Welcome to Douglas Coupland's Brain
A retrospective of an artist's work gives the viewer insight into their creative process over an extended period of time. In some cases, a retrospective seems to allow access into the artist's mind.Canadian artist and writer Douglas Coupland adopted this stance more literally by creating a room filled with 5,000 objects he collected over 20 years and carefully arranged in a masterwork called The Brain. Coupland is best known (to Americans at least) as the author of Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, but his prolific artistic output “over the past 12 years addresses the singularity of Canadian culture, the ...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 22, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
The Neuroscience of the Future
Neural prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), “closed-loop” deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices, and a world without human brain disorders. The first three of these are already here... is the last one possible?In the utopian world of The Hedonistic Imperative, an ambitious, admirable (and unlikely) 1995 manifesto by philosopher David Pearce, the goal is to “eradicate suffering in all sentient life” through paradise engineering — which involves sophisticated applications of nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and psychopharmacology. And going beyond the eradication of suffering, “Life-long happiness ...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 16, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Humble BRAIN 2025
“We believe this to be a moment in the science of the brain where our knowledge base, our new technical capabilities, and our dedicated and coordinated efforts can generate great leaps forward in just a few years or decades. Like other great leaps in the history of science—the development of atomic and nuclear physics, the unraveling of the genetic code—this one will change human society forever. Through deepened knowledge of how our brains actually work, we will understand ourselves differently, treat disease more incisively, educate our children more effectively, practice law and governance with greater insight, an...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 8, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
And the DARPA deep brain stimulation awards go to...
...UCSF and MGH!Work on DARPA’s Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies (SUBNETS) program is set to begin with teams led by UC San Francisco (UCSF), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The SUBNETS program seeks to reduce the severity of neuropsychological illness in service members and veterans by developing closed-loop therapies that incorporate recording and analysis of brain activity with near-real-time neural stimulation. The program, which will use next-generation devices inspired by current Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) technology, was launched in support of President Obama’s brain initiat...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 8, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Feeling Mighty Unreal: Derealization in Kleine-Levin Syndrome
I went on this trip once, back to my hometown after a long absence. Have you ever felt that your surroundings seem odd and distant, and that you're completely detached from them? That the things and places around you aren't real? This can happen to me, on occasion.It did on this trip, perhaps because I've dreamed about those places so many times that the real places and the dream places are blurred in memory.Of course time marches on. The stores in the strip mall have changed, and you go to Starbucks with your father. But sometimes new and surprising things appear in the landscape.Or maybe old and unexpected things pop up ...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Let's Face It: Publishing Weak Data on Face Processing in Pedophiles Is Pointless
Modified from Fig. 2 (Ponseti et al., 2014). Brain areas that selectively respond to faces of the sexually preferred age. Just when we thought it was safe to bury the dead salmon of uncorrected statistical thresholds in neuroimaging studies, a new and incendiary study on face processing in pedophiles emerges (Ponseti et al., 2014). Even if it were surprising and informative that “Human face processing is tuned to sexual age preferences” (Ponseti et al., 2014), the fMRI data analyses failed to correct for multiple statistical comparisons, which is standard in the field. Therefore, by using a very liberal statistical th...
Source: The Neurocritic - May 26, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Does Gamma tACS Really Induce Lucid Dreaming?
Dream scene from InceptionDIY brain stimulation geeks were supercharged last week by the finding that dream awareness could be enhanced by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)1 at frequencies of 25 and 40 Hz (Voss et al., 2014). Headlines were abuzz with zingers like Brain Zaps Can Trigger Lucid Dreams and A Jolt to the Brain Triggers Lucid Dreams and Brain Zap Could Help You Control Your Dreams. Visualize all the incipient Kickstarter campaigns ready to capitalize on the lucid dreaming market...Except did the stimulation really induce lucid dreaming? The only critical evaluation of this claim (that I'm awa...
Source: The Neurocritic - May 18, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
The Smouldering Glances of Neuroscience Information
We examined the influence of neuroscience information on evaluations of flawed scientific studies after taking into account individual differences in scientific reasoning skills, thinking dispositions, and prior beliefs about a claim. We found that neuroscience information, even though irrelevant, made people believe they had a better understanding of the mechanism underlying a behavioral phenomenon. Neuroscience information had a smaller effect on ratings of article quality and scientist quality. Our study suggests that neuroscience information may provide an illusion of explanatory depth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 20...
Source: The Neurocritic - May 17, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
The Seductive Allure of Spintronics™ Neuroimaging mock mind reading scanner
Spintronics™ Neuroimaging mock scanner used in experiment by Ali, Lifshitz & Raz (2014)A new study has tricked undergraduates into believing that “Spintronics,” a whimsical new “mind reading” technology constructed using an old hair dryer, was able to accurately read their thoughts (Ali et al., 2014). This held even for students enrolled in a class on the pros and cons of neuroimaging methods taught by the senior author (McGill Professor Amir Raz). The paper coined the phrase “empirical neuroenchantment” to explain why a highly dubious experimental setup would lead to such a deficit in critical thin...
Source: The Neurocritic - May 11, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Not tonight dear, I had zymosan A injected into my hind paw
This study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, and the strongly worded quote above is how the authors chose to conclude their abstract. They go to great lengths to “prove” that the loss of libido was due to lack of sexual motivation in the female mice, rather than a direct consequence of pain. The authors also stretch the clinical applicability (and evolutionary validity) of their work a bit beyond belief, in my view. Why? Perhaps because promoting a viable animal model of low sexual motivation in women will ultimately serve drug development purposes (Farmer et al., 2014):The link between pain and sexual moti...
Source: The Neurocritic - May 4, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Answers to the Developmental Cog Neuro Quiz (and potential policy implications)
The "Guess the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Speaker" contest yielded two correct guesses (both Martha Farah for #4) and six incorrect guesses. Basically, the entire exercise was an excuse to feature the eminently quotable soundbytes of Dr. Martha Farah. A leader in the growing field of neuroethics, she directs the Center for Neuroscience & Society at the University of Pennsylvania.But all our speakers are winners really... The symposium was a smashing success.Invited Symposium Session 1The Broader Applicability of Insights from Developmental Cognitive NeuroscienceChair: Silvia Bunge, UC BerkeleySpeakers: John D...
Source: The Neurocritic - April 23, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
The Life and Brain of H.M.
Dr. Suzanne Corkin on H.M.One of the highlights of this year's Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting was Dr. Corkin's keynote address about Henry Molaison the person and his lasting contribution to the neurobiology of memory. In her more timely recap of the meeting, Daisy Yuhas included this moving quote from H.M., who could not remember meeting Corkin even after decades of testing:Corkin also discussed the man behind the initials, describing his gentle and remarkably upbeat disposition, given that he was repeatedly confronting a confusing, context-free present. Her talk included a poignant and powerful audio recor...
Source: The Neurocritic - April 21, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Post-Publication Peer Review, Systemic Changes to Biomedical Research, NIH R01A7s, and Social Media
My, that title sure is a mouthful, isn’t it? That's because in the span of a few short days, we’ve seen the following:(1) An invited review in Neuron on the role of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and online forums such as PubPeer, PubMed Commons, and journal comments in shaping discussions about published research papers.(2) A commentary in PNAS about the sad structural state of biomedical research in the U.S. and suggestions for change.(3) A MAJOR revision in how NIH (National Institutes of Health) reviews research grants.These communiques intersect because of how rapidly we can discuss them, who is allowed to comme...
Source: The Neurocritic - April 17, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Let's play "Guess the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Speaker" (soundbytes from #cns2014)
Another CNS meeting, another series of delayed blog posts from The Neurocritic. Long in the vanguard of the slow blogging movement, these conference recaps have attained the cult status of unplanned obsolescence.Without further ado, let's begin our walk down memory lane...The 21st Annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting was held in Boston from April 4–8, 2014. We'll kick off our recapping festivities with a contest of "Name that Soundbyte!" from an invited symposium on how developmental cognitive neuroscience can (and cannot) inform policy.Invited Symposium Session 1Sunday, April 6 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Grand Ballroom Sa...
Source: The Neurocritic - April 11, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Contest to Reduce Implicit Racial Bias Shows Empathy and Perspective-Taking Don't Work
NCAA college basketball isn't the only hot competition involving a team from the University of Virginia. UVa Psychology Professor Brian Nosek is one of three founders of Project Implicit, a collaborative nonprofit dedicated to the study of implicit social cognition — how unconscious thoughts and feelings can influence attitudes and behavior.Prof Nosek is also heavily involved in the Open Science and Replication movements. Along with graduate student Calvin Lai, he led a multinational group of 22 other researchers in a competition to see who could devise the best intervention to reduce racial bia...
Source: The Neurocritic - March 30, 2014 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
