Rocky Mountain Analytical

neurosciencestuff: Scientists Decode Dreams With Brain Scans It...

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:01:14 -0600

Scientists Decode Dreams With Brain Scans

It used to be that what happened in your dreams was your own little secret. But today scientists report for the first time that they’ve successfully decoded details of people’s dreams using brain scans.

Before you reach for your tin hat, you should know that the scientists managed this feat only with the full cooperation of their research subjects, and they only decoded dreams after the fact, not in real time. The thought police won’t be busting you for renting bowling shoes from Saddam Hussein or whatever else you’ve been up to in your dreams.

All the same, the work is yet another impressive step for researchers interested in decoding mental states from brain activity, and it opens the door to a new way of studying dreaming, one of the most mysterious and fascinating aspects of the human experience.

In the first part of the new study, neuroscientist Yukiyasu Kamitani and colleagues at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto, Japan monitored three young men as they tried to get some sleep inside an fMRI scanner while the machine monitored their brain activity. The researchers also monitored each volunteer’s brain activity with EEG electrodes, and when they saw an EEG signature indicative of dreaming, they woke him up to ask what he’d been dreaming about.

Technically speaking, this is what researchers call ”hypnagogic imagery,” the dream-like state that occurs as people fall asleep. In the interest of saving time, Kamitani and colleagues chose to study this type of imagery rather than the dreams that tend to occur during REM sleep later in the night. They woke up each subject at least 200 times over the course of several days to build up a database of dream reports.

In the second part of the experiment, Kamitani and colleagues developed a visual imagery decoder based on machine learning algorithms. They trained the decoder to classify patterns of brain activity recorded from the same three men while they were awake and watching a video montage of hundreds of images selected from several online databases. After the decoder for each person had been trained, the researchers could input a pattern of brain activity and have the decoder predict which image was most likely to have produced that pattern of brain activity.

But that much has been done before. Where Kamitani’s team went beyond previous work was in feeding the decoder patterns of brain activity collected while the subjects were dreaming. This enabled them to correctly identify objects the men had seen in their dreams, they report Apr. 4 in Science. Or rather, they could identify the type of object a subject had seen: it could predict that a man had dreamt about a car, not that he’d been cruising around in a Maserati. And the decoder only worked when the researchers gave it a pair of possible objects to chose from (whether it was a man or a chair, for example).

“Our dream decoding is still very primitive,” Kamitani said.

Decoding color, action, or emotion is also still beyond the scope of the technology, Kamitani says. Also, it only seems to work for imagery that occurred — at most — about 15 seconds before waking up.

Finally, the decoder is unique to each person. To decode the dreams of another person, the team would have to train up a new decoder by having that person view hundreds of images.

Even so, it’s remarkable that it works as well as it does, says neuroscientist Jack Gallant of the University of California, Berkeley and a pioneer of decoding mental states from brain scans. ”It took just a huge amount of non-glamorous work to do this, and they deserve big props for that,” Gallant said.

With refinements, Gallant says the method could be useful for studying the nature and function of dreams.

“There’s the classic question of when you dream are you actively generating these movies in your head, or is it that when you wake up you’re essentially confabulating it,” Gallant said. “What this shows you is there’s at least some correspondence between what the brain is doing during dreaming and what it’s doing when you’re awake.”

Kamitani is thinking about the possibilities too. ”One theory states that dreaming is for strengthening memory, but another theory states dreaming is for forgetting,” he said. “We could record the frequency of decoded dream contents for each memory item and see the correlation between the frequency and the memory performance.”

Moving!

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:51:50 -0600

The office move has been rescheduled for May 31, 2013

Creamy Thai Avocado Soup 3 very ripe Haas avocados1 - 14 oz...

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:01:00 -0600

Creamy Thai Avocado Soup

3 very ripe Haas avocados
1 - 14 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk
1 cup (250 mL) distilled water
1/4 cup (60 mL) diced sweet onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Thai green curry paste
1 Tbsp (15 mL) cane sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) peeled and grated ginger root
1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lime zest
1 Tbsp (15 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) shredded Thai basil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh chives

Pit and peel avocados. Coarsely chop avocados and place in blender or food processor along with coconut milk, water, onion, garlic, curry paste, sugar, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and generous gratings of white pepper. Whirl until blended and very smooth. Add more water and seasonings to taste if you wish.

Soup will be thick and deliciously creamy. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit evenly on top of soup. Press onto soup to prevent air from discolouring the surface during refrigeration. Refrigerate until very cold.

To serve, sprinkle with a little diced red bell pepper, shredded basil, and minced chives. For a picnic idea, pour soup into 1 cup (250 mL) Mason jars and refrigerate. Sprinkle with garnishes before serving.

Makes 8 servings or 4 cups (1 L).

Buttered Sprouts with Bacon & Walnuts Ingredients 600g...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:01:10 -0600

Buttered Sprouts with Bacon & Walnuts

Ingredients

600g Brussels sprouts
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
25g walnuts, coarsely chopped
25g butter

Instructions

Place the sprouts in a pan of salted, boiling water; cook for 5 minutes then drain.
Heat a large frying pan; fry the bacon until crisp then add the walnuts and fry for 1 minute.
Add the sprouts and the butter and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned

Fettuccine with Parsley Pesto and Walnuts Ingredients Coarse...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:58 -0600

Fettuccine with Parsley Pesto and Walnuts

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound fettuccine
2 cups packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup walnuts, plus more chopped for serving
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
5 ounces baby spinach

Directions

Step 1In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
Step 2In a food processor, puree parsley, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water until a paste forms. With machine running, add oil in a thin stream; process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
Step 3To pasta in pot, add pesto, 1/4 cup pasta water, and spinach; toss to combine. Thin with pasta water as needed. Serve sprinkled with walnuts and Parmesan.

Proanthocyanidins are antioxidants, found in several common...

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:01:06 -0600

Proanthocyanidins are antioxidants, found in several common foods, which help protect the brain against environmental toxins.

Photo

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:00:58 -0600

Spinich Stuffed Mushrooms Ingredients: 20 mid size fresh button...

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:49 -0600

Spinich Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

20 mid size fresh button mushrooms
olive oil for brushing
2tbs butter
1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove stems from mushrooms down to center of mushroom being careful not to break through to the meat. You will have a hollow space that will allow you to stuff the mushroom. Set aside
In a saute pan melt butter and saute mushroom stems, stiring until juices have cooked down, about 4 minutes.
Add spinach and Cook about 4 minutes longer.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
Spoon spinach mixture into mushroom caps.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Photo

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:01:08 -0600

neurosciencestuff: Research identifies co-factors critical to...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:01:08 -0600

neurosciencestuff:

Research identifies co-factors critical to PTSD development

Research led by Ya-Ping Tang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has found that the action of a specific gene occurring during exposure to adolescent trauma is critical for the development of adult-onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.) The findings are published in PNAS Online Early Edition the week of April 1-5, 2013.

“This is the first study to show that a timely manipulation of a certain neurotransmitter system in the brain during the stage of trauma exposure is potentially an effective strategy to prevent the pathogenesis of PTSD,” notes Dr. Tang.

The research team conducted a series of experiments using a specific strain of transgenic mice, in which the function of the gene can be suppressed, and then restored. The model combined exposure to adolescent trauma as well as an acute stressor. Clinically PTSD may occur immediately following a trauma, but in many cases, a time interval may exist between the trauma and the onset of disease. Exposure to a second stress or re-victimization can be an important causative factor. However, the researchers discovered that exposure to both adolescent trauma and to acute stress was not enough to produce consistent PTSD-like behavior. When exposure to trauma and stress was combined with the function of a specific transgene called CCKR-2, consistent PTSD-like behavior was observed in all of the behavioral tests, indicating that the development of PTSD does not depend only on the trauma itself.

As a predominant form of human anxiety disorders, PTSD affects 7.8% of people between 15-54 years in the United States. PTSD can cause feelings of hopelessness, despair and shame, employment and relationship problems, anger, and sleep difficulties. Additionally, PTSD can increase the risk of other mental health conditions including depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts, as well as certain medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions.

A favored current theory of the development of anxiety disorders, including PTSD, is a gene/environment interaction. This study demonstrated that the function of the CCKR-2 gene in the brain is a cofactor, along with trauma insult, and identified a critical time window for the interaction in the development of PTSD.

“Once validated in human subjects, our findings may help target potential therapies to prevent or cure this devastating mental disorder,” Dr. Tang concludes.

neurosciencestuff: Accused of complicity in Alzheimer’s,...

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:51 -0600

neurosciencestuff:

Accused of complicity in Alzheimer’s, amyloid proteins may be getting a bad rap

Amyloids — clumps of misfolded proteins found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders — are the quintessential bad boys of neurobiology. They’re thought to muck up the seamless workings of the neurons responsible for memory and movement, and researchers around the world have devoted themselves to devising ways of blocking their production or accumulation in humans.

But now a pair of recent research studies from the Stanford University School of Medicine sets a solid course toward rehabilitating the reputation of the proteins that form these amyloid tangles, or plaques. In the process, they appear poised to turn the field of neurobiology on its head.

The first study, published in August, showed that an amyloid-forming protein called beta amyloid, which is strongly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, could reverse the symptoms of a multiple-sclerosis-like neurodegenerative disease in laboratory mice.

The second study, published April 3 in Science Translational Medicine, extends the finding to show that small portions of several notorious amyloid-forming proteins (including well-known culprits like tau and prion proteins) can also quickly alleviate symptoms in mice with the condition — despite the fact that the fragments can and do form the long tendrils, or fibrils, previously thought harmful to nerve health.

“What we’re finding is that, at least under certain circumstances, these amyloid peptides actually help the brain,” said Lawrence Steinman, MD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences and of pediatrics. “This really turns the ‘amyloid-is-bad’ dogma upside down. It will require a shift in people’s fundamental beliefs about neurodegeneration and diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

Steinman is a noted expert in multiple sclerosis whose research led to the development of natalizumab (marketed as Tysabri), a potent treatment for the disease.

Taken together, the studies begin to suggest the radical new idea that full-length, amyloid-forming proteins may in fact be produced by the body as a protective, rather than destructive, force. In particular, Steinman’s study shows that these proteins may function as molecular chaperones, escorting and removing from sites of injury specific molecules involved in inflammation and inappropriate immune responses.

Steinman, who is also the medical school’s George A. Zimmermann Professor, is the corresponding author of the research. Jonathan Rothbard, PhD, a senior research scientist in the Steinman laboratory, is the senior author; postdoctoral scholar Michael Kurnellas, PhD, is the lead author.

Although the specific findings of Steinman’s two studies are surprising, there have been inklings from previous research that amyloid-forming proteins may not be all bad. In particular, inhibiting, or knocking out, the expression of several of the proteins in the mouse models of multiple sclerosis — a technique that should block the course of the disease if these proteins are the cause — instead worsened the animals’ symptoms.

And there’s the fact that these so-called dangerous amyloid-forming molecules are surprisingly prevalent. “We know the body makes a lot of amyloid-forming proteins in response to injury,” said Steinman. “I’m doubtful that that’s done to produce more harm. For example, the prion protein is found in every cell in our bodies. What is it doing? It’s possible that any therapeutic maneuver to remove all of these proteins could interfere with their natural function.”

Understanding how amyloids form requires an understanding of the biology of proteins, which are essentially strings of smaller components called amino acids attached end to end. Once they’re made, these protein strings twist and fold into specific three-dimensional shapes that fit together like keys and locks to do the work of the cell.

A misfolded protein is likely to be unable to carry out its duties and must be disposed of by the body’s cellular waste-management system. Amyloid-forming proteins (of which there are around 20), however, don’t go quietly, if at all. Instead, they initiate a chain reaction with other misfolded proteins — forming long, insoluble strands called fibrils that mat together to form amyloid clumps. These clumps appear consistently in the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, but not in the brains of healthy people.

Although these clumps are thought to be detrimental to nerve cells, it’s not entirely clear how they cause harm. One possibility is the ability of the fibrils to form cylindrical pores that could disrupt the cellular membrane and interfere with the orderly flow of ions and molecules used by the cells to communicate and transmit nerve signals. Regardless, their very presence suggests a diagnosis of neurodegeneration to many clinicians, including — until recently — Steinman.

“We began this research because these molecules are present in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis,” said Steinman. “We expected to show that the presence of beta amyloid made the disease worse in laboratory animals. Instead, we saw a great deal of benefit.”

Intrigued by the results of their first study, the researchers next tested the effect of small, six-amino-acid portions of several amyloid-forming proteins, including beta amyloid, which appeared likely to share a three-dimensional structure. They found that nearly all of the tiny protein molecules, or hexamers, were also able to temporarily reverse the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the mice (when the treatment was stopped, the mice developed signs of the condition within a few days).

The researchers noted, however, that the curative effect of the hexamers was linked to their ability to form fibrils similar, but not identical, to their longer parent molecules. For example, these simplified hexamer fibrils are more easily formed and broken apart than those composed of whole proteins. They are also thought not to be able to form the cylindrical pores that might damage cell membranes. Finally, the hexamer fibrils appear to inhibit the formation of fibrils from full-length proteins — perhaps by blocking, or failing to promote, the chain reaction that initiates fibril formation.

When Steinman and his colleagues mixed the fibril-forming hexamers with blood plasma from three people with multiple sclerosis, they found that the fibrils bound to and removed from solution many potentially damaging molecules involved in inflammation and the immune response.

“These hexamer fibrils appear to be working to remove dangerous chemicals from the vicinity of the injury,” said Steinman.

The researchers are eager to pursue the use of these small hexamers as therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. Much research is still needed, but Steinman is hopeful.

“The lessons we learn from our study of amyloid-forming proteins in multiple sclerosis could be helpful for stroke and brain trauma, as well as for Alzheimer’s,” said Steinman. “We’re gaining insight into how current therapeutic approaches may be affecting the body, and beginning to understand the nuances necessary to design a successful treatment. Although it will take time, we’re determined to move promising results out of the laboratory and into the clinic as quickly as possible.”

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Photo

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:00:54 -0600

The fruit of the Chaste Tree; a plant native to the...

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:01:16 -0600

The fruit of the Chaste Tree; a plant native to the Mediterranean, is known for its use in hormone regulation. The seeds of the plant have been used in the treatment of irregular cycling, PMS, PMDD, menopause and to aid in child birth.

Some have also found the plant useful in treating migraines, acne, inflammation and calming an upset stomach.

planetvalium: In India, Gotu kola is regarded as perhaps the...

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:01:03 -0600

planetvalium:

In India, Gotu kola is regarded as perhaps the most spiritual of all herbs. Growing in some areas of the Himalayas, gotu kola is used by yogis to improve meditation. It is said to develop the crown chakra, the energy center at the top of the head and to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which the leaf is said to resemble. It is regarded as one of the most important rejuvenative herbs in Ayurvedic Medicine. Sri Lankans noticed that elephants, renowned for their longevity, munched on the leaves of the plant. Thus the leaves became known as a promoter of long life. It is said to fortify the immune system, both cleansing and feeding it and to strengthen the adrenals.

Gotu Kola is a rejuvenative nervine recommended for nervous disorders, epilepsy, senility and premature aging. As a brain tonic, it is said to aid intelligence and memory. It strengthens the adrenal glands and cleanses the blood to treat skin impurities. It is said to combat stress and depression, increase libido and improve reflexes. It has also been indicated for chronic venous insufficiency, minor burns, scars, scleroderma, skin ulcers, varicose veins, wound healing, rheumatism, blood diseases, congestive heart failure, urinary tract infections, venereal diseases, hepatitis and high blood pressure.

Chemicals contained in Gotu Kola seem to reduce inflammation and promote collagen production. This herb is often used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Neuroscience: Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:00:56 -0600

Neuroscience: Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone:...

Organic Tomatoes Have More Vitamin C

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:01:06 -0600

Organic Tomatoes Have More Vitamin C: fitnessrepublic: Tomatoes are juicy, delicious, and...

Neuroscience: MRI shows brain abnormalities in migraine patients

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:00:57 -0600

Neuroscience: MRI shows brain abnormalities in migraine patients: neurosciencestuff: A new study...

neurosciencestuff: Mindfulness Improves Reading Ability,...

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:00:58 -0600

neurosciencestuff:

Mindfulness Improves Reading Ability, Working Memory, and Task-Focus

If you think your inability to concentrate is a hopeless condition, think again –– and breathe, and focus. According to a study by researchers at the UC Santa Barbara, as little as two weeks of mindfulness training can significantly improve one’s reading comprehension, working memory capacity, and ability to focus.

Their findings were recently published online in the empirical psychology journal Psychological Science.

“What surprised me the most was actually the clarity of the results,” said Michael Mrazek, graduate student researcher in psychology and the lead and corresponding author of the paper, “Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering.” “Even with a rigorous design and effective training program, it wouldn’t be unusual to find mixed results. But we found reduced mind-wandering in every way we measured it.”

Many psychologists define mindfulness as a state of non-distraction characterized by full engagement with our current task or situation. For much of our waking hours, however, we are anything but mindful. We tend to replay past events –– like the fight we just had or the person who just cut us off on the freeway –– or we think ahead to future circumstances, such as our plans for the weekend.

Mind-wandering may not be a serious issue in many circumstances, but in tasks requiring attention, the ability to stay focused is crucial.

To investigate whether mindfulness training can reduce mind-wandering and thereby improve performance, the scientists randomly assigned 48 undergraduate students to either a class that taught the practice of mindfulness or a class that covered fundamental topics in nutrition. Both classes were taught by professionals with extensive teaching experience in their fields. Within a week before the classes, the students were given two tests: a modified verbal reasoning test from the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and a working memory capacity (WMC) test. Mind-wandering during both tests was also measured.

The mindfulness classes provided a conceptual introduction along with practical instruction on how to practice mindfulness in both targeted exercises and daily life. Meanwhile, the nutrition class taught nutrition science and strategies for healthy eating, and required students to log their daily food intake.

Within a week after the classes ended, the students were tested again. Their scores indicated that the mindfulness group significantly improved on both the verbal GRE test and the working memory capacity test. They also mind-wandered less during testing. None of these changes were true of the nutrition group.

“This is the most complete and rigorous demonstration that mindfulness can reduce mind-wandering, one of the clearest demonstrations that mindfulness can improve working memory and reading, and the first study to tie all this together to show that mind-wandering mediates the improvements in performance,” said Mrazek. He added that the research establishes with greater certainty that some cognitive abilities often seen as immutable, such as working memory capacity, can be improved through mindfulness training.

Mrazek and the rest of the research team –– which includes Michael S. Franklin, project scientist; mindfulness teacher and research specialist Dawa Tarchin Phillips; graduate student Benjamin Baird; and senior investigator Jonathan Schooler, professor of psychological and brain sciences –– are extending their work by investigating whether similar results can be achieved with younger populations, or with web-based mindfulness interventions. They are also examining whether or not the benefits of mindfulness can be compounded by a program of personal development that also targets nutrition, exercise, sleep, and personal relationships.

(Image: fotopakismo)

ucsdhealthsciences: Listeria monocytogenes, Killing cancer with...

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:53:49 -0600

ucsdhealthsciences:

Listeria monocytogenes,

Killing cancer with radioactive microbes

The war on cancer is waged on many fronts, with many weapons, from chemotherapy and nanoparticles to monoclonal antibodies and targeted ultrasound.

In a new commentary published this week in PNAS, Aladar A. Szalay, PhD, in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, and colleague Jochen Stritzker discuss a new (sort of) approach: Microorganisms carrying radioactive antibodies that infiltrate and kill cancer tumors and cells.

To be completely accurate, the work, described in the May 6 online issue of PNAS by Wilber Quispe-Tintaya and colleagues at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, is not entirely new. In 2009, Robert Hoffman, PhD, in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine and colleagues reported on experiments with engineered salmonella bacteria, showing that it can kill mouse cancer cells, including metastases of pancreatic cancer.

But the latest Einstein College research is encouraging. It uses a different microorganism – an attenuated or weakened version of Listeria monocytogenes, a food-borne pathogen responsible for listeriosis - to which scientists attach radiolabeled antibodies, then inject the combination into mice with cancer. The reported results have been notable.

In mice injected with just the live L. monocytogenes, primary tumors were reduced in size by 20 percent and metastatic burden – the presence of cancer cells in the body – dropped by 40 percent. Mice injected with just the antibodies experienced no therapeutic effect. In combination, however, the bacteria-and-antibodies treatment reduced primary tumor size by 60 percent and detectable metastases by more than 90 percent.

Just as important, the approach showed no harmful side effects on healthy tissues or liver function. Szalay and Stritzker say the results should stimulate further experimentation, perhaps expanding to other bacteria and viruses with a particular preference and ability to infect and replicate in cancer cells, such as Escherichia coli.

cranquis: mlanyb20: Dear 16 Year Old Me. Please Watch skin...

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:43:47 -0600

cranquis:

mlanyb20:

Dear 16 Year Old Me.

Please Watch

skin cancer people!

May = Melanoma Awareness Month. And this is probably the best ANYTHING about melanoma that I’ve ever seen, so I’m reblogging it for the 3rd year in a row.