explained that in an ancient portion of the brain bitter food triggers warning signs to suggest that a plant is poisonous. Subsequently, thousands of years ago, this intuition would keep a person alive, but in todays world this preference leads to unhealthy diets and obesity. In an emerging new field in neurogastronomy, its focus is to change how people perceive the flavor of foods. In 2015, the International society of neurogastronomy was launched, and has since received support from the National Institute of Health. The article explains that people perceive different foods based on a comb

Heather Litz, PSYC 465 Section 001 Link to Article:   https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-thinking-persons-sport.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FBrain This article addresses the implications of running on the brain.  While scientists have studied the cognitive benefits of many other physical activities, such as sports requiring hand-eye coordination and multi-tasking, it was never believed that running had any true impact on our cognitive abilities because it was not thought of as an activity that required any significant brain-power.  Running is something everyone can do naturally from a young age, so it seemed unlikely that it required upper-level cognitive abilities.  However, a new study has shown that avid runners have more brain activity in areas of the brain that require higher-level functioning than those living a lifestyle free of exercise.  The researchers conducting this study compared the brain activity of collegiate male runners and men who

Article Citation and Link: MIT “Sensor Traces Dopamine Released by Single Cells.” NeuroscienceNews.                NeuroscienceNews, 7 February 2017.              <http://neurosciencenews.com/dopamine-sensor-neuroscience-6075/>. Krystal Topper February 9, 2017 PSYC 465 8 AM                                      Sensor Traces Dopamine Released by Single Cells             Neuroscientists from MIT have recently developed a sensor that allows the ability to detect single cell’s secreting dopamine. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that carries messages that involves the reward-motivated behavior. Because they have developed these tiny sensors, it allows the researchers to monitor the dopamine secretions as they are released from the single neurons. Dopamine is a special type of neurotransmitter due to that fact that it can extend farther than the original target cell. Instead, dopamine can diffuse away and affect other cells nearby. The sens

Article Citation and Link: Northwestern University. “Rhythm of Breathing Affects Memory and Fear.”             NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 6 December 2016.              <http://neurosciencenews.com/memory-fear-breathing-5699/>. Krystal Topper February 2, 2017 PSYC 465 8AM Rhythm of Breathing Affect Memory and Fear: Summary             As the title of the article suggests, a recent study has been conducted in order to understand how breathing affects memory and emotions; specifically fear. At Northwestern University, scientists performed a study with participants that had to identify either a fearful face or a surprised face quickly. Also, they were tested on how well they remembered an image that was briefly shown on a computer screen, and later asked to recall the image. This study is unique from other studies that focus on cognitive application for emotion and memory. The researchers analyzed the rhythm of breathing for each participant to