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Columbia University researchers have identified patterns of brain injury linked to “hidden consciousness” — and the discovery could lead to better outcomes for people in comas or vegetative states.

Hidden consciousness: Severe brain injuries can cause “disorders of consciousness” (DoC), such as vegetative states, in which a person looks awake, but lacks any indication they are aware of their surroundings, and comas, where they appear neither awake nor aware.

An estimated 15–20% of people with a DoC are also experiencing a phenomenon called “cognitive motor dissociation” (CMD), or “hidden consciousness.” That means they are aware of what’s going on around them, but they can’t physically respond to it.

For more information on addiction services at #YaleMedicine, visit: https://www.yalemedicine.org/departments/program-in-addiction-medicine.

Written and produced by Yale Neuroscience PhD student Clara Liao.

Continue reading “How an Addicted Brain Works” »

Speech BCIs that use brain implants and algorithms to translate brain signals into text are changing the lives of people with paralysis.

What happens in the brain when we feel threatened? Answers to this question could lead to new treatments for people with anxiety and panic disorders and PTSD. Caltech neuroscientist Dean Mobbs (http://www.hss.caltech.edu/people/dean-mobbs) studies how the brain processes different types of danger. In this video, Mobbs talks about fear, horror, and hope. Participants in his studies play virtual-predator video games inspired by horror movies while fMRI machines track the activity in their brains as they encounter threats. Mobbs and his research group recently showed that two regions of the brain are involved in processing fear: one for distant threats that allow some time to strategize, and one for immediate danger that requires a fight, flight, or freeze response. (Read more: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/you-dont-think-your-way-o…tack-81542)

Mobbs conducts research in the Caltech Brain Imaging Center (http://cbic.caltech.edu), which is part of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech (http://neuroscience.caltech.edu). Founded with a $115 million gift to Break Through: The Caltech Campaign (https://breakthrough.caltech.edu/) from visionary philanthropists Tianqiao Chen and Chrissy Luo, the Chen Institute at Caltech supports researchers who are deepening our understanding of the brain.

Continue reading “The Caltech Effect: This Is Your Brain on Fear” »

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is a complex mental health condition characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others and violation of societal norms. Untreated forms of ASPD affect about three percent of the general population. While the exact causes of ASPD remain unclear, researchers have identified several potential factors that may contribute to its development.

1. Genetic Factors: Studies suggest a genetic component in the development of ASPD, with heritability estimates ranging from 40% to 70%. Genetic variants involved in neurotransmitter regulation, such as serotonin and dopamine, have been implicated in antisocial behavior (Ficks & Waldman, 2014).

2. Environmental Factors: Childhood experiences play a crucial role in the development of ASPD. Early exposure to abuse, neglect, or inconsistent parenting has been linked to an increased risk of developing antisocial behavior (Rhee & Waldman, 2011).

Differentiating consciousness from the concept of Mind2.

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Artificial intelligence is changing health care. It promises better diagnoses and fewer mistakes and all in less time. While some associate AI with a frightening dystopian future, many doctors see it as a source of support.

To help them care for patients, doctors are programming apps and supplying AI with data. At Berlin’s Charité hospital, Professor Surjo Soekadar is researching how neurotechnology might support paralysis patients in their everyday lives — for example, via assistance systems that are controlled via their thoughts.

Continue reading “Doctors, apps and artificial intelligence — The future of medicine” »

In September 2020 we sat down with Robert Sapolsky, Stanford professor and the author of Human Behavioral Biology lectures (https://youtu.be/NNnIGh9g6fA) to discuss if it’s possible for our society to reconcile our understanding of justice with scientific understanding of human behaviour.

Why do humans, most likely, have no free will? How does that link to depression and other psychiatric disorders? Can people accept the idea that there is no free will and start using, what science tells us about the reasons behind our behaviour, as a basis for making sense of justice and morality? If yes, can we even imagine what such society would look like?

Continue reading “Robert Sapolsky: Justice and morality in the absence of free will” »