Neuroscience posts

March 7, 2017
11:01 AM
40 views

Can Older Drivers Benefit From Training?

Older drivers are over-represented in motor-vehicle driving accidents.The lowest rate of fatal vehicle crashes per 100 million miles driven is found in drivers between the ages of 30-69 years of age.Fatal vehicle driving rates per miles driven is 4 to 5 times higher in drivers over 80 years of age. (IIHS.org data)So can older drivers be trained or educated to improve their safety (and the safety o those around them)?A recent randomized controlled trial examined an educational intervention in drivers 75 years and older in Australia.This intervention targeted a reduction or avoidance of seven high-risk driving situations:Night drivingDriving in the rainRight-hand (left-hand in U.S.) turns across oncoming trafficDriving during heavy trafficDriving on high-speed roadsDriving during rush hourDriving aloneThe trial found participants in the intervention group showed a greater readiness to make changes that could reduce high-risk accident exposure. However, the intervention group did not reduce total miles driven in the year following the intervention.Additionally, the intervention group did not increase their use of alternate transportation (i.e. buses or cabs) in the follow-up period.This trial showed limited response to educational training in an older-aged drivers population. Alternate approaches (adoption of high safety feature vehicles, use of newer alternative driving programs like Uber, cognitive training programs to improve psychomotor speed) may hold more promise in reducing fatal accident rates in elderly populations.Follow me on Twitter WRY999Photo of moon is from my photography files.Coxon K, Chevalier A, Brown J, Clarke E, Billot L, Boufous S, Ivers R, & Keay L (2016). Effects of a Safe Transportation Educational Program for Older Drivers on Driving Exposure and Community Participation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society PMID: 27943260... Read more »

Coxon K, Chevalier A, Brown J, Clarke E, Billot L, Boufous S, Ivers R, & Keay L. (2016) Effects of a Safe Transportation Educational Program for Older Drivers on Driving Exposure and Community Participation: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. PMID: 27943260

March 6, 2017
06:19 AM
66 views

Patent for Stimulation of Brodmann Areas 1-48 and all other structures

by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic

Fig 1 (Roskams-Edriset al., 2017). The number of patents implicating specific brain regions has risen from 1976 to the mid 2010s. Results were obtained by searching The Lens patent database (http://lens.org/).

“What is the ethical value of awarding patent rights that implicate regions of the brain?”

Do the applicants intend to patent the function of specific brain areas? This absurd

... Read more »

Roskams-Edris, D., Anderson-Redick, S., Kiss, Z., & Illes, J. (2017) Situating brain regions among patent rights and moral risks. Nature Biotechnology, 35(2), 119-121. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.3782

March 5, 2017
05:37 PM
181 views

Do you crave music like you crave a cookie?

by Kiralee Musgrove in Neuroscientist on music

Imagine there is a cookie sitting in front of you. You are hungry. You have been on a diet for months. If you have to look at one more raw, paleo, gluten free snack you are going to scream.... Read more »

Lehne, M., & Koelsch, S. (2015) Toward a general psychological model of tension and suspense. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00079

Naqvi, N., Gaznick, N., Tranel, D., & Bechara, A. (2014) The insula: A critical neural substrate for craving and drug seeking under conflict and risk. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 53-70. PMID: 24690001

Saarikallio, S., Nieminen, S., & Brattico, E. (2012) Affective reactions to musical stimuli reflect emotional use of music in everyday life. Musicae Scientiae, 17(1), 27-39. DOI: 10.1177/1029864912462381

March 3, 2017
03:48 PM
81 views

Brain Activity At The Moment of Death

by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover

What happens in the brain when we die?

Canadian researchers Loretta Norton and colleagues of the University of Western Ontario examine this grave question in a new paper: Electroencephalographic Recordings During Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapy Until 30 Minutes After Declaration of Death

Norton et al. examined frontal EEG recordings from four critically ill patients at the point where their life support was withdrawn. Here are some details on the four:

Here's the EEG recor... Read more »

Norton L, Gibson RM, Gofton T, Benson C, Dhanani S, Shemie SD, Hornby L, Ward R, & Young GB. (2017) Electroencephalographic Recordings During Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapy Until 30 Minutes After Declaration of Death. The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 44(2), 139-145. PMID: 28231862

March 2, 2017
12:19 PM
87 views

Improving Hearing-Aid Access in Older Adults

by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts

There are significant barriers to widespread use of hearing-aids in older adults with age-related hearing loss.Sensitivity to the stigma of wearing a hearing-aid is one barrier.Cost is another significant barrier. In the U.S., bilateral hearing-aid purchase amounts to a cost of $2400 to $5800. This cost is typically not covered by Medicare or other health insurance plans.I ran into a interesting manuscript on looking at an alternative less costlier approach to hearing-aid selection and purchase.Larry Humes and colleagues compared the outcome of a older adults randomized to one of three hearing aid interventions. One was standard audiology best practices, one was a placebo hearing-aid (device without amplication). A third alternative was also studied that was called an over-the-counter (OTC) intervention. This intervention included the following elements:Self-selection of hearing aid tips, tubes and devicesThree types of hearing-aids were provided for selection. Each was programmed with one of the three most common patterns of hearing lossSubjects tried various combinations of devices and listened to sample sounds of speech, music and environmental soundsSubjects were assessed after a six week trial for hearing function, satisfaction and desire to keep the deviceSubjects were randomized to pay a fee of $3500 versus $600 for devices that were identical in features. This allowed for study of the effect of cost on outcome measures.Interestingly, the OTC intervention resulted in outcomes (i.e. hearing improvement) that were very similar to audiology best practices. However, OTC subjects showed a slightly lower satisfaction score and were somewhat more likely to return devices after the study for a refund. Higher price also predicted return for refund following the study.The authors conclude:"Efficacious OTC service-delivery models (and devices) may increase accessibility and affordability of hearing aids for millions of older adults, but further research is required to evaluate various devices and approaches as well as to examine the generalization of the findings from this clinical trial."This study provides an impetus for further study of the OTC model in hearing aid selection and use. Cost issues appear to continue to be a significant barrier to wider hearing-aid access.Readers with more interest in this study can access the free full-text manuscript by clicking on the link in the citation below.Photo of wood duck is from my photography file.Follow me on Twitter WRY999Humes, L., Rogers, S., Quigley, T., Main, A., Kinney, D., & Herring, C. (2017). The Effects of Service-Delivery Model and Purchase Price on Hearing-Aid Outcomes in Older Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial American Journal of Audiology DOI: 10.1044/2017_AJA-16-0111... Read more »

Humes, L., Rogers, S., Quigley, T., Main, A., Kinney, D., & Herring, C. (2017) The Effects of Service-Delivery Model and Purchase Price on Hearing-Aid Outcomes in Older Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. American Journal of Audiology, 1. DOI: 10.1044/2017_AJA-16-0111

March 1, 2017
12:44 AM
89 views

Neurofeedback Training For Insomnia No Better Than Sham

by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic

Neurofeedback training (NFT) is a procedure that tries to shape a participant's pattern of brain activity by providing real-time feedback, often in the form of a video game combined with other sensory stimuli that provide rewards when the “correct” state is achieved. The most common form of NFT uses EEG (brainwave) activity recorded non-invasively from the scalp. The EEG is a complex mixture

... Read more »

Manuel Schabus, Hermann Griessenberger, Maria-Teresa Gnjezda, Dominik P.J. Heib, Malgorzata Wislowska, Kerstin Hoedlmoser. (2017) Better than sham? A double-blind placebo-controlled neurofeedback study in primary insomnia. Brain. info:/10.1093/brain/awx011

Sitaram, R., Ros, T., Stoeckel, L., Haller, S., Scharnowski, F., Lewis-Peacock, J., Weiskopf, N., Blefari, M., Rana, M., Oblak, E.... (2016) Closed-loop brain training: the science of neurofeedback. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 18(2), 86-100. DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.164

Neuroscience

February 28, 2017
10:43 AM
103 views

Outcome in Early Education Interventions (Educare)

by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts

Despite centuries of experience in education, the best time to start formal education is still under debate. Is five years of age too old? Is three years of age too early?One issue with early education interventions is the potential for catch-up in children starting school later. In other words, early gains with younger children may evaporate overtime.One recent research study examines effectiveness of a child development intervention known as Educare. Educare seeks to reduce the achievement gap between low-income and economically advantaged peer children.Educare is operational in 21 cities in the United States. It is somewhat unique in entering children as infants (<1 year of age) for an intensive ongoing child and parent intervention. A recent study randomized 239 infants to receive Educare or no intervention. This study found superiority for the Educare children following one-year of intervention in the following domains:Expressive communicationAuditory comprehensionProblem behaviors (reduced level)Positive parental-child interactionThe authors note the size of the effects were in the modest to medium strength. Additionally, they note they cannot know how enduring the effects of this type of intervention might be.Additional longitudinal assessments will be needed to examine the potential of catch up in the control group. Studies of elementary, middle and senior high achievement will be needed.Aggressive early intervention programs are expensive and will need to be validated before efforts to expand this type of early childhood intervention.Follow me on Twitter WRY999Photo of children playing on the beach at sunset is from my photography files.Yazejian, N., Bryant, D., Hans, S., Horm, D., St. Clair, L., File, N., & Burchinal, M. (2017). Child and Parenting Outcomes After 1 Year of Educare Child Development DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12688... Read more »

Yazejian, N., Bryant, D., Hans, S., Horm, D., St. Clair, L., File, N., & Burchinal, M. (2017) Child and Parenting Outcomes After 1 Year of Educare. Child Development. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12688

February 27, 2017
05:29 AM
124 views

Know your brain: Mammillary bodies

by neurosci in Neuroscientifically Challenged

Where are the mammillary bodies?

The mammillary bodies are part of the diencephalon, which is a collection of structures found between the brainstem and cerebrum. The diencephalon includes the hypothalamus, and the mammillary bodies are found on the inferior surface of the hypothalamus (the side of the hypothalamus that is closer to the brainstem). The mammillary bodies are a paired structure, meaning there are two mammillary bodies---one on either side of the midline of the brain. They get their name because they were thought by early anatomists to have a breast-like shape. The mammillary bodies themselves are sometimes each divided into two nuclei, the lateral and medial mammillary nuclei. The medial mammillary nucleus is the much larger of the two, and is often subdivided into several subregions. What are the mammillary bodies and what do they do?The mammillary bodies are best known for their role in memory, although in the last couple of decades the mammillary bodies have started to be recognized as being involved in other functions like maintaining a sense of direction. The role of the mammillary bodies in memory has been acknowledged since the late 1800s, when mammillary body atrophy was observed in Korsakov's syndrome---a disorder characterized by amnesia and usually linked to a thiamine deficiency. Since then a number of findings---anatomical, clinical, and experimental---have supported and expanded upon a mnemonic role for the mammillary bodies.The mammillary bodies are directly connected to three other brain regions: the hippocampus via the fornix, thalamus (primarily the anterior thalamic nuclei) via the mammillothalamic tract, and the tegmental nuclei of the midbrain via the mammillary peduncle and mammillotegmental tract. Two of the three connections are thought to primarily carry information in one direction: the hippocampal connections carry information from the hippocampus to the mammillary bodies and the thalamic connections carry information from the mammillary bodies to the thalamus (the tegmental connections are reciprocal). These connections earned the mammillary bodies the reputation of being relay nuclei that pass information from the hippocampus on to the anterior thalamic nuclei to aid in memory consolidation. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that damage to pathways that connect the mammillary bodies to the hippocampus or thalamus is associated with deficits in consolidating new memories. Others argue, however, that the mammillary bodies act as more than a simple relay, making independent contributions to memory consolidation. Both perspectives emphasize a role for the mammillary bodies in memory but differ as to the specifics of that role.Further supporting a role for the mammillary bodies in memory, there is evidence from humans that suggests damage to the mammillary bodies is associated with memory deficits. Several cases of brain damage involving the mammillary bodies as well as cases of tumor-related damage to the area of the mammillary bodies suggests that damage to the mammillary bodies is linked to anterograde amnesia. Indeed, mammillary body dysfunction has been identified as a major factor in diencephalic amnesia, a type of amnesia that originates in the diencephalon (Korsakoff's syndrome, an amnesia that is seen primarily in long-term alcoholics, is one type of diencephalic amnesia).Experimental evidence from animal studies also underscores the importance of the mammillary bodies in memory. Studies with rodents and monkeys have found deficits in spatial memory to occur after damage to the mammillary bodies or the mammillothalamic tract. In addition to involvement in memory functions, there are cells in the mammillary bodies that are activated only when an animal's head is facing in a particular direction. These cells are thought to be involved in navigation and may act somewhat like a compass in creating a sense of direction.Vann SD, & Aggleton JP (2004). The mammillary bodies: two memory systems in one? Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 5 (1), 35-44 PMID: 14708002... Read more »

Vann SD, & Aggleton JP. (2004) The mammillary bodies: two memory systems in one?. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 5(1), 35-44. PMID: 14708002

February 19, 2017
01:01 PM
194 views

Using Discourse Analysis to Assess Cognitive Decline

by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic

Figure from Gauthier et al. (2005).

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other dementias are progressive neurodegenerative conditions that unfold over time. Subtle symptoms such as forgetfulness and word finding problems may progress to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and then escalate to full-blown dementia. Recent efforts to classify prodromal states have included automated analysis of spontaneous... Read more »

Berisha V, Wang S, LaCross A, & Liss J. (2015) Tracking discourse complexity preceding Alzheimer's disease diagnosis: a case study comparing the press conferences of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 45(3), 959-63. PMID: 25633673

Fraser, K., Meltzer, J., & Rudzicz, F. (2015) Linguistic Features Identify Alzheimer’s Disease in Narrative Speech. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 49(2), 407-422. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150520

Thomas, C., Keselj, V., Cercone, N., Rockwood, K., . (2005) Automatic detection and rating of dementia of Alzheimer type through lexical analysis of spontaneous speech. IEEE International Conference, 1569-1574. info:/10.1109/ICMA.2005.1626789

February 17, 2017
03:03 PM
186 views

The Fantasy of Connecting Two Spinal Cords

by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover

A peculiar new paper proposes the idea of "connecting two spinal cords as a way of sharing information between two brains". The author is Portuguese psychiatrist Amílcar Silva-dos-Santos and the paper appears in Frontiers in Psychology.

Frontiers are a publisher with a troubled history of publishing dubious science. But this paper is unusual, even by Frontiers' standards, because it contains virtually no science at all.

In a nutshell, Silva-Dos-Santos suggests that it would be interest... Read more »

Silva-Dos-Santos A. (2017) The Hypothesis of Connecting Two Spinal Cords as a Way of Sharing Information between Two Brains and Nervous Systems. Frontiers in psychology, 105. PMID: 28197119

February 14, 2017
12:13 PM
252 views

The Complexities of “The Love Hormone”

by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog

New York street art. Photo inWikimedia Commons posted by Pedroalmovar.Oxytocin, commonly known as “the love hormone”, is a small chemical that is produced in the brain of mammals, but can both act as a neurotransmitter and enter the blood stream and act as a hormone. It has long been heralded for its role in both maternal and romantic love, but more recent research is showing us just how complicated the physiology of love can be.Oxytocin is released in mammalian mothers after birth. It promotes nursing and bonding between a mother and her young. As children grow, oxytocin is involved in how both mothers and fathers “baby-talk” and mirror their children. It is involved in pro-social behaviors in both young and adults: trust, generosity, cooperation, hugging, and empathy. And of course, oxytocin promotes positive communication and pair bonding in romantic couples. Countless studies have found these relationships between affiliation and oxytocin in many mammalian species, giving oxytocin its commonly used nickname “the love hormone”.But more recent studies show that it’s not so simple.In a number of recent studies, people have been given oxytocin nasal sprays and tested for various behavioral effects in different contexts… and the context really seems to matter. Oxytocin increases trust, generosity, cooperation, and empathy towards people we already know and like. But it decreases trust, generosity, cooperation, and empathy towards strangers. When we play games with strangers, oxytocin makes us more jealous when we lose and it makes us gloat more when we win. It also seems to enhance many attributes relating to ethnocentrism: It increases our ability to read facially-expressed emotions in people of our own race while making it harder to read facial expressions of people of a different race. When forced to choose between being nice to a stranger of our own race versus a stranger of another race, oxytocin makes us more likely to choose the person of our own race. In studies of both people and rodents, oxytocin decreases aggression towards our families and friends, but increases aggression towards strangers.Oxytocin is not the universal love hormone we once understood it to be. It helps us direct our positive support towards our “in-groups” (our family and friends) and defend them from our “out-groups” (individuals we don’t know). It is a delicate balance: Too little of it can cause social impairment and make it difficult to connect with loved-ones; Too much of it can increase our anxiety towards strangers and racist tendencies. And to make things more complicated, each of us has a slightly different oxytocin system: sex, gender, social history, history of childhood trauma or neglect, psychiatric illnesses and genetic variations all have profound effects on the oxytocin system.There is much we don’t know about the role of oxytocin and love. But they are a good fit, because both, it seems, are complicated.Want to know more? Check these out:Shamay-Tsoory SG, & Abu-Akel A (2016). The Social Salience Hypothesis of Oxytocin. Biological psychiatry, 79 (3), 194-202 PMID: 26321019 Zik JB, & Roberts DL (2015). The many faces of oxytocin: implications for psychiatry. Psychiatry research, 226 (1), 31-7 PMID: 25619431 ... Read more »

Shamay-Tsoory SG, & Abu-Akel A. (2016) The Social Salience Hypothesis of Oxytocin. Biological psychiatry, 79(3), 194-202. PMID: 26321019

Zik JB, & Roberts DL. (2015) The many faces of oxytocin: implications for psychiatry. Psychiatry research, 226(1), 31-7. PMID: 25619431

February 3, 2017
11:22 AM
39 views

Brain Shape and Personality Type

by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts

Personality has often been conceptualized a a human feature shaped largely by nurture and environment.Unlike major neuroscience medicine disorders, personality features have been considered less influenced by brain structure and genetic influences.A recent brain structure (morphology) study puts these assumptions at risk.Roberta Riccelli along with colleagues in Italy and Florida State University studied brain structural features across 507 participants in the Human Connectome Project.All subjects completed a personality assessment using the five-factor model (FFM), a widely validated measure of five personality features.Here were the key findings from the study for each personality feature:High neuroticism: increased cortical thickness in supramarginal gyrus, superior parietal cortex, superior temporal cortex, superior prefrontal cortex and frontal pole. Also decreased surface area of superior parietal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, cuneus, superior prefrontal cortex and frontal pole.High extraversion: increased cortical thickness in precuneus and lower surface area and volume of superior temporal gyrus. Also lower cortical volume of entorhinal cortex and greater folding in the fusiform gyrus.High openness: lower cortical thickness in the postcentral gyrus, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, superior prefrontal cortex and lateral occipital gyrus. Increased surface area, cortical volume and folding in a series of parietal, temporal and frontal regions.High Agreeableness: Decreased cortical thickness, surface area, cortical volume and local gyrus formation in frontotemporal regions. Increased local gyrus formation in inferior temporal gyrus.High concientiousness: increased cortical thickness in prefrontal cortex along with lower surface area and cortical volume in middle/inferior temporal gyrus and lateral occipital gyrus regions. Decreased cortical folding in prefrontal gyrus and several other regions.These findings are of note for the diffuse number and types of structural correlates of personality features in man. The authors note the importance of the prefrontal cortex in personality: "significantly evolved in human beings and great apes relative to other species. This could reflect that several FFM personality traits are linked to high-level socio-congnitive skills as well as the ability to modulate "core" affective responses."Look for more structural, functional and genetic study of the five factor model of personality features in human to come.Readers with more interest in this research can access the free full-text manuscript by clicking on the PMID link in the citation below.Follow the author on Twitter WRY999Photo of bald eagle head in profile is from the author's bird photography file. Riccelli R, Toschi N, Nigro S, Terracciano A, & Passamonti L (2017). Surface-based morphometry reveals the neuroanatomical basis of the five-factor model of personality. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience PMID: 28122961... Read more »

Riccelli R, Toschi N, Nigro S, Terracciano A, & Passamonti L. (2017) Surface-based morphometry reveals the neuroanatomical basis of the five-factor model of personality. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience. PMID: 28122961

January 31, 2017
07:12 AM
694 views

Split Brain, Undivided Consciousness?

by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover

A new paper challenges a decades-old theory in neuroscience: Split brain: divided perception but undivided consciousness

According to the famous work of Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga, "split brain" patients seem to experience a split in consciousness: the left and the right side of their brain can independently become aware of, and respond, to stimuli. Split brain patients are those who underwent surgery to sever the corpus callosum, the nerve tract connecting the two hemispheres of ... Read more »

Pinto Y, Neville DA, Otten M, Corballis PM, Lamme VA, de Haan EH, Foschi N, & Fabri M. (2017) Split brain: divided perception but undivided consciousness. Brain : a journal of neurology. PMID: 28122878

January 28, 2017
08:42 AM
527 views

Distortions of Reality

by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic

President Trump this week repeated an assertion he made shortly after his election: that millions of ballots cast illegally by undocumented immigrants cost him the popular vote. If true, this would suggest the wholesale corruption of American democracy.

Not to worry: As far as anyone knows, the president’s assertion is akin to saying that millions of unicorns also voted illegally.

- In a

... Read more »

Preller, K., Herdener, M., Pokorny, T., Planzer, A., Kraehenmann, R., Stämpfli, P., Liechti, M., Seifritz, E., & Vollenweider, F. (2017) The Fabric of Meaning and Subjective Effects in LSD-Induced States Depend on Serotonin 2A Receptor Activation. Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.030

Wacker, D., Wang, S., McCorvy, J., Betz, R., Venkatakrishnan, A., Levit, A., Lansu, K., Schools, Z., Che, T., Nichols, D.... (2017) Crystal Structure of an LSD-Bound Human Serotonin Receptor. Cell, 168(3), 377-2147483647. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.033

January 28, 2017
03:28 AM
567 views

When You're Drowsy, Is Your Brain Partly Asleep?

by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover

When we're feeling very tired, we sometimes remark that we're "half-asleep". But is this more than just a figure of speech? A new paper suggests that parts of our brain may actually 'fall asleep' even while we're still awake.

According to researchers Jeremy D. Slater and colleagues of the University of Texas, "local sleep" occurs throughout the human brain, with each brain region passing into and out of a sleep-like state over time. What's more, local sleep becomes more and more common in... Read more »

Slater JD, Chelaru MI, Hansen BJ, Beaman C, Kalamangalam G, Tandon N, & Dragoi V. (2017) Focal Changes to Human Electrocorticography With Drowsiness: A Novel Measure of Local Sleep. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. PMID: 28121257

January 25, 2017
12:06 PM
238 views

Jet Lag and Baseball (MLB) Performance

by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts

Abrupt changes in the biological clock or circadian rhythm are noted to contribute to significant cognitive and psychomotor impairments.One practical area for this effect to potentially be important is in the area of sports performance.Alex Song and colleagues recently completed an interesting study of major league baseball (MLB) performance related to team travel patterns.The major leagues are divided into regional divisions (western, central and eastern) to minimize length of travel to and from away games. Nevertheless, significant travel continues to be part of the league and travel across the four U.S. time zones is not uncommon.This study included all MLB games between 1992-20o1. Baseball performance across a variety of variables was examined with attention to effects linked to travel and jet lag.The key findings from the study included:Most major jet lag performance impairment was noted for travel west to eastBoth east and west travel produced an increase in home runs allowedOffensive slugging percentage declines after teams travel home from away gamesThe authors conclude that starting pitchers appear to impacted by travel resulting in giving up more home runs following jet lag.The suggest teams might want to consider sending projected starting pitchers to away games a few days prior to the team's arrival.This is an important manuscript that demonstrates potential practical psychomotor effects of jet lag. Readers with more interest in the topic can access the free full-text manuscript by clicking on the PMID link in the citation below.Follow me on Twitter @WRY999Photo of Albert Pujols hitting is spring training is from the author's files.Song A, Severini T, & Allada R (2017). How jet lag impairs Major League Baseball performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America PMID: 28115724... Read more »

Song A, Severini T, & Allada R. (2017) How jet lag impairs Major League Baseball performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 28115724

January 23, 2017
10:59 AM
222 views

Processing Speed Cognition in Elderly: Clinical Trial

by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts

Processing speed declines significantly with age and contributes to impairment and disability in old age.There is little known about whether age-related processing speed decline can be slowed with interventionA recent clinical trial by a Japanese group targeted processing speed training in a group of 72 elderly.This study found significant effects for a daily 15 minute processing speed training game over 4 weeks.In contrast to a control group, the intervention group found specific improvement in processing speed. Additionally, the study found a lower score on depressive mood symptoms following processing speed training. The game used in this study was specifically designed for the study and tested in pilot populations for the study.Readers with more interest in this study can access the free full-text manuscript by clicking on the link in the citation below.Follow the author on Twitter @WRY999Photo of gulf fritillary butterfly is from the author's files.Nouchi R, Saito T, Nouchi H, & Kawashima R (2016). Small Acute Benefits of 4 Weeks Processing Speed Training Games on Processing Speed and Inhibition Performance and Depressive Mood in the Healthy Elderly People: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 8 PMID: 28066229... Read more »

Nouchi R, Saito T, Nouchi H, & Kawashima R. (2016) Small Acute Benefits of 4 Weeks Processing Speed Training Games on Processing Speed and Inhibition Performance and Depressive Mood in the Healthy Elderly People: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 302. PMID: 28066229

January 23, 2017
02:26 AM
231 views

Why Do Political Figures Lie So Blatantly?

by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic

Are They Pathological Liars? Narcissists? Psychopaths? “Masterful Manipulators”?

Trump Spokesman’s Lecture on Media Accuracy Is Peppered With Lies

Nearly all American politicians lie, but few as blatantly as those affiliated with the present administration. How do they do it? Are they lacking a conscience? Do they believe their own lies? Do they start with small falsehoods, stretch the

... Read more »

Garrett, N., Lazzaro, S., Ariely, D., & Sharot, T. (2016) The brain adapts to dishonesty. Nature Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/nn.4426

January 22, 2017
04:58 PM
77 views

Nature Shapes Faithful and Unfaithful Brains

by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog

Among monogamous animals, some individuals are more faithful than others. Could these differences in fidelity be, in part, because of differences in our brains? And if so, why does this diversity in brain and behavior exist?A snuggly prairie vole family. Photo from theNerdPatrol at Wikimedia Commons.Prairie voles are small North American rodents that form monogamous pair bonds, share parental duties, and defend their homes. Although prairie voles form monogamous pairs, that does not mean they are sexually exclusive. About a quarter of prairie vole pups are conceived outside of their parents’ union.Not all male prairie voles cheat on their partners at the same rates. In fact, some males are very sexually faithful. It turns out, there are both costs and benefits to being faithful and to cheating. Mariam Okhovat, Alejandro Berrio, Gerard Wallace, and Steve Phelps from the University of Texas at Austin, and Alex Ophir from Cornell University used radio-telemetry to track male prairie voles for several weeks to explore what some of these costs and benefits might be. Compared to males that only sired offspring with their own partner, unfaithful males had larger home ranges, intruded on more territories of other individuals, and encountered females more often. However, these unfaithful males were also more likely to be cheated on when they were away (probably because they were away more). I guess even rodents live by The Golden Rule.Maps of how paired male voles in this study used space. The solid red/orange/yellow peaks show where a faithful male (in the left map) and unfaithful male (in the right map) spent their time in relation to where other paired males spent their time (showed by open blue peaks). Image from the Okhovat et al. Science paper (2015).Vasopressin is a hormone that has been found to affect social behaviors such as aggression and pair bonding when it acts in the brain. Mariam, Alejandro, Gerard, Alex, and Steve all set out to determine how vasopressin in the brain may relate to sexual fidelity in prairie voles. They found that faithful males had lots of a particular type of vasopressin receptor (called V1aR) in certain brain areas involved in spatial memory. Surprisingly, faithful males did not have more V1aR in brain regions typically associated with pair bonding and aggression. A male that has more V1aR in spatial memory regions might better remember where his own mate is and where other males have been aggressive, which would decrease the chances that he would intrude on other territories in search of other females and increase the time that he spends home with his own mate. A male that has less V1aR in spatial memory regions might be less likely to learn from his negative experiences and more likely to sleep around.Photos of a brain section from a faithful male (left) and unfaithful male (right). The dark shading shows the density of V1aR vasopressin receptors. The arrows show the location of the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a brain area involved in spatial memory. Faithful males had significantly more V1aR receptors in the RSC compared to unfaithful males. Image from the Okhovat et al. Science paper (2015). The research team then found genotype variations that related to having lots or not much V1aR in one of these spatial memory regions (called retrosplenial cortex … but we’ll just call it RSC). They confirmed these findings with a breeding study, in which they reared siblings that were genetically similar, but some had the genotype they predicted would result in lots of V1aR in RSC and some had the genotype they predicted would result in very little V1aR in RSC. They confirmed that these genetic variations correspond with the amount of vasopressin receptor in this specific spatial memory area.The researchers then looked closer at the different versions of this vasopressin receptor gene in the RSC brain region to see if differences in the amount of vasopressin receptors in RSC may be caused by the epigenetic state of the gene (i.e. how active the gene is). They found that the genotype that results in very little V1aR in RSC had many more potential methylation sites, which can repress gene activity.All of this data together tells a very interesting story. Male prairie voles that have the genotype for more V1aR vasopressin receptors in their RSC part of their brain are more likely to remember where their home and mate are and to remember where other aggressive prairie voles are, which will make them more likely to spend more time with their partner, to be sexually faithful and to have sexually faithful partners. Male prairie voles that have the genotype for less V1aR in their RSC are more likely to forget where their home and mate are and where other aggressive prairie voles are, which will make them more likely to cheat and to be cheated on. Overall, faithful and unfaithful male prairie voles have roughly the same number of offspring, but advantages may emerge with changes in population density. Prairie vole populations vary anywhere from 25 to 600 voles per hectare from year to year. When population densities are high, you (and your partner) are more likely to encounter more potential mates and it may benefit you to cheat (and have a “cheater’s brain”). When population densities are low, you (and your partner) are less likely to encounter more potential mates and it may benefit you to be faithful (and have a “faithful brain”). But when populations fluctuate between high and low densities, both faithful and unfaithful genotypes will get passed along from generation to generation. Want to know more? Check this out:Okhovat, M., Berrio, A., Wallace, G., Ophir, A., & Phelps, S. (2015). Sexual fidelity trade-offs promote regulatory variation in the prairie vole brain Science, 350 (6266), 1371-1374 DOI: 10.1126/science.aac5791 ... Read more »

Okhovat, M., Berrio, A., Wallace, G., Ophir, A., & Phelps, S. (2015) Sexual fidelity trade-offs promote regulatory variation in the prairie vole brain. Science, 350(6266), 1371-1374. DOI: 10.1126/science.aac5791

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