MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'inside'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:02:12 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459942&cid=t_116966_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuDOUN8PWALw%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, House Republicans introduced their preliminary list of spending cuts, cuts that were, they declared, "to go deep." Unfortunately, coming in at just $74 billion, they were about as deep as onion skin. After all, the total federal budget is well over $3 trillion, and the national debt now exceeds $14 trillion.  The relatively lilliputian size of the proposed cuts should give any taxpayer major queasiness over Republicans' desire to truly rein in government. But if that doesn't scare you, this report from Inside Higher Ed absolutely should: Shhh. Don't tell, and they'll never admit it publicly. But college officials are (very quietly) feeling okay -- at least for now -- about how Congressional Republicans would treat the programs that matter mo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459942 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:33:38 +0100 4459942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360955&cid=t_116966_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAlknYS0uFx4%2F By Neal McCluskeyRumor has it that President Obama, no doubt because it is always a warm and fuzzy subject, will feature education prominently in his upcoming State of the Union address. If so, he will almost certainly stress his goal of having the United States lead the world in the percentage of its citizens with a college degree by 2020. Unfortunately, doing what feels good often isn’t the same as doing what’s smart. Today, we get more evidence that simplistic, rhetoric-driven education policymaking — more degrees equals more learning equals economic bonanza! — is ultimately counterproductive.  It turns out, students generally learn very little in at least their first couple years of college, and many learn little over four years. According to Inside Hi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360955 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:33:34 +0100 4360955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164558&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-2008-economic-crisis%2F Charles Furgeson has produced a powerful documentary, “Inside Job,” about the deep capture of financial (de)regulation.  Here’s the trailer. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Deeply Captured Situation of the Economic Crisis,” “Our Stake in Corporate Behavior,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “De-Capturing the FDA,” “The Situation of Talk Radio,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” and “The company ‘had no control or influence over the research’.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164558 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4164558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729924&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fneuroplasticity_is_n.html We recently discussed how the term 'neuroplasticity' is widely used as if it were a precise scientific concept, when, in fact, it is virtually meaningless on its own. Several commenters suggested that while not scientifically meaningful, it serves as a useful reminder that we no longer think the brain is 'fixed' as we did 'about 20 years ago'. This is also part of the neuroplasticity hype, and, as I'll demonstrate, discussions of neuroplasticity go back as far as the 1800s. This is not to say that we haven't discovered new ways in which the brain changes and adapts. But this hasn't been a sudden discovery, and it hasn't solely happened in the last few decades. On the contrary, these discoveries have peppered the last century and this knowledge has been slowly accumulating. So here's a h... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729924 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3729924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714247&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fpeering_into_the_min.html Neuroscientist Bradley Voytek discusses how brain damage and neurosurgery can be windows into the functioning of the mind in an engaging TEDxBerkeley talk. As well as being remarkably well-explained, the talk has a personal current running through it as Voytek reflects on his own motivations for becoming involved in brain research after experiencing his grandfather suffering the effects of Parkinson's disease. Understanding brain damage is still one of the most powerful tools in cognitive science and this is a great introduction to how researchers go about making the leap from damaged tissue to psychology. If you've got 20 minutes to spare and are interested in the links between neuropsychology and human nature, you'd do well to spend them here. Great stuff. Link to Bradley Voytek TED... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714247 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3714247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710603&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fa_cortical_atlas_of_.html Frontiers in Neuroscience has an amazing scientific article that has collected all the studies that have recorded what happens when the brain is electrically stimulated in living patients. It's like a travel guide to the unnaturally active brain. As you might expect, science generally takes a dim view of researchers cracking open people's skulls just to see what happens when bits of their brain are stimulated, hence, almost all of these studies have been done on patients who are undergoing brain surgery but have agreed to spend a few minutes during the operation to report their experiences for the benefit of neuroscience. This procedure is also essential in some forms of brain surgery to make sure the surgeons avoid essential areas. For example, in some cases of otherwise untreatable epi... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710603 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3710603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695623&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fmilitary_brain_inter.html The latest edition of Neurosurgical Focus has an interesting article on the use of brain-computer interfaces in the military. One part talks about funded US military brain-computer interface projects and it seems someone in the rank and file has seen Avatar one too many times. Alongside therapeutic interventions, rapid advances in BCI technologies will also create opportunities for neurosurgeons to participate in improving military training and operations, particularly through combat performance modification and optimization. In fact, the use of neuroscientific approaches for achieving these goals is already an evolving area of research. During the last decade, the Pentagon's DARPA launched the “Advanced Speech Encoding Program” to develop nonacoustic sensors for speech encoding ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695623 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3695623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662736&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fbrain_sand.html Taken from the Wikipedia entry on 'brain sand': Corpora arenacea (or brain sand) are calcified structures in the pineal gland and other areas of the brain such as the choroid plexus. Older organisms have numerous corpora arenacea, whose function, if any, is unknown. Concentrations of "brain sand" increase with age, so the pineal gland becomes increasingly visible on X-rays over time, usually by the third or fourth decade. They are sometimes used as anatomical landmarks in radiological examinations. Chemical analysis shows that they are composed of calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium phosphate, and ammonium phosphate. Recently, calcite deposits have been described as well. French philosopher René Descartes famously concluded that the mind and the brain existed as entirely... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662736 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3662736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629689&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fan_unwanted_key_to_a.html The New York Times has a gripping article and video report about how a family in Colombia may be the key to unlocking the neuroscience of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, one of the most devastating forms of degenerative brain disease that can strike as early as the 30s or 40s. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia, meaning that the mind and brain decline quicker than would be expected through normal ageing, but usually it is a condition of the old. Most dementias are not thought to have one specific cause and are put down to a lifetime's 'wear and tear' combined with different levels of risk from a number of genes. In contrast, there are some forms of dementias, known as early onset dementias, that typically strike in middle-age and are much more likely to be due to mutations in si... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629689 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3629689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3611937&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fa_scientific_foil_to.html Inkling Magazine has a fantastic article detailing unusual objects which have accidentally ended up in the brain and have subsequently made the pages of medical journals as surprising case reports. It covers everything from fairly lights to stiletto heels to human teeth and is cheekily titled 'Not Right in the Head'. The article also mentions that the Neurophilosophy blog published a similar article two years ago, but rather surprisingly there was only one case that overlapped between the two. The moral of the story is that if you can imagine it ending up in the brain, it probably has at some stage. However, neither article mentions my all time favourite case, which involved a miniature fencing foil being lodged in the brain after being accidentally shoved through the nostrils (see a pr... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3611937 Sat, 29 May 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3611937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542657&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fits_hot_in_here.html The Neuroskeptic blog has done a fantastic analysis of the popularity of different areas of the brain among neuroscientists by looking at how many scientific papers have been published on them since 1985. It's like Vogue magazine's hot styles, but for neurobiology. I'll leave you to check out the wonderful graphs, but here's the punchline. "The orbitofrontal cortex and cingulate cortex are both undergoing massive growth at the moment. The amygdala and parietal cortex are pretty hot too. By contrast, the cerebellum and the caudate are stuck in the scientific doldrums." The cerebellum has more neurons than the whole of the rest of the brain put together but we still don't understand it very well. Not least because damage to the area doesn't seem to produce some of the striking selectiv... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542657 Thu, 06 May 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3542657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524306&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fkspace_division.html This is an amazing summary of a study just published in the latest edition of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. I have no idea what it's about but it helps if you read it in the voice of Dr Spock. Susceptibility mapping in the human brain using threshold-based k-space division. Magn Reson Med. 2010 May;63(5):1292-304. Wharton S, Schäfer A, Bowtell R. [Captain] A method for calculating quantitative three-dimensional susceptibility maps from field measurements acquired using gradient echo imaging at high field is presented. This method is based on division of the three-dimensional Fourier transforms of high-pass-filtered field maps by a simple function that is the Fourier transform of the convolution kernel linking field and susceptibility, and uses k-space masking to avoid noise enhanc... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524306 Sat, 01 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3524306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504952&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fcan_i_get_an_amen.html This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how assumptions about speakers' abilities changed the evoked BOLD response [changes in blood oxygenation indicating neural activity] in secular and Christian participants who received intercessory prayer. We find that recipients' assumptions about senders' charismatic abilities have important effects on their executive network. Most notably, the Christian participants deactivated the frontal network consisting of the medial and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex bilaterally in response to speakers who they believed had healing abilities. An independent analysis across subjects revealed that this deactivation predicted the Christian participants' subsequent ratings of the speakers' charisma and experience of God's presence... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504952 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3504952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3501561&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fcharlie_rose_brain_s.html The Charlie Rose discussion show has an ongoing series on the brain and all of the episodes are available online where some of world's leading neuroscientists extensively tackle the big questions of the field. I'm just watching the programmes at the moment and while they can seem a little stiff at times, it lovely to see neuroscience being discussed without being dumbed down but while key concepts are explained and explored. The discussions are co-hosted by Charlie Rose and Nobel prize winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel and the seven shows so far have tackled The Great Mysteries of the Human Brain, The Perceiving Brain, The Acting Brain, The Social Brain, The Developing Brain, The Ageing Brain and The Emotional Brain. Future shows include The Anxious Brain, The Mentally Ill Brain, The D... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3501561 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3501561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479725&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fhacking_toy_eegs.html Frontier Nerds has an excellent guide to toy EEGs (the commercially available 'mind control' games) and detailed instructions on how to hack the MindFlex to use it as a brain-computer interface. In the last year or so, numerous 'mind control' games have appeared that are essentially cheap consumer EEG devices with a dull as ditch-water games attached. For example, the 'Force Trainer' reads off EEG signals and levitates a ball. Yes, that's it. There are developer's kits available for some of the products but they tend to be quite expensive. Frontier Nerds realised you can buy a cheaper model and with a little messing around can pull the data right off the electronics. Even if you've no intention of hacking any of these devices, the piece is an interesting look inside the construction of ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479725 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3479725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440759&cid=t_116966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-%25e2%2580%25a6-you-order-an-email-bride%2F If Gary welcoming his email bride, Olga, to his Las Vegas apartment doesn’t give you the creeps, we don’t know what will. According to the National Geographic Channel’s “Inside” show, International Marriage Brokers result in as many as 16,000 unions every year. Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If…You Order an Email Bride (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440759 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:53 +0100 3440759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420535&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Frodent_brain_in_sex_.html Those tenacious chaps over at Language Log have followed up Louann Brizendine's claims that men have a 'defend your turf area' by chasing up the references in her ominous new book The Male Brain which is showing all the signs of being as scientifically shaky as the last one. Like a couple of people who commented on our post, they picked up on my previous and erroneous remark that the dorsal premammilliary nuclei had not been identified in humans - it has, but its function, as far as I know, has never been studied in humans (the previous post has now been updated). Language Log also note that many of the Brizendine's claims seem to be drawn from directly from rat studies and just assumed to apply to humans even when they specifically refer to, er, cat odor. In other words, the DPN is i... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420535 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3420535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390806&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Froald_dahls_marvelo.html Author Roald Dahl was particularly well known for darkly humorous children's books that form a riotous part of almost every childhood in Britain. Less well known is that he also made some significant contributions to neurology, as detailed in a brief article for Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation. The article is available online as a pdf and starts by noting that several of his books contain possible nods to neurological syndromes or fantastical fictional experiments. These descriptions may hardly be termed “contributions”, but two personal tragedies certainly did lead to developments of clinical import. Whilst living in New York in 1960, Dahl’s son Theo, aged 3-4 months, was involved in a road traffic accident which caused some brain damage and secondary hydroc... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390806 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3390806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374181&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Froald_dahls_marvele.html Author Roald Dahl was particularly well known for darkly humorous children's books that form a riotous part of almost every childhood in Britain. Less well known is that he also made some significant contributions to neurology, as detailed in a brief article for Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation. The article is available online as a pdf and starts by noting that several of his books contain possible nods to neurological syndromes or fantastical fictional experiments. These descriptions may hardly be termed “contributions”, but two personal tragedies certainly did lead to developments of clinical import. Whilst living in New York in 1960, Dahl’s son Theo, aged 3-4 months, was involved in a road traffic accident which caused some brain damage and secondary hydroc... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374181 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3374181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366258&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Froald_dahls_marvell.html Author Roald Dahl was particularly well known for darkly humorous children's books that form a riotous part of almost every childhood in Britain. Less well known is that he also made some significant contributions to neurology, as detailed in a brief article for Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation. The article is available online as a pdf and starts by noting that several of his books contain possible nods to neurological syndromes or fantastical fictional experiments. These descriptions may hardly be termed “contributions”, but two personal tragedies certainly did lead to developments of clinical import. Whilst living in New York in 1960, Dahl’s son Theo, aged 3-4 months, was involved in a road traffic accident which caused some brain damage and secondary hydroc... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366258 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3366258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350329&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Ftracking_the_unborn_.html A brain scanning technology called MEG is being used to track the function of unborn babies' brains as they grow inside the womb until after they've been born. The full name for MEG is magnetoencephalography and it works by reading the magnetic fields created by the electrical signalling in the brain. One of the advantages is that it can be used at various angles, doesn't require the person to be in a cramped space, and is less sensitive to movement, so is ideally suited to scanning babies. This includes unborn babies and with a bit of modification, as illustrated in the picture, researchers can pick up signals from the fetal brain in response to flashes or light or sounds. We discussed the use of fMRI to scan the fetal brain previously, but this is a remarkable study that scanned the ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350329 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3350329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350330&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fa_man_with_virtually.html Neuroskeptic covers a fascinating case of a man born with a genetic mutation meaning he had a severe lifelong deficiency of both serotonin and dopamine. The case report concerns a gentleman with sepiapterin reductase deficiency, a genetic condition which prevents the production of the enzyme sepiapterin reductase which is essential in the synthesis of both dopamine and serotonin. The most widely recognised symptoms of the condition, linked to the deficiency in dopamine which has an important role in controlling movement, are problems coordinating both conscious movements and the unconscious control of muscles that allows simple actions. Unconscious control requires that the brain signals one muscle to contract while releasing the complementary muscle, and problems with this process cause... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350330 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3350330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335392&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fin_our_time_on_the_i.html This morning's edition of BBC Radio 4's brilliant In Our Time was dedicated to the infant brain and has a wide ranging discussion about how ideas about the early development of the child developed into the modern age of neuroscience. The streamed version will be available on the website permanently, but if you want to download the podcast you only have a week to do so from this page. Melvyn Bragg and guests Usha Goswami, Annette Karmiloff-Smith and Denis Mareschal discuss what new research reveals about the infant brain. For obvious reasons, what happens in the minds of very young, pre-verbal children is elusive. But over the last century, the psychology of early childhood has become a major subject of study. Some scientists and researchers have argued that children develop skills on... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335392 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3335392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331346&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fall_aboard_the_baby_.html The March edition of The Psychologist has just appeared online and has two freely available articles: one article investigates whether women really suffer a reduction in mental sharpness during pregnancy, and another interviews baby psychologist Alison Gopnik about her work. This idea that pregnancy causes a slight reduction in mental sharpness, sometimes known as 'baby brain' or 'pregnesia', is widespread but the results from scientific studies are mixed, and at best show only a negligible effect: We’ve seen that whilst many women report experiencing cognitive difficulties during pregnancy, objective evidence for a link between pregnancy and cognitive decline has been inconsistent. This begs the question: does the memory deficit, if it exists, matter? Is there sufficient cause for w... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331346 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3331346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280015&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fhuman_brain_electrod.html Sleep is a nightmare for neuroscientists but a new study using electrodes implanted deep within the brains of people going about their daily lives has revealed that the brain falls asleep from the inside out, contrary to what was expected. Most neuropsychology studies require people to complete tasks while the brain is being monitored and the technologies that allow passive recording either only measure activity on the brain surface (EEG, MEG) or are too uncomfortable to measure realistic sleep (fMRI, PET). This is one of the reasons human sleep has been difficult to study and why we still understand little about it. A new study just published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used the innovative technique of recording from semi-permanent electrodes implanted ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280015 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3280015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243837&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Feureka_brain_special.html The Times has just released its monthly science magazine, Eureka, with a special issue on the brain and all the articles freely available online. There doesn't seem to be a way to link to a whole issue, but inside you'll find an excellent piece on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to temporarily switch off bits of the working brain, a profile of neurosurgeon Huma Sethi, an article on commercial brain-computer interfaces, a remarkable piece on how old injuries can 'return' to affect phantom limbs as well as an exploration of the link between brain activity and sporting skill. Probably my favourite is an article on how forensic science and criminology are increasingly using neuroscience, and there's also an account of a writer's experience of being brain scanned and a desc... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243837 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3243837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243839&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fon_communicating_thr.html A study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports on how a subset of patients diagnosed as being in a coma-like state can be trained to show specific brain activity to answer yes / no questions despite seeming to be unconscious and unresponsive. Many news reports seem to suggest that researchers have found a way of 'reaching inside coma' with a brain scanner to communicate with patients but the findings are much more modest, only 5 out of 54 patients could reliably produce specific brain activity on command and only one was tested who could answer simple yes / no questions in this way. Despite this, the study is still incredibly impressive and it indicates that some patients who seem unconscious may have a much richer inner life than we assume and it may be possible t... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243839 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3243839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235892&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fblue_brain_year_one.html Film-maker Noah Hutton has just released an excellent 15-minute documentary on the Blue Brain project that captures the team as they work and explains the goals of the ambitious attempt to simulate animal, and eventually, human scale neural networks on computer. It's an interesting look both inside the scientific mission and inside the mind of project leader Henry Markram, whom it must be said, is largely talking about the potential of the project rather than what it can do now. It's probably worth saying that Markram is not known for underselling his efforts, and some of his projections seem a little unrealistic. At one point he mentions that the project could be used in hospital so doctors can simulate the effects of drugs on a digital brain to see if they'll work before giving patien... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235892 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3235892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223321&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fworld_changing_image.html BBC Radio 4 has just concluded a wonderful series on medical imaging that overs everything from the microscope, to ultrasound, to the brain scanner. The series is five 15 minute programmes that tackles the technology and its controversies. The brain scanning programme is particularly good and shows both ends of the spectrum of enthusiasm for the use of functional brain scans to understand human nature. Because of the BBC's black hole of death archive, the programmes will start being sucked into the void in three days time, so do catch them before then. The programmes also cover DNA imaging and X-rays and the website apparently has a gallery of images on but I have given up trying to find them on the dreadful Radio 4 website. Link to 'Images That Changed The World' audio links. (Source... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223321 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3223321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200665&cid=t_116966_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FiiTKAZVvVqE%2F Listening for an inner voice Something Inside of Us This thing has been called a lot of different things: A hunch, a lucky guess, a feeling in one’s bones, intuition, an answer to a prayer, and on and on. Edison called it “listening within.” Leo Burnett, the great ad man, called it “creative conscience.” I call it the incubation process. Whenever I have a problem, I input and input all the data I can, then I just let it incubate in this great machine in my head I call a mind. Then, one day, viola! [I know...] A light comes on and the answer pops out. Every one of us has a small, underdeveloped voice inside ourselves. Call it what you want, but to really create you have to listen to that voice — trust it and act on what it tells you. Before you go to slee... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200665 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:56:40 +0100 3200665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193774&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Ftwo_drugs_show_best_.html In massive news for neurology, The New England Journal of Medicine has published three important studies reporting that two new drugs for multiple sclerosis are more effective than existing treatments and can be taken in pill form. Multiple sclerosis is a bitch. It's a neurological disorder where the immune system start attacking myelin - the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord - leading to unpredictable attacks that typically leave the person a little more disabled each time. Problems can include movement difficulties, chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, mood instability and impairments to the body's automatic processes like digestion, bladder and bowel control. One problem with the the current treatments that try and slow down the disease itself, rather t... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193774 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3193774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180264&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fpatients_with_no_sku.html I've just clocked a stunning experiment, shortly to be published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, that recorded brain activity from patients who had part of their skull surgically removed for several months and had only flaps of skin between their brain and the outside world. The operation is called a hemicraniectomy and is often used when the brain swells or the pressure builds up inside the skull to the point where it is damaging the brain. Neurosurgeons will sometimes remove a portion of the skull (see the scans on the left) and just leave the scalp protecting the brain until the swelling subsides, before replacing the skull flap some months later. As an aside, sometimes the surgeons will surgically insert the piece of skull into the abdomen so the bone marrow doesn't die an... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180264 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3180264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153422&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fthe_chopstick_reloa.html The New York Daily News reports on a 14-month old Chinese boy who survived brain surgery to remove a chopstick that accidentally ended up in his brain after entering through the nose. If your jaw has dropped, amazed at such a freaky and unusual accident, you may comfortably close your mouth - there is a surprisingly large medical literature on stray chopsticks that have become lodged in the brain. In fact, there are no less than 13 published articles on this serious neurological condition. Here are some of the more notable ones: A case of unusual difficult airway because of an intracranial foreign body of bamboo chopstick. [link] Transoral penetration of a half-split chopstick between the basion and the dens. [link] Transorbital penetrating injury by a chopstick--case report [link] ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153422 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3153422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142621&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Ftouch_of_fire.html The pictures are the interesting results of an MRI scan on a 15-year-old boy who had his hair in 'twists' that were held in place with beeswax coloured black with iron oxide. The iron oxide is magnetic and it interfered with the scanners' magnetic field causing the rather lovely aura effect on the images. This is not the only case of a hair style interfering with a brain scan in the medical literature. An earlier report is remarkably similar, as the iron oxide coloured braids of a 51-year-old lady caused similar flame-like patterns on the scans. Link to MRI 'aura' in 15-year-old boy. Link to MRI 'aura' in 51-year-old lady. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142621 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3142621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142623&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fworldwide_cocaine_c.html A veterinary deworming drug called levamisole has mysteriously appeared in almost two-thirds of cocaine seized in the United States and is now common throughout the world. No-one is quite sure why, although some researchers have suggested that it may be added to boost the effect of cocaine in the brain. Now a brief article in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology suggests this may indeed be the case based on the neurological effects of the two substances. Street drugs are typically 'cut' with additional substances, often to bulk them out, but occasionally to alter the effect of the main substance. As we discussed in a post on adulterants in heroin, this can be a way of changing the drug to give it a different effect to benefit the dealer. As an excellent article on Erowid notes, the f... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142623 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100 3142623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096901&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2Ftravelling_at_the_sp.html Discover Magazine has an excellent Carl Zimmer piece discussing efforts to understand the speed of the human nerves - a quest that has lasted for well over one hundred years. Although our experience of the world seems instantaneous, different nerves in the body work at different speeds and, of course, cover different distances - to the point where taller people experience a slight sensory lag compared to shorter people owing to the greater length of some of the nerve pathways. Speed is not necessarily of the essence, however, and as with dancing, it is timing and co-ordination that seems key: Sometimes our brains actually need to slow down, however. In the retina, the neurons near the center are much shorter than the ones at the edges, and yet somehow all of the signals manage to reac... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096901 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3096901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056696&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2Fhead_shaking_competi.html I've just found a short case study in the British Journal of Neurosurgery of a 12-year-old boy who suffered a bleed in the brain after taking part in a 'head shaking competition'. Somewhat curiously, the case study notes that he won, and reports his winning time. The patient was a 12-year-old, developmentally normal, healthy boy who presented to his primary care doctor with 2 weeks of headache accompanied by intermittent nausea and vomiting. The headaches began after the patient entered a 'head shaking contest' with his peers. The object of the contest was to vigorously rotate the head back and forth for as long as one could tolerate. The patient won, with a time of approximately 2 min. Afterwards he noted a mild headache that gradually worsened over the course of 2 weeks. When it was a... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056696 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3056696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039842&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fpsychosurgery_new_c.html The New York Times has an excellent article on how the development of new and more focused brain surgery techniques for the treatment of mental illness are leading to a tight-rope situation where doctors are trying to balance enthusiasm for a potential new treatment while avoiding its inappropriate use and bad publicity. The use of neurosurgery for treatment of psychiatric disorders has a bad name. It is associated with the frontal lobotomy and leucotomy procedures which were carried out in large numbers in the 1940s, 50s and 60s on the basis on poor evidence and with very little oversight. The dreadful excesses of this era have thankfully passed, and, with an increased understanding of brain circuity, it has been possible to trial the effect of very focused surgical interventions on cer... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039842 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3039842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033619&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fproject_hm.html Patient HM became famous for having a dense surgically-induced amnesia and taking part in numerous neuropsychology studies that told us a great deal about the structure of memory. He died last year but left his brain to science and Project HM has been set up to co-ordinate the scientific analysis of his brain. According to a post on the Project blog, the process of dissecting and digitally recording the structure of HM's brain will begin on Wednesday 2nd December and apparently you'll be able to watch it live via video streamed from the site. The best write up of the Project is over at Nature News who have unfortunately jailed their article behind a pay wall. However, here's the punch line: On 2 December, exactly one year after Molaison's death, [Neuroanatomist Jacopo] Annese, of the ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033619 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3033619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023077&cid=t_116966_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Faetna-government-contract-discredited.html Last week, the Sacramento Business Journal reported on irregularities in how health insurance/ managed care giant Aetna obtained a contract with the US military health plan Tricare:Aetna Inc. hired a former high-level Tricare employee with access to proprietary information about Health Net Inc.’s performance that could have given Aetna a competitive edge in its bid for a lucrative military health care contract, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has concluded.The GAO details six flaws in the procurement process in new documents posted online Tuesday and recommends that Aetna should be excluded from the competition, leaving Health Net 'as the only viable awardee.'The agency recommends Tricare officials perform a thorough review of what sensitive information the former Tricare emplo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023077 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:43:00 +0100 3023077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012429&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fselecting_for_kuru_r.html New Scientist reports on a new study on how a gene that gives protection against the deadly brain disease kuru became more common in people exposed to the condition through their cannibalistic tradition of eating the bodies of dead relatives. Kuru is a prion disease, meaning the damage is caused by a poorly arranged or folded protein molecule which can trigger the same damaging changes in other proteins it comes into contact with. The condition is related to what we know as 'mad cow disease' and causes a distinctive form of shaking, brain degeneration and eventually leads to death. It was restricted to the South Fore people of Papua New Guinea who seemed to pass on the condition by their tradition of to eating deceased relatives at mortuary feasts. This new study shows that over time a ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012429 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3012429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3003819&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fchemo_mainline_to_th.html The New York Times has a fascinating article on how surgeons are attempting to treat aggressive and fatal brain tumours by injecting chemotherapy drugs directly into the brain. One of the challenges for drug makers is that there are many substances that would otherwise have an effect in the brain, but it's very hard to get them there from the bloodstream because the blood-brain barrier filters out all but the smallest molecules. The NYT article discusses a technique borrowed from stroke treatment to deliver chemotherapy directly to the tumour or area from where the tumour has been removed. In certain sorts of stroke a blood clot forms and blocks blood vessels, depriving the brain of oxygen. One important treatment is called thrombolysis where doctors can inject a clot dissolving enzyme ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3003819 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3003819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989199&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Feeg_leads_to_murder_.html Wired UK has a fantastic investigative article concerning a recent case in India, where, for the first time, an 'EEG lie detector' was used to convict a 23-year-old woman of murder. Aditi Sharma was described as being in a love triangle and her ex-boyfriend died through arsenic poisoning. She maintained it was suicide but the prosecution successfully argued that her and her new boyfriend murdered the ex. The judge apparently felt that the EEG was decisive and revealed 'experiential knowledge' which proved her to be guilty. The general idea does have a scientific basis, but its not widely considered to be anything except a research tool because its never been tested thoroughly enough or proved to be reliable enough to form the basis of legal evidence. The research version is called the g... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989199 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2989199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981137&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Femulating_the_brain_.html Discover Magazine has an article on an innovative project to create silicon chips which work like neurons. If you're thinking these are standard digital chips that run neural network software you'd be wrong, they're part-analogue devices that are specifically built to emulate the physical operation of brain cells. The article riffs on the work of neuroscientist Kwabena Boahen who leads the 'Brains in Silicon' project. If you're not familiar with the difference between analogue and digital calculation it's worth just briefly getting to grips with it so you can see how revolutionary this project is. Most computer chips are digital. They encode numbers as lists of 0s and 1s because they are made up of millions of transistors which can switch on (a '1') and off (a '0'). The chip can then do... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981137 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2981137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931031&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fdramatic_sexuality_c.html The Neurocritic has compiled a collection of interesting neurological studies where a number of patients seems to have experienced a profound change in their sexual preferences as a result of brain disturbance. One of the most well-known of these studies is a recent case of a man who was convicted of paedophilia late in life, but was later found to have a brain tumour, and on removal of the tumour his sudden interest in children disappeared. It reappeared again when the tumour once more began to grow. The case has raised questions about free will and self-determination in light of the fact that such morally reprehensible acts seemed only to occur when a tumour was affecting brain function. It's importantly to mention that brain damage rarely causes such tragic events, although sexual di... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931031 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2931031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927362&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fface_of_the_giant_pa.html I've just discovered a curious medical finding that can be detected on MRI brain scans called the 'face of the giant panda sign' where, quite literally, it looks like there's a panda face in the middle of the brain, indicating a specific pattern of neural damage. The image you can see on the left is the 'face of the giant panda sign' that appeared in a brain scan of a patient with multiple sclerosis who started showing unusual sexual behaviour and is taken from a 2002 study. Click the image if you want to see the whole scan. The pattern is apparently caused by "high signal in the tegmentum, normal signals in the red nuclei and lateral portion of the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra, and hypointensity of the superior colliculus". It is most associated with Wilson's disease, a gene... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927362 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2927362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916166&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fbeautiful_from_the_i.html Technology Review has a fantastic photo essay that tracks how we've visualised the brain from times past and includes some of the most stunning images from the last century of neuroscience. It's been put together by Mo Costandi, the writer you may know from the Neurophilosophy blog, with each image concisely described so you can get an insight into exactly what you're seeing. Link to 'Time Travel Through the Brain' photo essay. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916166 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2916166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908644&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Finhabiting_a_robot_h.html BBC News has a fascinating short video report of a robotic hand that is connected to the nerve fibres of an amputated arm and which allows the patient to actually feel touches with the robot fingers. Although it doesn't mention it in the report, the technology is from the SmartHand research group who are attempting to use knowledge about the cognitive neuroscience of action and body sensation to make fully integrated naturally controlled prosthetics. There's an interesting part of the video where the patient says "When I grab something tightly I can feel it in the finger tips, which is strange because I don't have them anymore". In other words, despite the fact that the robot hand feeds touch information into the nerve fibres into the arm stump, the patient feels the sensations 'in' the... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908644 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2908644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904924&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Faround_the_brain_in_.html The latest edition of the Journal of Neuroscience has a fantastic collection of articles by leading neuroscientists who look back on the last 40 years of discoveries in brain research. The collection is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Society for Neuroscience. As the articles make clear, the last four decades have seen a huge expansion in our knowledge of how the brain works and the Society asked leading lights in the field to reflect on this scientific revolution. Memory and Brain Systems: 1969–2009 by Larry R. Squire [link] Neurotransmitters, Receptors, and Second Messengers Galore in 40 Years by Solomon H. Snyder [link] Four Decades of Neurodegenerative Disease Research: How Far We Have Come! by Anne B. Young [link] A Paradigm Shift in Functional Brain Imaging by Marcu... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904924 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2904924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904925&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fscience_of_slumber.html Science News has a brilliant special issue on the 'science of slumber' that tackles sleep disorders, the mental impact of sleep deprivation, how sleep differs across species and the still mysterious question of why we need to sleep. I found the article on two seemingly straightforward sleep disorders, insomnia and narcolepsy, the most interesting. They seem straightforward because they appear as a lack and an excess of sleep, but as the piece makes clear, they are still quite mysterious. Insomnia is particularly interesting because having trouble sleeping happens to everyone at some point, so in itself, it's not abnormal - meaning that research into what triggers it is unlikely to find anything striking. Instead research has shifted to try and understand what prevents insomnia from reso... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904925 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2904925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871745&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fstairway_to_loving.html There's a curious case published in the medical journal Epilepsy and Behavior of a young man who had his epilepsy triggered by the sight of stairs. This would cause seizures that would trigger "repetitive hugging and affectionate kissing of one of the people around him". Our patient is currently 24 years old. He is a right-handed male with a history of right temporal lobe epilepsy. He had his first seizure when he was 10 years old. His seizures usually started with an aura of a “feeling” inside his body or abdomen. This feeling, described at times as pain or nausea, lasted a few seconds or a few minutes. His eyes would then widen, he would become confused, and he would look around right and left as if wondering. The seizure would last 1 to 2 minutes with altered consciousness, spitt... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871745 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2871745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871747&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fspike_at_the_end_of_.html Electrical readings from seven patients who died in hospital suggest that the brain undergoes a surge of activity at the moment of death, according to a study just published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine. Palliative care is a medical approach that aims to make dying patients as comfortable as possible. As part of this, doctors from George Washington University Medical Centre's intensive care unit were using standard alertness monitors for seven patients that include EEG measurements of the frontal lobes. The monitors are commercial devices designed to help anaesthetists monitor how 'awake' patients are, and they combine the electrical readings from the brain into a single signal that reflects alertness. For each of the seven patients, the researchers noticed that at the point wh... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871747 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2871747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857448&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Flightninginduced_ro.html I just found a curious case study of a man who developed 'robotic speech' after being hit by lightning. Rather than the "I am a Dalek!" style mechanical sound it seems to be more like the very. deliberate. and. exact. speech synthesis style, somewhat like Data from Star Trek the Next Generation Lightning-induced robotic speech Neurology. 1994 May;44(5):991-2. To the Editor Because of a recently observed case, I was intrigued by the communication of Cherington et al[1] concerning lightning encephalopathy. The authors referred to evidence by Critchley[2] that the cerebellum can be selectively injured in lightning-struck patients, Two of their there patients had signs of cerebellar dysfunction. MRI in one of their patients evidenced superior cerebellar atrophy. The force of a lightning... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857448 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2857448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855635&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fanxiety_an_unauthor.html The New York Times has an absolutely fantastic article on the psychology and neuroscience of anxiety and how an anxious temperament at birth can ebb and flow during our lifetime. It's an in-depth article that really does justice to the topic, looking at extensive research into our anxious states, but also carefully questioning some of the sloppy assumptions of many article where brain activity is described as directly representing mental states. But having all the earmarks of anxiety in the brain does not always translate into a subjective experience of anxiety. “The brain state does not make it a disorder,” Kagan told me. “The brain state exists, and the statement ‘I’m anxious,’ exists, and the correlation is imperfect.” Two people can experience the same level of anxiet... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855635 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2855635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824165&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fmigraine_as_inspirat.html I've just found a brief but interesting study finding that migraines are much more common in neurologists than the general public which inspired an interesting reply by Oliver Sacks. The prevalence of migraine in neurologists Neurology. 2003 Nov 11;61(9):1271-2. Evans RW, Lipton RB, Silberstein SD. To assess the prevalence of migraine among neurologists and neurologist headache specialists, the authors performed a survey of neurologists who attended a headache review course. The 1-year and lifetime prevalences of migraine in the 220 respondents were as follows: male neurologists, 34.7%, 46.6%; male headache specialists, 59.3%, 71.9%; female neurologists, 58.1%, 62.8%; and female headache specialists, 74.1%, 81.5%. Migraine is much more prevalent among neurologists than in the general... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824165 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2824165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807656&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fa_history_of_the_bra.html Neurosurgical Focus has an excellent article on the development of stereotactic neurosurgery where an external frame is usually screwed into the skull and fixes the head in place to allow surgeons to precisely locate brain areas in a standard 3D space. In modern stereotactic surgery, the system is usually used with an electronic tracking system that maps the surgeon's instruments onto a previously acquired brain scan in real-time. The frame allows the brain scan and the actual brain to be precisely aligned. This means the surgeon can, for example, place a depth electrode into a precise spot without having to physically see that area while still being confident that they're in the right place. The system is also used in research labs to ensure that, for instance, the brain is stimulated ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807656 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2807656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782069&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fnot_your_first_choic.html I've just found this alarming case study [pdf] from the Singapore Medical Journal about a patient who had a nail banged into their head by a local healer in an attempt to treat persistent headaches. Craniocerebral penetrating wounds caused by nails are rare and reported as curious experiences. A 45-year-old female patient presented with a metal nail in situ in the middle of her head, very close to the right side of the midline. The patient had been unconscious since the time of injury. There was no history of vomiting or seizures. Neurologically, the eye opening and verbal response were nil, but she was localised to the pain and moved all four limbs equally. The pupils were bilaterally symmetrical and reactive to light. General and systemic examinations were unremarkable. The relatives... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782069 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2782069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778483&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Flaughing_into_uncons.html I just found a curious article from the Journal of the American Medical Association about a case of 'laugh syncope' - a condition where the patient passes out when they crack up with laughter. Syncope is the medical term for when someone feints and it is caused by a reduction of oxygen to the brain. At 4 PM on a March day, a 32-year-old, previously healthy barber was standing and cutting a client’s hair. The client related a funny story, upon which the barber broke out into a very strong, sustained, loud, and unrestrained laughing fit during which, according to observers, he "blacked out" and fell to the floor. Although he sustained interscapular bruising and minor trauma to the right shoulder, he exhibited no seizure activity and no bladder or bowel incontinence. He regained consci... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778483 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2778483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778486&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fbrain_scanning_unbor.html I've just had pick my jaw up from the floor after reading an article on the brain scanning of unborn babies. I was idly wondering whether anyone had attempted to do an MRI scan of the fetal brain only to find that researchers are so advanced that they can do almost any sort of adult neuroimaging on the fetus - including psychological studies of brain activation. One of the main difficulties with brain scanning unborn babies is that they move about a lot. You can asks adults and children to stay still, but fetuses are a little bit harder. One of the major advances in the field has been the development of algorithms to reconstruct high definition scans from blurred images. Researchers have also completed diffusion scans that can create 3D maps of the white matter 'cabling' of the brain in ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778486 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2778486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774667&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fstunning_brain_scans.html The Llullaillaco mummies are the spectacularly preserved bodies of three sacrificial children from a 500-year-old Inca civilisation found at more than 6,500m above sea level in the Peruvian Andes. I've just found a study that brain scanned the mummies and the results are nothing short of stunning. I've tried to link each scan to the picture of the relevant mummy (although I have to say, the online photos of the mummies are a bit inconsistently labelled so I apologise for any mismatching) and you can see how remarkably well-preserved they are both inside and out. The mummies are of a 15-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a 6 year-old girl that are thought to have been left as part of a ritual Inca sacrifice. From the article: The scientific excavation was carried out at an altitude of... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774667 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2774667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772558&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fa_flight_simulator_f.html Gizmodo has picked up on an interesting new neurosurgery simulator that not only provides virtual reality skills training but also allows doctors to use data from MRI scans to practice on the brain of a specific patient. The system also gives tactile feedback through the instruments, so you can feel the resistance in the brain tissue as you 'cut' through it. According to a piece in TechReview, it's the result of an ongoing project to create a neurosurgery simulator that started last year in Canada. Check the Gizmodo page for a news clip where you can see the simulator in action. Link to Gizmodo with video of NeuroTouch. Link to TechReview write-up. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772558 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2772558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768664&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Finstant_reflex_may_r.html I've just found a fascinating video clip reporting on newly discovered reflex action that occurs after a knockout blow. The researchers scoured YouTube for videos of nasty bangs the head and found many examples of the reflex appearing in people as they hit the deck. The news clip is a a bit American (Americans, if you're not sure what this means, to us, all your news seems like this) but includes some video clips which illustrate the response in sportsmen who have been knocked out. The researchers who have discovered the response have named it the 'fencing response' apparently because it looks like the en gard position in fencing - presumably though, only if you've never actually seen any fencing. It actually looks more like the boxing stance with both hands out in front with elbows ben... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768664 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2768664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757820&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fa_kick_in_the_guts_f.html Your gut has its own neural network. Called the enteric nervous system, it controls digestion and has as many neurons as the spinal cord. Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that has been long associated with stomach upsets. These were often explained away as due to poor diet or stress, but it seems increasingly likely that the disease may also be affecting the neurons in the digestive system. It was originally thought just to destroy dopamine neurons in a deep brain structure called the nigrostriatal pathway, an effect which causes the distinctive movement problems, but it has become clear that the disorder causes damage throughout the nervous system via the formation of protein clumps called Lewy bodies. A new article in European Journal of Neuroscience suggests that Parkinson dis... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757820 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2757820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788777&cid=t_116966_101_f&fid=38972&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLifeUnderTheLights%2F%7E3%2FWLiaLAf2RUs%2Finside-view-conversation-between-my.html (Source: Life Under the lights) Life Under the lights blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788777 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:44:00 +0100 2788777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724914&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fthe_dark_matter_of_t.html Discover Magazine has an excellent Carl Zimmer article on glial cells. They make up the majority of the brain's volume but they get relatively little attention from the neuroscience community who would rather focus on the seemingly more lively neurons. There's a traditional format for these stories, that says that we used to think that glial cells were just 'scaffolding' for the brain that gave protected padding for the neurons, but now we are on the verge of a breakthrough in understanding what they do. Here's one from New Scientist in 1994, and a pdf of another from Scientific American in 2004. One difficulty has been integrating the action of glial cells into the popular cognitive model of the brain that suggests that it works as an information processing device. While there have be... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724914 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2724914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716015&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Ffootage_of_neurosurg.html The Wellcome Trust is putting its archive of medical films online which includes some fascinating footage of some 1933 neurosurgery to remove a tumour from the frontal lobe. The film says the tumour is a tuberculoma. While we typically link tumours to cancer, the name also refers to other types of abnormal growths. In this case, it's an abnormal growth caused when tuberculosis (TB) reaches the brain and leads to an infected mass that can have a similar effect - damaging the cortex by taking up space where the brain should be. Because TB can be treated effectively with antibiotics, tuberculomas are now very rare in the West, but they are still unfortunately quite common in parts of the developing world where access to medical care is limited. The Wellcome archive footage is from a time ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716015 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2716015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716016&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fweaponized_drugs_ar.html Today's Nature has a fantastic article about how psychoactive drugs are being developed into a new generation of chemical weapons design to have specific psychological effects on the enemy. This has long been part of military research (see the famous and unintentionally hilarious footage of British troops being given LSD presumably from the 1950s) but the effects of the mind altering weapons have generally been thought to be too unpredictable and largely restricted to the lab. However, the Nature article argues that as our knowledge increases and specific biochemical pathways in the body are discovered, chemical and biological weapons are likely to be deployed that target highly selective biological mechanisms to incapacitate and disable. Some researchers are actively facilitating the... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716016 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2716016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712167&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fthe_vibratory_chair_.html There's a curious historical snippet in the latest edition of Neurology about how the famous French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot designed a shaking chair for patients with Parkinson's disease after they reported sleeping better after a train or carriage ride. The most obvious symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor and name first given to the condition, by James Parkinson in his famous essay, was the 'shaking palsy'. While Charcot's 19th century contemporaries had tried 'vibration therapy' here and there, he was the first to systematically apply it to patients with Parkinson's and found it helped with stiffness, discomfort and poor sleep. Later Gilles de la Tourette, a one-time student of Charcot, developed the treatment into a type of electrical vibrating hat to specifically apply ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712167 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2712167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2705179&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fsulci_against_the_he.html One of the mysteries of the human brain concerns why the surface is wrinkled into 'ridges' and 'trenches'. We covered some of the theories a couple of weeks ago but a new study in the Journal of Biomechanics suggests a completely different take - the rippled surface protects against the effects of head injury. The research team created a 3D computer model of the brain taken from an MRI brain scan (top) and then generated a second model (bottom) but with the sulci (the 'trenches') smoothed out. They then took each model and simulated few smacks upside the head from different directions. As well as 'striking' the head head on, the researchers also simulated blows causing 'rotation'. This is where the brain moves as if it is pivoting around a point. For example, if you look straight on and... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2705179 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2705179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674318&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fa_nose_for_trouble.html A selection of objects described in the medical literature that have ended up in the brain via the nose: A chopstick. A ball-point pen. A flying wire fragment. A plastic stick. A snooker cue. A miniature fencing foil. A gear stick. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674318 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2674318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670893&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fin_the_trenches.html The Boston Globe has a short but interesting article on cerebral folding - the science of why the brain is wrinkled up like a damp walnut. The wrinkled surface of the brain folds into 'ridges' known as gyri and the 'trenches' known as sulci. This rippled landscape forms perhaps the most recognisable aspect of the human brain but we still don't really know why we need this rather odd arrangement. The standard answer "to fit more brain surface in the skull" really tells us nothing on its own as it's not clear why the same material in the outer brain layers couldn't be distributed differently. Some answers are starting to emerge, however, not least from studies which look at differences in brain folding during the pre-birth growth phase and between people with different neurological condit... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670893 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2670893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580264&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fwithout_a_brain.html According to press reports Michael Jackson will be buried without his brain because it is still 'hardening'. Although this may seem unusual, the 'hardening' process is actually a standard part of any post-mortem examination where the brain is thought to be important in the cause of death, such as in suspected overdose. It involves removing the brain from the skull and leaving it to soak in a diluted mixture of formaldehyde and water called formalin. This soaking process usually takes four weeks and the brain genuinely does harden. A 'fresh' brain is a pinkish colour and has the consistency of jelly, gello or soft tofu meaning it is difficult to examine and the various internal structures are often hard to make out. After soaking the brain, it has the consistency and colour of canned mus... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580264 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2580264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570612&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2F80_genetic_20_pol.html Over the last couple of days, there's been a great deal of coverage of three new studies on the genetics of schizophrenia. While the coverage has actually been pretty good, almost all the news stories make the same error when talking about the 'genetic risk' for the condition. Twenty years ago, geneticists were searching for the 'gene for schizophrenia' until it became apparent that there was not going to be a single gene, or even a handful, found responsible for the mental illness. It since became a mantra that the genetic risk for schizophrenia would be conferred by 'many genes of small effect'. In other words, the cumulative effect of lots of genes that, on their own, would be quite benign. Nature has just published three studies that use the only-recently-feasible technique of scann... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570612 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2570612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570615&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fa_touch_from_a_phant.html A 64 year old woman developed a phantom third arm after a stroke, but unusually, the patient was able to see and feel the illusory limb. A study just published online in the journal Annals of Neurology used brain scans to examine the patient. They established that the phantom sensations were accompanied by similar sorts of brain activity as you'd get from a real arm. Unlike a classic 'phantom limb', where a patient feels sensations as if they're coming from the previously amputated body part, a 'supernumerary phantom limb' is where a phantom seems to appear additional to the already existing arm or leg. The condition is rare but has been reported before and is known as the 'supernumerary phantom limb' in the medical literature. As we discussed last year, it is usually associated with str... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570615 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2570615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561340&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fa_neurobiology_of_th.html Newsweek has a short but smart essay by neuroscientist Eric Kandel who riffs on some of the latest developments that have pushed forward our understanding of the neurobiology of mental disorder. Kandel gives a description of one of the big biological discoveries from recent years, namely copy number variations, and explores what they might tell us about the development of psychiatric disorders: One major advance has been the discovery that there is much more variability in the genome than had been anticipated, and that this takes the form of copy number variation (CNV). These are duplications or deletions of segments of a chromosome, often involving several or tens of genes, that enhance or depress the actions of specific genes. A well-known example of a CNV is the extra copy of chromo... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561340 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2561340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2550250&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe_straight_dopamin.html There is now growing evidence that cannabis use causes a small but reliable increase in the chance of developing psychosis. Traditionally, this was explained by the drug increasing dopamine levels in the brain but a new study shortly to be published in NeuroImage suggests that the active ingredient in cannabis doesn't effect this important neurotransmitter. Despite some dissenting voices, disruption to the mesolimbic dopamine pathway is widely thought to be the key problem in the development of delusions, hallucinations and the other psychotic symptoms commonly diagnosed as schizophrenia. This has led to the assumption that the small increased risk of psychosis reliably associated with cannabis use is due to the drug increasing dopamine levels in a deep brain structure called the striatu... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2550250 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2550250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511179&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Flike_tears_in_the_ra.html Forbes magazine has an excellent special issue that is rammed full of diverse and interesting articles on artificial intelligence. It's a large collection of short articles that covers everything from the mathematics of free will to the likelihood of there being a robot war in the future (see, it's not just me). There are a fair few speculative pieces, so those who like their transhumanists with a pinch of salt may have to be ready with the seasoning, but wide variety of articles means there should be something for everyone. Each intends to introduce an idea rather than explore it in detail. I liked the pieces on whether AI can help fight terrorism and another on how the use of AI to explore theories of the mind has declined, and I'm still reading through the rest. The only slight anno... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511179 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2511179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458166&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe_possible_causes_.html A new study has surveyed 17 astronauts to see what sort of headaches they experienced while on space missions. Headaches were much more frequent than on earth and didn't fit a known type, suggesting that zero or micro gravity may be a specific trigger for a pounding head. Below is the part of the article where the researchers discuss how the weightless conditions of space might affect the brain to cause the headache. To describe headache, most astronauts used terms such as 'exploding' and/or 'a heavy feeling', confirming previous observations and suggesting a change in intracranial pressure. This is compatible with headache attributed to disorders of homeostasis, which can change during a state of microgravity. Certain haemodynamic [blood flow] changes might explain the occurrence of s... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458166 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2458166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441704&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fmad_honey.html I've just discovered there's a form of neurotoxic honey, genuinely known as "mad honey", created by bees taking nectar from the beautiful rhododendron ponticum flower, pictured on the right. The nectar from these plants, prevalent around the Black Sea region of Turkey, occasionally contains grayanotoxins, a class of neurotoxin that interferes with the action potential (electrical signalling) of nerve cells by blocking sodium channels in the cell membranes. This leads to problems with the muscles, peripheral nerves, and the central nervous system. Mad honey apparently causes "a sharp burning sensation in the throat" and poisoning leads to dizziness, weakness, excessive sweating, hypersalivation, nausea, vomiting and 'pins and needles' although severe intoxication can cause dangerous heart... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441704 Fri, 29 May 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2441704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441711&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fall_smoke_and_mirror.html New Scientist has a tantalising snippet reporting on a shortly to be released and potentially important new study challenging the idea of 'mirror neurons'. Mirror neurons fire both when we perform an action and when we see someone else doing it. The theory is that by simulating action even when watching an act, the neurons allow us to recognise and understand other people's actions and intentions... However, Alfonso Caramazza at Harvard University and colleagues say their research suggests this theory is flawed. Neurons that encounter repeated stimulus reduce their successive response, a process called adaptation. If mirror neurons existed in the activated part of the brain, reasoned Caramazza, adaptation should be triggered by both observation and performance. To test the theory, hi... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441711 Wed, 27 May 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2441711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442121&cid=t_116966_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FOjLwzbhn3DQ%2F Games for Health and SharpBrains have partnered to bring you the first Cognitive Health Track in a Games for Health Conference, June 11-12th in Boston. If you are interested, in attending the conference, you can learn more and register Here. To get a 15% off registration fees ($379), you can use discount code: sharp09, when you register Here. --- Cognitive Health Track, Powered by SharpBrains Thursday, June 11th 10.20 (50m) Bird's Eye View of Cognitive Health Innovation Speaker(s): Alvaro Fernandez, SharpBrains Scientific, technological and demographic trends have converged to create a new $265m market in the US alone: serious games, software and online applications that can help people of all ages assess and train cognitive abilities. Alvaro Fernandez will provide a Bird’s Eye View of t... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442121 Mon, 25 May 2009 20:17:12 +0100 2442121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424207&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Ftall_people_have_slo.html Frontal Cortex has alerted me to an interesting NPR radio segment on the fact that taller people have longer nerves and so will have slight sensory lag in comparison to shorter people. It prompted me to look up some of the research in the area and I found an eye-opening study looking at a range of factors that can effect nerve conduction. The researchers found that, after controlling for sex, age and temperature (it turns out your nerves are quicker when you're warm), there was a 0.27 m/s decrease in the conduction speed of one of the leg nerves (the sural nerve) for each additional centimetre in height. This is interesting because it is not only a reduction in time because the same speed signal is travelling a longer distance, but it actually seems that nerve signals travel more slower... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424207 Tue, 19 May 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2424207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416997&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fnumbers_up_for_dopam.html I've just read an elegant study on the neuroscience of gambling that wonderfully illustrates why the dopamine equals pleasure myth, so often thrown around by the media, is too tired to be useful. I have seen countless news reports that claim that some activity or other causes dopamine to be released; that dopamine is the 'pleasure chemical'; and that it's also released by 'drugs', 'sex', 'gambling' and 'chocolate' (a quartet I have named the four dopamen of the neurocalypse). Normally, this breathless attempt to make something sound sexy is followed by a slightly sinister bit where they say that this dopamine activity is also likely to make it 'addictive'. Dopamine is involved in drug addiction, but the over-extended cliché is drivel, not least because the dopamine neurons start firing... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416997 Mon, 18 May 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2416997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405431&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fthe_alien_hand_syndr.html I've just found a video of someone with alien hand syndrome - a condition which usually occurs after brain injury or stroke where the affected person loses conscious control over the hand and where it seems to move with a will of its own. In this case, the video was uploaded by YouTube user frankenerin, who asked someone to video her when she was in intensive care after suffering a stroke and having brain surgery while her 'alien hand' was still present. There's a couple of things to notice in the video. The first is that the clinician asks the patient to do the actions for using scissors and brushing teeth. This is to check the problem is not a form of general ideomotor apraxia, where common action patterns are damaged. She can do the actions with one hand but not the other, suggesting... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405431 Mon, 11 May 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2405431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405434&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fdeeper_into_the_neur.html A new article from Trends in Cognitive Sciences explores how cognitive neuroscientists are becoming increasingly interested in understanding hypnosis and are using it to simulate unusual states of consciousness in the lab. Hypnosis was typically treated with suspicion by mainstream cognitive science, although an important turning point came when a 2000 study demonstrated that people hypnotised to see colour on grey panels showed activity in the colour perception areas of the brain. Myths about hypnosis are still common, but it is nothing more than a participant's willing engagement in a process of suggestion. The hypnotic induction, sterotypically the counting backwards and the 'you are feeling sleepy' patter, helps but is not necessary. Crucially, and for reasons that are still unclear... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405434 Sun, 10 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2405434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398820&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fthe_morning_after_th.html In the long history of outrageous drinking stories, this has got to be one of the best. The Emergency Medical Journal has a case study of a man who woke up in hospital after being admitted for alcohol poisoning. He couldn't remember what happened the night before but when his hangover didn't clear a precautionary brain scan revealed a knife blade embedded in his temporal lobe. A left handed, 22 year old man was brought to the hospital by friends at 0200 because of alcohol intoxication. Events preceding the admission and motivation for the patient to go to the hospital were unclear. The patient's relatives confessed to a binge drinking of rum and beer, and then being moved suddenly, probably to avoid police control... The patient woke up 8 hours after admission, complaining of seve... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398820 Sat, 09 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2398820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398824&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fexploding_head_syndr.html I've just found an article with two interesting cases of 'exploding head syndrome' - a medical condition where affected people spontaneously hear an exceptionally loud explosion-like noise. The condition is relatively harmless, causing people only to be startled, and it doesn't seem linked to seizure activity or epilepsy. Owing to the fact it's both benign and uncommon, it's not been widely studied and so its cause remains a mystery. Case 1 A 48-year-old man was seen in December 2006. For the past several months about three to four times a month, he had been having attacks of a peculiar sensation in the head likened to the noise of an exploding bomb only at night while going off to sleep. The 'explosion' would wake him up and disappear completely the moment he woke up. There was no he... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398824 Thu, 07 May 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2398824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380886&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fextreme_altitude_cli.html It's know well known that high altitude mountain climbing damages the brain and causes a marked reduction in mental functioning. I naively assumed this was true for everyone but I just found an intriguing 1996 study that compared brain function of lowland mountain climbers and Nepalese Sherpas after ascent to high altitude, which found that the Sherpas suffer few of these neurological problems. Are Himalayan Sherpas better protected against brain damage associated with extreme altitude climbs? Garrido E, Segura R, Capdevila A, Pujol J, Javierre C, Ventura JL. Clin Sci (Lond). 1996 Jan;90(1):81-5. 1. The potential risk of brain damage when low-landers attempt to climb the highest summits is a well-known fact. However, very little is known about what occurs to Himalayan natives, perfe... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380886 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2380886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376226&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fa_trance_of_pleasure.html A 2003 study in Epilepsy and Behavior has some descriptions of the ecstatic seizures experienced by some patients with epilepsy. They include intense erotic and spiritual experiences, feelings of become close to and blending with other people, and some sensations that couldn't be fully captured in words. I've put some of the descriptions below because they sound absolutely wonderful: Patient 1 The first seizure occurred during a concert when he was a teenager. He remembers perceiving short moments of an indefinable feeling. Such episodes recurred and a few months later evolved into a GTC [generalized tonic–clonic seizure]. He characterizes these sensations as “a trance of pleasure.” “It is like an emotional wave striking me again and again. I feel compelled to obey a sort of p... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376226 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2376226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376228&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fdodging_the_border_a.html I just noticed that neurotechnology analyst Zack Lynch has a forthcoming article in Epilepsy and Behavior on the latest developments in the commercial brain science field. Avid neuroscience fans may be familiar with most of it but the section on new technologies to cross the blood-brain barrier was eye-opening. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a sieve-like border crossing that allows only certain molecules to pass from the blood into the brain. It's remarkably restrictive and many molecules are just to big to get past, meaning that many drugs that could affect the brain are virtually useless, simply because they can't cross the border. This has led neuroscientists to think of ways of smuggling, tunnelling and sneaking this these molecules past the barrier, and Lynch's article lists some... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376228 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2376228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376230&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fthe_beautiful_baby_b.html Jonah Lehrer has an excellent piece in today's Boston Globe about how babies' brains develop and what psychologists are starting to understand about the infant mind. It's largely riffing on the work of Alison Gopnik, one of the world's leading developmental psychologists, who has long argued that babies might be more conscious than adults and that we learn to filter the world and mentally manage its initial chaos. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376230 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2376230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353890&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fthe_risks_of_cogniti.html The New Yorker has a fantastic in-depth article about 'cognitive enhancement' that talks to some of the neuroscientists studying the effects and some of the mind tweakers who regularly pop pills to give themselves an edge. One of the issues it touches on is whether cognitive enhancers really 'enhance' people, and there's good evidence that for the highest achievers, the pills might not be of much benefit. Even worse, it's also likely that the amphetamine-based drugs (Ritalin, Adderall) could actually impair your performance even though you might feel as if you've had a mental boost. Amphetamine has the effect of increasing focus, confidence and giving a euphoric feeling. Although the effects are less marked in the slow release amphetamines used for ADHD and appropriated for illicit mind... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353890 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2353890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348549&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fseized_by_the_antis.html Newsweek has an excellent article on the neuroscience and personal impact of epilepsy. It's well-researched, gripping in parts and bang up-to-date as it takes us through how neurologists tackle the seizure-prone brain. I was particularly impressed by the following section as it avoids the common cliché of the epileptic 'brain storm' because, as we've discussed before on Mind Hacks, a seizure is not a storm of random brain activity. In fact, it's completely the opposite. During a seizure neurons become super-synchronised, pulsing together, so they can't do their normal job. In effect, it's an anti-storm. Conceptually, the job of the cardiologist is straightforward: he needs to restore a damaged heart to its normal rhythm. But epilepsy is the opposite. A normal brain is governed by cha... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348549 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2348549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348557&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fhemispheres_of_influ.html Discover Magazine has an interesting Carl Zimmer article on one of the most intriguing questions in neuroscience - why do we have two cortical hemispheres? And why are they not quite the same? It turns out that the 'brain of two halves' is incredibly common in the animal kingdom and that many creatures also show the behavioural lateralisation that we most readily see in humans as someone being left or right handed. But it's no entirely sure why we, or indeed, or animal compatriots, have evolved this way, although various theories are kicking around: David Stark of Harvard Medical School recently found additional clues about lateralization in his studies of 112 different regions in the brains of volunteers. He and his collaborators discovered that the front portions of the brain are ge... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348557 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2348557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313553&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fwhen_dreams_come_to_.html This study specifically focused on the less researched non-violent sleep behaviours, as the disorder is more typically associated with acting out aggressive dreams. This is possibly because the disturbances that cause the disorder also affect the content of the dreams. An earlier study found that patients with the disorder reported having more aggressive dreams, even though they were not more aggressive in waking life. It's a fascinating article and worth reading in full as it contains many 'wow, that's amazing' moments, both for the scientific insights, and the windows into the mental life of sleep. Link to Neurology article on sleep behaviours. Link to PubMed entry for same. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313553 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2313553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313559&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fimaging_the_transgen.html For the first time, the brain structure of male-to-female transsexuals has been investigated in living individuals using MRI brain scans, helping to fuel the debate over the possible neural basis of gender identity. The scientific article, shortly to appear in the neuroscience journal NeuroImage, used MRI brain scans and a technique called voxel based morphometry to compare grey matter in a group of male-to-female transexuals to groups of males and females who have never had gender-identity concerns. This is not the first time that brain structure has been compared in this way, but earlier studies had been based on post-mortem comparisons. These three studies had found that certain areas in male-to-female transsexuals more commonly resembled the equivalent area in females than males. Th... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313559 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2313559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313564&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fa_lifes_journey_in_.html New Scientist has an excellent cover article on 'The five ages of the brain', looking at how the brain changes as we grow and how these transformations are reflected in our lives. It breaks the life span down into 'five ages', with a short article for each - tackling gestation, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Each gives a concise introduction to some of the latest findings on how the brain differs in each time period, although for a slight counter-point, I would recommend a recent edition of ABC Radio National's All in the Mind. The programme takes a sceptical look at the emerging neuroscience of adolescence, largely based on the fact that adolescence as a distinct developmental stage is a relatively recent cultural invention of the Western world. Psychologist Robert Eps... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313564 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2313564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287246&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fpermanently_altering.html A surgical team from Italy have just reported that they've altered human brain function through neurosurgery conducted from outside the skull, by using beams of radiation. The technique is known as radiosurgery and, in itself, isn't novel. The team used the Cyberknife system, specifically designed to do this sort of operation. However, the technique is typically used to treat brain tumours, and what is new is that the team have adapted this method to permanently knock out targeted areas to alter overall brain function. They were inspired by deep brain stimulation and functional brain surgery. These aim to do a similar thing and are most commonly used to treat tremors and movement problems in Parkinson's disease by altering the movement circuits in the brain. This new operation aimed to... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287246 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2287246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287249&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fsweet_anaesthesia_an.html Discover Magazine has an excellent article on the science of anaesthesia and why doctors need to struggle with the problem of consciousness to make someone comfortably numb. If you're not familiar some of the mysteries of anaesthesia, you may be surprised to know that we don't actually know how most anaesthetics work and we have no reliable way of telling whether someone is unconscious. This is important because general anaesthesia usually involves two types of drug, muscle relaxants and hypnotics. It's possible that the muscle relaxants have their paralysing effect but the hypnotics don't fully work, so you're awake and aware, but don't respond when you're touched or talked to. Hence anaesthetists would love a device which says whether someone is concious or not, but unfortunately, div... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287249 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2287249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272039&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fwiring_and_plumbing_.html Frontiers in Human Neuroscience has a great two page article that nicely summarises the thinking about how blood flow measured by brain scans relates to the workings of the neurons. No one with common sense would believe that in a house, water movements in pipes could tell you how many lamps are on and how much fuel is used for heating. Surprisingly most neuroscientists are convinced that in the brain monitoring local cerebral blood flow (CBF) what I call plumbing, is a reliable surrogate method to localize electrical neuronal activity and monitor metabolic events. The piece is by neuroscientist Jean Rossier, and he discusses the two main theories of how blood flow relates to what the neurons are doing. The 'metabolic hypothesis' assumes there is a causal link between how much energy... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272039 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2272039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258175&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fprojected_at_high_sp.html We present a unique instance of a severe, high-energy, penetrating orbitocranial injury caused by a solid metallic rod that corresponded to the spray valve lever handle of a kitchen sink pre-rinse spray tap, which was fractured and projected at high speed for an unknown reason. Link to PubMed entry for article. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258175 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2258175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258184&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fbrain_stimulation_.html An article just published online for the Behavioural Science and Law journal discusses whether magnetic brain stimulation could be used in lie detection and interrogation. It is based on the premise that as cognitive neuroscience works out the brain circuits for lying, a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could be used during an interview to disrupt the function of these pathways. The article specifically pitches this idea as a possible 'lie detection' method, as so far, research conducted by the authors suggest that disrupting parietal cortex function, on average, slows the response time for lies and but doesn't affect response time for truthful responses - albeit in a very controlled laboratory experiment. In other words, the idea is that TMS could be used to hel... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258184 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2258184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240907&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fmy_story_is_about_n.html We've reported before on brain imaging research that shows brain activity in those in a 'persistent vegetative state'. What I didn't know until today was that one subject in this research, Kate, has since woken up. This YouTube video tells Kate's story: Kate suffered from what was probably brain stem encephalitis at the age of 23. She was the first patient to be scanned by Adrian Owen as part of his research into the mental lives of those in persistent vegetative states. Findings from this research support what Kate herself is able to say in the video: we need to be very careful before making life and death decisions on behalf of people who appear unresponsive. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240907 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:14:25 +0100 2240907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232584&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Frewiring_the_brain_f.html Wired has just published an excellent two part article on neuroengineering, the practice of altering the brain with electronics or optics. It looks at a number of interesting projects, from light controlled neurons to magnetic brain stimulation, and focuses on the work of talented neuroengineer Ed Boyden who I had the pleasure of doing a joint talk with at a SciFoo conference. In fact, TMS gets electricity into the brain peacefully, without either cutting it open or shocking it with millions of volts. The target area of the brain is treated like the coil in a generator, subjected to rapidly changing magnetic fields until electricity begins to dance across its neurons. Unlike the optical switch developed by Boyden and Stanford's Dr. Karl Deisseroth, TMS doesn't reach the deeper regions... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232584 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2232584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222690&cid=t_116966_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2FmKU2EbKp8qU%2F When we learn first hand what it’s like to experience Alzheimer’s, we caregivers and family members can be more understanding and helpful.  I often tried to realize where Mother and Auntie were coming from, what was motivating their behavior and thought processes.  When I put myself into their world (at least the best I could), I found it easier to cope.  Hopefully this made an increasingly difficult life easier for them. Richard Taylor, Ph.D., who has been diagnosed with dememtia, probably of the Alzheimer’s type, maintains a web site complete with videos, provides a monthly newsletter, and has written a book,  Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out.  His purpose now is writing and speaking to inform, help and encourage others. I wish there was something like Rich... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222690 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:00:23 +0100 2222690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222513&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fbrain_implants_and_c.html This week's Nature has an interesting article on the ethics of electronic brain enhancements. It does something quite unusual for an article on technological brain enhancements - it talks about the side effects. Brain implants and 'neuroprosthetics' have been widely covered by the science media in recent years owing to a number of impressive advances but very little discussion has focused on the adverse effects. In considering the ethics of using brain implants to enhance both the damaged and healthy brain, this article actually touches on some of the research on unwanted effects of deep brain stimulation. Many patients with Parkinson's disease who have motor complications that are no longer manageable through medication report significant benefits from DBS. Nevertheless, compared wit... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222513 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2222513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210454&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fkey_to_neurosurgery_.html I've just found this remarkable CT scan in a 1997 article entitled 'Trans-orbital penetrating head injury with a door key'. The paper reports that "A 71-year-old-female was answering the door when she misjudged the step and fell forward impaling herself on the large key protruding from the lock." She was found with the key still embedded in her head and was transferred to neurosurgery where the key was removed. Thankfully, the patient recovered with no neurological impairment and only slight difficulties with her vision. Link to PubMed entry for the case report. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210454 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:00:00 +0100 2210454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194873&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fa_cognitive_science_.html Time magazine has an interesting article on the neuroscience of spiritual experience and why religious belief has been linked to better health. It's not the most gripping article in the world and starts with some annoying experience = brain area phrenology but it does gives a good overview of some of the main research areas. Probably the most interesting aspect is where it tackles the link between religious belief and health in light of other belief based health benefits such as the placebo effect or beliefs about illness itself. The section on the effects of prayer also has this fascinating snippet about early experimental psychologist Francis Galton: As long ago as 1872, Francis Galton, the man behind eugenics and fingerprinting, reckoned that monarchs should live longer than the r... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194873 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2194873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172892&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fthe_light_controlled.html Stanford University have put a series of engaging TED style 10 minute lectures up on YouTube where some of their leading researchers discuss cutting-edge cognitive science research - curing blindness with neural implants, brain computer interfaces, neural pathway mapping, creating brain inspired computer hardware, visualising desire and controlling neurons with light. Getting lab scientists to do short, engaging online lectures aimed at a bright and curious audience is a fantastic idea. These new Stanford talks have a high production quality and have obviously been prepared with a great deal of care as they are incredibly easy to watch. I've not watched them all yet, but so far the talk on the neuroscience and stem cell treatment of blindness is a particular highlight. In this presentat... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172892 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2172892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2152915&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fpeering_into_the_dar.html Locked-in syndrome is a dramatic condition where, after brain stem damage, patients are conscious but paralysed and can only communicate with the outside world by an eye-blink or muscle twitch. Because of limited communication it has been difficult to assess the impact of the damage on thinking and reasoning, but a French team have created tests that can be completed by simple yes / no movements - allowing the first comprehensive study into the cognition of the locked-in mind. The syndrome usually occurs after a stroke, where an interruption to the blood supply selectively damages the neurological 'relay station' that transmits movement impulses to the rest of the body, leaving an almost total paralysis - classically except for a facial muscle. It has been assumed that affected people a... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2152915 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2152915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2150769&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fthe_long_term_effect.html Sportsmen who suffer concussion in early adulthood may experience long-term reduction in brain function well into later life, according to a study released this week. Although the study had only 40 participants, it is striking as it looked at the effects 30 years after the original concussions and used a wide and diverse range of tests for cognitive and neurological function, the majority of which showed some level of impairment. This comes in the same week that Boston University School of Medicine reported that former American football player, Tampa Bay Buccaneer Tom McHale, was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by head trauma, when he died in 2008 at the age of 45. CNN has a good write-up of the news with photos and images of th... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2150769 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +0100 2150769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137550&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fneuroimaging_before.html Neuroscience textbooks often suggest that the ability to image the structure of the brain in living patients started in the 1970s with the introduction of the CT scanner. What they tend to forget is that brain surgeon Walter Dandy was already neuroimaging patients as early as 1918. We think of x-rays as only being useful for getting pictures of bones but soft tissue does show up on an x-ray. The images rely on certain bits of the body having a higher density and therefore blocking more of the rays falling on the photographic plate. Bones are obviously very dense so show up well but look at this image of a hand x-ray. You can clearly see the difference between bone, flesh and air. What you can't see is any difference in the soft tissue. The crucial difference that struck Walter Dandy wa... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137550 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:00 +0100 2137550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060936&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Ftriggering_the_dream.html The great British neurologist John Hughlings-Jackson famously described the 'dreamy state' reported by some epileptic patients during seizures where they experienced complex hallucinations - sometimes of scenes and faces, feelings of false familiarity and a feeling of 'weirdness' or 'strangeness'. A study published last year in neurology journal Brain re-examined these experiences by deliberately triggering them by electrically stimulating the brain. The participants were all patients with epilepsy who were having neurosurgery to treat their otherwise untreatable seizures and the researchers, led by neurologist Jean-Pierre Vignal, specifically stimulated areas in the mesial [inner] temporal lobes. The feelings of false familiarity are what we normally called déjà vu, but actually we t... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060936 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0100 2060936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052708&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fbetween_a_rock_and_a.html This study is a little different in that the science is completely bona fide, but the scientific paper is a very funny read. Their public health recommendations are a particular gem: Though exposure to head banging is enormous, opportunities are present to control this risk—for example, encouraging bands such as AC/DC to play songs like "Moon River" as a substitute for "Highway to Hell"; public awareness campaigns with influential and youth focused musicians, such as Sir Cliff Richard; labelling of music packaging with anti-head banging warnings, like the strategies used with cigarettes; training; and personal protective equipment. Great article, fantastic title, and completely open access. Rock on! Link to 'Head and neck injury risks in heavy metal'. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052708 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0100 2052708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017567&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fbullets_beauty_quee.html I've just found this fascinating article on how legendary neurologist Gordon Holmes discovered how the visual cortex represents visual space after studying World War One soldiers who had experienced bullet or shrapnel wounds to the brain. World War One taught us a great deal about neuropsychology largely due to developments in weapons technology. The German Mauser was an accurate rifle that used small bore ammunition where previous conflicts had largely used single shot rifles mostly designed so a group of soldiers could create a 'wall of lead', rather than a carefully aimed shot. Developments in shell technology also meant that high explosives could be launched with reasonable accuracy into groups of soldiers causing significant shrapnel injuries. However, both the rifles and shells we... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017567 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0100 2017567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013612&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fis_shaken_baby_syndr.html Discover magazine has a thought-provoking article on the question of whether 'shaken baby syndrome', claimed to be a specific type of brain damage that occurs to young children if shaken, actually exists as a useful syndrome. If it doesn't, it might not only be a medical miscategorisation but also a legal disaster that may have falsely convicted innocent families of child abuse. Critics argue it's a bit like calling a broken nose 'punched in the face syndrome'. The label is for a non-specific injury but which automatically leads us to assume that an aggressor must exist. Once a doctor says that an infant must have been shaken, it triggers a hunt for the shaker. In one diagnostic step, the legal system is brought to bear on the baby’s family and anyone else near the infant at the time... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013612 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0100 2013612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996283&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fwalking_the_line_th.html I've just found this gripping article from The Guardian by photojournalist Tom Bible who was diagnosed with a rare and life threatening brain tumour and had an equally rare and life threatening operation to remove it. The tumour was located in the superior sagittal sinus, one of the major veins that drains blood from the brain. Operating on it is very dangerous because it is incredibly difficult to stem the bleeding once it's damaged. As the author mentions in this passage, it's so dangerous that the operation needs to be carried out while the patient's heart is stopped: I now had a challenge: to find a neurosurgeon who was both willing and able to remove my tumour. Dr Thomas recommended two vascular neurosurgeons in the UK. I arranged an appointment with the first one, who subsequent... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996283 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100 1996283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968789&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fthe_eternal_quest_fo.html The annual Society for Neuroscience conference is currently underway in Washington DC and Technology Review has a couple of article that reports on some of the highlights. One piece is particularly interesting as it focuses on the use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a type of MRI scan that identifies the white matter nerve pathways in the brain, to detect otherwise undetectable brain damage. These white matter pathways are like cabling that runs through the brain and in some forms of head injury they can get twisted, pulled or suffer sheering injuries which may not be easily visible on standard MRI scans. A minority of people who suffer head injury with no detectable injury on standard MRIs will suffer emotion and behaviour disturbance, memory difficulties, diffuse headaches and problem... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968789 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1968789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960655&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fneuroscience_in_our_.html BBC Radio 4's excellent discussion programme In Our Time just had an interesting edition on neuroscience - what it does, how it does it, and what it's telling us about the function of the mind and brain. It's generally a very interesting discussion, although does get a bit confused towards the end during a discussion of conscious - largely due to a misunderstanding of a famous study. The discussion touches on neuroscientist Adrian Owen's study where they wanted to find out whether a patient in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) was conscious by asking them to imagine things and then using fMRI to see if the relevant parts of the brain were active - in other words, if the person was able to consciously hear, understand and carry out the request. Famously, the patient could - demonstrati... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960655 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:00 +0100 1960655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945213&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fmystery_callers_and_.html Neurophilosophy has recently published two excellent articles that discuss the recent discovery of very selective psychological problems: one person can't recognise people by their voice, the other can't navigate through streets. In themselves, these sorts of disorders are not that surprising, but they help us understand how the brain develops. Actually, scratch that last sentence. If you're familiar with the brain injury literature, these sorts of disorders are not that surprising, but if you're not, they're completely mind blowing. Take prosopagnosia for example. Sometimes rather inaccurately called 'face blindness' (people see faces, they just don't seem distinctive) it was first identified in a patient with a bullet wound to the head who lost the ability to recognise faces but could... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945213 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:00:00 +0100 1945213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939031&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fencultured_drug_crav.html Scientific American Mind's Mind Matters blog has a great interview with neuroanthropologist Daniel Lende who discusses why we need an understanding of both culture and neuroscience to get a fully integrated account of human thought and behaviour. Lende discusses his work on integrating cultural factors and the neuroscience of the dopamine reward system in a study of addiction in Colombian teenagers. A common approach in neuroscience is to take experiences labelled by everyday words and try and find what changes in the brain when someone says they are having the experience. The problem is that the definitions of the labelling words may be indistinct ('love'), incoherent ('belief') or understood differently in different cultures ('anxiety'). The approach Lende advocates is to take an ant... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939031 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:00:00 +0100 1939031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924468&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fa_slight_return_aga.html I've just found another curious case report of complex movements in a brain dead patient, following on from our recent piece on the Lazurus Sign. These reports are fascinating and bizarre in equal measure, not least when you try and imagine what was happening in the room at the time. Uncommon reflex automatisms after brain death Rev Neurol (Paris). 1995 Oct;151(10):586-8. Awada A. Two cases of unusual complex movements observed in brain dead patients are described. Rapid and sustained flexion of the neck induced slow abduction of the arms with flexion of the elbows, wrists and fingers over 5 to 10 seconds. These movements have been rarely described and although they have similar clinical patterns, they are pathophysiologically different from the Lazarus sign which is observed few mi... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924468 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:00 +0100 1924468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1917955&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fmoney_on_the_brain.html Tim Harford, who blogs as the Undercover Economist, presents a rollercoaster ride through the field of neuroeconomics, (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1917955 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:24:42 +0100 1917955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886360&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fice_age.html ABC Radio National's All in the Mind recently had an excellent programme on amphetamine, discussing its varying uses from its original selling point as a widely abused nasal decongestant to its modern popularity as a kiddie behavioural control agent in the age of methylphenidate (Ritalin). One of the most fascinating parts is where the guest, history of science professor Nicolas Rasmussen, discusses how after amphetamine was discovered in the 1930s the drug companies desperately tried to find an illness which it could be prescribed for. Smith, Kline & French wanted to find a big market and so they looked at common diseases that you know might plausibly be treated by an adrenaline derivative and they tried it out on a huge range of conditions. Menstrual cramps, bed wetting, you name it ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886360 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1886360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883315&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fthe_lazarus_sign_a_.html Occasionally, brain-dead patients make movements, owing to the fact that the spinal reflexes are still intact. The most complex, and presumably the most terrifying, is called the Lazarus Sign. It is where the brain-dead patient extends their arms and crosses them over their chest - Egyptian mummy style. About 20% to 40% of brain dead patients can show spontaneous movements particularly when the body is pricked with sharp objects. While these movements are usually brief twitches, occasionally the movements can be in an extended sequence, as reported in this 1992 Journal of Neurosurgery case study about a 67-year-old lady who died from a brain haemorrhage. At 11:15 am on February 20, brain death was declared and consent for final respirator removal was obtained from the patient's fami... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883315 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:00:00 +0100 1883315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870675&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fa_bolt_from_the_blue.html Seed Magazine has got video of a great talk by Henry Markham, the director of the Blue Brain Project which is developing the world's largest simulation of networks of individual neurons in an attempt to understand the large scale dynamics of the brain. Their ambition is to be able to run a simulation on the scale of the whole human brain within a decade. If you want a good summary of where the ambitious project is at, Seed recently had an excellent Jonah Lehrer piece on the research that we featured earlier this year. Markham's talk is interesting not solely for his take on the project and its aims, but also for the fantastic visualisation he uses to illustrate what it's doing. Link to video of 'Designing the Human Mind' talk. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870675 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0100 1870675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870676&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fbanjo_brain_surgery.html Surely this must be the greatest headline for a BBC News story ever: Banjo Used in Brain Surgery. Although the banjo wasn't in the hands of the surgeons it was still an essential part of the operation. It was played by legendary Blue Grass musician Eddie Adcock who was having surgery install a deep brain stimulation device to treat an essential tremor that had been affecting his playing. The BBC News story has a video of the neurosurgery and the banjo playing, and it is pure genius. Probably the best thing you'll see all year. Essential tremor is a condition where there is a continuing deterioration in areas of the brain that control movement. This causes a tremor that usually appears when the person tries to act or move, although can lead to a 'resting tremor' that's also present at ot... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870676 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0100 1870676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862722&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fladies_and_gentlemen.html I just came across these two beautiful images in a paper by neuroscientist Marek Kubicki and colleagues on diffusion tensor imaging studies in schizophrenia. DTI is a technique that using MRI scans to track how water moves throughout the brain. As water tends to move in one particular direction when its trapped inside nerve fibres, a technique called MRI tractography can be used to map out all the white matter 'cabling', separate from the rest of the brain. I think the technique produces some of the most beautiful images in neuroscience. You get to see the brain's connections, disconnected, and suspended in space. Link to full-text of paper (see page 27 for images). Link to PubMed entry for same. Link to more DTI tractography images. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862722 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1862722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859489&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fviral_brain_cancer_t.html The San Francisco Chronicle has a great article about Dr Charles Cobbs, a neurosurgeon who had the seemingly wacky idea that malignant brain tumours called gliomas might be caused by a viral infection. Initially dismissed, there is now growing evidence for his idea and how it might lead to better prevention and treatment for these usually fatal forms of brain cancer. Gliomas are tumour that form from glial cells - non-neuronal brain cells that provide support, nutrition protection and some just-recognised roles in signalling. As you might expect, they are an essential part of almost every part the brain and a malignant tumour which grows from glial cells can be fatal (without treatment, within about 3 months) as they are very difficult to remove and treat. Cobbs had observed that his ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859489 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0100 1859489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856014&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fdeep_brain_optimism.html A list of things that deep brain stimulation has been used to treat. DBS involves surgically implanting an electrode into the brain which is stimulated with a 'pacemaker' like device. I've just been looking over the DBS literature and I was quite surprised to see that it has been used to try and treat just about anything you can think of. Maybe someone should try it for over-optimistic repetitive surgery syndrome? Anyway, here's the one's I've found, if you know of any others, do send them in or add them to the comments. Obesity Writer's cramp Tremor Depression Parkinson's disease Epilepsy Huntingdon's disease Addiction Self-mutilation Cluster headache Tourette's syndrome. OCD Early onset pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration Dystonia Meige syndrome Facial pain... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856014 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1856014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837160&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fhemispheric_fantasie.html This study suggests that this gender disparity results from the increased frequency of bilateral speech representation found in the female brain. Support for this theory was obtained by comparing the use of autoerotic fantasy and imagery in another group distinguished by their degree of cerebral lateralization: dextral vs. sinistral males. The prediction that masturbatory fantasy and imagery would be more common in the more lateralized dextral males was partially confirmed in this study. I gave up looking for a suggestive yet tasteful image than combined the concepts of sex and hemispheric specialisation, so I've illustrated this post with picture of a flower instead. As an aside, brain anatomy has a few rude jokes thrown in. For example, the mammillary bodies are two small round areas ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837160 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:00:00 +0100 1837160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825598&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fwhen_dementia_releas.html KQED Quest has another excellent online feature where they discuss the curious effect where some patients with fronto-temporal dementia, a form of degenerative brain disease, suddenly have burst of creative talent creating some stunning and original works. The videos were taken at UCSF over the course of many hours doctors spent studying Keith and his symptoms. In them, we glimpse of two of Keith’s FTD-caused obsessions: joke telling and music. (We also see one of the first symptoms to have emerged: his Jerry Garcia hairdo.) At first glance, Keith’s behavior might strike you as more eccentric than brain-damaged, which is precisely why FTD can take so long to diagnose. If you’re a doctor with a 15-minute appointment slot, frontotemporal dementia might just look like a midlife cris... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825598 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:00:00 +0100 1825598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815696&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F399765876%2Fwhen_cortisol_battles_against.html If you've ever had a day where you seem to plummet in downward spirals, you're likely up against cortisol chemicals that could be drowning your efforts in several ways. You'll know that cortisol is likely surging against your mind, when:1. You can no longer concentrate or learn new skills.2. Anger defines most of your communications.3. You feel down and can't find meaning in your day.4. Fear overtakes you when you  consider taking a well planned risk.5. Interruptions from peers bother you more than usual6. Fellow workers seem to have many advantages you lack.7. Promotions continually pass you by in spite of your hard work. 8. You'd rather criticize other's efforts than create with your own.9. You find yourself cussing more than normal.10. Humor is no longer par... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815696 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:16:32 +0100 1815696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798109&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Ferotic_selfstimulat.html A 48-year-old woman with a stimulating electrode implanted in her right ventral thalamus started to compulsively self-stimulate when she discovered that it could produce erotic sensations. This is a report from the early days of deep brain stimulation, way back in 1986, from an article for the medical journal Pain which discussed some unintended side-effects from one patient's DBS treatment for chronic pain. Soon after insertion of the nVPL electrode, the patient noted that stimulation also produced erotic sensations. This pleasurable response was heightened by continuous stimulation at 75% maximal amplitude, frequently augmented by short bursts at maximal amplitude. Though sexual arousal was prominent, no orgasm occurred with these brief increases in stimulation intensity. Despite sev... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798109 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 +0100 1798109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763881&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fnavigating_the_darkn.html ABC Radio National's All in the Mind recently broadcast a gripping programme on patients in the coma-like persistent vegetative state (PVS) and how new brain imaging techniques might be able to identify people who are conscious but unable to communicate with the outside world. The programme talks to neuropsychologist Adrian Owen, whose work we've featured previously on Mind Hacks, who conducted a brain imaging study on a 23-year-old woman in PVS suggested that she could understand what was being said to her. The neuroimaging team asked her to practice mental tasks when and could pick up and distinguish the related brain activity using an fMRI scanner. The programme discusses Owen and colleagues research, including a peak at some ongoing studies to try and turn this into a method of comm... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763881 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:00:00 +0100 1763881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1759864&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Flawrence_of_arabia_i.html I just found this fascinating article from a 2002 edition of Neurosurgery that tells how a brain surgeon who unsuccesfully operated on Lawrence of Arabia after his fatal motorcyle crash was inspired to research and design crash helmets that now save thousands of lives. T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, was a hero of the First World War who worked as a covert agent leading a revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East and was immortalised in the 1962 film. Lawrence was also a fan of motorbikes. In fact, he's pictured on one in the image on the left. Sadly, his interest eventually led to his death after a motorcycle crash in Dorset. The Neurosurgery article tells the story of Hugh Cairns, a young neurosurgeon who attempted unsuccessfully to save Lawrence's life a... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1759864 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:00:00 +0100 1759864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750099&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fa_vision_of_a_daydre.html The Boston Globe has an interesting piece on daydreaming, touching on the link between daydreaming and creativity and discussing the possibly brain networks that might support our pleasant mental wanderings. The article discusses some of the recent work on the default brain network and how this might be related to daydreaming: Every time we slip effortlessly into a daydream, a distinct pattern of brain areas is activated, which is known as the default network. Studies show that this network is most engaged when people are performing tasks that require little conscious attention, such as routine driving on the highway or reading a tedious text. Although such mental trances are often seen as a sign of lethargy - we are staring haplessly into space - the cortex is actually very active dur... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750099 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:00:00 +0100 1750099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742724&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fcount_em.html Wikipedia has a short but fascinating page listing animals by the number of neurons they have. There's only about a dozen entries on there, but most interesting is that there is an animal with no nerve cells at all. It's called Trichoplax and apparently is a "a simple balloon-like marine animal with a body cavity filled with pressurized fluid". Apparently humans don't come top of the pile, as both elephants and whales have more neurons. However, it's not the best referenced article in the world, to say the least, so I'm taking this last claims with a pinch of salt for the time being. If you know better, do update the article with some more reliable sources. Link to 'List of animals by number of neurons'. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742724 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1742724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730662&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fgreat_history_of_bra.html The BBC has just begun broadcasting a fantastic series called Blood and Guts on the history of surgery with the first episode on neurosurgery. If you live in the UK you can watch it again on the BBC iPlayer for a few days more, or otherwise, it has appeared online as a torrent. It's not the most coherent trip through the history of neurosurgery, more a collection of highlights (or, in some cases, lowlights), but it's very well made and has some fantastic historical footage and interviews with modern neurosurgeons. It covers Harvey Cushing, Phineas Gage, José Delgado, Walter Freeman and the frontal lobotomy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation and the cutting edge of brain surgery today. There's a particularly interesting bit where lobotomy survivor Howard Dully has... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730662 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1730662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709070&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fneurowar_of_words.html Wired Science covers a recent US military report on military threats from the latest developments in neuroscience as well as how brain research could be 'weaponised' to enhance soldiers' capabilities or disable enemy fighters. It's a bit difficult to judge the quality of the report, as unlike the recent in-depth report from the JASON Pentagon advisory panel, they're charging people to download it. From the Wired summary, it seems to cover similar ground although is perhaps a little more wide-ranging and focuses on policy and foresight rather than the nuts and bolts of brain science. It apparently covers four main areas: mind reading; cognitive enhancement; mind control and brain-machine interfaces. As you can probably tell from the list, there's likely to be a fair amount of speculatio... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709070 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:30:00 +0100 1709070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1700681&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fmainlining_the_activ.html I've uploaded a fascinating video clip where a TV presenter is intravenously injected with the active ingredients of cannabis as part of the BBC documentary Should I Smoke Dope?. It's part of an experiment to compare the effects of intravenous THC and cannabidiol combined, with intravenous THC on its own. The mix of both gives the presenter a pleasant giggly high while THC on its own causes her to become desolate and paranoid. Both are these are known to be key psychoactive ingredients in cannabis but the video is interesting as it is a reflection of the fact that THC has been most linked to an increased risk of developing psychosis while cannabidiol seems to have an antipsychotic effect. As we discussed earlier this year, one study found that cannabis smokers who had higher levels of ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1700681 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100 1700681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696154&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fcannibalism_prions_.html Cannabalism gave Western medicine its first understanding of prion diseases as an epidemic of the neurological disorder swept the South Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea. Neurophilosophy has written a remarkably lucid article on the history and neuroscience of how prion diseases, of which 'mad cow disease' is one, affect the brain. The piece starts with some archive footage of a tribe member with the devastating disorder and continues to describe how this class of diseases are probably caused by misfolded proteins that can trigger the same misfolding in other proteins leading to a chain reaction of neural damage. The Fore tribe had a tradition of ritually consuming the brain and body of deceased relatives, which likely lead to the outbreak. The word kuru means "shaking death" in the Fore... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696154 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:00:00 +0100 1696154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696155&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fthe_best_is_yet_to_c.html Jonah Lehrer has written an excellent piece for the latest issue of Seed Magazine on the work of neuroscientist Read Montague who's been discovering the essential function of dopamine in predicting rewards. Reward prediction is the process where dopamine neurons fire when a reward is expected and also seem to code the amount of error between the prediction and what actually happens. Importantly, the process seems to be accurately described by an algorithm that was already used in computer science. This has been an area of intense interest over the last decade as it ties together neurobiology, learning, motivation, mathematics and can be demonstrated in a variety of simple lab-based tasks. The fact that dopamine has been linked to numerous disorders in the past makes it a popular paradigm... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696155 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:00 +0100 1696155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686209&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fimagining_missing_li.html Neurology journal Brain has just published an elegant open-access study on how just six weeks of mental imagery training can help reduce phantom limb pain as well as reorganising the sensory and motor maps in the brain. Phantom limbs are when amputees feel sensations that seem to be coming from the missing limb. Sometimes this can include pain which can either be constant or transitory. Sensations from the nonexistent limb are thought to be due to the brain reorganising the areas which represent the body. In the case of a phantom arm, for example, the area is no longer receiving sensations from the limb and so stops being so carefully defined. Areas serving other body areas (like the face) start to creep in and facial stimulation can be felt in the missing arm due to the fuzzy neurologi... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686209 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0100 1686209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1677466&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F03%2Fgatekeepers-inside-out-abstract-2%2F Situationist contributor Sung Hui Kim’s article, “Gatekeepers Inside Out,” was published in the latest issue of Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, Vol. 21, p. 411, 2008. The article is available to download for free on SSRN. Here is the abstract. * * * Gatekeepers Inside Out challenges the conventional wisdom that in-house counsel are simply “too captured” by their senior managers in their corporations to serve as effective gatekeepers of our securities markets. The author revises classical gatekeeping theory introduced by Prof. Reinier Kraakman in his seminal article (Gatekeepers: Anatomy of a Third Party Enforcement Strategy, 2 J.L. Econ. & Org. 53 (1986)). In that article, Kraakman clarified that a gatekeeping strategy requires gatekeepers “who c... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1677466 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:04:17 +0100 1677466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1664236&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fjuggling_can_change_.html A new study just published in PLoS One reports that learning to juggle alters the structure of motion detection areas in the brain within as little as 7 days. Led by neuroscientist Joenna Driemeyer, the study builds on a previous research that also found juggling could alter brain structure, although this previous study waited three months before the brain was checked for alterations using high resolution structural MRI scans. This new study also took 20 non-jugglers and asked them to learn to juggle, but scanned them after 7, 14 and 35 days. After only 7 days, a motion specialised part of the occipital lobe known as V5 had increased in density. In both studies, the changes were maintained over the subsequent weeks of practice, but these areas returned to their pre-learning state after ... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1664236 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1664236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1648992&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fhead_in_a_vice.html Scientific American has an article on migraines that takes a comprehensive look at the science of this painful and hallucinatory disorder. The piece updates the science on migraines from the traditional but oversimplified 'constricted blood vessels' explanation to explore the interplay between nerves, neurotransmitters and lifestyle. A crucial process seems to be cortical spreading depression that may be responsible, at least in part, for both the intense pain and the aura: Aura appears to stem from cortical spreading depression—a kind of “brainstorm” anticipated as the cause of migraine in the writings of 19th-century physician Edward Lieving. Although biologist Aristides Leão first reported the phenomenon in animals in 1944, it was experimentally linked to migraine only recen... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1648992 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0100 1648992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603024&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fmental_illness_in_w.html Today's Nature has an excellent feature article on the heated scientific debates over why its so hard to link genes to specific mental illnesses. Genetics is a complex business, but psychiatric genetics even more so, because it attempts to find links between two completely different levels of description. Genes are defined on the neurobiological level, while psychiatric diagnoses are defined on the phenomenological level - in other words, verbal descriptions of behaviour, or verbal descriptions of what it is like to have certain mental states. There is no guarantee, and in many people's opinion, probably no likelihood, that these 'what it is like' descriptions actually clearly demarcate distinct processes at the biological level. It's a bit like classifying people as heavy metal fans i... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603024 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0100 1603024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596370&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fneurowarfare_and_the.html Wired has picked up on a US military report that warns of the threat posed by neuro-enhanced enemy soldiers, just released by the "Pentagon's most prestigious scientific advisory panel". The full report is available online as a pdf file, and covers how pharmaceuticals and brain-computer interfaces could be used by enemies of the US to create hordes of sleep-resistant super-intelligent neurosoldiers who can kill at the speed of thought. Obviously, I paraphrase, but it's interesting that the report is not your usual blue-sky speculation. It actually covers the science in considerable detail. It also discusses cultural attitudes to cognitive and brain enhancements of various sorts, and how this might affect how and why they might be used. Non-medical applications of the advances of neur... Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596370 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1596370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1577286&cid=t_116966_109_f&fid=34746&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindhacks.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fbrain_twister.html In 1941, brain specialist Russell Brain published an article about the brain in the brain science journal Brain. Owing to Brain's extensive work on the brain, he later became editor of Brain. His work treating brain disorders and his editorship of Brain were some of the reasons he was made Baron Brain, in 1962. Last year, Brain published a tribute to Brain's brain article in Brain, owing to its massive impact on our understanding of the brain. It was written by Alastair Compston. (Source: Mind Hacks) Mind Hacks blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1577286 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100 1577286