Schizophrenic Inspiration

The history of schizophrenia is a dark and haunting one, as it has been with many other mental disorders. People who suffered from schizophrenia were accused of being possessed by demons and were put away, due to fear. It's dictionary definition reads, "Schizophrenia, also called dementia praecox- a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations." While further researching this topic, I began to think of what positive aspects this stereotypically life destroying illness could possess. Creativity is something abstract, yet beautiful, which individuals seem to appreciate no matter what. People suffering from mental disorders such as schizophrenia, DID and Bipolar Disorder have been known to have episodes of great creativity and many have created amazing works of art during those episodes. 

Louis Wain was an English artist born in the year 1860 and whose life seemed to be a recipe for artistic success. He was born with a cleft palate and his parents were directed by their physician to not allow young Louis to enter school until the age of 10. That alone caused many difficulties for him. Four of his sisters never married, which was rare in those times. His youngest sister was determined insane and was admitted into an asylum. His life seemed very dramatic and different, which seemed like great inspiration for his artistic passion. He married and when his wife became ill they took in a cat who comforted her. He would teach the cat, who they named Peter, many tricks to lift his wife's spirits. He also began to paint Peter and various other cats doing human activities. After his wife's death he published his cat paintings. 

Throughout his artistic career, his paintings show the progression of his mental disorder. While at the beginning, his cat paintings seemed completely normal, they soon became completely erratic and abstract. His cat no longer a cat, but a magnificently colored pattern. He was known to be misunderstood many times, due to his incomprehensible speech. His schizophrenia became so severe that he even began to feel weary of even his sisters. His delusions worsened and he began to walk the streets at night and would also rearrange the furniture while the rest of the family slept. His family could no longer care for him and he was sent to a mental hospital in Tooting in South London, England where he remained for the rest of his life until his death in 1939. Some may say that his disorder may have been completely negative, since it caused him his family and his career, but I believe his condition made his art special. It wasn't simply creativity, it was true talent and inspiration. It is unfair to think though that his inspiration had to come from such a mentally debilitating disorder.

 His work still remains an abstract wonder sought out by collectors. Wain may have been affected by his schizophrenia, but as some may agree, it only made his works of art that much more intriguing.

Bipolar Disorder: Not just a pop song

 

We have all, at one point, heard Katy Perry's song "Hot N Cold", where she talks about a past love, which evidently did not work out due to his drastic change in moods and thoughts. The term bipolar is now used when referring to someone who simply cannot make up their mind. Bipolar disorder is a form of depression and it entails much more than just moods and thoughts and it affects a person's entire life, not just one aspect of it. Bipolar disorder is one of those special psychological disorders which affects both genders equally and which also affects every race alike. About 5.7 million people in the US currently suffer from such disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterized by it's two completely separate poles, mania and depression. An individual suffering from bipolar disorder may seem perfectly happy and extremely creative and confident for a period of time and then become severely depressed and full of extreme sadness for another period.

When thinking of the manic episodes of Bipolar Disorder we may think that the person is super happy and jumping off the walls with joy, but that is not at all the entire truth. Mania is characterized by restless activity, excitement, laughter, self-confidence, rambling speech, and loss of inhibitions. The definition of mania shows just how dangerous manic episodes are. The outward portrayal of mania may cause people to lose their jobs and may hurt their relationships with others. When an individual talks about their manic episodes they refer to them as "a mind running wild". They have many different thoughts and ideas running through their head and they need to focus on what they want to say in order to get a particular point across. It must be difficult to concentrate when you have constant thoughts fighting for your attention. Another dangerous characteristic of Bipolar Disorder is reckless behavior. There are various levels of severity. One side of the spectrum refers to either violent actions or extremely risky activities, such as drunk driving, bungee jumping, or sky diving. The other side of the spectrum includes activities such as going on shopping sprees and spending money that you don't have. These people claim they know the negative consequences to their actions, but their minds keep telling them they need this certain stimulus or item.

 

 

The video above explains the importance in getting the proper medications and also talks about forming a close connection with psychiatrists, who can regulate the episodes brought on by an individuals bipolar disorder. There are treatments available, but when dealing with bipolar disorder a medical professional has to decide which medication is right for each patient. It is very important to identify which episode these individuals are suffering at the moment. Manic episodes require different types of medication as compared to depressive episodes. Lithium and certain anticonvulsant medications are also very common when treating bipolar disorder. Constant sleeping schedules have also been known to help with bipolar symptoms.

 



Bipolar disorder is so much more than not being able to decide on something. There is so much emotional pain and sometimes even physical pain accompanying bipolar disorder. It affects the individual themselves and everyone around them. It is a dangerous disorder which needs to be closely monitored by a specialist. Individuals who believe they are suffering from bipolar disorder should seek help and figure out what is wrong and what they need to do to alleviate some of the pain. There are also many physiological changes that occur when suffering from bipolar disorder, such as the elevation of anxiety, which triggers the "fight or flight" response, which prepares the body physically to either run from a situation or fight. The elongated presence of such a response is not healthy for our bodies and affects us in many ways. This is one of the many reasons why people should seek help and should learn what works to control them personally.

Silent Killer

Stress, in our modern world, is something we just can’t seem to avoid. It seems to come from everywhere and it occurs at various levels of severity. Our body is built to withstand high levels of stress, but despite that strength, there is a limit to how much stress can be received without periods of restoration in between. There are two types of stressors, major and minor, which overtime can lead to many physical and emotional problems. The first would be the minor stressors, which we have termed “daily-hassles”, because they are those irritating events that occur every day at moments we would rather them not. If you are stuck in traffic and are most likely going to be late  for work, if your pet decides to go to the bathroom on your clean floor, and when you think of all the things you have to do today, those are all daily-hassles. The important piece of information to note is that these minor stressors are not only for that particular day. They don't all fade away when we go to sleep at night and get a fresh start in the morning; in reality it carries over and continues the next day. The effects of these minor stressors are something we should not take lightly. We need to realize that the accumulation of every minor event can lead to an actual problem in the future. The second would be the major stressors, which are more commonly known as “major life events”. They don’t occur very often, but have such intense effects that they are equivalent to multiple accumulated minor stressors. These major life events include the death of a family member, unexpected tragedy, the sudden loss of a job, amongst many others. It may seem like there is a big difference between major and minor stressors, but in reality they are both dangerous and will eventually harm our bodies physically.

The following clip explains what stress is and what physical illnesses it causes. The video shows some of the effects which also include concentration and decision making. Long term stress can cause insomnia, sleep apnea, headaches, constipation, upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain and even a heart attack.

 

Knowing that stress is so dangerous and hurtful may make us want to prevent any future damage. There are many techniques people can use to help reduce the effects of stress.You can begin by simply breathing deeply. It is physiologically impossible to be stressed while breathing deeply. Other techniques are meditation, calm activities such as walking, knitting, swimming, or reading, a massage, petting your cat or dog, and simply thinking positive thoughts. It is very important to begin to think of the negativity stress causes and start a plan to prevent it or reduce it. It may seem like a difficult or time consuming thing to do, but isn't our life worth it?

From Earth and Beyond

Sleep is an extremely important part of our life. Humans spend approximately a third of their lives sleeping. There are many theories which attempt to define why sleep is so important, but we have yet to find an exact answer. Without even looking at the research, one can simply feel how important it is to sleep. Sleep deprivation has various levels, but the reality is that no matter how sleep deprived you are, your body reacts differently to situations. It doesn’t matter if they are small decisions or drastically important decisions, sleep –or the lack of- can deeply influence your response. Not getting the adequate sleep one requires can make us feel like we are on pilot mode, like we are not completely in control; our body is just doing what it feels it has to. This may be dangerous in certain situations, especially to those in certain occupations such as firefighters, police officers, physicians, and astronauts. Before we go on, it is important to know the background behind sleep and its biological source.

What can be done in situations where your environment is not in synchrony with your circadian rhythm? The answer to this question is important for people who work night shifts and who are required to stay awake and alert during the night. It would also help individuals who for a certain reason are not exposed to the proper external stimuli –such as sunlight- which is important in maintaining synchrony. Astronauts are affected by this, due to their long periods living in the darkness of space. Much research has gone into facilitating the sleep patterns and maintaining the psychological health of astronauts. Their work demands great focus and precision, which are two factors affected by sleep. By using the known information about sleep and the circadian rhythm of humans, why not attempt to predict the wakeful and most alert periods to guarantee  proper work? That is exactly what Elizabeth Klerman, HMS associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital has done. “Elizabeth Klerman uses finely designed mathematical models to predict performance and alertness in flight control staff”. Dougherty (HMS) With her research in lighting and its influence on sleep, she has successfully inverted many astronauts’ physiological schedules to prepare them for specific sleep-wake schedules in space. Their research has declared the eye as a very important contributor and blue light as a more influential color. Her collection of information is very interesting and helpful to many. Her findings also apply to shift workers. Many have to work during the night and sleep during the day, completely reversing their circadian rhythm, but it can be accomplished. There are certain techniques which can be used, such as light therapy.

 

Sleep is necessary and it is through our 24 hour day span that our internal body determines when it occurs. External stimuli strongly influences as well, but light is the biggest contributor. We need to maintain our health and by keeping up with sleep we will also be helping our decision making process. It seems quite easy to state "keep up with sleep", but when transferred to the real world it is difficult to accomplish. There are many expectations and they sometimes can't all be done before the day is over. That is when we begin to sleep late and therefore throw off our circadian rhythm. But we are creatures who adapt fairly easily and we can readjust the rhythm a bit. It is in drastic situations when resetting the circadian rhythm would be absolutely necessary.

Ambiguity: Who should Choose?

Gender identity is the personal identification and categorization of an individual’s particular gender. In western society, the normative ideology regarding gender is determined through the two sexes; female and male. Socialization processes are very important in teaching the proper expression of gender characteristics. We have all been assigned to a particular gender. This assignment took place whilst still in the womb. The particular appearance of an individual’s genitalia then leads to the gender assignment. Every person is aware of what is proper to wear, how one should act, and what is acceptable for each gender. These behaviors and beliefs have been reinforced since infancy and therefore remain throughout the life course and will eventually be taught to the next generation.

But what if the appearance of an individual’s genitalia is completely ambiguous? What if the most important factor used to differentiate amongst females and males is not present? What should be done if someone looks to be both male and female? The condition of having intermediate and atypical combinations of physical features of both sexes is defined as intersex. The statistics shows that 1 in every 1,500 infants will be born with genitalia that will not be easily classified. The following clip shows an intersex individuals story and their views on what should be done to "correct" intersex infants' ambiguous genitals. It also shows two surgeons with two very different views and experiences with the intersex community.  

 

It is interesting to hear the woman in this video talk about what her gender identity is. She mentions she is a female, but a different variety of female. Is it possible for western societies to accept variations in our two strictly defined genders? Difficult to tell. We all see the discrimination and negative views many have on homosexual individuals, but this seems to be something completely different; and it is. An intersex individual has not chosen to have both genital structures, they for whatever reason were simply born that way. Why should they be discriminated against or looked down upon when their condition was a mere mutation? 

What is done after an infant is determined to have ambiguous genitals has changed in the last years. In early years most doctors would suggest that all babies have surgeries which would convert them into full females. The problem is that many individuals suffered malpractice and were literally mutilated and deeply suffered long-terms effects. Others were hormonally of one sex, but due to surgery were physically female. Having emotional and hormonal similarities with physical genitalia can have detrimental effects. Many stories have been shared and we can see different views, such is the case in a NY Times article about an intersex individual name Chase.

There are many new guidelines which protect intersex babies and their families. But it is the children and their futures which should be the main priority. Many people can have different opinions, but I believe whatever is done should be for the benefit of the children. In my opinion people born with ambiguous genitalia should be allowed to choose for themselves later in life when they are aware of what it means and what it will entail. During their development parents should listen to their children and ask them what they want and how they feel. In a situation so delicate and sensitive this may be the only way to go about innocent children's lives. 

It is a controversial topic, like many others are. But when society is so apposed to changing their views it becomes even more difficult. Everyone should attempt to sympathize with intersex individuals and maybe in the future they may be fully accepted as they are with no necessary tweaks or  adjustments.


Link between Mind & Body: Social Pain

A great debate will, with the passing of time, strengthen its opposing sides and become more and more controversial. Such is the case with the Mind-Body connection. Many believe in the mind’s many characteristics, even though no physical presentation has ever really been determined. Others are not at all convinced and would rather do away with the concept of the mind completely. Feelings and emotions are one characteristic of the mind. One feels emotions and certain biological responses occur. But just how close is the connection between mind and body? Experiments have been replicated to show just how close the link is.

A relatively new study shows the close connection between emotional pain and physical pain. Physical pain can be tracked to its responding point in the human brain. Any type of pain, despite the level of severity, causes the activation of specific parts key in determining physical distress. What many were curious to find was what areas were activated in result to emotional distress. After conducting various experiments it was interesting to see that both physical and emotional pain activated the same brain region.

They tested emotional pain by using individuals who had recently suffered a non-planned breakup in their relationship and they also used a method of social rejection. If you have ever felt left out of a group or situation, you understand it is followed by anger possibly, but also a high level of emotional pain –feelings hurt, in other words-. Social pain, as it is called, has the exact same effect as when suffering from physical pain.

The experimenters not only searched MRI images for the activated brain region, they also tested the effects of the famous pain-relieving drug acetaminophen, Tylenol, on “emotional” pain. Some were given Tylenol before being exposed to emotionally distressful situations ,while others were given a placebo. Those who had in fact taken the actual medication reported less cases of "hurt" feelings, thus proving Tylenol's effect on not only physical pain, but also emotional.

 

 

This experiment shows the link between body and mind, the physical and the emotional. It's close relation narrows the gap between those on opposing sides. It gives hope that our mind is real and that it is closely in synchronization with our biology. The only drawback to this finding would be that of any medicated drug; are there side effects, is it safe for long term use, is it causing a chemical imbalance worse than the emotional pain it sought out to alleviate? There are many questions to be answered before we get completely comfortable with the idea of a miracle drug used to treat a broken heart. We need to also take into consideration the current removal of Tylenol in major retail stores and also the lawsuits involving Tylenol. There is much useful information, but there is still much more to research and many issues to resolve.

Anterograde Amnesia

 For the most part, when thinking of amnesia, one usually thinks of getting hit on the head so hard all memory is wiped clear. The reality is that there are various factors that can cause amnesia. Memory is stored in different parts of the brain. Specific parts of the brain are responsible for different types of memory. If a particular part is damaged, the function that part was in charge of may severely suffer or seize to properly work completely.

 

Amnesia is a very dangerous disorder. Depending on its severity it can damage people's social and professional lives. Anterograde amnesia is a form of amnesia which is characterized by the inability to transfer short-term memory into long-term memory. People with anterograde amnesia are able to remember  most of their past memories, but have great difficulty remembering new information post incident. The detrimental characteristic accompanying anterograde amnesia is that a person will only be aware and remember information and events in their immediate attention-span. Everything beyond -or after the person becomes distracted- is completely erased from consciousness and is as if it never happened. The more casual term used when referring to anterograde amnesia is short-term memory loss.

It takes much patience and tender care from loved ones to help individuals with anterograde amnesia overcome the fear and depression which accompany such amnesia. In the following clip we will see a man named Clive Wearing who has about a thirty second memory. When listening to him comment on the feeling he gets when "coming back into consciousness" from a blank sleep he terms as death, you can't help but feel bad and truly empathize with what he must feel.

 

In this more recent video Clive's wife explains what his everyday life is like. It must be a bit strange or simply very pleasant to have your husband hug you and express their love as if they hadn't seen you in so long. There are many hardships involved when dealing and living with a person with amnesia. The video mentions that Clive has even lost the memory connecting various foods with their particular flavor. It is all so difficult, yet Clive is lucky to have someone who cares for him and helps him so much.

It was interesting to see the many causes of amnesia. The most common would be a traumatic brain injury causing damage to important memory parts, psychological disorder or severe shock, certain types of drugs, herpes virus type I when left untreated, and alcohol intoxication to the point of unconsciousness. People, especially those prone to binge drinking, should be very careful with the amount of alcohol consumed and in the length of the time while consuming. We should all protect our bodies and think of the many consequences which may impact our lives and make us completely dependent on our loved ones.

Patient Joe / Split Hemispheres

Since the first discovery of two separate hemispheres connecting to form the human brain, competition between the dominance of the right hemisphere to the left hemisphere has existed. Many believe that a certain hemisphere determines or explains academic performance. Such a statement is entirely false and as the textbook mentioned, “illogical is not the same as creative.” Yes the right hemisphere may be dominant in recognizing emotions in others and may be linked to more artistic characteristics and the left hemisphere may be dominant for speech and more realistic logical thinking, but that doesn’t completely determine a person’s entire personality or academic abilities. Most actions require both hemispheres to cooperate and work together. The corpus callosum is in charge of connecting both hemispheres and is also important in the exchange of information. If the cooperation and unity of both hemispheres is so important, what occurs when there is a lack of connection?

Extensive research has been conducted on people with underdeveloped or severed corpus callosums; the connecting and unifying part of the brain. As seen in the following video with a patient named Joe, much information has been found regarding split hemispheres. A person with split hemispheres claims to feel nothing different, when comparing their cognitive state before the damage was made to the corpus callosum. People with split hemispheres have been described to be two people in one body. Both hemispheres function independently with their side of the body in a split-brain person. In a normal human being one side of the brain is coordinated with the opposite side of the body, since the human brain is contralateral.

 

It is amazing to witness the experiment conducted on patient Joe. When a word was flashed to his right hemisphere, being the nonverbal hemisphere, he couldn’t verbally express what the word was, but he could point at the object with his left hand. It was until after he had pointed at the object that he would then say the corresponding word. It is as if there were two different people seeing two different things and not knowing what the other had seen.

 

 

 

There have been cases where a split-brain individual is interviewed and there seems to be two different personalities completely. There may be a question in which the right hemisphere agrees with and where the left disagrees. It is quite difficult to understand how someone could have two different mentalities about one subject, but the oppositions are not always cognitive. There have also been cases where people have difficulties doing activities that involve hand synchrony. For example tying shoelaces or zipping up ones pants. Both hands may struggle to work together. Split-brain individuals may look to be at a disadvantage, but it would be interesting to further research the positive aspects to having full control of each hemisphere individually. It may eventually stop being looked at as a burden, but be embraced as a special ability, which might prove to be helpful in the end.

Lobotomy

 

 

The concept of lobotomy, in its entirety, has been quite infamous and controversial since its beginning in the early 1930’s. It is a form of psychosurgery and has been known to be invasive, risky, and is not a procedure for the faint of heart. As described in the book, a prefrontal lobotomy is the disconnection of the prefrontal cortex from the rest of the brain. Lobotomies were preformed to attempt to treat patients with severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Early performers of this procedure were not so appalled by its true nature, since it wasn’t any worse than other invasive therapies at the time. American neurologist and psychiatrist Walter Freeman began the lobotomy procedures in the US. He did not possess any medical certification and he seemed to do things very unprofessionally. One specific instrument utilized to perform the procedures was a common household ice pick and since the procedure would only take less than ten minutes, he would either perform it in his office or in his personal vehicle. Despite the many flaws and unhygienic methods, Freeman spread his success through the media and soon after, lobotomies became a more accepted form of psychosurgery. Freeman not only treated individuals with severe mental disorders, he also treated children under the age of eighteen, who showed behavioral problems.

 

Many short and long term effects are now known to be dependent on lobotomy procedures. Memory disorders were prevalent after the procedure had been conducted on an individual, so were high levels of apathy, reduced ability to plan for the future and think of future as a concept, distractibility, and loss of emotional expression. Like mentioned before, these negative outcomes completely isolate a person from society. By conducting a lobotomy you are removing the human factor in a person and leaving them with no way to ever be normal again. I agree with finding various measures -even though they may be drastic- to help those in need of a solution. We need to protect our species and do what we can to cure the ill. What is not right is the lack of cleanliness and humanity while performing such procedures. They should have done more to help with the pain and suffering individuals went through during the procedure.

 

The following video shows the history of the lobotomy procedure and towards the end you can see the emergence of medicinal drugs which replaced lobotomies and other related therapies. In a way, you can see as the video progresses, the similarity these new psychoactive drugs have to dangerous psychosurgeries of the past. New drugs seem harmless and may present a positive outcome short term, but we won't know their true long term effects until much later. Like the once glorified lobotomy, these medications seem promising, yet we need to see the warnings and make sure what we want to get rid of is worth all the risks. Our treatment of mental disorders are changing drastically everyday, we just need to not be fooled by an innocent looking pill. It may just be as harmful as sticking a sharp metal pick underneath your eyelid to intrude into what makes you you.

 

Discovery of Chemical Transmission at Synapses

 

Nobel Prize winner, Biologist Otto Loewi, made a great discovery in contribution to physiology by demonstrating, through experimentation, the messages sent by nerves through the release of chemicals. This occurrence took place in 1920 and even with the clear evidence displayed by his experiment, it wasn’t until the 1950’s that other researchers adopted the idea that chemical transmissions are more common and frequent than electrical transmissions.

 The truly most special and peculiar detail in Otto Loewi‘s idea of chemical synapses was how it actually occurred. The details of his idea came to him in a dream. This event not only made an accurate production of data and showed how to execute such an idea, but it also took dreams and what they represent to a whole other level.

Loewi's frog experiment gave much insight on what was really occurring at the synapse and showed that the method by which nerves send their messages was not only through electrical synapses, but was more often chemical.

 

 

The Death of a Neuron

          Within the two modules read, we were informed of the living neuron. The active neurons who receive information and transmit information to other cells and which every normal being possesses. There are specialized types of neurons and their structures, shapes, and sizes vary depending on their function. Neurons are composed of important parts, which allow for fast and accurate transfers of messages.

     The proceeding video briefly explains the important parts in a neuron

and it's basic functions.

 

 

                 A topic not covered in these specific modules and which I found very interesting and wanted to research further, was not only the living aspect of a neuron, but also it's death. Neurons are the longest living cells in the body, but many of them die during differentiation and migration. Some diseases of the brain are the result of the unnatural deaths of neurons.

           For example:

 - In Parkinson’s disease, neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine die off in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls body movements. The brain can no longer control the body and people shake and jerk in spasms.

- In Huntington’s disease, a genetic mutation causes over-production of a neurotransmitter called glutamate, which kills neurons in the basal ganglia. As a result, people twist and writhe uncontrollably.

- In Alzheimer’s disease, unusual proteins build up in and around neurons in the neocortex and hippocampus, parts of the brain that control memory. When these neurons die, people lose their capacity to remember and their ability to do everyday tasks. Physical damage to the brain and other parts of the central nervous system can also kill or disable neurons.

- Severe brain injury or stroke can kill neurons outright or slowly starve them of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.

- Spinal cord injury can disrupt communication between the brain and muscles when neurons lose their connection to axons located below the site of injury. These neurons may still live, but they lose their ability to communicate.

One method of cell death results from the release of excess glutamate.

Macrophages (green) eat dying neurons in order to clear debris.

 

Animal Research

While reading through these various cartoons, one can see why the ethical disputes on nonhuman animal research have yet to be resolved. There are two opposing views on what is right and therefore mutual agreement may never occur. Personally, it is a very difficult topic and it is extremely difficult to completely side with one particular view alone. Looking at it from an evolutionary perspective, we have to find out how to survive and we expect to do anything possible to overcome the weakness within our species. It is when the truth and the reality of the situation -such as the maltreatment, harm, murder, and torture of innocent animals- is shown, that my views shift. Both sides have rights and wrongs and choosing one over the other is almost impossible. I agree with the "minimalists" who believe harm to animals should be minimized, while at the same time finding other ways to attain knowledge. "It is better to inflict distress under controlled conditions than to permit ignorance and disease to inflict greater distress".(Kalat, 2012)

 

Kalat, J. (2012). Biological psychology. (11th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing