alanhu's blog

There wasn’t much knowledge on what LSD does to the brain. Using an MRI, scientists observed how LSD can change the brain. Participants of the experiment were either given the drug or a placebo. Then a comparison between the two was made. Scientists examined the and compared the connectivity between the two brains. The CNS was looked at which includes the brain and the spinal cord. It was found that there was more information being sent between the thalamus to the posterior cingulate cortex. There was a decrease of information being sent to the temporal cortex. Depressive orders were found to have a high level of signaling between the thalamus and the temporal cortex. Since it was found that LSD can slow down the signaling to the temporal cortex, LSD might be considered as a medication for depressive disorders.

Tau levels are present in the brian and it is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The lack of sleep or sleep deprivation could increase tau levels in the brain, which increase tau tangles and that leads to brain damage. Scientists reduced sleep in rats and disturbed the rats in their sleep. What was found was that there was an increase in synuclein protein, which is associated with Parkinson’s disease. As Alzheimer’s Disease is more focused on memory development which involves the hippocampus, which is where most of the tau tangles develop. Which is why people with Alzheimer’s tend to lose their memories.

A correlational study was conducted in attempt to see if blood pressure and brain volume are correlated. Using a MRI the volume of the brain was calculated along with the blood pressure. It showed that there is lower brain volume that is present in young healthy individuals. The findings were concerning due to the fact that the participants were healthy. Was there any other indications that could lead to a lower brain volume. It is a correlational study and we have to keep in mind that correlation does not cause causation. Though the brain is important to the body because all functions are based off the brain. The brain is part of the central nervous system and the CNS is important for integrating information that is obtained and use it. The gray matter that is developed in the brain is where the neurons are housed and if having less of the gray matter could affect daily functions.

The vagus nerve is a long cranial nerve that connects the whole body. The cranial nerve is important for waking and alertness. When it is disrupted there could be consequences to maintaining the stability of sleeping and alertness. The experiment involved a person who was in a vegetative state for 15 years. The vagus nerve was stimulated and it was found that there was an increase in attention and movement in the brain. The subject was also able to follow objects with his eyes. Further stimulation of the brain caused an increase in the amount of brain activity. Using a PET scan to measure the brain, it was found that with each stimulation the brain was “awakened” more and more. The increases were found to be in the parieto-occipital cortex (vision), thalamus (sending information to areas of the brain) and the striatum (voluntary motor control).

In this study it was found that when one consumes alcohol there is a receptor that is blocked in the brain that is used to form memories. That receptor is blocked for a certain amount of time which is why that person is incapable of making memories when they drink. A somatic intervention was used. Which means that something was changed and a behavior was observed. In this case, a chemical was used that was found in alcohol on animals. That chemical blocked the receptors and the animals were unable to form any memories. The only reason it worked was because alcohol could cross the blood brain barrier. The blood brain barrier is the barrier around the blood vessels in the brain which keep out the toxins in the blood from interfering with the neurons. Ethanol was able to cross the blood brain barrier and with that, affecting the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for making memories. Another important part in making memories is the long term potentiation (LTP). It is when two neurons join together at the synapses and when it joins it become more vulnerable to stimuli. Which is how that memory is formed and maintained.

The article is about how teenagers use cannabis and how it affects the brain. The use of cannabis increases the amount of gray matter in teenagers, even if it is a joint or two. The study was conducted with 46 kids who had admitted to having exposure to cannabis before the age of 14. There is an increase of gray matter in parts of the brain where cannabinoid receptors are. Most of the gray matter were in the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain that is used to control fear and other emotions. The hippocampus is also involved and the hippocampus focuses on memory. Since the brain is still developing, the brain is supposed to get thinner and not thicker. Since, most people think having a joint or two isn’t a big deal in reality it has an affect on the growing brain.

My larvae that was given to me by choice at the end of the first class had turned into a cocoon on the 26th of January. On the 6th of February (11 days in a cocooned state) a fly emerged from the cocoon. The fly has four legs and two manible looking like structures. There are two transparent wings on the dorsal side of the fly. The eyes are orange in color and large while the body was black and round. The body of the fly is fuzzy. The fly clings to the side of the container and shifts around once in a while. The challenging part at this point is to find a way to open the container to give the fly some food. There is a risk of the fly getting out of the container and into the open world. 

The study was done on mice to see whether stress can affect the brain and sleep. One set of mice were exposed to stress and their sleep brain waves were monitored. What was found was that the mice that were introduced to the stress had developed depression. This was shown through less interest in their daily activities and eat less. The regulation of stress was found to be part of the hippocampuses job. The was the hippocampus was involved was due to the release of stress hormones. Along with the combination of increased REM sleep and mixing in the stressors there is a change in mood. The brain wants the body to sleep more to reduce the stress that was induced. The increase in REM sleep is an early marker to show how the brain will attempt to compensate for the decreased state of mind.

Tobacco use in teenagers causes paranoia and disturbances in their lives. Scientists attempted to answer this question by factoring in socio-economic status and gender. Scientists formed a study in which 3700 teenager twins were used as subjects in the study. One of the twins were smokers while the other one wasn’t. This allowed for the scientists to eliminate most of the differences between the subjects. It was found that the twin that smoked had more paranoia and was hallucinating more. Paranoia is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Having imbalances would affect how the neurotransmitters are sent throughout the brain. Parents had also noticed that there was disorganized thinking and a lack of motivation.