Here we are walking to our Farmer’s Market!
What’s on my reading list for today:
“A genetic variant that makes small tweaks in an important brain protein may cause aging to hit some people’s brains harder than others.
Pilots’ performance on a flight simulator test generally declines slightly with age. But a new study shows that pilots with a particular version of a gene called BDNF have a faster drop than others. Researchers also observed a decline in the size of an important learning and memory center in the brains of those with the variant, Ahmad Salehi of the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University, and colleagues report online October 25 in Translational Psychiatry. “
“Newborn mice that are exposed to bisphenol A develop changes in their spontaneous behavior and evince poorer adaptation to new environments, as well hyperactivity as young adults, according to researchers at Uppsala University. Their study also revealed that one of the brain’s most important signal systems, the cholinergic signal system, is affected by bisphenol A and that the effect persisted into adulthood.”
“Children who are persistently aggressive, defiant, and explosive by the time they’re in kindergarten very often have tumultuous relationships with their parents from early on. A new longitudinal study suggests that a cycle involving parenting styles and hostility between mothers and toddlers is at play.”
“Like a bridge that spans a river to connect two major metropolises, the corpus callosum is the main conduit for information flowing between the left and right hemispheres of our brains. Now, neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have found that people who are born without that link — a condition called agenesis of the corpus callosum, or AgCC — still show remarkably normal communication across the gap between the two halves of their brains.”
“Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist describes the real differences between the left and right halves of the human brain. It’s not simply “emotion on the right, reason on the left,” but something far more complex and interesting. A Best of the Web talk from RSA Animate.”
“after receiving citalopram, a serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) , during this critical period, long-distance connections between the two hemispheres of the brain showed stunted growth and degeneration. The animals also became excessively fearful when faced with new situations and failed to play normally with peers – behaviors reminiscent of novelty avoidance and social impairments seen in autism. The abnormalities were more pronounced in male than female rats, just as autism affects 3-4 times more boys than girls.”
“A few years ago, researchers quizzed more than thirty surgeons and surgical residents on their video- game habits, identifying those who played video games frequently, those who played less frequently, and those who hardly played at all. Then they put all the surgeons through a laparoscopic surgery simulator, in which thin instruments akin to extremely long chopsticks are inserted into one or more small incisions through the skin along with a small camera that is inserted into an additional small opening. Minimally invasive surgery like this frequently is used for gallbladder removal, gynecologic procedures, and other procedures that once involved major cutting and stitching and could require hours on an operating table.”
28 Comments
Kbginger08 · October 27, 2011 at 8:33 am
The article concerning SSRI and prenatal developing fascinates me. Seratonin appears to play large roles in many aspects of the brain, so it is interesting to hear that a prenatal imbalance may induce autism. With autism rapidly increasing, it is intriguing to learn that SSRI’s may also be increasing autism. I think it is important for prenatal research to be conducted. Since prenatal development is such a critical stage of development, research on any kind of drug the mother is taking is important. I just hope mothers and doctors hear about this research before they continue to take SSRIs while pregnant!
annieaitken · October 27, 2011 at 9:32 am
In the study about children’s aggressive behavior, the most shocking feature to me was how early children can be affected by parenting styles. Although their brain in still developing at three months, this study suggests that even at this early of an age, negative parents styles can set the stage for the rest of their childhood. I think it is very important to apply this study to mothers who may not be expecting children or may not be capable of caring for them properly. If a mother is simply not informed enough to the importance of being patient and nurturing, the effects only seem to spiral downwards from there. I babysit a boy whose mom is only a few years older than us. Although I can tell she is trying very hard, he doesn’t have the supportive family that a young child needs. He just turned five and I can already sense the behavioral problems that are going to occur.
lexi williams · October 27, 2011 at 11:50 am
I was intrigued about the TED talk on divided brains. I chose to listen to what he had to say because I have found a new love for TED talks this past year. I agree with McGilchrist that there is a lot of vagueness and ambiguity in the apparent division of tasks of the left and right hemispheres in the past. I have always considered myself to be a “right- brainer”, for example. However, after listening to his theories that both sides deal with imagination and reason, I want to learn more. I did find a lot of what he was saying to be very philosophical, but I did find what he said about our brain’s ability to “shave off” information that is not important about a situation to be quite believable. According to him, our brain works better with a skewed impression of reality, and we simply have the ability to eliminate other information that is not as important to us. It was also interesting to view the brain as an “inhibitor” in comparison to a major enhancer of our daily functions, and it was interesting to learn about the asymmetry of our two hemispheres. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the talk and the animations, however, I wish that he had talked a little slower and more clear. It was a lot to absorb in such a short talk and I’m eager to know more.
Rssolomo · October 27, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Video games do have some benefit after all! Most research done on video games produces negative results that video games caused violence in children that played them. This article by Nick Bilton proves otherwise. It is nice to know that the growing phenomenon may have some positive impact on future generations. Who knows, maybe they will come out with video games to start training kids to become doctors later in life, or games to stimulate certain skills that will lead to certain occupations.
Rssolomo · October 27, 2011 at 2:16 pm
The article Clues to Young Children’s Aggressive Behavior Uncovered by New Study, provides more insight into the nature versus nurture debate. This article proves that a child’s environment, the place they are raised, and the people around them have a huge impact on their future development. Some argue that a child’s level of aggression is linked to genetics and predisposing factors; however, this article supports findings that children who are “aggressive, defiant, and explosive by the time they’re in kindergarten very often have tumultuous relationships with their parents from early on.” Parenting comes with tons of responsibility and I think new parents should be more aware of the way their parenting styles are positively or negatively affecting their children.
nicoleboughton · October 27, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I wonder if Science Daily’s, Clues to Young Children’s Aggressive Behavior, was limited by journalist parameters on the amount of words they could use in that article because it seemed over simplified for a science journal, and more appropriate for Woman’s Journal.
From what I recall in my early child development class, the temperament was inborn hardwiring that couldn’t be changed. The behavior however, could be changed or modified. This goes beyond simply how the child is parented (or “mothered,” and I won’t even touch the 1950’s insinuation of that detail) to what are the other testable traits are, such as; distractibility factors, activity issues, sensitivity thresholds, adaptability, and mood. I think the article is over generalizing and leaving out important study specifics of what the child’s temperament is, and if it is solely influenced by aggressive behavior from his/her mother. There was also no mention of the standard temperament types in early childhood temperament depictions; “easy,” “slow to warm,” “difficult,” which left me looking for a few more substantial details. I think for a target audience such as one that a science journal would have, it’s more interesting to examine the variations than to just point out the obvious, that aggressive parenting isn’t appropriate.
Lfromm · October 27, 2011 at 10:24 pm
I find it interesting that the study involving young children and their behavior simply pinpointed the mother’s parenting specifically. It would seem to me that any sort of parenting at that young and very impressionable age is going to have an effect on the child. I would be interested to see a comparison study of girls and boys with such explosive behaviors. Personally, I have observed a father with tumultuous behavior and parenting and a son who then responded with a more explosive temper and other attitudes at a young age, but the daughter did not. However, this could also be due to gender rolls, or simply different responses to a male figure in girls and boys. The bottom line is, however, parents influence who their children grow up to be and therefore it is never something to be taken lightly.
mkitselman · October 28, 2011 at 9:36 am
I agree with the earlier post that mentioned that the study involving children’s aggressive behavior seemed a bit over simplified. As others have already mentioned, a young child is very impressionable during their key developmental periods and I feel that their behavior could be influenced by other people or stimuli in their environment. For example, their behavior could be influenced by other children at school, their teachers, or what they watch on t.v. Based on what I read from the article, it seemed that they pin pointed the mother’s behavior as being the most likely cause of the aggressive behavior of the children. While the parenting style is without a doubt a very crucial factor, I would be really interested to see more details on how the father may influence the child’s behavior, as well as other factors such as peers and television shows/video games. I think there are a number of reasons why a child may exhibit aggressive behavior, and that it likely cannot be explained by just one thing.
mbise · October 28, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Finally–an excuse to play video games! It makes sense that surgeons with more video game experience would be generally better with the laparoscopic simulator. I would be very interested to see if such research could be extended to other professions that require the same type of physical skills.
I agree with a couple of the other commenters that the article “Clues to Young Children’s Aggressive Behavior Uncovered by New Study” jumps to conclusions a little quickly. While the information is certainly useful, it hardly seems conclusive. There are countless factors contributing to personality and specifically, and this study seems to oversimplify that. I think that the study definitely needs to be repeated and adjusted and repeated again before anything can really be said.
carlyk · October 30, 2011 at 3:21 pm
The article that discussed the clues to hostility and aggressive behavior in children was very interesting. I found it intriguing that displaying a negative attitude as a mother, even during the early stages of infancy, can have such a huge effect on their future behavior. I would not have guessed that a 3 month old infant would be able to pick up on the type of parenting that they were receiving but the study clearly states that this in fact does occur. This is definitely something that I think more people need to be aware of. I’ve worked with kids quite a bit and it’s easy to blame them when they misbehave, but we need to be able to take a step back and turn to the parents to find a real solution to behavioral problems.
carlyk · October 30, 2011 at 3:34 pm
The article discussing the effect of video game-play on surgical skills was quite fascinating! Everything you read about video games today conveys a very negative message about the effects of gaming, and it was nice to read about a positive message for a change. When I think about this study, though, it really does make sense. As stated, practice truly does make perfect, and if a video game can simulate a surgical situation, it would surely be beneficial. I wonder if more studies come out to support this finding then perhaps gaming or some type of virtual simulation will become a regular part of the curriculum of medical students. It would definitely seem out of the ordinary to find video gaming among the workload of a med student but it just might happen!
akinsella · October 31, 2011 at 11:53 am
I was really surprised when I read the article about the effect of negative parenting on children throughout the different stages of the child’s life and what the result is. The part of the story that stuck out to me the most was regarding the fact that negative parenting, even as early on as when the child is 3 months old, can have lasting negative effects on the child. However, this study still raises more questions. If the mother is the reason for the child’s aggressive behavior, then more experiments would need to be made in order to conclusively support that statement. This article doesn’t really address other influences that could support the child’s aggressive behavior. Although this study needs to further develop, it definitely brings up a different point of view and a possible valid argument which should be heard and assessed by future mothers.
akinsella · October 31, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Video games have been such a controversial topic for so long. Personally, I have never been an avid video-gamer. I think this study was very intriguing, however, it is only a step in the right direction. After reading the article, the only thing I could think of was how to utilize the idea of video games and pinpoint it for surgeons in particular. Instead of incorporating seemingly unrelated video games into the curriculum for a surgeon, what if they were able to create a video game that simulates what they will be doing in real life? If ordinary video games can improve a surgeons skills by that much, just imagine what a more specific and related video game could do! This study is definitely a step in the right direction!
jennapetersen · November 1, 2011 at 12:42 pm
I very much enjoyed the article about surgeons and video games. Video games have received so much attention in the last year. They have been criticized for being overly violent and taking over the lives of many young children who choose to play them for hours each day. My parents were always the parents who did not allow video games in the house. They would tell us to play outside and never bought us a single video game system. When I graduate, my dream is to go to medical school and become a surgeon. It is crazy to think that video games could actually help surgeons and make them more skilled in their job. I thought the comment above about creating video games specifically to improve surgeons’ skills was a great point. I believe the invention of games that are specifically for training surgeons could benefit the medical field significantly. If these games can prevent mistakes and improve accuracy then why don’t we start making them?
jennapetersen · November 1, 2011 at 12:50 pm
The article involving parenting and children behavior discussed a study whose results should greatly be considered. The study found that negative parenting has the most significant effect on parent-child conflict. Difficult infant temperament also had an influence, but not as large of one. I think this study shows the importance of new parents maintaining their composure when raising infants. I can imagine that raising a child requires more patience than I can imagine, but this study shows that parenting in the first sixth months of a child’s life is extremely important. Parenting during this time effects how well the parents and child will get along in the future, as well as how well the child will behave at the school age.
ehurley · November 1, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I think that the article about the “rusty” gene has some concerning implications. If people with jobs like flying planes can have a gene that makes them forget faster, what about people with jobs like operating on a heart, or handling diplomatic relations? Memory diseases like Alzheimer’s are things that should be a top priority for people studying human genetics, because these diseases affect who we are, not just our physical health. I’m really glad that people are identifying these genes and looking into them.
mfitzpatrick · November 1, 2011 at 7:35 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed the article about “living in the future”. I always remember when I was little hearing about how video games turn your brain to mush. Or, that’s what I was told. Up until a few years ago, I did not know what I wanted to pursue as a career. I looked into physical therapy and I became more and more fascinated with it. As this pertains to the article, some physical therapy practices, in fact, use Wii games to assist with improving motor coordination and balance. Even more, this article discusses improving surgeon’s ability to complete surgical procedures through video games benefitting their technique and accuracy. Less mistakes= less casualties. I cannot wait to see where video games could take us, after now knowing that they don’t “turn your brain to mush” but, in fact, improve them.
mfitzpatrick · November 1, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I found the article about “clues to children’s aggressive behavior” to not be surprising. Through experience I have observed that children who grow up to be bullies and otherwise become socially awkward because of their mean attitudes, have in turn been bullied themselves, particularly at home. It is a “learn by doing” environment, in a sense. If you’re taught to be mean than you will be mean to others. According to further research, this violent act-out gives the bully pleasure and satisfaction, as others have done this to them. It gives the bully a sense of control because they have no control at home.
So, furthermore, if a mother begins violent or aggressive behavior against their/with their children at a young age, it will have very negative effects as the child grows up.
amandalipson · November 1, 2011 at 9:52 pm
I am in shock after reading the article on video games and increased skill of surgeons. When I first began reading, I was unsure whether they’d say something about video games being very detrimental to a surgeon’s skills, but I’m glad it is the contrary. I really like the idea of adding video games into the curriculums at med school. Not only would it be potentially helpful during surgeries and saving lives, but it’d also contribute as a tension-reliever and outlet for the hectic lives of med students. Not to mention, it would probably help boost some people’s GPA’s. I think that practicing surgeons should keep up with video games. I wonder if playing video games would positively affect detrimental aging effects to surgeons. It also makes me wonder what other types of activities are beneficial that no one has thought of?
amandalipson · November 1, 2011 at 10:03 pm
The article on clues to aggressive behavior was very interesting. It is an article that is slightly frustrating to read because as bystanders, we don’t have much power over how mothers interact with their infants and toddlers. It seems like the next best option would be to spread the knowledge that negative parenting styles especially early on can be detrimental to behavior as the child grows. It is really interesting that in most cases, aggressive behavior’s roots are in the parents’ actions and not the child’s. It gives more perspective and a less judgment placed on kids and even adults who are aggressive. It makes me wonder how many murderers were treated poorly growing up, and if there could’ve been a stop to the extreme behavior we see on the news every day.
Kbginger08 · November 3, 2011 at 7:55 am
The article regarding BPA and its effects on developing brains was shocking. BPA is somewhat known as harmful, but I don’t think the concept is wide spread enough so that all nursing mothers don’t use BPA products. Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of BPA free products tend to be more expensive than regular plastics. This is not fair to people living with less money. If BPA has serious potentially harmful effects, then BPA products should be readily available to everyone.
annieaitken · November 3, 2011 at 10:15 am
The article about the “rust gene” seems like it would hold a lot of importance in the genetic counseling field. It would be interesting to hear what someone with that career would think about testing peoples DNA for the BDNF gene and if it should effect their status in the work place. Since only learning and memory are involved with this gene it is important to keep in mind the ability of someone to compensate for this decline with other strong suits. This study also raises the question as to if this problem is one that could be fixed. Would it be ethically sound to tamper with ones genetic make up if it meant a better memory?
annieaitken · November 3, 2011 at 10:15 am
The video about the divided brain was an entertaining explanation for the functionality of each half of out brain. I understand what he means when he says that ever since people realized their initial hypothesis about the function of each side of the brain was false, there hasn’t been much said about it, or at least I haven’t heard much about it. From the video it seems to be especially important that our frontal lobes work in two different manners because they can then work together in a way which makes the human species able to function in a superior way. I would be very interested to see how McGilchrist (if he is indeed in charge of this study) found out all this informations and what kind of experiments he conducted on the human brain.
giulianna.riso · November 3, 2011 at 11:20 am
I found the article about antidepressants stunting brain development very interesting. I wonder if these findings are true across most “brands” of antidepressants. Many people in my family, myself included, have been on antidepressants in the past or are still taking them to this day. I wonder how badly these drugs can impact someone once they are in their adolescent years and adult years. This will be an interesting study to follow.
CCrosson · November 5, 2011 at 9:10 am
The article regarding children’s aggressive behavior gave a lot of insight into discussions we have had about this topic in my developmental psychology class. This also shows that not all of a child’s temperament at an early age can be blames on nature, but nurture also plays a major role. I find it interesting that parenting styles can have an effect at such an early age. This shows how important it is that parent’s are not negative or rough towards their children as soon as they are born, not later when they think the child understands more. This study showed a negative spiral, which we have talked about in my family psychology class. When a mother acts negative, the child acts out causing the mother to respond negatively. I think this is the type of study all new mothers should read so they understand how important their interactions with their children are as early as birth.
Jerusha · November 5, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I am in shock at the SSRI/ rat brain development study. I’m taking citalopram so it hits close to home. It’s amazing to see how significant the amount of serotonin can affect your(a rat’s) baby. I knew there would be some sort of consequences to taking SSRI’s during pregnancy but I wasn’t aware that it could be so extreme. To think there’s a possibility that autism is linked with this is amazing. This type of research needs to get out to the public because I know a lot of people are on SSRI’s and it’s important to be safe about these things. I also found it interesting that it affected the males more than females. I was left wondering why.
apwillia · November 6, 2011 at 6:26 pm
It was interesting to find out from the aggressive children article that parenting can play such a huge role in the upbringing of a child from such an early age. It does make sense that parenting that is too “rough” with children when they are still infants can have leave lasting impression regarding the aggressiveness of their children when they get older. The way parents act towards their children when they are early infants might indicate how they will parent when the children are toddlers. This then perpetuates further conflict and problems when the children reach school age. This article indicates just how crucial parenting is for children, not just when the children are older. Hopefully these research findings will show that negative parenting can impact a child’s behavior and set the child up for conflict between them and the parent and then in school.
apwillia · November 7, 2011 at 11:02 am
It is surprising to know that the mother taking SSRI’s can have such an effect her unborn baby. I know that serotonin is important to the brain, but it is a shock that the mother taking it can influence her baby so significantly. There appears to be a pill for every malady, and people tend to overlook the side effects. However, taking SSRI’s should go along the same rule of eating healthy and avoiding certain foods while the mother is pregnant. Also, the permeability of the amniotic sac raises concerns that the SSRI would be able to cross over into the baby’s bloodstream, further effecting serotonin levels. It is also very concerning that the raphe system was stunted and the neurons in the corpus collosum were deformed. This should be a red flag to mother’s and more of an effort needs to be made to alert parents of the harmful effects taking SSRI’s can have on the fetus.
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