Philosophy and Science of Mind and Brain

The recurrence of the word neurophilosophy in articles and appearing in my inbox made me think we should all know more about this fascinating field of study that allows us to peek inside the brain and answer some of history’s greatest theoretical...

Using a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique, researchers build on evidence that dementias are spread throughout the brain along targeted neuronal pathways in a manner similar to prion diseases. The study was published in the March 22 edition of Neuron by SFVAMC scientists in collaboration with Dr. Bruce Miller.
Prion-like progression is characterized by misfolded proteins in one neuron affecting or infecting neighboring brain cells, causing proteins in that cell to misfold in turn. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD) amyloid protein, for instance, is localized within memory networks and is suggested to propogate in a prion-like manner.
The study attempted to predict the course of AD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) using images of 14 healthy individual brains. The MRI imaging technique mapped neural pathways that connect different areas of the brain. The spread of disease along those networks, as predicted by the models, closely matched the actual MRI images of 18 Alzheimer’s and 18 FTD patients.

MONDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug might lower a marker of Alzheimer's disease seen in the spinal fluid of patients with mild to moderate disease, a small new study finds.

Is this Science,  bunk, or even worse, politics? Why is there a press release without helpful findings from this study. And why am I even sharing it? To illustrate part of the problem with translational research, hell, with much of academic science today. So much is hyped without proper merit in the game of grant sequestration.

Think of a situation where you had bulletproof facts, reason, and logic on your side, and believed there was absolutely no way the other person could say no to your perfectly constructed argument and proposal. To do so would be impossible, you figured, because there was no other logical solution or answer.

I haven’t read the primary literature that describes this observation, but the finding that gut bacteria, through some mode of chemical signaling can modulate the neurochemistry of the organism has been an increasingly published area of research.
This study and others like it lend support to the idea of a microbiome-gut-brain axis. The hypothesis that a dynamic relationship exists between the microbiotic flora of our guts and the nervous system, mediated through the bundle of nerves that line our gut. But bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut isn’t really that novel of an idea, especially when it’s something we’ve probably all experienced by means of the butterflies in the stomach, or perhaps you’ve experienced the need to…evacuate the bowel when presented with an anxiety producing situation, like mounting a fight or flight response.
This study investigated a nuanced aspect of the relationship between gut flora and the serotonergic system, using mouse as the animal model.

In a recent study out of the Journal of Communication, researchers showed how media multitasking not only makes for poorer cognitive performance, but perhaps points to why, despite increasing our stress and making us less effective at home and work, we still do it.

A study involving the analysis of rhesus monkeys’ brains suggests how we may be physiologically wired to focus on emotional stimulus. Researchers injected a dye into the brains of 10 rhesus monkeys which traced individual neurons along the length of their axons. It’s a technique that can highlight physiology in more detail than is possible with current brain imaging technology. Scientists discovered that axons from the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain, converge on a major site believed to be involved with the capacity for attentional focus, the thalamic reticular nucleus.

"Your name’s linked to intrapersonal intelligence, an embedded icon within your brain’s symbols that grow meaning with every action you take. Your handle’s a brand of sorts – one that defines you, and the brain associates certain unique traits with your name. Does your name sparkle with colors you’d like others to see associated with you?"

This article elaborates on the positive feedback we experience when we hear our names spoken by others, respectfully. It makes perfect sense to use a person's name when you want to show them that you value them. But what explains the use of your name when your parent or spouse is upset with you ? ? ?