More Survey answers

Neuroscience Survey

I am still receiving more and more answers to my survey. Again, I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to answer my survey!

From the survey it seems that a number of people have questions about things that are already understood by science. This shows me that there is a need to spread more information about the field of neuroscience! While I cannot answer every question here, right now, I am planing on answering them in the close future.

As I've said in a previous post, I also receive many questions about brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, science has not figured out all the mechanisms by which Alzheimer's develops. During my last year at UCLA, I will do my best to try and summarize the most recent findings regarding some of these neurological diseases.

If you've just stumbled upon my blog, would like to take a really short survey where you can tell me what you would most like to know about neuroscience? Neuroscience Survey

Memory

I would like to thank everyone who has taken my survey so far. It gives a really good idea of what seem to matter most for people.

A lot of questions I've received deal about neurological diseases as people age, such as Alzheimer's disease, or following an accident. I've had some overview of the etiology of these diseases, but nothing specific enough for me to feel that I can really give a full answer. I will make sure to focus on that next year.

A number of questions dealt with memory. The question was, "How is it possible that a person can remember memories from a long time ago, but not things that happened on the same day?" "How is memory stored? Is it a chemical or an electrical process?"

This is something I have studied, and so I would like to attempt an answer.

1. There are different kinds of memories that use different brain pathways. In other words, there are different "streets," and "mechanisms," that process different memories, in radically different ways. That is why a person may loose one kind of memory, but not the other.

2. First there is what is called the "Short Term Memory" (STM) sometimes also referred to as the "working memory." It is the part of the brain that filters incoming information. On average, the working memory can only hold up to 7 "information units" for a very short period of time. it is, for example, what enables us to differentiate words from sounds. (The brain remembers the order of sounds, and thus understands that it is a word.)

This is an "electrical memory." It works for only as long as a neuron is firing. As soon as the neuron stops firing (as soon as the electrical impulse is lost), the memory is completely lost.

This part of the memory is very well understood by science.

3. The "middle term memory" (This is NOT an actual term, just my own) is composed, more or less, of the hipocampus and the medial temporal lobes. It is a transition storage place between the short term memory, and the long term memory. It is thought to contain up to a week worth of information. If this area is damaged, people loose their ability to remember anything new.... Memory is never stored and is lost as soon as the previous neurons stop firing. (This applies mostly to autobiographical, and factual data, but mostly autobiographical memory. In other words, the person cannot remember anything that happened to them).

4. The "Long Term Memory" (LTM). This is where the brain stores lifetime memories. It is actually the part of memory that is the least understood. But people who have damage to their "middle term memory", do not loose their lifelong memories. They can still remember their childhoods without any problem. And they can probably have memories of their life up to 7 days prior to the accident.

5. I would also like to mention a totally different kind of "memory," and that is skill learning. It is how the body remembers how to do things. A person can completely loose their ability to form new memories, but still learn how to do something new.

For example: Let's say a person never rode on a bicycle in their life, and then lost their "middle term memory." Subsequently, after a few days of trying/learning how to ride a bicycle, they are actually able to ride very well. But nevertheless, if asked if they ever rode a bicycle, they would not remember ever having rode a bicycle, and tell you that they can't until you challenge them to actually try. Then they might say something like, "Oh, i never knew I could do that!"

The brain was able to remember how to ride a bicycle, but not the autobiographical memory, of actually riding one!

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions :-)

Thank you for taking the survey :-)

Survey Answers

I would like to answer some of the questions that were posted on the survey.

So far, I've had 6 people look at the survey, answer the 1st question, ... and give up.

Only one person answered all 4 questions, so I'm going to try and answer one of those questions here.

The questions was, "How can neuroscience solve war and violence?"

The topic of violence is for sure an interesting, and complex one. Preventing or reducing violence is something that many people and organizations have attempted to do. While there are a number a psychological studies that have been done on violence, I would like to attempt an answer at the first part of the question, "How can neuroscience solve war?"

When I first read this question, my first reaction was, "this is not a neuroscience question, it's a political one."

Through evolution, humans have acquired very destructive characteristics. One of my psychology professor told us that humans are the most violent species on the planet. We kill for a lot of many different reasons, not just for food. But if you look at most societies today, people don't go about killing someone everyday. More importantly, most people will never kill anyone throughout their whole life. In other words, while we might be genetically inclined toward great violence and destruction, the constructs of society - our education -, is very successful at preventing the expression of such behaviors.

Now, when it comes to war, the problem is not really a genetic/biological problem. It is more of a cultural/environmental problem. Humans are really good at inhibiting a wide range of behaviors if those behaviors are socially unacceptable. These are learned inhibitions. By learned I mean that the inhibitions are learned from our environment. Babies do not hesitate to hit anything or anyone. But as someone grows older, not only at home, but everywhere, they learn that it is "bad" to hit others. In the same way, they learn that it is "really bad" to kill. Hence, most people go through life without ever killing anyone.

But most cultures do not condemn war. Almost every country on the planet has an army. Almost every country on the planet has "war heroes." Many boy stories are about brave and great warriors. Wars are culturally appraised in most countries.

The ironic thing is some parents might be anti-war and teach their children that wars are bad. And then one day, the boy might ask,"who is Napoleon?" And the parents would answer, "Oh, he was a great war hero!!" Instead of,"He was a horrible man who committed many atrocities."

Can you think of any other war general, commander, president who is considered a war "hero?" (I think you can find many).

So, my final words on the topic, for now, are: from a neuroscience perspective, killings, just like wars, are genetically "engrained" behaviors that can be totally inhibited in most people under the right educational and cultural backgrounds, through learning.

As a parallel to some punishments for murder: if you threaten any soldier about to go to war that if they go they are gonna get punished by death, as well as all there family members,... I doubt many would go.

Neuroscience Survey

Neuroscience Survey

Next quarter I will be a 4th year neuroscience major at UCLA.

Thinking I will soon be finished with my bachelor degree is at the same time exciting and a little scary.

During my time here at UCLA, I have really enjoyed my neuroscience and biological psychology classes. While the study hours are long, the material covered is really interesting.

Thinking about my place as a "Neuroscientist," I would like to know how I can help people with the knowledge that I've gained. I have only one year left here at UCLA, and I would really like to use that time to focus more on what I can give back to people after I graduate, more than one what I can gain for my personal satisfaction (which I have done for the past three years).

Neuroscience Survey

I would like to know what questions you would like answered. If you could ask a neuroscientist any question, what would it be?

I would really appreciate it if you could take this survey: Neuroscience Survey

Thank you !!! :-)