A Place to Shine when in the Dark

neurosciencestuff:

Pay attention: How we focus and concentrate
Scientists at Newcastle University have shed new light on how the brain tunes in to relevant information.
Publishing in Neuron, the team reveal the interplay of brain chemicals which help us pay attention in work funded by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC.
By changing the way neurons respond to external stimuli we improve our perceptual abilities. While these changes can affect the strength of a neuronal response, they can also affect the fidelity of that response.
Lead author Alex Thiele, Professor of Visual Neuroscience explains: “When you communicate with others, you can make yourself better heard by speaking louder or by speaking more clearly. Neurons appear to do similar things when we’re paying attention. They send their message more intensely to their partners, which compares to speaking louder. But more importantly, they also increase the fidelity of their message, which compares to speaking more clearly.
“Our earlier work has shown that attention is able to affect the intensity of responses – in effect the loudness - by means of the brain chemical acetylcholine. Now we have shown that the fidelity of the response is altered by a different brain chemical system.”
In the paper, the team reveal that the quality of the response is altered by means of glutamate coupling to NMDA receptors (a molecular device that mediates communication between neurons). Carried out in a primate model, these studies for the first time isolate different attention mechanisms at the receptor level.
The research builds on the team’s previous studies and has potentially significant implications not only for our understanding of how our brains work but also give an insight into conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and attention deficit disorder, and may aid in the development of treatments for them.

Pay attention: How we focus and concentrate

Scientists at Newcastle University have shed new light on how the brain tunes in to relevant information.

Publishing in Neuron, the team reveal the interplay of brain chemicals which help us pay attention in work funded by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC.

By changing the way neurons respond to external stimuli we improve our perceptual abilities. While these changes can affect the strength of a neuronal response, they can also affect the fidelity of that response.

Lead author Alex Thiele, Professor of Visual Neuroscience explains: “When you communicate with others, you can make yourself better heard by speaking louder or by speaking more clearly. Neurons appear to do similar things when we’re paying attention. They send their message more intensely to their partners, which compares to speaking louder. But more importantly, they also increase the fidelity of their message, which compares to speaking more clearly.

“Our earlier work has shown that attention is able to affect the intensity of responses – in effect the loudness - by means of the brain chemical acetylcholine. Now we have shown that the fidelity of the response is altered by a different brain chemical system.”

In the paper, the team reveal that the quality of the response is altered by means of glutamate coupling to NMDA receptors (a molecular device that mediates communication between neurons). Carried out in a primate model, these studies for the first time isolate different attention mechanisms at the receptor level.

The research builds on the team’s previous studies and has potentially significant implications not only for our understanding of how our brains work but also give an insight into conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and attention deficit disorder, and may aid in the development of treatments for them.

emtmusicgirl:

they say their not “hero’s” but in may ways they are.

attackoftheswag:

I just wanna make enough money that I can afford to hire Morgan Freeman to introduce me whenever I enter a room.

I’d want him to narrate my life

ohmysupernatural:

X

outlaw-monarch:

deatheaters:

people rant about teenage characters being portrayed by grown up actors but i’d like to know how exactly did this happen that 65 years old alan rickman played 38 years old severus snape

is-it-november:

So are we not going to talk about how Mickey was in Star Trek??

burntlikethesun:

‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death’

fandom-mused-fandom-games:

1 note = 1 pixel for your fandom’s symbol (shown above) in an art piece I’m making

If you would like to see all of the fandoms, look through these posts

IF YOU DON’T SEE YOUR FANDOM, send me a message saying what fandoms I missed and I’ll add them

If you would like to know more about the project, read this post

FOLLOW ME TO KEEP UPDATED ON THE PROJECT/SEE THE FINISHED PROJECT

musermatt:

laugh-addict:

when someone tells you basic information about something you’re obsessed with

when someone tells you incorrect information about something you’re obsessed with

(Source: lifewasted)

the-absolute-funniest-posts:

You'll love this BLOG!

(Source: gifdrome)

thefannibalinitiative:

moriartyisaprincess:

barackobama:

feathersmcstrange:

polished-trophy-pretty-whore:

stuckwithharrypottertilltheend:

sneadly:

WHY ARE BOOKS NOT WATERPROOF

I WANT TO READ IN THE SHOWER

AND TO PROTECT MY BOOKS FROM MY TEARS

IT’S 2012 WHY ARE BOOKS NOT WATERPROOF.

IT’S 2013 WHY ARE BOOKS NOT WATERPROOF OBAMA FIX THIS.

I’m working on it

Raphael, I screamed when I saw your url on this.

ibuprofanum:

Armor leggings