Mandyland

My friend and colleague, Vanessa, recently came out as polyamorous. She’s been living this philosophy for a long time but I was not privy to it, mostly because she had been keeping her professional life separate from her polyamorous life. But she’s been provoked (by our Cosmic Consultant, Cylla — see Cosmic Consultation episode) to let these two worlds collide. So over breakfast in Costa Rica (we were there for work actually!) I open up my phone to record and solicit her into a conversation, which might be one of many. In the process we talk about how this started for Vanessa, how it exists now, and how this relates to sexual orientation.

I love sharing this conversation with others because we both think it’s an opportunity for anyone, whether in monogamous relationships or not, to open their mind to, even if just as a way of developing acceptance and appreciation for such a philosophy. Some people might even be considering it for themselves. In any case, have a listen and see what you think!

The morning sounds of Costa Rica is such a great example of the diversity of their ecosystem. It makes me laugh thinking back to when I posted a Birds Chirping Meditation from a park in Toronto. This recording was done while I did a morning yoga practice in the open yoga studio. Now, I do my practice to it while back in Toronto, keeping my eyes closed and feeling like I'm back there. It's a good interim until we return next April again!

In a (school) year when marijuana became legal, how could we resist the temptation to discuss the neuroscience side of this popular drug. With this change in legislation here in Canada, it granted us the ability to have an open conversation about it, including some of our own personal experiences along with research related to two psychoactive ingredients: CBD (cannabidiol) and and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). We covered both sides of this in terms the benefits and the negative side effects. 

References:

Jager, G., Kahn, R. S., van den Brink, W., van Ree, J. M., & Ramsey, N. F. (2006). Long-term effects of frequent cannabis use on working memory and attention: An fMRI study.Psychopharmacology, 185(3), 358-368. doi:10.1007/s00213-005-0298-7

Nestoros, J. N., Vakonaki, E., Tzatzarakis, M. N., Alegakis, A., Skondras, M. D., & Tsatsakis, A. M. (2017). Long lasting effects of chronic heavy cannabis abuse: Heavy and chronic cannabis abuse and memory effects. The American Journal on Addictions, 26(4), 335-342. doi:10.1111/ajad.12529

Waddington, G. S. (2017). Cannabis, exercise performance and sport. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(9), 807-807. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.07.017

Wong, A., Montebello, M. E., Norberg, M. M., Rooney, K., Lintzeris, N., Bruno, R., . . . McGregor, I. S. (2013). Exercise increases plasma THC concentrations in regular cannabis users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 133(2), 763-767. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.07.031

Sarah provides a spring update on where she's at with cancer. It’s been a year since her metastatic cancer diagnosis. More scans, treatment protocols, surgeries, emotions, and science.

Join me for a sitting meditation. Find your comfortable sitting position, close your eyes, focus on your breath, listen to me talk about impermanence and expectations in the context of anxiety. Then stay for silence together.

In this week’s episode, we explore one of the most crucial aspects of the human experience; memory. We start off with a phenomenon Lauren finds particularly interesting: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, in which individuals can recall specific, extremely detailed aspects of their daily lives spanning years and even decades in the past. From there we discuss How do we store memories? What different facets and types of memory are there? What is going on with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We also discuss some historical figures in memory research (e.g., H.M.), eye witness testimonies, place cells, and erasing memories.

References:

Howard, M. W., & Eichenbaum, H. (2013). The hippocampus, time, and memory across scales. Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 142(4), 1211-1230. doi:10.1037/a0033621

Jeneson, A., & Squire, L. R. (2012;2011;). Working memory, long-term memory, and medial temporal lobe function. Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 19(1), 15-25. doi:10.1101/lm.024018.111

LePort, A. K., Mattfeld, A. T., Dickinson-Anson, H., Fallon, J. H., Stark, C. E., Kruggel, F., . . . McGaugh, J. L. (2012). Behavioral and neuroanatomical investigation of Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 98(1), 78-92. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2012.05.002

Nowak, C., & Nowak, C. (2017, November 10). Only 60 People in the World Have This Insanely Powerful Memory. Retrieved from https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/highly-superior-autobiographical memory/

Palombo, D. J., Alain, C., Soderlund, H., Khuu, W., & Levine, B. (2015). Severely deficient autobiographical memory (SDAM) in healthy adults: A new mnemonic syndrome. Neuropsychologia, 72, 105-118. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.04.012

Simons, J. S., & Spiers, H. J. (2003). Prefrontal and medial temporal lobe interactions in long-term memory. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 4(8), 637-648. doi:10.1038/nrn1178

Other Resources:

25, R. D. (n.d.). The 5 Types of Memory Everyone Has and Why They Matter. Retrieved from https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/memory-types/

ALifeJournal. (2016, December 05). Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnel7xQTFvI

The sections of the Medial Temporal Lobe are what is responsible for memory. This demonstrates the components as well as their function.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_lobe#Structure:

Gaitan, R. (2016, April 16). Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fV3jafglNo: This video discusses Neurons and their role in forming memories. It discusses the Prefrontal Cortex, where memories and associations are formed. For example, he uses Diet Coke as his example and discusses how your sense of taste and memory works so that when you drink Diet Coke, you remember the taste associated and can identify.

Frontotemporal Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/frontotemporal_dementia/: This page discusses a condition called Frontotemporal Dementia. It impacts about as many people as Domentia does, accept, it is experienced by those who are a little younger than those who experience Domentia The age range identified is between 40 and 60 years old.

ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA. Retrieved from http://www.human memory.net/disorders_anterograde.html

H.M.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Molaison

Clive Wearing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Wearing

Place Cells & Temporal Cells: https://www.ted.com/talks/neil_burgess_how_your_brain_tells_you_where_you_are/transcript?language=en

Replacing memories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRuUQiIgyj4

Summary:

Humans experience and observe some of the most extravagant wonders and marvelous sights the world has to offer using the sense many of us sometimes take for granted ; Vision! How do eyes work? What role does the brain play in all of it ? Can we trust what we see ? Find out in this week’s episode of the neuroscience podcast. Quite literally, there is more than meets the eye!

References:

Bokkon, I. (2009). Visual perception and imagery: A new molecular hypothesis. Biosystems, 96(2), 178-184. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2009.01.005

Collerton D., Dudley R., Mosimann U.P. (2012) Visual Hallucinations. In: Blom J., Sommer I. (eds) Hallucinations. Springer, New York, NY. Retrieved from https://link-springer com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-0959-5_6#citeas

Dubuc, B. (n.d.). The Brain from Top to Bottom: The Retina. Retrieved from http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_02/i_02_cl/i_02_cl_vis/i_02_cl_vis.html

Eagleman, D. M. (2001). Visual illusions and neurobiology. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2(12), 920-926. doi:10.1038/35104092 http://tinyurl.com/yarpmdfh

Grossberg, S. (2014). How visual illusions illuminate complementary brain processes: Illusory depth from brightness and apparent motion of illusory contours. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 854 http://tinyurl.com/y82ct4aw

Kloosterman, N. A., Meindertsma, T., van Loon, A. M., Lamme, V. A. F., Bonneh, Y. S., & Donner, T. H. (2015). Pupil size tracks perceptual content and surprise in a visual illusion. European Journal of Neuroscience, 41, 1068-1078. http://tinyurl.com/y7xbzubk

Ko, H., Cossell, L., Baragli, C., Antolik, J., Clopath, C., Hofer, S. B., & Mrsic-Flogel, T. D. (2013). The emergence of functional microcircuits in visual cortex. Nature, 496(7443), 96-100. doi:10.1038/nature12015 http://tinyurl.com/yb4dmw78

Manford, M., & Andermann, F. (1998). Complex visual hallucinations. Clinical and neurobiological insights. BRAIN, 121(10), 1819-1840. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/121.10.1819

Moffit, M., Brown, G., Salt, R., Simmons, M., & Ghebrehiwot, S. (Directors). (2017, May 4). Your Brain on LSD and Acid [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG5JyorwYPo

Pfeffer, C. K., Xue, M., He, M., Huang, Z. J., & Scanziani, M. (2013). Inhibition of inhibition in visual cortex: The logic of connections between molecularly distinct interneurons. Nature Neuroscience, 16(8), 1068-1076. doi:10.1038/nn.3446

Roseman, L., Sereno, M. I., Leech, R., Kaelen, M., Orban, C., McGonigle, J., . . . Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2016). LSD alters eyes‐closed functional connectivity within the early visual cortex in a retinotopic fashion. Human Brain Mapping, 37(8), 3031-3040. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23224

Saleem, A. B., Ayaz, A., Jeffery, K. J., Harris, K. D., & Carandini, M. (2013). Integration of visual motion and locomotion in mouse visual cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 16(12), 1864-1869. doi:10.1038/nn.3567 http://tinyurl.com/ycl2wa6e

Schmidt, F., Weber, A., & Haberkamp, A. (2016). Dissociating early and late visual processing via the ebbinghaus illusion. Visual Neuroscience, 33, E016. doi:10.1017/S0952523816000134 http://tinyurl.com/ycrsxyzb

Serences, J. T., Ester, E. F., Vogel, E. K., & Awh, E. (2009). Stimulus-specific delay activity in human primary visual cortex. Psychological Science, 20(2), 207-214. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02276.x http://tinyurl.com/y7fw92vy

Vollenweider F. X. (2001). Brain mechanisms of hallucinogens and entactogens. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 3(4), 265-79. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181663/

Other Resources:

National Eye Institute (NIH) (Director). (2016, February 3). The Visual System: How Your Eyes Work [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_n3Ibfn1c

Hasudungan, A. (Director). (2016, May 24). Visual Pathway and Lesions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG5ZuK0_qtc

NIH: National Eye Institute. (2015, December). Facts About Retinitis Pigmentosa. Retrieve from https://nei.nih.gov/health/pigmentosa/pigmentosa_facts

Alliance for Aging Research (Director). (2016, September 9). Taking a Closer Look at Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUnLaG-XlDE

For the second week of our Conversations with Neuroscience Students series, we discuss Nutrition and the Brain, which is a nice extension from what we talked about last week regarding Exercise and the Brain. There were many places we could have gone with this. What we did get into included the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (referred to as simply ‘BDNF' in the episode… and in neuroscience). We talked about toxins and diets and inflammation and even meandered into a discussion about social factors like food security and Canada’s new food guide.

This is a guided meditation practice with a focus on breath awareness. It's one of several basic introductory meditations to help build concentration skills with a focus on the breath.

In this episode, we dive into the world of health and wellness and how exercise affects the brain. We explore concepts such as CBR (cerebral blood flow) and BDNF (brain derived neurotropic factor) to see how these are affected by exercise. We also talk about how exercise can affect different demographics and what significance it holds for illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. We also share some of personal experiences with exercise and how it affects us and our studies.