Clipmarks | Neuroscience Clips

Subliminal learning.

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:14:55 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: "The researchers collected scans of the brain, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, to investigate the specific brain circuitry that is linked to subliminal instrumental conditioning. "The ventral striatum responded to subliminal cues and to visible outcomes in a manner that closely approximates our computational algorithm, expressing reward expected values and prediction errors," says Dr. Pessiglione. "We conclude that, even without conscious processing of contextual cues, our brain can learn their reward value and use them to provide a bias on decision making."

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Subliminal Learning Demonstrated In Human Brain

a new study published by Cell Press in the August 28 issue of the journal Neuron used sophisticated perceptual masking, computational modeling, and neuroimaging to show that instrumental learning can occur in the human brain without conscious processing of contextual cues.

Dr. Pessiglione and colleagues created visual cues from scrambled, novel, abstract symbols. Visual awareness was assessed by displaying two of the masked cues and asking subjects if they perceived any difference. "We reasoned that if subjects were unable to correctly perceive any difference between the masked cues, then they were also unable to build conscious representations of cue-outcome associations

subjects performed a subliminal conditioning task that employed the same masking procedure, but the cues were now paired with monetary outcomes

pairing rewards and punishments guided behavioral responses and even conditioned preferences for abstract cues

Tags: neuroscience, learning

The Science of Mysticism

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:07:57 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: Well worth reading the article. Another example of how the popularised emphasis on 'intelligence' and AI is well off the mark when it comes to assessing the biological nature of the human organism: feelings (cortical representations and re-representations) are the basis of human experience including reason and language. The hundred years of suggestion in this area from James onwards are now being supplemented by modern neurobiological research. Such a key word as representation offers a potentially rich bridge between neuroscience and philosophy, linguistics and the humanities.

Clip Source: www.science-spirit.org

A stunning new description of how the human body and brain communicate to produce emotional states -- including our feelings, cravings, and moods -- has all the elements needed to explain how the human brain might give rise to spiritual experiences, without the necessary involvement of a supernatural presence, according to Dr. Martin Paulus, a psychiatrist at the University of California in San Diego who is also a Zen practitioner.

Called interoception, it offers a radically new view of human anatomy and physiology based on how information from the body reaches the brain and how that information is processed uniquely in humans.

In this view, spirituality -- an emotional feeling from the body, a sense of timelessness, a suspension of self and dissolution of personal boundaries -- can be explained in terms of brain physiology, which means, of course, that it is subject to experimentation and manipulation.

Tags: neuroscience

Brain School

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:28:37 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: neuroanthropology.net

BRAIN SCHOOL FOR KIDS (GROWN UP KIDS INCLUDED!)

Brains Rule
Neuroscience For Kids
Kids Health
Funderstanding
NeuroMatrix
Brain Boosters
Brainy Kids
Brain Injury Association of America for kids
Kids Health, The Brain

BRAIN SCHOOL FOR ADULTS

Neuroscience Tutorial
Neuroguide
Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychoanalysis
BrainInfo
News from the Neurosciences
All in the Mind
How your brain works
Brain Imaging Basics
Brain Connection
Brain Glossary
A cup of Neuropsychology?
Alleydog (for Psychology Students)
Martindale’s Brain and NeuroCenter
Internet Handbook of neurology
National Institute of Mental Health
Brain, The world inside your head

Tags: neuroscience

Finding a genetic link for bipolar disorder.

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:51:30 GMT

clipped by: fewstingscorpio
clipper's remarks: http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/08/18/genetic-link-for-bipolar/2771.html

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Genetic Link For Bipolar

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Monday, Aug 18 (Psych Central) -- The largest genetic analysis of its kind suggests bipolar disorder is influenced by the balance of sodium and calcium in brain cells.

Researchers found an association between the disorder and variation in two genes that make components of channels that manage the flow of the elements into and out of cells, including neurons.

“A neuron’s excitability – whether it will fire – hinges on this delicate equilibrium,”

“Finding statistically robust associations linked to two proteins that may be involved in regulating such ion channels – and that are also thought to be targets of drugs used to clinically to treat bipolar disorder – is astonishing.”

Although it’s not yet known if or how the suspect genetic variation might affect the balance machinery, the results point to the possibility that bipolar disorder might stem, at least in part, from malfunction of ion channels.

Tags: genetics, biology, science, psychology, neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, research

“All I know is that I know nothing” - the visual illusion

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:58:22 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "Long before scientists were studying the properties of neurons, artists had devised a series of techniques to “trick” the brain into thinking that a flat canvas was three-dimensional, or that a series of brushstrokes was actually a still life".

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

How tricking the eye reveals the inner workings of the brain

The Neural Correlate Society recently announced the winners of its annual Best Visual Illusion contest.

Clip Source: illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

It’s a fact of neuroscience that everything we experience is actually a figment of our imagination. Although our sensations feel accurate and truthful, they do not necessarily reproduce the physical reality of the outside world.

many experiences in daily life reflect the physical stimuli that enter the brain. But the same neural machinery that interprets actual sensory inputs is also responsible for our dreams, delusions and failings of memory. In other words, the real and the imagined share a physical source in the brain. So take a lesson from Socrates: “All I know is that I know nothing.”

One of the most important tools used by neuroscientists to understand how the brain creates its sense of reality is the visual illusion.

'Perfect Pitch' In Humans More Common Than Expected

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:31:23 GMT

clipped by: fewstingscorpio
clipper's remarks: Didn't happen to me!
For full article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826080600.htm

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Their research shows that perfect pitch—the ability to recognize and remember a tone without a reference—is apparently much more common in non-musicians than scientists had expected. Previous tests have overlooked these people because without extensive musical training it's very difficult for someone to identify a pitch by name, the method traditionally used for identifying those with perfect pitch. The new test can be used on non-musicians, and is based on a technique to discern how infants recognize words in a language they're learning.

"Tests for perfect pitch have always demanded that subjects already have some musical training or at least familiarity with a particular piece of music, which really limits the pool of candidates you can test," says Elizabeth Marvin, professor of music theory at the world-renowned Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. "That means nobody really knew how prevalent perfect pitch is in humans in general."

Tags: research, science, pitch, music, hearing, neuroscience

Genetic Predisposition May Play A Role In Anxiety Disorders

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:47:41 GMT

clipped by: fewstingscorpio
clipper's remarks: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119288.php

Clip Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

Finnish scientists have identified genes that may predispose to anxiety disorders. Research conducted under the supervision of Academy Research Fellow Iiris Hovatta have focused on genes that influence human behaviour, and some of the studied genes show a statistical association with specific anxiety disorders. The work is carried out as part of the Academy of Finland Research Programme on Neuroscience (NEURO).

Previously Hovatta's team have explored the genetic background of anxiety in experimental models. The current study follows up on these findings in humans using data collected as part of national Health 2000 Survey consisting of 321 individuals who had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 653 healthy controls. Hovatta says it was interesting that different genes showed evidence for association to specific types of anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, social phobias or generalised anxiety disorder. The results will be published in Biological Psychiatry in October.

Tags: anxiety, psychology, science, research, neuroscience, neu

OLDS: Preparing for a neuroscience revolution

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:35:34 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Our challenge is that we don't pay enough attention to such game-changing discoveries as they are happening. And when we don't pay attention, then the societal conversations that need to happen to reach consensus on policy also don't happen - at least in a proactive fashion. We end up reacting instead.

In the case of the uncovering the secrets of the human mind, such proactive consideration would be better off earlier than later.

The writer is James Olds is the director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University.

This is an important read.

Clip Source: www.washingtontimes.com

Neuroscience is on the verge of transforming society. The field has matured over the past 15 years from creating vast "stamp collections" of data without a unifying theory to the potential in the next several years to provide us with an understanding of how the human mind emerges from the collective activity of 100 billion nerve cells.

The neuroscientists who uncover this mystery will transform our society much in the way Albert Einstein did when he discovered the general theory of relativity.

This breakthrough would, in combination with the revolution in neurotechnologies ongoing now, present us with a host of remarkable opportunities but at the same time create a slew of ethical and legal sticky wickets.

What ethical questions will we need to confront as we move closer to uncovering the mysteries of our minds?

Current work on the so-called "brain-machine interface" are allowing advances that may unlock the keys to the human brain's own neural code.

Tags: brain, neuroscience, society, politics

Pioneering Research in Neuromorphic Electronics that Function Like the Biological Brain

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:36:58 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: The HRL team's ultimate goal is to build a low-power, compact electronic chip combining a novel analog circuit design and a neuroscience-inspired architecture that can address a wide range of cognitive abilities--perception, planning, decision making, and motor control. In the initial two phases of the SyNAPSE program, the team will translate the neuronal and synaptic functions of the biological cortex into similar microelectronic functions.

Clip Source: www.alzheimer.ca

Clip Source: www.prweb.com

HRL Laboratories, LLC, will begin pioneering research to develop electronics that will simulate the cognitive capabilities and efficiencies of the biological brain.

The daunting undertaking is part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's (DARPA) SyNAPSE, or Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics, program. HRL will lead a group of industry and university research laboratories with expertise in core areas of neuro and cognitive science in the groundbreaking research.

Despite exponential advances in computing technology over the last decade, the limitations of hardware and architecture prohibit computers from functioning independently in real-world scenarios. The goal of the SyNAPSE program is to bridge biology and electronics and establish a new paradigm for creating more intelligent machines that can interact with, react to, and actually learn from their environments.

Tags: technology, neuromorphic electronics, electronics

The Secret Of Fast Complex Brain Restructuring

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:29:42 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Up to now, it had been assumed that nerve cells can only exchange information via the synapses which are special contact points. However, synapses require up to two days to become fully functional - a waste of time and energy if the contact is to be broken down again. The brain could take almost 1000 years to develop if a synapse had to mature at each cell contact.

It appears that nerve cells can also obtain information about their neighbours even without a synapse. Neurobiologists Christian Lohmann and Tobias Bonhoeffer from the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology have now explained how they do that.

The secret to how the information is exchanged: local calcium signals very quickly transmit all the necessary information to the cell. A synapse only actually develops when the cell and the contact point prove to be suitable candidates for long-term contact.

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Nerve cells constantly create new contact points to their neighbouring cells.

This is how the basic structure of our brain develops. In adults, new contact makes learning and memory possible. However, not all contact between cells is useful - most of it is dismantled again very quickly.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried near Munich have now described a completely new technique with which nerve cells can evaluate the quality of the cells they contact in a very time- and energy-saving way.

During brain development, young nerve cells must come into contact with the correct partner cells so that the brain can carry out its complex functions. However, contact between nerve cells is also constantly being set up and dismantled in adults. It is this continuous restructuring of the brain that allows us to learn and to forget.

Tags: neuroscience, molecular biology

On Law and Neuroscience

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:06:32 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: An interesting read describing the influence of evolution theory and neuroscience on basic legal and moral concepts such as responsibility and free will.

Clip Source: darwinianconservatism.blogspot.com

Farahany is a law professor at Vanderbilt University who brings together law, philosophy, and biology in studying the fundamental assumptions about human nature in criminal law.

paper on "Law and Behavioral Morality

In this paper, she considers how research in evolutionary science and neuroscience might influence our view of criminal responsibility and culpability.

She claims that as evolutionary biology and cognitive neuroscience provide biological explanations of human morality, this will strengthen the power of "behavioral morality--the idea that any behavior with a physical cause is either not blameworthy, or is less so.

She seems to assume that "blameworthiness" presupposes "free will" understood as an uncaused cause.

I disagree with her. As I have said in some previous posts, I see no reason to believe that legal responsibility and culpability must rest on the idea of "free will" understood as uncaused cause.

Tags: law, morality, neuroscience

Uncle Sam wants your brain

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:01:46 GMT

clipped by: sylviadafox

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Drugs that make soldiers want to fight. Robots linked directly to their controllers' brains. Lie-detecting scans administered to terrorist suspects as they cross U.S. borders.

These are just a few of the military uses imagined for cognitive science -- and if it's not yet certain whether the technologies will work, the military is certainly taking them very seriously.

"It's way too early to know which -- if any -- of these technologies is going to be practical," said Jonathan Moreno, a Center for American Progress bioethicist and author of Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense. "But it's important for us to get ahead of the curve. Soldiers are always on the cutting edge of new technologies."

Moreno is part of a National Research Council committee convened by the Department of Defense to evaluate the military potential of brain science. Their report, "Emerging Cognitive Neuroscience and Related Technologies," was released today.

Tags: neuroscience, military

The Science of Magic: Turning Tricks into Research

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:59:42 GMT

clipped by: Djiezes

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

The Science of Magic

There is a fascinating review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience this month about the cognitive science of magic tricks

The article attempts to list and describe in neuroscientific terms the techniques that magicians use to trick their audiences. The authors break down these into "visual illusions (after-images), optical illusions ('smoke and mirrors'), cognitive illusions (inattentional blindness), special effects (explosions, fake gunshots, et cetera), and secret devices and mechanical artifacts (gimmicks)." The use of visual illusions to study perception is certainly nothing new, but the emphasis on cognitive illusions -- illusions that trick higher order perceptions like attention and judgment -- is novel.

Clip Source: www.nature.com

Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Attention and awareness in stage magic: turning tricks into research

Box 1 | Pickpockets pick your brain

Table 1 | Types of conjuring effects^*

Box 3 | Magic techniques in the choice-blindness paradigm

Tags: science, magic, cognition, illusion, article, visual, neuroscience

Components to A.I.

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:09:10 GMT

clipped by: jgisme11

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

AI research uses tools and insights from many fields, including computer science, psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, cognitive science, linguistics, ontology, operations research, economics, control theory, probability, optimization and logic.^[7] AI research also overlaps with tasks such as robotics, control systems, scheduling, data mining, logistics, speech recognition, facial recognition and many others.^[8]

"Military AI could rule the Internet"

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:07:45 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/military-ai-cou.html

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Military AI Could Rule the Internet

As if it wasn't bad enough for the military to muck about with mind control, they're also bent on creating an online, self-teaching artificial intelligence.

Hasn't anyone in the Pentagon watched The Terminator?

Of the various possible types of AI, the "most revolutionary would be an intelligent machine that uses the Internet to train," write the authors of a military-commissioned National Research Council report on emerging cognitive neuroscience. With so much information online and constantly updated, "If a system that reasoned like a human being could be achieved, there would be no limit to augmenting its capabilities."

Skynet, anyone? What self-respecting, self-sufficient AI wouldn't see CO2-spewing humans as a threat to its existence?

Clipmarks | Neuroscience Clips

Subliminal learning.

Subliminal Learning Demonstrated In Human Brain

The Science of Mysticism

Brain School

Finding a genetic link for bipolar disorder.

Genetic Link For Bipolar

“All I know is that I know nothing” - the visual illusion

'Perfect Pitch' In Humans More Common Than Expected

Genetic Predisposition May Play A Role In Anxiety Disorders

OLDS: Preparing for a neuroscience revolution

Pioneering Research in Neuromorphic Electronics that Function Like the Biological Brain

The Secret Of Fast Complex Brain Restructuring

On Law and Neuroscience

Uncle Sam wants your brain

The Science of Magic: Turning Tricks into Research

The Science of Magic

Box 1 | Pickpockets pick your brain

Table 1 | Types of conjuring effects*

Box 3 | Magic techniques in the choice-blindness paradigm

Components to A.I.

"Military AI could rule the Internet"

Military AI Could Rule the Internet

Table 1 | Types of conjuring effects^*