by Artem Kaznatcheev in Evolutionary Games Group
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Metaphors we live by is a classic, that has had a huge influence on parts of linguistics and cognitive science, and some influence — although less so, in my opinion — on philosophy. It is structured around the thought that “[m]etaphor is one of our most important tools for trying […]... Read more »
Narayanan, S. (1997) Embodiment in language understanding: Sensory-motor representations for metaphoric reasoning about event descriptions. PhD Thesis (University of California, Berkeley). info:/
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
For immediate release — SEPTEMBER 26, 2014Research from the UCL lab of Professor Geraint Rees has proven that the recent craze for suggesting that rats have “regrets” or show “disappointment” is solely due to the size of the left temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) in the human authors of those papers (Cullen et al., 2014). This startling breakthrough was part of a larger effort to associate every known personality trait, political attitude, and individual difference with the size of a un........ Read more »
Cullen, H., Kanai, R., Bahrami, B., & Rees, G. (2013) Individual differences in anthropomorphic attributions and human brain structure. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9(9), 1276-1280. DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst109
Shabel, S., Proulx, C., Piriz, J., & Malinow, R. (2014) GABA/glutamate co-release controls habenula output and is modified by antidepressant treatment. Science, 345(6203), 1494-1498. DOI: 10.1126/science.1250469
Steiner, A., & Redish, A. (2014) Behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of regret in rat decision-making on a neuroeconomic task. Nature Neuroscience, 17(7), 995-1002. DOI: 10.1038/nn.3740
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Social neuroscience is an emerging emphasis in the field of neuroscience research.Social cognition is the subset of cognitive functions related to social processes and includes factors such as facial recognition, social memory and ability to form friendships and other social bonds.Impairment in social cognition is a known feature in autism, schizophrenia and other mental disorders. This type of impairment can produce significant problems in life adjustment, employment and human attachment.Geneti........ Read more »
Skuse DH, Lori A, Cubells JF, Lee I, Conneely KN, Puura K, Lehtimäki T, Binder EB, & Young LJ. (2014) Common polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with human social recognition skills. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(5), 1987-92. PMID: 24367110
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Some individuals appear vulnerable to paranoia induced by exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis.The mechanism for this effect is poorly understood.Daniel Freeman from University of Oxford along with colleagues in England and Switzerland recently conducted an interventional research study on this issue.In this study, 121 subjects were recruited to receive injections of THC in a laboratory setting.These subjects were required to have taken cannabis at least once before participation i........ Read more »
Freeman D, Dunn G, Murray RM, Evans N, Lister R, Antley A, Slater M, Godlewska B, Cornish R, Williams J.... (2014) How Cannabis Causes Paranoia: Using the Intravenous Administration of ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to Identify Key Cognitive Mechanisms Leading to Paranoia. Schizophrenia bulletin. PMID: 25031222
by Viputheshwar Sitaraman in Draw Science
Telepathy is under works; it's just super clunky right now. Non-invasive technology enables brain-to-brain communication by converting words into binary and from binary into pulses of light and back. [Infographic]... Read more »
Grau C, Ginhoux R, Riera A, Nguyen TL, Chauvat H, Berg M, Amengual JL, Pascual-Leone A, & Ruffini G. (2014) Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PloS one, 9(8). PMID: 25137064
by Vivek Misra in Uberbrain Research Frontier
Anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, fatigue, high blood pressure, and anger are just some of the symptoms of stress. Stress not only affects our body, but also our behavior that can lead to social withdrawal. This presentation will explore the nature of our mind and the various factors in our lives that cause us stress. We will learn simple meditation techniques that can nourish the mind which will lead to increased focus, greater productivity, and improved relationships. ~ Pandi Gadadhara Pandi,........ Read more »
Walsh F. (2009) Human-animal bonds II: the role of pets in family systems and family therapy. Family process, 48(4), 481-99. PMID: 19930434
“Theory of Mind” is the term used to describe the mental ability to put yourself inside the mind of someone else – to imagine what it is that they are thinking. Recently, there’s been some evidence that people who do not have a strong theory of mind are more likely to be atheists. For example, [Read More...]
... Read more »
Riekki, T., Lindeman, M., & Raij, T. (2014) Supernatural believers attribute more intentions to random movement than skeptics: An fMRI study. Social Neuroscience, 9(4), 400-411. DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.906366
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
Yet another study that attempts to make a link between vaccines and autism has been withdrawn by the publishers. Data from the CDC was re-analysed, and low and behold, a link between vaccine timing and autism was drawn, but only for African-American boys. The problems with this paper and the anti-vaccine movement in general are discussed.... Read more »
Hooker, B. (2014) Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination timing and autism among young african american boys: a reanalysis of CDC data. Translational Neurodegeneration, 3(1), 16. DOI: 10.1186/2047-9158-3-16
Tang G, Gudsnuk K, Kuo SH, Cotrina ML, Rosoklija G, Sosunov A, Sonders MS, Kanter E, Castagna C, Yamamoto A.... (2014) Loss of mTOR-Dependent Macroautophagy Causes Autistic-like Synaptic Pruning Deficits. Neuron. PMID: 25155956
by neurosci in Neuroscientifically Challenged
In the 1960s, a psychologist at Stanford named Walter Mischel began a series of experiments exploring the dynamics of self-control in children. In one such experiment, Mischel gave preschoolers the choice between two outcomes, one of which was clearly preferable. For example, they were able to choose between 2 marshmallows and 1 marshmallow (the experiments became known as the Stanford marshmallow experiments for this reason).But there was a catch. The experimenter would tell the children that h........ Read more »
Inzlicht, M., Legault, L., & Teper, R. (2014) Exploring the Mechanisms of Self-Control Improvement. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(4), 302-307. DOI: 10.1177/0963721414534256
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
Do I contradict myself?Very well then I contradict myself,(I am large, I contain multitudes.)-Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself" (from Leaves of Grass)Science is the search for objective truth based on physical laws of the universe. Scientific theories try to explain the consistent and predictable behavior of natural systems. They are generally reductionist, meaning that complex systems are reduced to simpler and more fundamental elements. The principles of physics, for instance, are expressed in th........ Read more »
Chen, C., Huang, M., Yen, J., Chen, C., Liu, G., Yen, C., & Ko, C. (2014) Brain correlates of response inhibition in Internet gaming disorder. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12224
Daniel Z. Freedman. (1994) Some beautiful equations of mathematical physics. CERN-TH.7367/94. arXiv: hep-th/9408175v1
Ko, C., Hsieh, T., Chen, C., Yen, C., Chen, C., Yen, J., Wang, P., & Liu, G. (2014) Altered brain activation during response inhibition and error processing in subjects with Internet gaming disorder: a functional magnetic imaging study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-013-0483-3
Zeki, S., Romaya, J., Benincasa, D., & Atiyah, M. (2014) The experience of mathematical beauty and its neural correlates. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00068
by Shelly Fan in Neurorexia
Image credit: www.techspot.com Here’s something right out of science fiction: a team of neuroscientists in Spain developed a system that allows a person to transmit the...... Read more »
Grau C, Ginhoux R, Riera A, Nguyen TL, Chauvat H, Berg M, Amengual JL, Pascual-Leone A, & Ruffini G. (2014) Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies. PloS one, 9(8). PMID: 25137064
by Vivek Misra in Uberbrain Research Frontier
The basic and one of oldest socio-cognitive domains of Human species is music. Listening to music regularly helps to keep the neurons and synapses more active. Depending on the way sound waves are heard or pronounced, they have an impact in the way neurological (brain and nerve) system work in the human body. Neurological studies have identified that music is a valuable tool for evaluating the brain system [1]. Its observed that while listening to music, different parts of the brain are involved........ Read more »
Peretz, I., & Zatorre, R. (2005) Brain Organization for Music Processing. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 89-114. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070225
Kristeva R, Chakarov V, Schulte-Mönting J, & Spreer J. (2003) Activation of cortical areas in music execution and imagining: a high-resolution EEG study. NeuroImage, 20(3), 1872-83. PMID: 14642497
Schellenberg, E., Nakata, T., Hunter, P., & Tamoto, S. (2007) Exposure to music and cognitive performance: tests of children and adults. Psychology of Music, 35(1), 5-19. DOI: 10.1177/0305735607068885
Patton, J., Routh, D., & Stinard, T. (2013) Where do children study? Behavioral observations. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 24(6), 439-440. DOI: 10.3758/BF03330575
Chan AS, Ho YC, & Cheung MC. (1998) Music training improves verbal memory. Nature, 396(6707), 128. PMID: 9823892
Asada H, Fukuda Y, Tsunoda S, Yamaguchi M, & Tonoike M. (1999) Frontal midline theta rhythms reflect alternative activation of prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Neuroscience letters, 274(1), 29-32. PMID: 10530512
TSANG, C., TRAINOR, L., SANTESSO, D., TASKER, S., & SCHMIDT, L. (2006) Frontal EEG Responses as a Function of Affective Musical Features. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 930(1), 439-442. DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05764.x
Sammler D, Grigutsch M, Fritz T, & Koelsch S. (2007) Music and emotion: electrophysiological correlates of the processing of pleasant and unpleasant music. Psychophysiology, 44(2), 293-304. PMID: 17343712
Luu P, Tucker DM, & Makeig S. (2004) Frontal midline theta and the error-related negativity: neurophysiological mechanisms of action regulation. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, 115(8), 1821-35. PMID: 15261861
Kubota Y, Sato W, Toichi M, Murai T, Okada T, Hayashi A, & Sengoku A. (2001) Frontal midline theta rhythm is correlated with cardiac autonomic activities during the performance of an attention demanding meditation procedure. Brain research. Cognitive brain research, 11(2), 281-7. PMID: 11275489
Pavlygina RA, Sakharov DS, & Davydov VI. (2004) [Spectral analysis of the human EEG during listening to musical compositions]. Fiziologiia cheloveka, 30(1), 62-9. PMID: 15040288
Koelsch S. (2010) Towards a neural basis of music-evoked emotions. Trends in cognitive sciences, 14(3), 131-7. PMID: 20153242
Lonsdale, A., & North, A. (2011) Why do we listen to music? A uses and gratifications analysis. British Journal of Psychology, 102(1), 108-134. DOI: 10.1348/000712610X506831
by Emilie Reas in Emilie Reas - Remember
The below article was recently rejected from the Journal of Neuroscience as a ‘Journal Club’ commentary on Davis et al., 2014, ‘Medial temporal lobe global similarity signals underlie recognition strength’. Hoping that my efforts will not go to waste, I’d like to give the piece an alternate home here. Please read, comment and share, all […]... Read more »
Davis T, Xue G, Love BC, Preston AR, & Poldrack RA. (2014) Global neural pattern similarity as a common basis for categorization and recognition memory. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 34(22), 7472-84. PMID: 24872552
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Regular readers of this blog had a heads up last year on the development of orexin receptor antagonists for the treatment of insomnia.I posted a review of an Italian clinical drug trial in humans with insomnia paired with polysomnography. This study used three different doses of a orexin receptor antagonist (10 mg 30 mg and 60 mg).In a second post, I reviewed a sleep lab study of the effects of an orexin antagonist drug compared to zolpidem (Ambien) on sleep architecture.This second study found ........ Read more »
Michelson D, Snyder E, Paradis E, Chengan-Liu M, Snavely DB, Hutzelmann J, Walsh JK, Krystal AD, Benca RM, Cohn M.... (2014) Safety and efficacy of suvorexant during 1-year treatment of insomnia with subsequent abrupt treatment discontinuation: a phase 3 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet neurology, 13(5), 461-71. PMID: 24680372
Bennett T, Bray D, & Neville MW. (2014) Suvorexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist for the management of insomnia. P , 39(4), 264-6. PMID: 24757363
by Vivek Misra in Uberbrain Research Frontier
Recent studies investigating Lithium, a drug commonly used for the treatment of mood disorders in humans, found its robust neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects which can help us exploring new novel, exciting, and promising targets. The molecular mechanism underlying lithium’s mood stabilizing effect is not yet unraveled. Suggested hypotheses include inositol-depletion via inhibition of inositol- monophosphatase and neuroprotection, via inhibition of GSK-3. Chronic lithium treatment inc........ Read more »
Chen G, Rajkowska G, Du F, Seraji-Bozorgzad N, & Manji HK. (2000) Enhancement of hippocampal neurogenesis by lithium. Journal of neurochemistry, 75(4), 1729-34. PMID: 10987856
O'Brien WT, Harper AD, Jové F, Woodgett JR, Maretto S, Piccolo S, & Klein PS. (2004) Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta haploinsufficiency mimics the behavioral and molecular effects of lithium. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 24(30), 6791-8. PMID: 15282284
Berggren U, Tallstedt L, Ahlenius S, & Engel J. (1978) The effect of lithium on amphetamine-induced locomotor stimulation. Psychopharmacology, 59(1), 41-5. PMID: 100811
Wexler EM, Geschwind DH, & Palmer TD. (2008) Lithium regulates adult hippocampal progenitor development through canonical Wnt pathway activation. Molecular psychiatry, 13(3), 285-92. PMID: 17968353
Agam G, Bersudsky Y, Berry GT, Moechars D, Lavi-Avnon Y, & Belmaker RH. (2009) Knockout mice in understanding the mechanism of action of lithium. Biochemical Society transactions, 37(Pt 5), 1121-5. PMID: 19754464
Bessa JM, Ferreira D, Melo I, Marques F, Cerqueira JJ, Palha JA, Almeida OF, & Sousa N. (2009) The mood-improving actions of antidepressants do not depend on neurogenesis but are associated with neuronal remodeling. Molecular psychiatry, 14(8), 764. PMID: 18982002
Lu T, Aron L, Zullo J, Pan Y, Kim H, Chen Y, Yang TH, Kim HM, Drake D, Liu XS.... (2014) REST and stress resistance in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Nature, 507(7493), 448-54. PMID: 24670762
by amikulak in Daily Observations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by intrusive and persistent thoughts that are often accompanied by repetitive or ritualized acts, is a serious clinical disorder that can significantly impact a person’s ability […]... Read more »
Snyder, H., Kaiser, R., Warren, S., & Heller, W. (2014) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Is Associated With Broad Impairments in Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1177/2167702614534210
by neurosci in Neuroscientifically Challenged
Corpus callosum (in red).CC image courtesy of Life Science Databases(LSDB).
Where is it?The corpus callosum is a large, C-shaped nerve fiber bundle found beneath the cerebral cortex. It stretches across the midline of the brain, connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres. It makes up the largest collection of white matter tissue found in the brain.What is it and what does it do?To understand the role of the corpus callosum, it is first importan........ Read more »
Gazzaniga MS. (2005) Forty-five years of split-brain research and still going strong. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 6(8), 653-9. PMID: 16062172
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Pathological gambling (PG) is a pattern of gambling characterized by loss of control and large gambling debts.The near-miss phenomenon in gambling is the gaming scenario where gamblers sense they were very close to winning.This near-miss phenomenon can be programmed into slot machines. For example, a gambler might be presented frequently with four cherries when five cherries would result in a huge payout.The response to the near-miss in PG is often a sense that a big win is just around the corne........ Read more »
van Holst RJ, Chase HW, & Clark L. (2014) Striatal connectivity changes following gambling wins and near-misses: Associations with gambling severity. NeuroImage. Clinical, 232-9. PMID: 25068112
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Sleep problems are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI).In a previous post, I reviewed a study of the risk factors for sleep disorders following TBI.The most severe TBI is a risk factor for hypersomnia. Anxiety and depression following TBI increase risk for insomnia complaints.Few large studies of treatment for sleep problems after TBI exist. However, a recent manuscript outlined the potential benefit of treatment of sleep disorders in a series of 12 subjects.Catherine Wiseman-Hake........ Read more »
Wiseman-Hakes C, Murray B, Moineddin R, Rochon E, Cullen N, Gargaro J, & Colantonio A. (2013) Evaluating the impact of treatment for sleep/wake disorders on recovery of cognition and communication in adults with chronic TBI. Brain injury : [BI], 27(12), 1364-76. PMID: 24070180
by Doug Keene in The Jury Room
The American Bar Association is seeking nominations until August 8, 2014 to help it decide on the Top 100 law blogs (“Blawgs”). We have been in the ABA Top 100 for the past 4 years and would like to make it 5! If you like this blog, please nominate us (it’s fast and free) here. […]
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A new issue of The Jury Expert!
Who cares? The crime victim was old anyway!
“I punish you because you harmed him!”
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Shariff AF, Greene JD, Karremans JC, Luguri JB, Clark CJ, Schooler JW, Baumeister RF, & Vohs KD. (2014) Free Will and Punishment: A Mechanistic View of Human Nature Reduces Retribution. Psychological science. PMID: 24916083
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