Fountains of Youth? Metformin, Nicotinamide Riboside & Mononucleotide, Elysium & ChromaDex, & Caloric Restriction

Lucas Cranach - Der Jungbrunnen (The Fountain of Youth), 1564 (Wikimedia Commons)

Bo and I discuss some of the leading candidates for extending both human lifespan and “health-span”, including metformin, nicotinamide riboside & nicotinamide mononucleotide, and caloric restriction. We also chat about some of the companies working in this area, as well as novel business models that may or may not be a strategy to enable rigorous research of something as difficult to study as human lifespan.

References:

Longevity References

1.      Bridgeman SC, Ellison GC, Melton PE, Newsholme P, Mamotte CDS. Epigenetic effects of metformin: From molecular mechanisms to clinical implications. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018 Jul;20(7):1553-1562. doi: 10.1111/dom.13262. Epub 2018 Mar 22. Review. PubMed PMID: 29457866.

2.      Qian M, Liu B. Pharmaceutical Intervention of Aging. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1086:235-254. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-1117-8_15. PubMed PMID: 30232763.

3.      Yoshino J, Baur JA, Imai SI. NAD+ Intermediates: The Biology and Therapeutic Potential of NMN and NR. Cell Metab. 2018 Mar 6;27(3):513-528. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.11.002. Epub 2017 Dec 14. Review. PubMed PMID: 29249689; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5842119.

4.      2017 Karen Weintraub, Medium - The life extension death match: https://medium.com/neodotlife/elysium-and-basis-vs-chromadex-and-tru-niagen-10264fca0bdb

5.      2018 Karen Weintraub, Medium - More on the supposed youth pill (NR): https://medium.com/neodotlife/nr-chromadex-niagen-elysium-basis-blood-pressure-study-cd1b383ccea

6.      2017 Karen Weintraub, MIT Technology Review - Critics Blast Star-Studded Advisory Board of Anti-Aging Company: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603199/critics-blast-star-studded-advisory-board-of-anti-aging-company/

7.      2019 Alzforum - In small trial, EH301 (Elysium's Basis) Appears to Halt Progression of ALS: https://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/small-trial-eh301-appears-halt-progression-als

8.      2019 Feb 17 - Marisa Taylor, Kaiser Health News - A pill to reverse aging; Enthusiasm outpaces reality: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pill-reverse-aging-enthusiasm-outpaces-reality-n971616

9.      2016 Sarah Zhang, WIRED – The Weird Business Behind A Trendy “Anti-Aging” Pill: https://www.wired.com/2016/07/confused-elysiums-anti-aging-drug-yeah-fda/

10.   Konopka AR, Miller BF. Taming expectations of metformin as a treatment to extend healthspan. Geroscience. 2019 Feb 12;. doi: 10.1007/s11357-019-00057-3. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 30746605.

11.   Piskovatska V, Stefanyshyn N, Storey KB, Vaiserman AM, Lushchak O. Metformin as a geroprotector: experimental and clinical evidence. Biogerontology. 2019 Feb;20(1):33-48. doi: 10.1007/s10522-018-9773-5. Epub 2018 Sep 25. Review. PubMed PMID: 30255224.

12.   Zhou G, Myers R, Li Y, Chen Y, Shen X, Fenyk-Melody J, Wu M, Ventre J, Doebber T, Fujii N, Musi N, Hirshman MF, Goodyear LJ, Moller DE. Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action. J Clin Invest. 2001 Oct;108(8):1167-74. doi: 10.1172/JCI13505. PubMed PMID: 11602624; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC209533.

13.   Witters LA. The blooming of the French lilac. J Clin Invest. 2001 Oct;108(8):1105-7. doi: 10.1172/JCI14178. Review. PubMed PMID: 11602616; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC209536.

14.   Stein LR, Imai S. The dynamic regulation of NAD metabolism in mitochondria. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Sep;23(9):420-8. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2012.06.005. Epub 2012 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 22819213; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3683958.

15.   Aravinthan A. Cellular senescence: a hitchhiker's guide. Hum Cell. 2015 Apr;28(2):51-64. doi: 10.1007/s13577-015-0110-x. Epub 2015 Feb 18. Review. PubMed PMID: 25690721.

16.   2015 David Stipp, Scientific American Guest Blog - Beyond Resveratrol: The Anti-Aging NAD Fad: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/beyond-resveratrol-the-anti-aging-nad-fad/

17.   2015 Jessica Leber, Fast Company - One Of The World’s Top Aging Researchers Has A Pill To Keep You Feeling Young: https://www.fastcompany.com/3041800/one-of-the-worlds-top-aging-researchers-has-a-pill-to-keep-you-feeling-young

18.   2015 Karen Weintraub, MIT Technology Review - The Anti-Aging Pill: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/534636/the-anti-aging-pill/

19.   2015 Stefanie Friedhoff, Boston Globe - Five Nobel laureates backing antiaging dietary supplement: https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/02/03/anti-aging-supplement-from-prominent-local-scientists/FvHsy28Hd9fILmrR4OZArO/story.html

20.   Barzilai N, Crandall JP, Kritchevsky SB, Espeland MA. Metformin as a Tool to Target Aging. Cell Metab. 2016 Jun 14;23(6):1060-1065. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.05.011. Review. PubMed PMID: 27304507; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5943638.

21.   2017 Marina N. Bolotnikova, Harvard Magazine – Anti-Aging Approaches: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/09/anti-aging-breakthrough

22.    Bridgeman SC, Ellison GC, Melton PE, Newsholme P, Mamotte CDS. Epigenetic effects of metformin: From molecular mechanisms to clinical implications. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018 Jul;20(7):1553-1562. doi: 10.1111/dom.13262. Epub 2018 Mar 22. Review. PubMed PMID: 29457866.

23.   Semba RD, Ferrucci L, Bartali B, Urpí-Sarda M, Zamora-Ros R, Sun K, Cherubini A, Bandinelli S, Andres-Lacueva C. Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Jul;174(7):1077-84. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.1582. PubMed PMID: 24819981; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4346286.

24.   Campbell JM, Bellman SM, Stephenson MD, Lisy K. Metformin reduces all-cause mortality and diseases of ageing independent of its effect on diabetes control: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Nov;40:31-44. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2017.08.003. Epub 2017 Aug 10. Review. PubMed PMID: 28802803.

25.   2017 Jeffrey S. Flier, Boston Globe – Dietary supplements: Nobel or ignoble: https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/03/30/dietary-supplements-nobel-ignoble/e5E6Cklw3RxlExEtGJe6mL/story.html

26.   Romero R, Erez O, Hüttemann M, Maymon E, Panaitescu B, Conde-Agudelo A, Pacora P, Yoon BH, Grossman LI. Metformin, the aspirin of the 21st century: its role in gestational diabetes mellitus, prevention of preeclampsia and cancer, and the promotion of longevity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Sep;217(3):282-302. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.06.003. Epub 2017 Jun 12. Review. PubMed PMID: 28619690; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6084482.

27.   Cuyàs E, Verdura S, Llorach-Parés L, Fernández-Arroyo S, Joven J, Martin-Castillo B, Bosch-Barrera J, Brunet J, Nonell-Canals A, Sanchez-Martinez M, Menendez JA. Metformin Is a Direct SIRT1-Activating Compound: Computational Modeling and Experimental Validation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018;9:657. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00657. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 30459716; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6232372.

28.   Cuyàs E, Fernández-Arroyo S, Verdura S, García RÁ, Stursa J, Werner L, Blanco-González E, Montes-Bayón M, Joven J, Viollet B, Neuzil J, Menendez JA. Metformin regulates global DNA methylation via mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism. Oncogene. 2018 Feb 15;37(7):963-970. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.367. Epub 2017 Oct 23. PubMed PMID: 29059169.

29.   2018 Grand View Research - Dietary Supplements Market Size Worth $278.02 Billion By 2024: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-dietary-supplements-market

30.   2018 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Cost of Clinical Trials for New Drug FDA Approval Are Fraction of Total Tab: https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2018/cost-of-clinical-trials-for-new-drug-FDA-approval-are-fraction-of-total-tab.html

31.   Klimova B, Novotny M, Kuca K. Anti-Aging Drugs - Prospect of Longer Life?. Curr Med Chem. 2018;25(17):1946-1953. doi: 10.2174/0929867325666171129215251. Review. PubMed PMID: 29189123.

32.   Li YR, Li S, Lin CC. Effect of resveratrol and pterostilbene on aging and longevity. Biofactors. 2018 Jan;44(1):69-82. doi: 10.1002/biof.1400. Epub 2017 Dec 6. Review. PubMed PMID: 29210129.

33.   Mitchell SJ, Bernier M, Aon MA, Cortassa S, Kim EY, Fang EF, Palacios HH, Ali A, Navas-Enamorado I, Di Francesco A, Kaiser TA, Waltz TB, Zhang N, Ellis JL, Elliott PJ, Frederick DW, Bohr VA, Schmidt MS, Brenner C, Sinclair DA, Sauve AA, Baur JA, de Cabo R. Nicotinamide Improves Aspects of Healthspan, but Not Lifespan, in Mice. Cell Metab. 2018 Mar 6;27(3):667-676.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.001. PubMed PMID: 29514072; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5854409.

34.   Lee SH, Lee JH, Lee HY, Min KJ. Sirtuin signaling in cellular senescence and aging. BMB Rep. 2019 Jan;52(1):24-34. Review. PubMed PMID: 30526767; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6386230.

How to Grow a Baby

How does the environment of a pregnant woman affect the development of a fetus? What about the experiences of the pregnant woman? We discuss some research regarding how certain factors like diet, airborne pollution, stress, and sleep patterns influence the brain development of a fetus - as well as some speculative measures expecting parents might take to minimize these potential risks

References:

1. Borge TC, Aase H, Brantsæter AL, Biele G. The importance of maternal diet quality during pregnancy on cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2017 Sep 24;7(9):e016777. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016777. Review. PubMed PMID: 28947450; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5623570.

2. Pearson BL, Simon JM, McCoy ES, Salazar G, Fragola G, Zylka MJ. Identification of chemicals that mimic transcriptional changes associated with autism, brain aging and neurodegeneration. Nat Commun. 2016 Mar 31;7:11173. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11173. PubMed PMID: 27029645; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4821887.

3. Danielewicz H, Myszczyszyn G, Dębińska A, Myszkal A, Boznański A, Hirnle L. Diet in pregnancy-more than food. Eur J Pediatr. 2017 Dec;176(12):1573-1579. doi: 10.1007/s00431-017-3026-5. Epub 2017 Nov 3. Review. PubMed PMID: 29101450; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5682869.

4. Zhou H, Li W, Ren Y. Poor sleep quality of third trimester exacerbates the risk of experiencing postnatal depression. Psychol Health Med. 2018 Nov 17:1-10. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2018.1549738. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30450954.

5. Chen G, Jin Z, Li S, Jin X, Tong S, Liu S, Yang Y, Huang H, Guo Y. Early life exposure to particulate matter air pollution (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) and autism in Shanghai, China: A case-control study. Environ Int. 2018 Dec;121(Pt 2):1121-1127. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.026. Epub 2018 Nov 5. PubMed PMID: 30409451.

Inheriting Politics

In preparation for the upcoming mid-term elections in the United States (REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6TH !), Bo and I chat about how much of a person’s politics are inherited genetically from their parents, as well as some companies that are entirely devoted to trying to make you vote in a certain way. I learned quite a bit prepping for this conversation, and suffice it to say that I was pretty surprised with what I learned.

Note about the recording: if you can’t tell, we’re using a new audio set-up (thank you Patreon & Twitter supporters!!!). While we have gotten rid of some of the ambient noise – at least as much noise as you can in a Philly apartment – we’re clearly lacking pop-filters on this recording. So, apologies for the heavy Ps and Bs on this one; a pop-filter has been ordered, and I tried to edit out the worst of them.

References

1. Kandler C, Bleidorn W, Riemann R. Left or right? Sources of political orientation: the roles of genetic factors, cultural transmission, assortative mating, and personality. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2012 Mar;102(3):633-45. doi: 10.1037/a0025560. Epub 2011 Oct 10. PubMed PMID: 21988277.

2. Friesen A, Ksiazkiewicz A. Do Political Attitudes and Religiosity Share a Genetic Path?. Political Behavior, 1–28. doi:10.1007/s11109-014-9291-3

3. "The Genes of Left and Right" in SA Mind 27, 3, 9-10 (May 2016) doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0516-9

4. Kornadt AE, Hufer A, Kandler C, Riemann R. On the genetic and environmental sources of social and political participation in adolescence and early adulthood. PLoS One. 2018 Aug 24;13(8):e0202518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202518. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 30142159; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6108469.

5. K. Randall, “Neuropolitics, Where Campaigns Try to Read Your Mind,” The New York Times, 21-Dec-2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/04/world/americas/neuropolitics-where-campaigns-try-to-read-your-mind.html. [Accessed: 06-Apr-2019]

The Beast Inside Us All (SPE II)

Participants of the SPE

One example of the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib

Bo and I discuss a debate that's existed in science for...what seems like forever. Is everyone capable of the types of atrocities that occurred throughout history, like the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib? Philip Zimbardo, the primary researcher who led the Stanford Prison Experiment, posted a defense of his study, and we use it as a framework to discuss what we know - and, more importantly - don't know about human behavioral predispositions.

We also updated our recording set-up, so I hope you'll excuse any audio weirdness as we go through growing pains.

Literature referenced:

1. LUIGI BARZINI, author of “The Italians”; ROME. (1973, March 25). How Pirandello Became Pirandellian (And Other Things). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1973/03/25/archives/how-pirandello-became-pirandellian-and-other-things-barzini-on.html
2. Heirs of Pirandello. (1999, March 10). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/mar/10/features11.g26
3. Philip Zimbardo's Response to Recent Criticisms of the Stanford Prison Experiment. (n.d.). Retrieved August/September, 2018, from http://www.prisonexp.org/response/
4. Haney, C., Banks, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1973). Interpersonal Dynamics in a Simulated Prison Study, circa 1973. Retrieved August/September, 2018, from https://exhibits.stanford.edu/spe/catalog/fb081wn8980
5. Zimbardo, P. (2008, September). Retrieved August/September, 2018, from https://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil?language=en
6. Stanford Prison Experiment: Prisoner 8612's Emotional Breakdown. (2018, June 26). Retrieved August/September, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXOM8IK4HOs

Marshmallows & Prisoners: two classic studies are redefined

Today, Bo and I chatted about two of the most widely known studies of human behavior in modern history - the Marshmallow Test and the Stanford Prisoner Experiment. New data and interviews have emerged that fundamentally redefine how we ought to interpret these classic studies. Also, we discuss whether kids have been getting better or worse at delaying gratification since the 1960s. It's a fun conversation, and we hope you enjoy! 

References (in short-hand; I'm swamped right now!):

1. Consent form for Prison Life Study, August 1971: http://pdf.prisonexp.org/consent.pdf
2. Stanford Prison Experiment recordings:
   1. https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/jh477zg7277
   2. https://purl.stanford.edu/wn708sg0050
3. 2018 Carlson, Mischel - Cohort effects in children's delay of gratification
4. Ben Blum's Incredibly Awesome Entry about the Stanford Prisoner Experiment: https://medium.com/s/trustissues/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62 
5. 2018 Jessica McCrory Calarco, Atlantic - Why rich kids are so good at the marshmallow test
6. 2018 Kim I. Mills, APA - Kids May Be Able to Delay Gratification Longer Than the 1960's
7. 2015 Walter Mischel, NewYorker - The Marshallow Test, and Self-Control
8. 2018 Watts, NYU PR Release - replicates famous marshmallow test, makes new observations

Laurel & Yanni, migraine treatment, Alzheimers & excersize, universality of music

Another multi-topic episode. We discuss the recent approval of a new treatment for migraines, then some evidence suggesting a certain kind of exercise may be therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease, and finally some work that suggests there may be universal & cross-cultural features of music. We open, however, on the debate between the Laurel & Yanni people.

Sources of 14 second music clips and their categories. From: Mehr, S. A., Singh, M., York, H. W., Glowacki, L., & Krasnow. M. M. (2018). Form and function in human song [cover article]. Current Biology, 28(3), 356–368.e5.

Countries from which listeners of the clips originated. From: Mehr, S. A., Singh, M., York, H. W., Glowacki, L., & Krasnow. M. M. (2018). Form and function in human song [cover article]. Current Biology, 28(3), 356–368.e5.

Literature referenced:

1. Edvinsson L, Warfvinge K. Recognizing the role of CGRP and CGRP receptors in migraine and its treatment. Cephalalgia. 2017 Jan 1:333102417736900. doi: 10.1177/0333102417736900. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29020807.

2. Edvinsson L. The CGRP Pathway in Migraine as a Viable Target for Therapies. Headache. 2018 May;58 Suppl 1:33-47. doi: 10.1111/head.13305. PubMed PMID: 29697153.

3. Raffaelli B, Reuter U. The Biology of Monoclonal Antibodies: Focus on Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide for Prophylactic Migraine Therapy. Neurotherapeutics. 2018 Apr;15(2):324-335. doi: 10.1007/s13311-018-0622-7. Review. PubMed PMID: 29616494; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5935651.

4. Scheer, Steven. “Teva Hopes to Launch Migraine Drug as Soon as September.” CNBC, CNBC, 23 May 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/05/23/reuters-america-update-1-teva-hopes-to-launch-migraine-drug-as-soon-as-september.html.

5. Office of Communications and Public Liaison. “Headache: Hope Through Research.”National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 22 May 2018, www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Hope-Through-Research/Headache-Hope-Through-Research.

6. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dementia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2 Aug. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352013.

7. Marshall, Alex. “Can You Tell a Lullaby From a Love Song? Find Out Now.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/25/arts/music/history-of-song.html.

8. Mehr SA, Singh M, York H, Glowacki L, Krasnow MM. Form and Function in Human Song. Curr Biol. 2018 Feb 5;28(3):356-368.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.042. Epub 2018 Jan 25. PubMed PMID: 29395919; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5805477.

9. Original Laurel / Yanny tweet

10. Laurel / Yanny pitch shifting

Do Humans Use Pheromones?

Bo and I discuss the evidence that supports and refutes a role played by pheromones in guiding human attraction - as well as a potential role played by the immune system in making some people more attractive than others, guiding human attraction and even human evolution.

Literature Cited:

1. Wedekind C, Füri S. Body odour preferences in men and women: do they aim for specific MHC combinations or simply heterozygosity? Proc Biol Sci. 1997 Oct 22;264(1387):1471-9. PubMed PMID: 9364787; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1688704.
2. Bhutta MF. Sex and the nose: human pheromonal responses. J R Soc Med. 2007 Jun;100(6):268-74. Review. PubMed PMID: 17541097; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1885393.
3. Consuegra S, Garcia de Leaniz C. MHC-mediated mate choice increases parasite resistance in salmon. Proc Biol Sci. 2008 Jun 22;275(1641):1397-403. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0066. PubMed PMID: 18364312; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2602703.
4. Havlicek J, Roberts SC. MHC-correlated mate choice in humans: a review. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 May;34(4):497-512. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.10.007. Epub 2008 Dec 2. Review. PubMed PMID: 19054623.
5. de Groot JHB, Smeets MAM. Human Fear Chemosignaling: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis. Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 1;42(8):663-673. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjx049. PubMed PMID: 28981822.
6. Hare RM, Schlatter S, Rhodes G, Simmons LW. Putative sex-specific human pheromones do not affect gender perception, attractiveness ratings or unfaithfulness judgements of opposite sex faces. R Soc Open Sci. 2017 Mar 8;4(3):160831. doi: 10.1098/rsos.160831. eCollection 2017 Mar. PubMed PMID: 28405372; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5383829.
7. Tan R, Goldman MS. Exposure to male sexual scents (androstenone) influences women's drinking. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2017 Dec;25(6):456-465. doi: 10.1037/pha0000162. PubMed PMID: 29251974.
8. Banner A, Frumin I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Androstadienone, a Chemosignal Found in Human Sweat, Increases Individualistic Behavior and Decreases Cooperative Responses in Men. Chem Senses. 2018 Feb 26;43(3):189-196. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjy002. PubMed PMID: 29390162.

NeuroByte - IQ & Psychiatry + A Cause of Dyslexia

A discussion of a study at least partly monitored by one of Ian's college mentors that explored whether there might be a relationship between high IQ scores and psychiatric & physiological diagnoses. We then discuss a study that blew Ian's mind, showing that some cases of dyslexia may be attributable to some unique structures within the eyes. 

References:

1. Karpinski, R, Kolb, A, Tetrault, N, Borowski, T. High intelligence: A risk factor for psychological and physiological overexcitabilities. Intelligence. 2018 Jan;66:8-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2017.09.001. 

2. Le Floch A, Ropars G. Left-right asymmetry of the Maxwell spot centroids in adults without and with dyslexia. Proc Biol Sci. 2017 Oct 25;284(1865). pii: 20171380. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1380. PubMed PMID: 29046375; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5666095

NeuroByte - Neurons talking like viruses, & is your mind's eye blind?

If I ask you to visualize a butterfly, what kind of an experience do you have? How clearly do you see it, if you see it at all?

This is the first "NeuroByte" episode, where Bo and Ian discuss multiple topics without diving quite as deeply into the details. This week, we discuss a recent discovery that neurons appear to be capable of trading genetic material to one another, representing a novel mechanism by which neurons can communicate information to one another. Next, we discuss a poorly understood possible condition termed "aphantasia", a condition characterizing individuals who are entirely incapable of visualizing an imagined image - a population of people among whom Ian may well be counted.

Primary reading:

1. Pastuzyn ED, Day CE, Kearns RB, Kyrke-Smith M, Taibi AV, McCormick J, Yoder N, Belnap DM, Erlendsson S, Morado DR, Briggs JAG, Feschotte C, Shepherd JD. The Neuronal Gene Arc Encodes a Repurposed Retrotransposon Gag Protein that Mediates Intercellular RNA Transfer. Cell. 2018 Jan 11;172(1-2):275-288.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.12.024. PubMed PMID: 29328916.
2. Zeman A, Dewar M, Della Sala S. Lives without imagery - Congenital aphantasia. Cortex. 2015 Dec;73:378-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.019. Epub 2015 Jun 3. PubMed PMID: 26115582.

Is addiction a disease or a disorder? (Part 2)

Sponsors:
1. Helix Sleep! Comfortable, customized mattresses. helixsleep.com/wired for $50 off.
2. Burrow! burrow.com. Modular couches (with USB ports, which Bo loves). Use promo code WIRED for $50 off.
3. Harper Wilde! harperwilde.com. Simple, try-at-home bras, made by a company that contributes to the education of young women in over 100 countries. Use promo code WIRED for 10% off

Literature cited:

1.  Levy, N. (2013). Addiction is Not a Brain Disease (and it Matters). Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4, 24. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00024

2. Courtwright (2010). The NIDA brain disease paradigm: History, resistance and spinoffs. BioSocieties. 5, 137–147. doi:10.1057/biosoc.2009.3

3. Hall W, Carter A, Forlini C. The brain disease model of addiction: is it supported by the evidence and has it delivered on its promises? Lancet Psychiatry. 2015 Jan;2(1):105-10. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00126-6. Epub 2015 Jan 8. PubMed PMID: 26359616.

4. Wilkerson RG, Kim HK, Windsor TA, Mareiniss DP. The Opioid Epidemic in the United States. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2016 May;34(2):e1-e23. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2015.11.002. Epub 2016 Feb 17. Review. PubMed PMID: 27133253.

5. Hart. Viewing addiction as a brain disease promotes social injustice. Nature Human Behavior. 2017. ISSN 2397-3374 (online)

6. Hart. The Real Opioid Emergency. The New York Times. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/opinion/sunday/opioids-drugs-race-treatment.html

7. Citations in progress

Is addiction a disease or a disorder? (Part 1)

Did the concept of addiction always exist, or is it a new concept? Do scientists and physicians all agree that addiction is a disease? We discuss topics like these, as well as a scandal involving the primary study used to make MDMA, or ecstasy, as illegal as a drug can be and a former director of NIDA.

Sponsors:
1. Helix Sleep! Comfortable, customized mattresses. helixsleep.com/wired for $50 off.
2. Burrow! burrow.com. Modular couches (with USB ports, which Bo loves). Use promo code WIRED for $50 off.
3. Harper Wilde! harperwilde.com. Simple, try-at-home bras, made by a company that contributes to the education of young women in over 100 countries. Use promo code WIRED for 10% off

Literature cited:

1.  Levy, N. (2013). Addiction is Not a Brain Disease (and it Matters). Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4, 24. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00024

2. Courtwright (2010). The NIDA brain disease paradigm: History, resistance and spinoffs. BioSocieties. 5, 137–147. doi:10.1057/biosoc.2009.3

3. Hall W, Carter A, Forlini C. The brain disease model of addiction: is it supported by the evidence and has it delivered on its promises? Lancet Psychiatry. 2015 Jan;2(1):105-10. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00126-6. Epub 2015 Jan 8. PubMed PMID: 26359616.

4. Wilkerson RG, Kim HK, Windsor TA, Mareiniss DP. The Opioid Epidemic in the United States. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2016 May;34(2):e1-e23. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2015.11.002. Epub 2016 Feb 17. Review. PubMed PMID: 27133253.

5. Hart. Viewing addiction as a brain disease promotes social injustice. Nature Human Behavior. 2017. ISSN 2397-3374 (online)

6. Hart. The Real Opioid Emergency. The New York Times. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/opinion/sunday/opioids-drugs-race-treatment.html

7. Citations in progress

Neuralink - Brain Computer Interfaces (Part 2)

Here, we discuss Neuralink, Elon Musk's new company, a bit more deeply. We focus more on what it would be like if a whole brain computer interface were realized, and how likely it might be.

References:

1. 2017 Urban, Tim. Neuralink and the Brain's Magical Future. Wait but Why. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April 2017. http://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html.

2. 2013 Frey, Osborne. The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Oxford Martin School. http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf

3. 2017 Park, Kong, Zhou, Cui. Large-field-of-view imaging by Multi-Pupil Adaptive Optics. Abstract, https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2017/Q2/brain-imaging-system-uses-multi-pupil-prism-arrays.html

4. Waltz, Emily. “Sparking Memories With Electrical Stimulation.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/sparking-memories-with-electrical-stimulation

5. Strickland, Eliza. “Facebook Announces “Typing-by-brain” Project.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/bionics/facebook-announces-typing-by-brain-project

6. Strickland, Eliza. “5 Neuroscience Experts Weigh in on Elon Musk's Mysterious "Neural Lace" Company.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/5-neuroscience-experts-weigh-in-on-elon-musks-mysterious-neural-lace-company

7. Regalado, Antonio. “With Neuralink, Elon Musk Promises Human-to-Human Telepathy. Don’t Believe It.” MIT Technology Review. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604254/with-neuralink-elon-musk-promises-human-to-human-telepathy-dont-believe-it/

8. Regalado, Antonio. “The Entrepreneur with the $100 Million Plan to Link Brains to Computers.” MIT Technology Review. March, 2017. Web. Accessed April 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603771/the-entrepreneur-with-the-100-million-plan-to-link-brains-to-computers/

9. Park JH, Kong L, Zhou Y, Cui M. Large-field-of-view imaging by multi-pupil adaptive optics. Nat Methods. 2017 Jun;14(6):581-583. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.4290. Epub 2017 May 8. PubMed PMID: 28481364.

10 Gratton G, Chiarelli AM, Fabiani M. From brain to blood vessels and back: a noninvasive optical imaging approach. Neurophotonics. 2017 Jul;4(3):031208. doi: 10.1117/1.NPh.4.3.031208. Epub 2017 Apr 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 28413807; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5384652.

11 Gautam V, Naureen S, Shahid N, Gao Q, Wang Y, Nisbet D, Jagadish C, Daria VR. Engineering Highly Interconnected Neuronal Networks on Nanowire Scaffolds. Nano Lett. 2017 May 4. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b05288. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28437614.

12 Seo D, Neely RM, Shen K, Singhal U, Alon E, Rabaey JM, Carmena JM, Maharbiz MM. Wireless Recording in the Peripheral Nervous System with Ultrasonic Neural Dust. Neuron. 2016 Aug 3;91(3):529-39. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.034. PubMed PMID: 27497221.

13 Fadel TR, Farrell DF, Friedersdorf LE, Griep MH, Hoover MD, Meador MA, Meyyappan M. Toward the Responsible Development and Commercialization of Sensor Nanotechnologies. ACS Sens. 2016;1(3):207-216. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.5b00279. Epub 2016 Feb 25. PubMed PMID: 28261665; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5332131.

14 Liu J, Fu TM, Cheng Z, Hong G, Zhou T, Jin L, Duvvuri M, Jiang Z, Kruskal P, Xie C, Suo Z, Fang Y, Lieber CM. Syringe-injectable electronics. Nat Nanotechnol. 2015 Jul;10(7):629-36. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2015.115. Epub 2015 Jun 8. PubMed PMID: 26053995; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4591029.

15 Rutkin, Aviva Hope. “Report suggests nearly half of U.S. Jobs are Vulnerable to Computerization.” MIT Technology Review. September, 2013. Web. Accessed April 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/519241/report-suggests-nearly-half-of-us-jobs-are-vulnerable-to-computerization/

Neuralink - Elon Musk's Next Adventure (Part 1)

Bo and I discuss Neuralink, the latest announced venture by Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and PayPal. This is the first part, which focuses on some of what they've announced through Tim Urban's Wait but Why post, some of the possible implications of this type of a technology, what it might be like to live with this type of a technology, some of the potential problems with how this technology has been described so far, and some critiques of the claims that are made.

Refs:

1.       2017 Urban, Tim. Neuralink and the Brain's Magical Future. Wait but Why. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April 2017. http://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html.

2.       2013 Frey, Osborne. The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Oxford Martin School. http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf

3.       2017 Park, Kong, Zhou, Cui. Large-field-of-view imaging by Multi-Pupil Adaptive Optics. Abstract, https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2017/Q2/brain-imaging-system-uses-multi-pupil-prism-arrays.html

4.       Waltz, Emily. “Sparking Memories With Electrical Stimulation.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/sparking-memories-with-electrical-stimulation

5.       Strickland, Eliza. “Facebook Announces “Typing-by-brain” Project.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/bionics/facebook-announces-typing-by-brain-project

6.       Strickland, Eliza. “5 Neuroscience Experts Weigh in on Elon Musk's Mysterious "Neural Lace" Company.” IEEE Spectrum. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. http://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/5-neuroscience-experts-weigh-in-on-elon-musks-mysterious-neural-lace-company

7.       Regalado, Antonio. “With Neuralink, Elon Musk Promises Human-to-Human Telepathy. Don’t Believe It.” MIT Technology Review. April, 2017. Web. Accessed April, 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604254/with-neuralink-elon-musk-promises-human-to-human-telepathy-dont-believe-it/

8.       Regalado, Antonio. “The Entrepreneur with the $100 Million Plan to Link Brains to Computers.” MIT Technology Review. March, 2017. Web. Accessed April 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603771/the-entrepreneur-with-the-100-million-plan-to-link-brains-to-computers/

9.       Park JH, Kong L, Zhou Y, Cui M. Large-field-of-view imaging by multi-pupil adaptive optics. Nat Methods. 2017 Jun;14(6):581-583. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.4290. Epub 2017 May 8. PubMed PMID: 28481364.

10.   Gratton G, Chiarelli AM, Fabiani M. From brain to blood vessels and back: a noninvasive optical imaging approach. Neurophotonics. 2017 Jul;4(3):031208. doi: 10.1117/1.NPh.4.3.031208. Epub 2017 Apr 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 28413807; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5384652.

11.   Gautam V, Naureen S, Shahid N, Gao Q, Wang Y, Nisbet D, Jagadish C, Daria VR. Engineering Highly Interconnected Neuronal Networks on Nanowire Scaffolds. Nano Lett. 2017 May 4. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b05288. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28437614.

12.   Seo D, Neely RM, Shen K, Singhal U, Alon E, Rabaey JM, Carmena JM, Maharbiz MM. Wireless Recording in the Peripheral Nervous System with Ultrasonic Neural Dust. Neuron. 2016 Aug 3;91(3):529-39. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.034. PubMed PMID: 27497221.

13.   Fadel TR, Farrell DF, Friedersdorf LE, Griep MH, Hoover MD, Meador MA, Meyyappan M. Toward the Responsible Development and Commercialization of Sensor Nanotechnologies. ACS Sens. 2016;1(3):207-216. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.5b00279. Epub 2016 Feb 25. PubMed PMID: 28261665; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5332131.

14.   Liu J, Fu TM, Cheng Z, Hong G, Zhou T, Jin L, Duvvuri M, Jiang Z, Kruskal P, Xie C, Suo Z, Fang Y, Lieber CM. Syringe-injectable electronics. Nat Nanotechnol. 2015 Jul;10(7):629-36. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2015.115. Epub 2015 Jun 8. PubMed PMID: 26053995; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4591029.

15.   Rutkin, Aviva Hope. “Report suggests nearly half of U.S. Jobs are Vulnerable to Computerization.” MIT Technology Review. September, 2013. Web. Accessed April 2017. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/519241/report-suggests-nearly-half-of-us-jobs-are-vulnerable-to-computerization/

What is Deja Vu?

Literature referenced:

1. Shaw DJ, Mareček R, Brázdil M. Structural covariance mapping delineates medial
and medio-lateral temporal networks in déjà vu. Brain Imaging Behav. 2016
Dec;10(4):1068-1079. PubMed [citation] PMID: 26520830

2. Labate A, Cerasa A, Mumoli L, Ferlazzo E, Aguglia U, Quattrone A, Gambardella A. 
Neuro-anatomical differences among epileptic and non-epileptic déjà-vu. Cortex.
2015 Mar;64:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.09.020. PubMed [citation] PMID:
25461702

3. O'Connor AR, Moulin CJ. Déjà vu experiences in healthy subjects are unrelated to
laboratory tests of recollection and familiarity for word stimuli. Front Psychol.
2013 Nov 27;4:881. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00881. PubMed [citation] PMID:
24409159, PMCID: PMC3842028

4. Shanks MF, McGeown WJ, Guerrini C, Venneri A. Awareness and confabulation.
Neuropsychology. 2014 May;28(3):406-14. doi: 10.1037/neu0000031. PubMed
[citation] PMID: 24188119

5. Moulin CJ. The strange sensation of deja vu: not so strange in temporal lobe
epilepsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2014 Feb;85(2):132. doi:
10.1136/jnnp-2012-303876. No abstract available. PubMed [citation] PMID: 23457224

6. Wright DS, Wade KA, Watson DG. Delay and déjà vu: timing and repetition increase
the power of false evidence. Psychon Bull Rev. 2013 Aug;20(4):812-8. doi:
10.3758/s13423-013-0398-z. PubMed [citation] PMID: 23392652

7. Warren-Gash C, Zeman A. Is there anything distinctive about epileptic deja vu? J
Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2014 Feb;85(2):143-7. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2012-303520.
PubMed [citation] PMID: 23315620

8. Nash RA, Wade KA, Brewer RJ. Why do doctored images distort memory? Conscious
Cogn. 2009 Sep;18(3):773-80. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2009.04.011. PubMed [citation]
PMID: 19477661

Cannabis & Humans Part 2

Bo and I have a fairly comprehensive conversation about the genetics of cannabis, as well as what it is that makes it a psychoactive plant and a short history of its prohibition.  We then discuss how it affects the human brain, and therefore its effects - as well as some of its long-term health effects.  We close with a chat about its potential therapeutic effects, and where we go from here with regards to cannabis research. 

Literature referenced:

1. Volkow ND, Swanson JM, Evins AE, DeLisi LE, Meier MH, Gonzalez R, Bloomfield MA, Curran HV, Baler R. Effects of Cannabis Use on Human Behavior, Including Cognition, Motivation, and Psychosis: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Mar;73(3):292-7. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.3278. Review. PubMed PMID: 26842658.
2. Solowij N, Lorenzetti V, Yücel M. Effects of Cannabis Use on Human Behavior: A Call for Standardization of Cannabis Use Metrics. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Sep 1;73(9):995-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1329. PubMed PMID: 27463333.
3. Martinasek MP, McGrogan JB, Maysonet A. A Systematic Review of the Respiratory Effects of Inhalational Marijuana. Respir Care. 2016 Nov;61(11):1543-1551. Review. PubMed PMID: 27507173
4. Prashad S, Filbey FM. Cognitive motor deficits in cannabis users. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2017 Feb;13:1-7. PubMed PMID: 27482533; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4966282.
5. Zurier RB, Burstein SH. Cannabinoids, inflammation, and fibrosis. FASEB J. 2016 Nov;30(11):3682-3689. Review. PubMed PMID: 27435265.
6. Swortwood MJ, Newmeyer MN, Andersson M, Abulseoud OA, Scheidweiler KB, Huestis MA. Cannabinoid disposition in oral fluid after controlled smoked, vaporized, and oral cannabis administration. Drug Test Anal. 2016 Sep 19. doi: 10.1002/dta.2092. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27647820.
7. Bassir Nia A, Medrano B, Perkel C, Galynker I, Hurd YL. Psychiatric comorbidity associated with synthetic cannabinoid use compared to cannabis. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1321-1330. PubMed PMID: 27462088.
8. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Woolsey MD, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC. The genetic basis of the comorbidity between cannabis use and major depression. Addiction. 2017 Jan;112(1):113-123. doi: 10.1111/add.13558. PubMed PMID: 27517884; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5148647.
9. González-Pinto A, González-Ortega I, Alberich S, Ruiz de Azúa S, Bernardo M, Bioque M, Cabrera B, Corripio I, Arango C, Lobo A, Sánchez-Torres AM, Cuesta MJ; PEPs Group.. Opposite Cannabis-Cognition Associations in Psychotic Patients Depending on Family History. PLoS One. 2016 Aug 11;11(8):e0160949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160949. PubMed PMID: 27513670; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4981356.
10. Dovey TM, Boyland EJ, Trayner P, Miller J, Rarmoul-Bouhadjar A, Cole J, Halford JC. Alterations in taste perception due to recreational drug use are due to smoking a substance rather than ingesting it. Appetite. 2016 Dec 1;107:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.016. PubMed PMID: 27426619.
11. Bloomfield MA, Ashok AH, Volkow ND, Howes OD. The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system.Nature. 2016 Nov 17;539(7629):369-377. doi: 10.1038/nature20153. Review. PubMed PMID: 27853201; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5123717.
12. Nesvåg R, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Gillespie NA, Knudsen GP, Bramness JG, Kendler KS, Ystrom E. Genetic and Environmental Contributions to the Association Between Cannabis Use and Psychotic-Like Experiences in Young Adult Twins. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Jul 18. pii: sbw101. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27431873
13. Ammerman S, Tau G. Weeding Out the Truth: Adolescents and Cannabis. J Addict Med. 2016 Mar-Apr;10(2):75-82. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000199. Review. PubMed PMID: 26985645.
14. Aizpurua-Olaizola O, Soydaner U, Öztürk E, Schibano D, Simsir Y, Navarro P, Etxebarria N, Usobiaga A. Evolution of the Cannabinoid and Terpene Content during the Growth of Cannabis sativa Plants from Different Chemotypes. J Nat Prod. 2016 Feb 26;79(2):324-31. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00949. PubMed PMID: 26836472.
15. Walitt B, Klose P, Fitzcharles MA, Phillips T, Häuser W. Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jul 18;7:CD011694. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011694.pub2. Review. PubMed PMID: 27428009.
16. Cressey D. The cannabis experiment. Nature. 2015 Aug 20;524(7565):280-3. Erratum in: Nature. 2015 Sep 3;525(7567):17. PubMed PMID: 26295084.

Cannabis & Humans Part 1

We discuss why it's so hard to answer what seems like a very simple question on the minds of many people: is weed bad for me?  This is just part one, where we make the limitations of this research as clear as possible.  Next time, we'll dive into what we do know to try and come to a conclusion.

Literature cited:

See references used in part 2.

Why do we dream? Part 2

We discuss a wide range of topics in this episode.  Topics include the neural architecture that research suggests underlies dreams, and how quick jerky motions in sleep may be critical to proper development of the nervous system and how these movements can transform into sleep walking.  We also discuss lucid dreaming, and techniques to increase the frequency of lucid dreams - as well as research devoted to developing technology that'll enable us to record our dreams as movies.

Literature referenced:

1. Hobson JA, Friston KJ. Waking and dreaming consciousness: neurobiological and functional considerations. Prog Neurobiol. 2012 Jul;98(1):82-98. doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.003. Epub 2012 May 15. Review. PubMed PMID: 22609044; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3389346.
2. Dresler M, Wehrle R, Spoormaker VI, Steiger A, Holsboer F, Czisch M, Hobson JA. Neural correlates of insight in dreaming and psychosis. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Apr;20:92-9. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.004. Epub 2014 Jun 25. Review. PubMed PMID: 25092021.
3. Blumberg MS, Plumeau AM. A new view of "dream enactment" in REM sleep behavior disorder. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Dec 17;30:34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.12.002. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 26802823; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4912466.
4. Domhoff GW, Fox KC. Dreaming and the default network: A review, synthesis, and counterintuitive research proposal. Conscious Cogn. 2015 May;33:342-53. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.019. Epub 2015 Feb 24. Review. PubMed PMID: 25723600.
5. Dresler M, Wehrle R, Spoormaker VI, Steiger A, Holsboer F, Czisch M, Hobson JA. Neural correlates of insight in dreaming and psychosis. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Apr;20:92-9. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.004. Epub 2014 Jun 25. Review. PubMed PMID: 25092021.
6. Smith K. Brain decoding: Reading minds. Nature. 2013 Oct 24;502(7472):428-30. doi: 10.1038/502428a. PubMed PMID: 24153277.
7. 2016 Daniel Oldis - Can we turn our dreams into watchable movies (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dreamscloud/can-we-turn-our-dreams-in_b_9152612.html)
8. Aspy DJ. Is dream recall underestimated by retrospective measures and enhanced by keeping a logbook? An empirical investigation. Conscious Cogn. 2016 May;42:181-203. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.03.015. Epub 2016 Mar 26. PubMed PMID: 27023923.
9. Voss U, Holzmann R, Hobson A, Paulus W, Koppehele-Gossel J, Klimke A, Nitsche MA. Induction of self awareness in dreams through frontal low current stimulation of gamma activity. Nat Neurosci. 2014 Jun;17(6):810-2. doi: 10.1038/nn.3719. Epub 2014 May 11. PubMed PMID: 24816141.
10. Stumbrys T, Erlacher D, Schädlich M, Schredl M. Induction of lucid dreams: a systematic review of evidence. Conscious Cogn. 2012 Sep;21(3):1456-75. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003. Epub 2012 Jul 28. Review. PubMed PMID: 22841958.
11. Bray N. Sleep: Inducing lucid dreams. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014 Jul;15(7):428. doi: 10.1038/nrn3769. Epub 2014 May 29. PubMed PMID: 24871898.

Why do we dream? Part 1

Dreams are quite easily one of the most common topics on the minds of most people, judging by my interactions with folks on Periscope, my friends, and random people who find out that I study the brain.  This doesn't surprise me in the slightest.  When else can you experience what it might be like to breathe underwater, or fly through the center of the sun, without questioning the experience in the slightest?

Despite being so universally interesting, and having been a subject of inquiry dating at least back to Aristotle (On Dreams, written in 350 B.C.E), dreams remain among the most widely debated topics in psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience.  We chat about the various theories that have cropped up over time, and then discuss some of the more recent discoveries and theories to try and understand why & how we dream, and the contributions dreaming makes to the development of who you are.

Literature referenced:

1. Hobson JA. REM sleep and dreaming: towards a theory of protoconsciousness. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009 Nov;10(11):803-13. doi: 10.1038/nrn2716. Epub 2009 Oct 1. Review. PubMed PMID: 19794431.
2. Hobson JA, Friston KJ. Waking and dreaming consciousness: neurobiological and functional considerations. Prog Neurobiol. 2012 Jul;98(1):82-98. doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.003. Epub 2012 May 15. Review. PubMed PMID: 22609044; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3389346.
3. Rechtschaffen A. The single-mindedness and isolation of dreams. Sleep. 1978 Sep;1(1):97-109. PubMed PMID: 227026.
4. Bray N. Sleep: Inducing lucid dreams. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014 Jul;15(7):428. doi: 10.1038/nrn3769. Epub 2014 May 29. PubMed PMID: 24871898.
5. Boyce R, Glasgow SD, Williams S, Adamantidis A. Causal evidence for the role of REM sleep theta rhythm in contextual memory consolidation. Science. 2016 May 13;352(6287):812-6. doi: 10.1126/science.aad5252. PubMed PMID: 27174984.
6. Dresler M, Wehrle R, Spoormaker VI, Steiger A, Holsboer F, Czisch M, Hobson JA. Neural correlates of insight in dreaming and psychosis. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Apr;20:92-9. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.004. Epub 2014 Jun 25. Review. PubMed PMID: 25092021.
7. Domhoff GW, Fox KC. Dreaming and the default network: A review, synthesis, and counterintuitive research proposal. Conscious Cogn. 2015 May;33:342-53. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.019. Epub 2015 Feb 24. Review. PubMed PMID: 25723600.
8. Blumberg MS, Plumeau AM. A new view of "dream enactment" in REM sleep behavior disorder. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Dec 17;30:34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.12.002. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 26802823; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4912466.
9. Peever J, Fuller PM. Neuroscience: A Distributed Neural Network Controls REM Sleep. Curr Biol. 2016 Jan 11;26(1):R34-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.011. PubMed PMID: 26766231.
10. Schredl M. Dreams and Nightmares in Personality Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016 Feb;18(2):15. doi: 10.1007/s11920-015-0653-2. PubMed PMID: 26781553.
11. Stumbrys T, Erlacher D, Schädlich M, Schredl M. Induction of lucid dreams: a systematic review of evidence. Conscious Cogn. 2012 Sep;21(3):1456-75. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003. Epub 2012 Jul 28. Review. PubMed PMID: 22841958.

What is anxiety? Part 2

Vincent Van Gogh - Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity's Gate) 1890

We go into significantly more detail regarding some of what we know about how circuits in the brain encode anxiety and fear.  This involves a discussion of how brain structures really interact with one another.  We also delve into the relationships between genetics, epigenetics, and emotion.

References used (same as last episode):

1. Waraczynski M. Toward a systems-oriented approach to the role of the extended amygdala in adaptive responding. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 May 20. pii: S0149-7634(15)30162-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.015. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 27216212.
2. Nestler EJ. Transgenerational Epigenetic Contributions to Stress Responses: Fact or Fiction? PLoS Biol. 2016 Mar 25;14(3):e1002426. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002426. eCollection 2016 Mar. PubMed PMID: 27015088; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4807775.
3. Nestler EJ, Peña CJ, Kundakovic M, Mitchell A, Akbarian S. Epigenetic Basis of Mental Illness.Neuroscientist. 2015 Oct 8. pii: 1073858415608147. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 26450593; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4826318.
4. Anacker C, Scholz J, O'Donnell KJ, Allemang-Grand R, Diorio J, Bagot RC, Nestler EJ, Hen R, Lerch JP, Meaney MJ. Neuroanatomic Differences Associated With Stress Susceptibility and Resilience. Biol Psychiatry. 2016 May 15;79(10):840-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.009. Epub 2015 Aug 18. PubMed PMID: 26422005.
5. Dietz DM, Laplant Q, Watts EL, Hodes GE, Russo SJ, Feng J, Oosting RS, Vialou V, Nestler EJ.Paternal transmission of stress-induced pathologies. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Sep 1;70(5):408-14. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.05.005. Epub 2011 Jun 16. PubMed PMID: 21679926; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3217197.
6. Myers B, Scheimann JR, Franco-Villanueva A, Herman JP. Ascending mechanisms of stress integration: Implications for brainstem regulation of neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 May 18. pii: S0149-7634(16)30092-6. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.011. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 27208411.
7. El Zein M, Wyart V, Grèzes J. Anxiety dissociates the adaptive functions of sensory and motor response enhancements to social threats. Elife. 2015 Dec 29;4. pii: e10274. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10274. PubMed PMID: 26712157; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4868536.
8. Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A. Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jun;16(6):317-31. doi: 10.1038/nrn3945. Review. Erratum in: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jul;16(7):439. PubMed PMID: 25991441.

What is anxiety?

Edvard Munch - Anxiety, 1894

Anxiety is a very familiar emotional state for all of us, but we tend to have a fair bit of difficulty describing in words.  It's something that influences everything we do without us knowing it - and, sometimes, it can spiral out of control and control our lives.  It's also critical to living a productive life, making prudent decisions, and avoiding future suffering.

In this episode, Bo and I chat about what exactly anxiety is, how it's different from fear, and how it evolved over the course of millions of years.  Next time, we'll get more specific; how does the brain produce anxiety and fear, and how do they influence everything from creativity and parenting to addiction and aggression.  We also chat about how high levels of anxiety are heritable; is it transmitted genetically or through learned behavior?

References used:

1. Waraczynski M. Toward a systems-oriented approach to the role of the extended amygdala in adaptive responding. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 May 20. pii: S0149-7634(15)30162-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.015. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 27216212.
2. Nestler EJ. Transgenerational Epigenetic Contributions to Stress Responses: Fact or Fiction? PLoS Biol. 2016 Mar 25;14(3):e1002426. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002426. eCollection 2016 Mar. PubMed PMID: 27015088; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4807775.
3. Nestler EJ, Peña CJ, Kundakovic M, Mitchell A, Akbarian S. Epigenetic Basis of Mental Illness.Neuroscientist. 2015 Oct 8. pii: 1073858415608147. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 26450593; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4826318.
4. Anacker C, Scholz J, O'Donnell KJ, Allemang-Grand R, Diorio J, Bagot RC, Nestler EJ, Hen R, Lerch JP, Meaney MJ. Neuroanatomic Differences Associated With Stress Susceptibility and Resilience. Biol Psychiatry. 2016 May 15;79(10):840-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.009. Epub 2015 Aug 18. PubMed PMID: 26422005.
5. Dietz DM, Laplant Q, Watts EL, Hodes GE, Russo SJ, Feng J, Oosting RS, Vialou V, Nestler EJ.Paternal transmission of stress-induced pathologies. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Sep 1;70(5):408-14. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.05.005. Epub 2011 Jun 16. PubMed PMID: 21679926; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3217197.
6. Myers B, Scheimann JR, Franco-Villanueva A, Herman JP. Ascending mechanisms of stress integration: Implications for brainstem regulation of neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 May 18. pii: S0149-7634(16)30092-6. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.011. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 27208411.
7. El Zein M, Wyart V, Grèzes J. Anxiety dissociates the adaptive functions of sensory and motor response enhancements to social threats. Elife. 2015 Dec 29;4. pii: e10274. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10274. PubMed PMID: 26712157; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4868536.
8. Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A. Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jun;16(6):317-31. doi: 10.1038/nrn3945. Review. Erratum in: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jul;16(7):439. PubMed PMID: 25991441.