More Delights and Disdains . . .

of a diminutive nature of late . . . Number 27

Disdains:

Learning that my lack of dopamine may cause me to miss out on any potential near death experiences or “episodes of disconnected consciousness.” You know, the ones where people on the brink of death see a bright light or their momma or a giant bag of little chocolate donuts waiting for them. Researchers suggest that these experiences are caused by increases of serotonin and a flood of dopamine as the oxygen level drops in the brain. No word yet on how this affects other brushes with the spirit world such as Magic 8 Balls or ouija boards. Now get that bright light out of my face . . .

For instance, increased serotonin signaling may be responsible for the “vivid visual hallucinations” that typify NDEs, while spikes in endorphin and GABA levels are theorized to generate “a feeling of deep peace”. At the same time, the researchers say a flood of dopamine could explain the “profound feelings of hyper-reality associated with these hallucinations.”

Delights:

Reading that researchers at Georgia Tech are developing micro-computer brain interfaces that are so small that they fit in the minuscule spaces (or for me, broad spaces) between hair follicles. These tiny neural sensors are made to worn while physically active and would allow the wearer to interface handsfree with a computer or phone . . . or each other? Gives new meaning to the phrase “been thinking about you.” Brain research is advancing so quickly. I bet that in 20 years the cutting edge DBS surgery that I received will be just another crude point in the history of trepanation.

Speaking of small, researchers at Princeton have a mapped the neural connections that enable mice to see. Using a cubic millimeter of brain tissue, they were able to map over 200,000 neurons and 523 million neural connectors. Dopamine plays a significant role in the way that neural connectors function. Hopefully, this mapping project will be a strong step to find a cure for all kinds of brainy problems.

Realizing that I am having a duh-huh moment for the researchers who “discovered” that dogs with long noses and elongated skulls (and brains) have a better sense of smell than those other round-headed dogs. Maybe researchers have finally stumbled upon the difference between hounds and dogs.

“Nose length affects not only the size of the olfactory epithelium, but also the shape of the brain and the communication between brain regions involved in the sense of smell. The next step is to examine what happens to these networks when the dog's nose is put to work—that is, when it encounters a scent."

Receiving a letter from my health insurance provider that my neurologist was correct in prescribing me the medication that they had previously would not approve and issued me an apology. Can you believe it? Nah, I can’t either. I am just kidding about them admitting that they were wrong. They did, however, approve the drug without explanation, so I will take the win.