By DAVID RAKOFF Q: Your new book argues the importance of human nature in the way we think about ourselves. Why have you called it ''The Blank Slate''? The common belief is that the mind is just that, a blank slate -- that people are born with no talents or temperaments and that the entire mind is a product of culture and socialization. More specifically, the book is an attempt to confront the phobia that people have of discussions of human nature. What's at the heart of that phobia? That a biological understanding of human nature threatens fundamental values of political equality, social progress, personal responsibility and meaning and purpose. And you can't advance research in psychology without confronting these often unspoken but very powerful feelings. There are fears that if you acknowledge that people are born with anything, it implies that some people have more of it than others, and therefore it would open the door to political inequality or oppression, for example. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Development of the Brain; Evolution
Link ID: 2646 - Posted: 09.15.2002

By Jay Ingram Scientists once argued that consciousness would always remain beyond science. Most thought it was just too complicated ever to be dissected and explained. But that all changed in the 1990s. Now theories dedicated to explaining how consciousness works are common. One new one in particular shows how bold those theories have become. Just because scientists are now willing to take on consciousness doesn't mean that it's easy. It is so difficult to define that sometimes it's easier to get a sense of consciousness by thinking about life without it. When you suddenly realize that you've driven 10 kilometres along Highway 401 and can't remember one single thing that happened during that time, you've just gained an insight into life without consciousness. If you have to put it into words, it's awareness, the "inner voice" you hear and the stream of thoughts and memories that flow from the time you wake up until you're once again asleep. Despite the vagueness of the subject, experts in consciousness studies agree on the goal: to explain how the living brain creates that consciousness. In committing to this search, neuroscientists are obviously discarding the possibility that consciousness or the "mind" could exist independently from the brain. All agree that somehow the brain is responsible for consciousness. Without a living brain, you don't have it. Copyright 1996-2002. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 2645 - Posted: 09.15.2002

By Alex Green Empirical descriptions of consciousness have been available in Western literature for centuries and in Eastern literature for millennia. Western empirical descriptions are due largely to Descartes and Kant but William James and Hermann Weyl have also made important contributions. It is often maintained that no-one can define consciousness but there exists a clear empirical description of consciousness as an observation of the space, time and content of our minds (where the content contains intuitions and feelings). Perhaps the claim that no-one can define consciousness is frustration at the fact that no-one can explain consciousness. Weiskrantz (1988) considered that “Each of us will have his or her own idea of what, if anything, is meant by ‘consciousness’..” and that insisting upon a precise definition would be a mistake. Koch and Crick (1999) stated that “Consciousness is a vague term with many usages and will, in the fullness of time, be replaced by a vocabulary that more accurately reflects the contribution of different brain processes”. Is ‘consciousness’ really a “vague term” and should we each have our own idea of what it means? Copyright © Alex Green

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 2644 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Children with autism can make "outstanding progress" with a new form of treatment, researchers say. Almost all of those on a special programme run by Bristol University and funded by the city council are now able to attend a mainstream school. The South West Autism Project (SWAP), directed by Professor Alec Webster, was begun two years ago following a marked rise in the number of children in Bristol being diagnosed with autism. Data from 26 families were now available and showed "remarkable results", Prof Webster said. (C) BBC

Keyword: Autism
Link ID: 2643 - Posted: 09.14.2002

By Helen Briggs BBC News Online science reporter in Leicester Dinosaurs took part in mighty displays to attract a mate, a US scientist has proposed. The males showed off their ornate frills and crests, while the females looked on, said Scott Sampson of the Utah Museum of Natural History. There has been much debate over the purpose of the bizarre structures possessed by dinosaurs, such as horns, crests and frills. Some think they were used for temperature control - to cool or heat the blood - or as weapons. But Dr Sampson had a more prosaic explanation - sex. He argued the structures were the dinosaur's equivalent of the peacock's tail and were used to compete for a mate. The reason, he said, was that frills and horns vary widely in different dinosaur species, so were unlikely to have a single biological function. (C) BBC

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Evolution
Link ID: 2642 - Posted: 09.14.2002

By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News — American scientists have recreated for the first time a 240-million-year old protein from a dinosaur. Instead of using amber-preserved DNA, as movie scientists did in "Jurassic Park," researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Rockefeller University and Yale University used statistics and a computer program to fabricate in a test tube a protein that codes for a pigment that would have characterized the eyes of archosaurs, the ancient reptiles from which dinosaurs evolved. The pigment, called rhodopsin, was set into motion based on the scientists "inferring" its protein sequence, Thomas P. Sakmar, head of Rockefeller University's Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, wrote in the September issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Copyright © 2002 Discovery Communications Inc.

Keyword: Vision; Evolution
Link ID: 2641 - Posted: 06.24.2010

PHILADELPHIA -- A 14-year study of canine diet and health has found that dogs fed a calorie-restricted diet live a median 1.8 years longer than dogs allowed to eat more and are slower to develop chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis. The findings add to the growing body of evidence that caloric restriction in a wide range of species significantly boosts longevity. Dogs are the only large mammals -- and the closest human relatives -- for which a diet-restriction study has been completed. Similar studies involving primates are ongoing. The results, from scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, University of Illinois, Cornell University and Michigan State University, will be the subject of a Sept. 20-21 symposium in St. Louis. Partial results were published in May in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Keyword: Obesity
Link ID: 2640 - Posted: 09.14.2002

Alderley Park, UK - Results from a clinical trial presented for the first time today at Europe's largest Conference on Bipolar Disorder, reveal that Seroquel (quetiapine), a medication currently used to treat patients with schizophrenia, could offer a more effective therapy for the millions of people worldwide suffering from bipolar disorder. The results show that quetiapine, a new generation antipsychotic made by AstraZeneca, when taken in combination with mood stabilizers (lithium or divalproex), is significantly more effective at treating the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder than mood stabilizers alone. Critically, the results also show that quetiapine is well tolerated – a major consideration in the treatment of this disorder1. "Current treatment options for patients with bipolar disorder are limited. Commonly used therapies involving mood stabilizers are not effective for all patients and can be associated with troublesome side effects, such as distressing movement disorder side effects known as EPS, as well as weight gain and sexual dysfunction," commented Professor Gary Sachs, from Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, and study leader.

Keyword: Depression
Link ID: 2639 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By NICHOLAS WADE A rare natural experiment has given researchers hope of using stem cells to treat muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive wasting of the muscles. The subject of the experiment is a boy who at age 1 received a bone marrow transplant for an immune deficiency disease and at 12 was found to have a second serious genetic disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Cells from the donor of the marrow have now been detected in the boy's muscle fibers by Dr. Louis M. Kunkel, a dystrophy expert at Children's Hospital in Boston, and Dr. Kenneth Weinberg of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, a bone marrow transplant surgeon who is the boy's physician. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Stem Cells; Muscles
Link ID: 2638 - Posted: 09.13.2002

Gene screen hints at what makes stem cells special. KENDALL POWELL Two teams have found the genes that distinguish stem cells from ordinary cells1,2. The list might help scientists find new types of stem cell, and coax them to grow into replacement tissues and organs. It might also resolve arguments about the merits of different types of stem cell. "People who want to battle out which stem cell can do what, can do so by manipulating some of these genes," says developmental biologist Miguel Ramalho-Santos of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. About 200 genes are at least two to three times more active in mouse stem cells than in mature brain or blood cells, the studies found. The researchers looked at embryonic stem cells, which can give rise to all types of cell, and adult nerve and blood stem cells, which are dedicated to repairing specific tissues. © Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2002

Keyword: Stem Cells; Regeneration
Link ID: 2637 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By MIKE FREEMAN Professional boxers who fight in New York will now be required to submit to regular steroid testing, making New York the first state in the nation to test for the substance routinely, boxing officials said yesterday. "The main thing we are trying to do is protect the health of our fighters since numerous tests have shown that steroid use can damage the body," said Barry Jordan, a neurologist and the chief medical officer for the New York State Athletic Commission. "This is a significant step in that direction." Some states already test boxers for steroids but not regularly, said Jordan, who believes it is possible that other states might follow New York's lead. The rule will not apply to amateurs. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Brain Injury/Concussion; Brain imaging
Link ID: 2636 - Posted: 09.13.2002

By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News — A British geneticist has proposed a theory, which is gaining ground, as to why humans are conscious and aware. If proven correct, the theory not only would explain one of science's greatest mysteries, the "hard problem" of awareness, but it may also, in future, allow for the development of artificially intelligent, conscious computers. In a paper published in the latest issue of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, awareness is said to be generated by the brain's electromagnetic field, which is a product of the over 100 billion electrically active neurons in the brain. Copyright © 2002 Discovery Communications Inc.

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 2635 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By SANDRA BLAKESLEE Christopher Reeve, the actor who was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1995, has regained the ability to wiggle his fingers, move all his joints and sense touch all over his body by tenaciously following a grueling therapy that uses exercise and electricity to activate muscle groups, his doctor says. "He did what everybody thought was not possible," said the doctor, John W. McDonald, an assistant professor of neurology and director of the spinal cord injury program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who designed the therapy for Mr. Reeve and described it in an article in the current issue of The Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. "He had the highest level of injury and no recovery for five years. Now he's improving every day." The treatment is not a panacea, Dr. McDonald said. Mr. Reeve, 49, still must use a wheelchair and a respirator, and there is no way to predict whether he will ever walk or breathe independently. But, the doctor said, his muscles and bones are stronger, he has fewer infections and sensations of spasticity, and his quality of life has greatly improved. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Regeneration; Brain Injury/Concussion
Link ID: 2634 - Posted: 09.12.2002

DALLAS – The lasting effects of Sept. 11 on everyday citizens caused Dr. Vicki Nejtek, assistant professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, to wonder how terrorism’s aftermath impacts her vulnerable research population — patients suffering from dual diagnosis. Dual-diagnosis psychiatric patients suffer from both mental illness and drug abuse or dependence, Nejtek explained. The UT Southwestern researcher is studying bipolar disorder coupled with stimulant abuse. “Bipolar disorder, which has alternating cycles of depression and mania and/or extreme irritability, may well be associated with the highest rates of substance abuse of any psychiatric illness,” she said. © 2002 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Keyword: Depression; Stress
Link ID: 2633 - Posted: 06.24.2010

By Fern Shen The Washington Post Why do humans use only 14 percent of their brains? Actually, that's not true. Pretty much, your whole brain is functioning, all the time, even when you're asleep. But there's a popular myth that the average person uses just 10 percent — or some small fraction — of his or her brain. People who say this are usually trying to make the point that if only we used more of our brain, we could solve complex problems or perform amazing psychic feats. But that big gray blob in your skull actually is doing some amazing things already. Think of it as a complex network that's always powered-up. Different areas may be especially active at certain times, but it's always "on" — and busier than you think. Copyright © 2002 The Seattle Times Company

Keyword: Intelligence
Link ID: 2632 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Bethesda, Maryland — Elias Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the appointment of Thomas R. Insel, M.D., as director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Insel, who is currently Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, is expected to begin his appointment in mid-November. "I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Insel to NIH," said Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). "His distinguished scientific research career, and his leadership roles in shaping research in the academic arena make him well-suited to lead the NIMH." "After a thorough and careful search process, it became clear that Dr. Insel's ability to communicate a compelling vision for mental health research, his outstanding scientific record and proven leadership skills made him the natural choice for this important directorship," added Dr. Zerhouni.

Keyword: Miscellaneous
Link ID: 2631 - Posted: 06.24.2010

Actor Christopher Reeve, best known for his Superman films, can now move some fingers and toes after being paralysed in a horseriding accident in 1995. The star can feel a pin prick over most of his body and can distinguish between hot and cold, and sharp and dull sensations. His doctors said the progress could one day lead to a full recovery, something Reeve has always said would happen. The actor, 49, told People magazine, in the US, that he could feel the hugs of his wife, Dana and his three children again. "To be able to feel just the lightest touch is really a gift," he told the magazine. His doctors said Reeve had already made great progress. (C) BBC

Keyword: Regeneration; Brain Injury/Concussion
Link ID: 2630 - Posted: 09.11.2002

By ROBERT KLITZMAN, M.D. At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, from her office on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center, my sister Karen talked to her best friend. No one ever heard from Karen again. Since then, her identical twin, Donna, my older sister, Sue, my mother and I have struggled with feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt and unfairness, as we seek to find understanding and "closure." I thought my training as a psychiatrist would help, but it has been quite the opposite. The past year has forced me to cross the border from provider to patient, and it taught me how much I did not know. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company

Keyword: Depression; Stress
Link ID: 2629 - Posted: 09.11.2002

GENEVA, N.Y. -- Cornell University entomologists have unlocked an evolutionary secret to how insects evolve into new species. The discovery has major implications for the control of insect populations through disruption of mating, suggesting that over time current eradication methods could become ineffective, similar to the way insects develop pesticide resistance. The researchers, led by Wendell L. Roelofs, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Insect Biochemistry at Cornell, made the discovery while examining ways to keep European corn borers from mating, multiplying and then chewing up farmers' fields. They discovered the existence of a previously undetected gene, the delta-14, that can regulate the attractant chemicals produced in sex-pheromone glands of female borers. The gene can be suddenly switched on, changing the pheromone components that females use to attract males for mating. The entomologists have demonstrated that insects evolve chemical systems in leaps rather than in minute stages, as had been previously assumed. The researchers also discovered that there are rare males in the corn borer population -- about 1 in 200 -- capable of responding to chemicals produced by the delta-14 gene.

Keyword: Chemical Senses (Smell & Taste); Sexual Behavior
Link ID: 2628 - Posted: 09.11.2002

DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers have found that how well a male songbird learns his song affects the female's mating response - the first evidence that female birds use song-learning ability as an indicator of male quality. The study goes beyond previous such studies, which have only demonstrated that very poor or absent male songs affect female mating response. According to the scientists, the finding offers broader insight into the role that traits learned by males play in sexual success. In an article in the September 22, 2002, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences (now online), biologists led by Duke University Professor of Biology Stephen Nowicki reported studies in which they tested the mating response of female song sparrows to songs of captive-raised males. Importantly, the scientists had analyzed the males' songs in detail to determine the degree of accuracy with which the males copied songs they attempted to learn. They found that the females preferred those songs that came closest to wild-type songs they heard when young and presumably learned as models. The scientists' research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Keyword: Sexual Behavior; Learning & Memory
Link ID: 2627 - Posted: 09.11.2002