Man Fiddles On His Violin During His Own Brain Surgery. Brain surgery is hard, but being awake while it is done to you presumably isn't exactly easy either. So a standing ovation to Roger Frisch of the Minnesota Orchestra, who not only stayed alert while an electrode was inserted deep in his thalamus, but played the violin throughout the process. Deep brain stimulation works by having electrodes planted in the brain send out signals at specific frequencies. It is not really understood why these help, let alone why certain frequencies work and others make things worse, but for some patients with Parkinson's Disease, dystonia or depression the pulses make a big difference to their quality of life. Although there is evidence for benefits from electrode insertion earlier than is usually done for patients with degenerative diseases, the tremors Frisch was experiencing were so small that in any other line of work they would be ignored. The Science of Your Brain on Alcohol, Animated.
Stress Affects Sperm RNA In Mice. A new study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has shown that traumatic experiences early in the life of mice alters the expression of small RNAs in the sperm. The depressive behaviors seen in the father are also present in the offspring, persisting for several generations. In recent years it has become apparent that it is not only our DNA that contributes to heritability; environmental factors evidently also play a role.
Observations that individuals who have experienced trauma often have children that also display particular behavioral traits, such as depression and anxiety, led researchers to believe that there may be more to the story than purely social explanations. Of course, individuals that have experienced trauma may behave differently toward their children which could provide some explanation for the apparent effects, but it is evident that stress can also affect epigenetics. Unsurprisingly these male offspring, termed the F1 generation, displayed depressive behaviors. Some Psychiatrists Distancing Themselves from Profession as Drug Company Dominance Makes Some Shrinks Very Rich, and Many Patients Over Drugged. Photo Credit: National Science Foundation; Screenshot / YouTube.com April 15, 2014 | Like this article?
Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. What does it tell us about the state of psychiatry when some of the biggest names in the psychiatric establishment are distancing themselves from psychiatry’s diagnostic system and its treatments? In 2013, National Institute Mental Health director Thomas Insel, citing the lack of scientific validity of psychiatry’s official diagnostic manual, the DSM, stated that, “NIMH will be re-orienting its research away from DSM categories.” “When Insel states that the disorders haven’t been validated,” Whitaker points out, “he is stating that the entire edifice that modern psychiatry is built upon is flawed, and unsupported by science... Other establishment psychiatrists are also distancing themselves from psychiatry’s diagnostic manual. Too Corrupt. Here's a Surprising Look at What Sleep Deprivation Does to Your Body - Mic. Not getting enough sleep? Just one week of sleeping fewer than six hours per night can lead to serious health issues, including the modification of over 700 genes, reports the Huffington Post on a study published in PNAS last year.
Other symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation include everything from bloodshot eyes to quadrupled stroke risk. This infographic from Huffington Post's Alissa Scheller explains: Humans need seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function properly, but just 59% of American adults surveyed by Gallup in 2013 got enough sleep — way down from the 84% who reported sleeping that much in 1942. Just 14% said they got five or fewer. That's enough to seriously endanger health and well-being in most people. WebMD claims that sleep deprivation can cause accidents, lower your intelligence, numb your sex drive, impair your memory and contribute to depression and weight gain.
According to former Bellevue Hospital Sleep Disorders Center Director Dr. Tom McKay.