Our puppy can express a little ‘dude when she wants to!
Here’s what I am reading today:
“Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the ‘love’ or ‘cuddle’ hormone, has a legendary status in popular culture due to its vital role in social and sexual behaviour and long-term bonding.”
“Researchers studying premature babies in the hospital found that the sound centers in the babies’ brains grew more quickly when they heard recordings of their mothers rather than the normal clamor of intensive care units. The recordings were manipulated to simulate sounds heard in a womb.
It’s not clear what this means in the long run, “but it shows how important it is for mothers to interact with their premature babies when they visit,” said study co-author Amir Lahav, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.”
“When making simple decisions, neurons in the brain apply the same statistical trick used by Alan Turing to help break Germany’s Enigma code during World War II, according to a new study in animals by researchers at Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Department of Neuroscience. Results of the study were published Feb. 5 in Neuron.”
University of Sydney research reveals that the risk of a heart attack is 8.5 times higher in the two hours following a burst of intense anger.
“Scientists at Bar-Ilan University are the first to demonstrate how an external stimulus of low-level electricity can literally change the way we think, producing a measurable up-tick in the rate at which daydreams – or spontaneous, self-directed thoughts and associations – occur. Along the way, they made another surprising discovery: that while daydreams offer a welcome “mental escape” from boring tasks, they also have a positive, simultaneous effect on task performance.
The new study was carried out in Bar-Ilan’s Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory supervised by Prof. Moshe Bar, part of the University’s Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center which Prof. Bar also directs.”
“Linguistic relativity suggests that language influences thought.
In psychology, this approach is most closely associated with the work of Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941). Whorf’s ideas were shaped by his interest in languages, which was somewhat of a hobby he pursued outside of his profession as a chemical engineer. Whorf was particularly fascinated by Mesoamerican languages, which led to his studying at Yale under the noted linguist Edward Sapir.”
“Skinner clearly believed that the behavior of his superstitious pigeons shared common elements with the superstitious behavior of human beings. He noted “a few accidental connections between a ritual and favorable consequences suffice to set up and maintain the behavior in spite of many unreinforced instances.” Skinner describes the “body language” of the bowler who has already released his or her ball down the alley as an example. Obviously, once the ball is on its way, nothing the bowler does is more or less likely to make the ball connect properly with the pins.”
17 Comments
smorri07 · February 26, 2015 at 12:03 pm
The article which discusses the effects of oxytocin on alcohol consumption was really interesting for a variety of reasons. First of all, it’s interesting that oxytocin actually decreases the effects of alcohol since alcohol is so closely tied with sex, “one-night-stands,” and even instances of rape. It seems counterintuitive that oxytocin which is released during personal contact and relations would decrease the effects of alcohol rather than increase because one would think that the “sex plus alcohol” correlation would in fact be the opposite. This may be evidence for more of a cultural, environmental effect of alcohol on sexual relations rather than a physical one. Also, an interesting thought in response to this article is the possibility of using oxytocin as a treatment for people in the “drunk tank.” If oxytocin treatment worked on humans, we could sooner “sober” them up and deal with them legally so that having to keep them overnight and arrested would not be an issue. Finally, at the end of the article it mentions using oxytocin as an aid to break substance abuse which would be a very positive outlook for therapy and alcoholic centers as a whole in the future!
kmmcnult · February 28, 2015 at 2:32 pm
I read the article keep calm, anger can start a heart attack because of the title. I am a biology major, and love learning about the body. Before reading the article I was just thinking that the surge of anger making the heart rate pump rapidly was enough to make the victim get a heart attack right on the spot. The article surprised me that it was up to two hours after that the victim could be affected. It was also associated with high levels anxiety as well. I will be sure to let my older family know, and tell my dad who loves hearing about this kind of thing. The preventative strategy of keeping calm and not bursting our into anger or having high anxiety is important and should be told to others, especially ones at risk.
najavier · February 28, 2015 at 4:20 pm
The article regarding anger and anxiety possibly triggering heart attacks is very scary to think about because we all can put ourselves at risk for one. When the author mentions that the risk will “last for two hours after the outburst,” my first thought was that people are still stressed out or feel all these negative emotions even after the peak of anger or anxiousness. A person can be worn down by mental and emotional stress. That stress takes a toll on one’s body, which is struggling to function well under such circumstances. In this study, I’m also curious if researchers looked at patients’ medical records. If the patient’s family history shows generations of heart problems, there may be a higher risk of a heart attack after an angry or anxious episode occurs compared to a person with no family history. Lastly, I wasn’t completely agreeing with the suggestions to decrease the chances of triggering a heart attack. There are times where we need to avoid situations. However, avoiding situations does not guarantee that person isn’t still feeling waves of anger, stress, anxiety, etc. Maybe schools, the work force, and other such venues can provide programs to promote better ways to handle one’s feelings under certain situations. Changing how one views a situation and communicates can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
jwatso02 · March 5, 2015 at 11:52 am
The findings related to the impact of the sound of a mother’s voice on development is fascinating. The bonding between a mother and her child begins before birth, which makes me wonder about the effect of having a surrogate mother, because this baby is likely to hear the surrogate mother’s voice often. In such cases, I wonder if the baby becomes attached to the voice of the surrogate mother rather than his or her biological mother. Because it is not clear whether or not it’s the mother’s voice that makes the defining difference or any voice, it will be interesting to follow this research once there is more clarity on this.
efike · March 8, 2015 at 10:17 am
I found the article on superstitions and causality to be very interesting. As an athlete myself, I definitely can relate to the superstitious behaviors of athletes. This article points out that many of these rituals have no added benefit or even relation to the athlete’s performance. However, this is a very fine line. As the article says in the end, the littlest superstitious ritual could actually benefit the athlete in ways other than physical performance, such as stress relief or just confidence. As we’ve learned in psychology having confidence in yourself in a situation can cause a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because of this, I believe that most of athlete’s superstitious pre-performance rituals probably do benefit the athlete’s performance.
smorri07 · March 9, 2015 at 10:55 am
I thought that the article about the effects of a mother’s voice on baby brain development was very interesting. Especially with technology growing as it is, I know many parents who record themselves reading books or saying goodnight to their children to help with putting them to bed when they are not there to do so. However, I can’t help but wonder if the recording is actually not helping at all or even possibly having negative effects on the child’s attachment function or sleep habits. The fact that it is crucial for mothers to visit their premature babies in the NICU to form those initial, crucial connections should not be taken lightly. Since those first several months of development are so critical as relayed by this article, maybe there should be overnight stay for parents who’s babies are in the NICU so that they won’t miss out on opportunities to be with their baby. I know from experience of my nephew, who was a month premature, that he was way more calm when his mom and dad were talking to him in the NICU than when they were not around.
elliehirahara · March 10, 2015 at 10:53 pm
My mother would always tell me that when I was in her stomach, she would constantly talk and sing to me. And after reading this article, I understand why she did so. It is amazing how even in the womb, babies are able to recall their mother’s voices. I would have never thought that the sound of a mother’s voice would have an effect on a baby’s brain. The study that was done on these babies’ brains was very interesting. The fact that just by listening to a mother’s voice and heartbeat can impact the size of a brain’s sound center, or auditory cortex, is amazing.
rachel_wallin · April 1, 2015 at 7:56 pm
I read the article about the LOVE hormone. I thought that it was really interesting that the rats who did not consume alcohol were almost identical to the rats that did consume alcohol AND were administered a does of oxytocin. I would want to conclude that because oxytocin blocks the sites where alcohol usually blocks and that they block the same site, it’s almost like being in love is equivalent to being drunk. This is a phenomenon that I’ve heard before (i.e. Drunk in Love by Beyonce). But because the rats weren’t physically affected by the alcohol, the alcohol intoxication is overrode by a new form of intoxication, “love.”
slippp3 · April 2, 2015 at 9:33 am
I thought in the article about mother’s heartbeats, that the babies who heard recordings of their mother’s heartbeats and voices were more mature than those hearing voices of just people around the hospital. I didn’t think that in the womb, they were capable of being able to recognize their mother’s heartbeat or voice.
meteresi · April 4, 2015 at 11:41 am
I really enjoyed the article you posted about premature babies, and how the sound centers of their brains grew more quickly when they could hear their mother’s voice recordings. It’s also interesting to read about how newborn babies prefer their mother’s voices. In November 2013 a friend of mine gave birth to a micropreemie at only 23 weeks gestation (he is now amazingly a happy though delayed 1 year old!). According to the article, hearing develops normally at 25 weeks gestation. This means that when he was born his hearing had not yet developed.. fascinating! I wonder what Benton’s brain would look like if we took some brain images of it compared to babies that were born full term. I also wonder if babies like him who spend months in the ICU show voice preferences to the nurses and doctors that work with them the most… probably!
michellevanriper · April 8, 2015 at 10:17 am
I read the article on oxytocin and alcohol consumption and think their findings are fascinating. It actually makes a lot of sense to me that oxytocin would block the effects of alcohol consumption, like acting drunk, because of the pure nature and purpose of oxytocin. When oxytocin is released in the brain it is likely because you are around someone you love, or at least have some sort of sexual attraction to, and are being or would like to be affectionate with. So lets say for example someone goes out to the bars, has a few drinks, and meets a potential partner for the night. If oxytocin didn’t block some of the drunk feelings, no one would ever drink before they meet a potential lover because they would just be sloppy and horrible in bed that night. However, since oxytocin does potentially block the drunk behaviors, our society follows a norm that drinking and having sex after is totally doable and happens quite often.
hannahburgardt · April 9, 2015 at 3:16 pm
I have heard in the past that Oxytocin is the hormone of attachment. But I didn’t know that the sound of a mother’s voice has such an effect on the children! I wonder if women have more Oxytocin in their bodies than men? Also, there are many studies about the attachment between mother and child, but I haven’t learned about attachment between father and child. I wonder if there is less Oxytocin produced when there is an attachment between father to child since the child was in the mother’s womb.
aalvar52 · April 17, 2015 at 9:52 am
I read the article about oxytocin, and it really got me thinking about how easy it is to let drug-related situations get out of control. The article talked about how taking oxytocin reduced the effects of being drunk, and the usual motor impairment from drinking excessive amounts decreased with taking oxytocin. It also stated that despite what one may think, this actually did not cause people to drink more (since they were not experiencing effects) because oxytocin also reduced the craving for alcohol.
However, what if oxytocin decreases the effects similarly with other drugs. BUT… What if in those other drugs, it increases cravings? It could easily result in an overdose if one did not know or feel the effects that the body was undergoing due to a particular drug. This may not be the case in other drugs, but, in my opinion, it is something to think about and potentially do research work in.
slbonill · April 19, 2015 at 10:59 pm
I read the article “love hormone” and was really amazed from the findings of all that Oxytocin can do. The last thing I would imagine is Oxytocin, a love hormone which is also the hormone that is released during birth and pregnancy to have the power to be an antagonist to alcohol. It was very interesting to find out that Oxytocin can prevent alcohol from accessing the sites in the brain which make you intoxicated. Although this has yet to be experimented with humans and only rats, I would imagine that if the hormone were to be successful in humans, it would open the doors to research on so many more hormones and their potential effects.
slbonill · April 19, 2015 at 10:59 pm
I read the article “love hormone” and was really amazed from the findings of all that Oxytocin can do. The last thing I would imagine is Oxytocin, a love hormone which is also the hormone that is released during birth and pregnancy to have the power to be an antagonist to alcohol. It was very interesting to find out that Oxytocin can prevent alcohol from accessing the sites in the brain which make you intoxicated. Although this has yet to be experimented with humans and only rats, I would imagine that if the hormone were to be successful in humans, it would open the doors to research on so many more hormones and their potential effects.
alex.foy · April 27, 2015 at 10:27 pm
Wow! It is very interesting that heightening one’s oxytocin levels would have that effect on drunkenness. One would think that at heightened states of arousal or the feeling of “being in love”, that oxytocin is closely related to, would increase the effects of alcohol. Apparently though, as oxytocin levels rise, the effects of alcohol, such as, impaired movement, slurred words, and cloudy logic, decrease. This theory disproves common saying like “love drunk”, because, really when a couple is in love, it is sobering. One might want to keep this in mind when they are in a situation that they would benefit from the sobering qualities of oxytocin. It is important to remember, though, that it does not lower the alcohol content in the blood stream, so it would not be a safe decision to heighten ones oxytocin so they could drive while still drunk.
mehicks · April 30, 2015 at 3:40 pm
I loved the article about the premature babies and the mothers voice. I knew that babies could hear when they are in the womb but I had no idea that it actually helped development of their auditory cortex. I wonder if there is a difference in the auditory cortex between babies who were read to/spoken directly to while in the womb compared to those who were not when born full term. I also was thinking about the problem babies face if they had a surrogate mother or were adopted. Do they have difficulties (attachment?) when they have a new mother just after they are born? I would really like to learn more about this, as birth is an amazing thing.