I used to think addiction was caused by screwy molecules in the brain, and would be cured by neuroscience. I began learning about how the brain works after I ended up in treatment for drug addiction in the mid-1980s, when hopes for neuroscientific cures were as overblown as the hairstyles.

My own journey away from the destructive cycle of addiction has been sourced much more by factors outside my brain

Like many at the time, I envisioned the brain as executive director of an epic drama solely responsible for the total picture of what I did, felt and thought. My specific purpose in getting a doctorate in behavioural neuroscience was to discover the neural explanation for my irrational choices around mind-altering chemicals. What was the faulty neural switch that swept away heartfelt promises or strongly held convictions in response to practically every opportunity to twist reality? I made increasingly risky and harebrained decisions, as the possibility of transient bliss in a shot of cocaine, a belly full of booze or a head in the (cannabis) clouds came to outweigh my obligations or common sense. Final exams, last chances at work, or loved ones funerals, for example, didnt stand a chance compared to hitching myself to whatever intoxicating ride I could catch. By the time I hit bottom, the choice between facing stark reality or using drugs to escape was no choice at all: cortical regulation had completely given way to subcortical impulses and habits.

Globally 35 million people are estimated to suffer from drug use disorders. The causes of this public health disaster are complicated, but it is widely accepted that about half of the contribution comes from inherited risk, and the rest an unfortunate confluence of environmental factors interacting with that biologic vulnerability.

Either way, addiction has been widely seen as an individual dilemma driven by a derelict nervous system. The sanguine view that the problem with people like me is in people like me furnishes tidy categories sick or well; normal or abnormal making those personally unaffected by the epidemic seem exempt from responsibility. Well find the misguided proteins or pathways correlated with aberrant behaviour, translate this knowledge into biomedical interventions and voila! Cured.

Aristotle thought the brains purpose was to cool the blood. Big leaps by Renaissance anatomists including Da Vinci, Broca, Vesalius and Ramn y Cajal helped map brain structures to functions, but progress has been slow due to the mind-boggling diversity among 100bn cells and their complex interactions. As a college student I learned about the brain as if it were like any other body organ and was taught that understanding the function of a few cells would suffice for explaining it in general. There is almost nothing in this simplistic view considered true today.

A clump of abnormal cells may cause a heart attack or melanoma, but substance use disorders involve large swaths of neural real estate and processes such as motivation and learning. Excising brain cells or chemicals responsible for these sorts of global functions isnt feasible, and the chance of finding a specific gene or chemical responsible for addictive behaviours is nil.

My own journey away from the destructive cycle of addiction started with factors outside my brain rather than direct biological intervention. When I began to see more clearly the terrible costs my drug use was exacting and decided to give sobriety a try, I availed myself of every tool. I benefited from clinical guidance, understanding employers, walks in the woods, shared coffee, tears and laughs with new friends in the same boat; I employed my obsessive-compulsive mind making flashcards for studying biopsychology, and relied on the healing powers of the passage of time. Each of these experiences affected my brains structure and function. This is my point. Would (yet) another pharmacological fix, electrical current targeting addictive circuits, or (coming soon, no doubt, to a clinic near you!) gene-editing strategy have been more efficient?

Biomedical research is more gung-ho than ever, but Im not holding my breath. While my loss of naive idealism has been building for a while, my perspective, along with empirical evidence, has broadened quite a bit recently. It is clear that mental health is a function of critical wider connections as much as anything else; restoring or maintaining healthy brain function is a long-term, relational endeavour. Given the brains ceaseless and boundless dance with all that is, its a good bet that we will find more efficient and effective interventions for substance use disorders through its connections than in individually focused attempts to directly modify brain activity.

In more than 30 years as a neuroscientist, my most profound lesson has been that the brain and behaviour are products of multiple interacting influences, and the most powerful of these are located outside our heads, and therefore beyond the scope of any individual control. The brain acts as a conduit for such influences to shape who we are, but is not the source; therefore addiction is a symptom of dis-ease, rather than a cause.

Judith Grisel is a behavioural neuroscientist and author of Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction

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I studied neuroscience to understand my addictions. Now I know its not the cure - The Guardian

Much is made of the power of the entrepreneur. The risk-taker, relentless in their drive to build, grow and profit from enterprise. Our culture has elevated them to the position of an all-knowing business guru, an individual born with something more than the mere mortals who toil away under the yoke of PAYE.

Youll find these individuals polluting your LinkedIn feed with their humble-brag tales of wealth creation, clawing to out-entrepreneur each other on The Apprentice and being lauded as demi-gods on DragonsDen.

But what if this perception of the entrepreneur was a false one, an image created by individuals who want us to believe that they are special, that there is something unique about them. What if it was all just a clever self-marketing ploy?

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

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How one philanthropist is using neuroscience to battle the cult of the entrepreneur - The Independent

A lecture on the neuroscience of decision-making will be held at TILDE in Beirut on December 30 at 7 pm. Dr. Albert Moukheiber, a clinical psychologist, and Dr. Samah Karaki, founder of the Social Brain Institute, will introduce a debate about whether finding common ground among the many protesters with varying views will harm the current social movement that has swept the country.

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Neuroscience of Compromise Amid Protests in Beirut - The Media Line

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The must-read brain books of 2019 featured addiction, perception, evolution, sleep, tribalism, artificial intelligence, and the power of emotional communication. The nine books on this list all reveal important, timely insights about who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

This is part two of a two-part list; the first installment is here.

The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep

By Guy Leschziner (St. Martins Press)

Well begin the second part of this list with what Im going to call the ultimate neuroscience of sleep book and I say that as someone whos read a few.What separates this book from many others is its practicality. Leschziner is a neurologist and sleep treatment specialist in London and his perspective is colored by real-world experience with patients struggling with their nighttime demons (and thats both figuratively and literally true, as some of his patients suffer from sleep-stealing demonic hallucinations). I can explain to you what coffee does to your brain at night, for example, but reading Leschziners chapter on the topic, based on a series of patient experiences back-dropped by the latest neuroscience, brings the subject into a light that only the best brain books manage to accomplish. Sleep as a health-science topic is reaching something of a saturation point in pop media, so now we need credible, detailed analysis from the perspective of specialists in the field. Thats what this book delivers and its a worthy addition to this years list.

Humanimal: How Homo Sapiens Became Natures Most Paradoxical Creature

By Adam Rutherford (The Experiment)

In the evolution of humanness category comes this brief (204-page) book thats deceptively comprehensive for being so readable. While the material it covers is a mixture of old and new, Rutherfords thesis is refreshing and (more important for anyone debating between books) his treatment of the topic is enjoyable.In a nutshell: are human beings exceptional standouts in the animal world?The list of things we used to think made us exceptional dwindles more all the time (for example, humans are the only self-aware creatures on the planet, right? ...maybe not), and were certainly not the only animals that communicate, cooperate and build together. But our cultures are more complex than any other species, and certain aspects of humanity do separate us from even the most intelligent of species. This is the human paradox, and Rutherford addresses it from several angles with examples (like the peculiarities of human sexuality) that engage and challenge. If this subject is your bag, this quick, gratifying read wont disappoint.

The Human Brain Book: An Illustrated Guide to Its Structure, Function, and Disorders (New Edition)

By Rita Carter (DK: Penguin Random House)

A few years ago I happened upon the first edition of this fantastic brain book by Rita Carter (also the author of two other great brain books, Mapping the Mind and Multiplicity), and was convinced it was the most accessible nuts-and-bolts breakdown of brain function Id seen. With the new edition in hand, Im just as convinced now. Choose any brain topic you can think of and theres a section in this book that walks through it with the latest science captured in readable prose and vivid illustrations. Carter and her co-authors (Susan Aldridge, Martyn Page and Steve Parker) left nothing untouched in this comprehensive volume, plus it has a great glossary to boot. In the one-stop-shop category, this book takes top prize for the year.

Scatterbrain: How The Minds Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful

By Henning Beck (Greystone Books)

Finishing this years list, I place this readable yet semi-technical book that argues our perfectionist leanings are totally wrong. Trying to get everything right isnt right, its a misapprehension about how our brains work. For example, forgetting things is annoying, but Beck argues (with ample recent research) that forgetting is one of the ways our brains retain and recall important information. Distraction is irritating and sometimes dangerous, but the science points to significant reasons why were so prone to being distracted by simple things, even as we miss other obvious things right in front of us.Turns out, distraction is linked to creativity in ways that wouldnt occur to us.This book covers a variety of such mistakes we make all the time that the science suggests are key to our innovation, creativity and decision-making ability.If you dont mind finding out that your everyday assumptions are probably wrong (especially if youre a perfectionist) and are open to science-based arguments for changing your thinking, this book may pique your interest and maybe help take the pressure off, if even just a little.

Part one of this list is here.

Read more here:
The Must-Read Brain Books of 2019, Part 2 - Forbes

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SWOT Analysis of Leading Contenders: Thermo Fisher Scientific (US),Abcam (UK),Bio-Rad (US),Merck KGaA (Germany),BioLegend (US),Cell Signaling Technology (US),F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland),GenScript (China),Rockland Immunochemicals (US),Santa Cruz Biotechnology (US),Siemens (Germany),Tecan (Switzerland),,

Type SegmentationConsumables (Reagents, Antibodies, Assay Kits)Instruments (Microplate Readers, Immunoassay Analyzers, Other Instruments)

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This post was originally published on Market Research Sheets

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What is the up and coming for the Neuroscience Antibodies & Assays Market? - Market Research Sheets

Patience carries a wealth of wisdom for a calm life. It has long been recognised as a human strength.

Genius is eternal patience, says Michelangelo, an Italian artist, sculptor, and painter of the High Renaissance art movement.

In our busy world, many people expect everything to happen instantaneously and become instantly aggravated when it doesnt. The smallest setbacks become a frustrating experience.

Patience is the very antidote to the stress of our fast-paced lifestyles. Patience is the ability to be calm in the face of disappointment, adversity or distress. Some people are more patient than others. But we can all work on it and improve you can learn how to do better.

With practice, you can get better at responding to adversity, and the many frustrations of with life and living it. Patience is linked to self-control, and consciously trying to regulate our emotions can help us train our self-control muscles,writesKira M. Newman, managing editor ofGreater Good.

When you are impatient, you feel rushed, stressed and unhappy nearly all the time especially if the same situation repeats over and over again.

When you are impatient, your stress hormone levels rise, which in turn triggers the flight or fight response this can lead to a panic attack or an anxiety attack and generally a whole host of negative consequences on your health.

Impatience can also lead to snap judgments and decisions. People who lack patience are unable to delay gratification for more than the moment, which fills them with frustration.

Patience puts you in direct control of yourself. When you practice patience, you wont lose your temper for the smallest mistakes at home, or at work.

When youre patient, youre calmer, so youre able to keep persisting when its difficult and youre not prey to goal disengagement, she says. Youre able to know when to act and when to conserve energy, saysSarah A. Schnitker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University.

Patience increases your threshold of tolerance it gives you the foresight to expect setback on your path and to deal with them calmly.

Astudyon the examination of patience and well-being found that patience as a personality trait is modifiable. The program led to increased patience, decreased depression, and increased positive affect relative to a control condition, suggesting that patience may be modifiable, Schnitker concluded.

If you find yourself getting frustrated and stressed more than youd like, some of these ideas might help you control your emotions.

First, identify your triggers. Some people are impatient around other people while some people may react to situations or objects.

Which situations set you off careless drivers, technological glitches, slow printers, slow-moving cashiers, etc. When you know what everyday scenarios that frustrate you, you can start changing your behaviour and apply positive changes in your life thatll help you gain patience.

Reframe how you think about the situation. What do you tell yourself when are faced with a setback? It pays yo to evaluate the risk properly without overexaggerating the consequences.

Theres something that youre either saying to yourself, an image you have, a feeling in your body that is triggering that response, that youre under threat, argues M.J. Ryan, executive coach and author ofThe Power of Patience: How This Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life.

The things we tell ourselves in an uncomfortable situation determines our next response or action. Once you figure out what youre telling yourself about the situation I cant be bothered to wait in this line, for example then you can address your internal concern, interrupt the stress response cycle and stay out of fight-or-flight mode,saysAnna Goldfarb of New York Times.

Reframe the situation differently. Instead of dwelling on your irritation, think about something productive you will do with your time later in the day. Letting go of your frustration in this way will instantly make you feel better

Think with your purpose in mind. Remember the benefits and importance of controlling your emotions or frustrations practicing patience in everyday situations will not only make life more pleasant in the present but might also help pave the way for a more satisfying future.

In other situations that dont require immediate response, example when you are angry or caught up in an argument, walk it off. Walking away from the situation allows you to think clearly, and refocus so that you can come back with a clear head and face the situation without fear of losing your temper.

Keep practicing. Getting control takes time. You can use other exercises like running, joining a sports group as a release outlet.

Keep identifying your triggers (you can even start a journal to keep track of situations that cause an impatient reaction) and keep applying the techniques here to manage your impatience.

If you do it on a daily basis and then also connect it to that bigger picture story of why its important, it can grow and develop just like a muscle, says Dr Schnitker.

Getting more patient involves conscious thoughts. Your capacity to alter your responses to adhere to better values in life will improve if you are mindful of your emotional discomfort.

This article first appeared on Medium.

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How to be a more patient person and why it matters - Ladders

The studys author, Professor of Neuroscience Mark Mattson, has been fasting intermittently for nearly 30 years. He says Intermittent Fasting can do more than help you lose weight. It can reduce high cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation while increasing memory, cognition and and resistance to disease. He explains, Intermittent fasting enhances the ability of cells to cope with stress.

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Study looks at intermittent fasting as weight loss option for the New Year - KLTV