Category Archives: Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Neuroscience Market Predicted to Accelerate the Growth by 2019-2029 – News Parents

Advances in neuroscience research pivot on relentless urge of researchers to understand relationships between neural structures, function, and behaviour. Over the past few decades, a wide slew of neuroimaging technologies have come to the fore, expanding the horizon of the neuroscience market. In conjunction with a growing body of animal models and in vitro studies, human neuroimaging studies have been key enabler for neuroscience research. Neuroscientists have leveraged wide spectrum of computational modelling, machine learning models, and data analytics to understand the aforementioned relationships, propelling new avenues in the neuroscience market.

Get Sample Copy of the Report for more Industry Insights @https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=6243

U.S. and European Countries Research Hotspots

Interest of the governments around the world in reducing the burden of neurological diseases, including Alzheimers disease, dementia, and Parkinsons disease, has swelled substantially. Other exciting research avenues comprise headache disorders and epilepsy. Such initiatives notably include translational research and are stridently underpinning the expansion of opportunities in the neuroscience market over the decade. Particularly, the U.S. and European countries have appeared as major research hotspots. Majorly, the research is focused on identifying and testing range of cost-effective interventions, which majorly comprise population-based interventions and pharmacological interventions.

However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the lack of resources has led to a gap in neuroscience research to understand the epidemiology and aetiologies of neurological diseases. Further social stigma associated with psychiatric disorders are also a major roadblock in the research in neuroscience in such countries. This will create fresh streams of revenue for incumbent top shots in the neuroscience market. On the other hand, emerging economies such as China with rising per capital health expenditure have begun committing sizable funds in neuroscience research.

A large part of the research initiatives hinge around whole-brain imaging of neural circuits. The whole-brain imaging among all technologies hold a promising share in the global neuroscience market. Tellingly whole-brain imaging, neuro-microscopy and electrophysiology are likely to become staple for researchers. Neuroscientists around the world are particularly fascinated by the prospect of high-resolution projectome maps to understand the human brain.

Research in Optogenetics Gathering Steam to Unlock Novel Therapies in Neurological Disorders

The discovery of novel therapies of neurodegenerative diseases has gained drive from advances in optogeneticsmainly through the use of light-sensitive proteins. The neuroscience market has benefitted from advances being made in optical stimulation methods. These are being increasingly preferred to pharmaceutical and electrical methods and also among other brain stimulation techniques, the reason having to do with their marked accuracy and less adverse effect on tissues. The market is thus likely to draw sizable research funding in the application of these methods with the focus on understanding brain circuitries related to different psychiatric and neurological disorders, and hence finding novel treatments approaches.

Researchers have been increasingly been harnessing opsin toolbox in vivo experiments. Advent of optogenetic microelectrocorticography has opened a new frontier in this regard.

Get Discount on Latest Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=D&rep_id=6243

Multidisciplinary Investigations in Exercise Neuroscience Growing

New initiatives in exercise-induced brain plasticity form the fodder for non-pharmacological therapeutic and genetic research in the neuroscience market. The drive stems increasingly from the need for promoting brain fitness. Multidisciplinary investigations have further improved the understanding of brain plasticity, expanding avenues in exercise neuroscience. They are harnessing functional ultrasound imaging technologies to this end. Moreover, advances in cellular and molecular neuroscience have broadened the horizon of neuroscience research in recent years, thereby catalyzing growth in the neuroscience market. Further, a new frontier social neuroscience is gathering traction among proponents offering technologies for behavior analysis.

About TMR Research:

TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.

Originally posted here:
Neuroscience Market Predicted to Accelerate the Growth by 2019-2029 - News Parents

Neuroscience

Neuroscience Suggests that Virtues are the Basis of Wisdom, Says Dr Howard Rankin – PRNewswire

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C., Feb. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve ofLent there is growing scientific evidence that virtues are the basis of wisdom. In his recent book, I Think Therefore I Am Wrong: A Guide to Bias, Political Correctness, Fake News and the Future of Mankind, Dr Howard Rankin shines light on the human thought process and shows it often to be seriously flawed. Referencing dozens of cognitive biases, binary thinking and absurd simplicity, Rankin not only describes the process but the reasons uncritical thinking is rampantand how itaffects many areas of the culture like education and healthcare.

A culture of reality-show emotionalism and egocentrism has contributed to the abandonment of critical thinking as have educational practices. Emotion almost always rules the narrative so the key to more objectivity is emotional awareness and control, writes Rankin.

"Wisdom is the recognition of complexity and the limits of knowledge," says Rankin.

How do you teach people to not just be more aware of these fundamental limitations of the human mind but also improve their thought processes?

"All the wise people of the past have suggested that virtue is the basis of wisdom. Now we are beginning to understand why," says Rankin.

Research over the recent past has shown a reciprocal relationship between wisdom and virtues, often perceived as greater self-awareness and a retreat from egotism. Research of those practicing virtues, like compassion and forgiveness, often shows an increase in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for planning and emotional regulation, and a reduction in the areas of the brain associated with emotion, like the amygdala.

"There's no question that the virtues, like humility, compassion and forgiveness involve emotional regulation and a reduction in egotism, which is exactly what is required of wisdom," says Rankin whose book outlines 20 core virtues and ways to engage in them.

"Being smart is not the same as being wise. Knowing facts is one thing, but awareness of the limitations of thinking is quite another. In that sense altruism is more important than algebra, compassion more important than chemistry and humility more important than history," says Rankin.

Referencing the future of mankind, Rankin expresses concerns that the continued drive towards egotism and the abandonment of critical thinking will lead to disaster. He cites research into the collapse of societies which shows that cognitive bias, egotism, and environmental change, have often been a prelude to disastrous collapse.

As Rankin writes in his book Power Talk: The Art of Effective Communication, "People aren't logical, they're psychological, often with the emphasis on the psycho."

Now, there is confirmation that by doing good, we can help ourselves as well as others.

Dr. Rankin's book can be found here. bit.ly/2lSHU7U

Dr. Rankin also hosts the How Not To Think podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/730841

Contact: Howard RankinEmail: 234230@email4pr.com Ph: 843.247.2980 http://www.IthinkthereforeIamwrong.com

SOURCE Dr Howard Rankin

See the original post:
Neuroscience Suggests that Virtues are the Basis of Wisdom, Says Dr Howard Rankin - PRNewswire

Neuroscience

ReadCoor, Inc. Unveils True Spatial Sequencing Platform to Drive Groundbreaking Insights into Immuno-oncology, Neuroscience, and Infectious Disease -…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReadCoor, Inc., a company leading true multi-omic spatial sequencing, today unveils its first product line, including multi-omic spatial sequencing assays and the RC2 instrument. The platform is powered by ReadCoors proprietary FISSEQ (Fluorescent in situ Sequencing) technology, which combines the massive multiplexity of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-resolution tissue imaging. The fully integrated platform is now available for use by researchers through ReadCoors Select Release Program (SRP), focusing on initial applications in immuno-oncology, neuroscience, and infectious disease, as well as a custom offering. ReadCoor has increased its Series B investment round to $30 million to accelerate commercial efforts.

The new platform simultaneously detects tens to thousands of RNA and DNA sequences, proteins, and therapeutic molecules at nanoscale 3D resolution in every cell within an intact tissue sample. The key products launched today are:

We firmly believe our true multi-omic sequencing technology will have a dramatic impact on medicine and healthcare, and this motivates us to provide researchers products that offer unprecedented and meaningful insights into human biology, said Richard Terry, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technical Officer, and Founder of ReadCoor. Our Select Release Program serves as the foundation for researchers to develop new therapeutics and treatments to ultimately improve patient care.

Users within the SRP can use ReadCoors initial applications to support their specific research interests. The applications offer the following capabilities:

About ReadCoor, Inc.

ReadCoor is a technology company offering the first true spatial multi-omic platform to the global audience of researchers, clinicians, pharma and diagnostics companies to expand understanding of human biology and facilitate the creation of new therapeutics for patients. The companys RC2 platform simultaneously detects and reads the sequences of tens to thousands of RNA, DNA, proteins and therapeutics and visualizes sub-cellular nanoscale 3D resolution in every cell throughout any tissue section. The platform is based on ReadCoors proprietary Fluorescent in situ Sequencing (FISSEQ) technology, which combines the massive multiplexity of next generation sequencing (NGS) and high-resolution tissue imaging. Learn more at http://www.readcoor.com.

Originally posted here:
ReadCoor, Inc. Unveils True Spatial Sequencing Platform to Drive Groundbreaking Insights into Immuno-oncology, Neuroscience, and Infectious Disease -...

Neuroscience

Award-winning Sheffield neuroscientists honoured at Buckingham Palace reception – University of Sheffield News

21 February 2020

Neuroscience research at the University of Sheffield has been recognised for the real benefits it is delivering to the public in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace (Thursday 20 February 2020).

The University was presented with the Queens Anniversary Prize (QAP) medal and scroll by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

The prize is the fifth awarded to the University of Sheffield, and recognises the work that the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) at the University does to improve patient outcomes for people living with some of the most devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

Achievements highlighted by the award included:

Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, Director of SITraN and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, said: This prize recognises the University of Sheffield as a centre for excellence in neuroscience research and teaching, where our researchers are making life-changing discoveries and progress in treating some of the most devastating neurological diseases, making a real difference to patients lives.

As well as making life-changing discoveries today, we are also nurturing the next generation of talented neuroscience students, whose research will lead to pioneering treatments for those living with neurological diseases in the future.

We hope this award will help inspire confidence in patients and their families, research partners and donors, as we continue to make discoveries that deepen the understanding of neurological diseases and open up the potential for new treatments and therapies.

SITraNs vision is to harness the rapidly emerging, exciting developments in neuroscience to translate into new treatments and improved quality of life for patients with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinsons Disease, MND, Alzheimers Disease, MS and Dementia.

The centre - considered a world-leader in neuroscience research - will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. Its work forms part of the University of Sheffields Neuroscience Institute, which aims to bring academics together from across medicine, science and engineering to translate scientific discoveries from the lab into pioneering new treatments.

Sir Damon Buffini, Chairman of the Royal Anniversary Trust, said: It has been fantastic to celebrate the 13th Round of Prize-winners at Buckingham Palace alongside TRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The Royal Anniversary Trust showcased the exceptional, innovative and impactful work of our colleges and universities throughout the UK. We look forward to seeing how the work develops and progresses over the coming years!

The University of Sheffield

With almost 29,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the worlds leading universities.

A member of the UKs prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

The rest is here:
Award-winning Sheffield neuroscientists honoured at Buckingham Palace reception - University of Sheffield News

Neuroscience

Three Reasons Why Most Healthy Food May Not Improve Your Productivity, and What Actually Will – Thrive Global

If you have some level of interest in health consciousness, youve probably read You are what you eat! somewhere more than once in your life.

And while theres definitely some truth to these sayings, we seem to have abandoned some of the key components of neuroscience that illustrate our bodies innate ability to perform, increase mental acuity, and focus under the right conditions, independent of the food we choose to consume.

Thats not to say that I recommend inhaling a large pepperoni pizza and three pints of chunky ice cream tonight (well, maybe just one pint). Food is important, and its associations with our productivity and well-being can be significant but when your body is experiencing incoherence from negative emotions or thought patterns, the benefits of nutrition become marginal.

Most people spend 70% of their time stuck in the emotional hormones of stress. The problem is that these hormones trigger the immune system to shut down and push blood from our core to our extremities.

In other words, we move from a state of homeostasis to fight-or-flight. And although the fight-or-flight response is excellent if you are being chased by a T-rex, it is incredibly damaging to stay in that state for long periods of time.

So if you are drinking green juice and taking vitamin shots, but spend the rest of your day stressing about your exs new partner, the likelihood of absorbing nutrients decreases by up to 80%.

Regardless of any potential association between food and productivity, your body is significantly less capable of utilizing these advantages under the hormones of stress.

How you think, feel, and act on a daily basis is based on 95% subconscious neurological programs. More specifically, the vast majority of your behaviors are on autopilot and you arent aware of them.

When youre programmed into low-level emotions like stress, fear, depression, unworthiness, and so on, youre likely to inhabit behaviors that correspond to those emotions; like self-sabotage, procrastination, and erratic or poor decision making.

And yet, you may continue to eat salads with avocado diligently for lunch every day. But if your programmed thoughts and behaviors breed a lack of focus, your lunchtime salads likely wont make a dent in your productivity.

Some of the latest research in neuroscience shows that having incoherence between the heart and brain due to negative emotions compromises your focus, and has a direct negative effect on your digestive system.

Incoherence is when your body sends disordered signals between the heart and brain, like an angry child scribbling on a piece of paper.

For example, if youre in the shower and you start thinking about the driver that cut you off and flipped you the bird, youre probably having an incoherent signal between your heart and brain.

And since these negative emotions can impair your digestive system too, eating healthy food isnt going to help your mental focus anyway.

So if youre about to go to your cranky mother-in-laws house for dinner, you might want to fantasize about winning a lottery ticket before reaching for the steamed broccoli.

Whether its derived from the hormones of stress, your neurological program, or incoherence between the heart and brain, its clear that negative emotions tamper your brain and body and prevent productivity, independent of nutrition.

So now what?

Well, Im going to show you the number one strategy that helps combat these barriers so that you can not only get the most from your nutrition, but also use neurological rewiring to double your results.

Ready for it?

its called meditation.

I know, its a little disappointing. You thought it would be a cool new technology, a supplement, or something more sophisticated right?

Thats the point: most of us are looking for something outside of us to solve an underlying issue inside of us.

I meet many over-achievers who believe that meditation just isnt for them or that somehow its for someone with a certain set of characteristics different from their own.

But the truth is, meditation is one of the top ways to get beyond yourself, rewire your negative programs, and substantially reduce or eliminate stress.

So if youre stuck in a pattern of unproductivity and the green juice doesnt seem to be doing you any good, I challenge you to give meditation a go what do you have to lose?

Excerpt from:
Three Reasons Why Most Healthy Food May Not Improve Your Productivity, and What Actually Will - Thrive Global

Neuroscience

funded effort may help people with intellectual disability participate in clinical studies – National Institutes of Health

Media Advisory

Monday, February 24, 2020

The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery an assessment of cognitive functioning for adults and children participating in neuroscience research c an be adapted to people with intellectual disabilities by modifying some test components and making accommodations for the test-takers disabilities, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. The adaptations ensure that the battery can be used to assess the cognitive ability of people with intellectual disabilities who have a mental age of 5 years and above, providing objective measures that could be used in a wide variety of studies.

The research team, led by David Hessl, Ph.D., of the University of California Davis Medical Center, published their findings in Neurology. The work was funded by NIHs Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, as well as the Administration for Community Living.

The battery is administered on a computer tablet and measures memory, vocabulary, reading and executive functioning, which includes skills such as the ability to shift from one thought to another, pay attention and control impulses. The researchers adapted the battery by reducing the complexity of the instructions and including developmentally appropriate starting points. They also developed a structured manual to guide test administrators.

The researchers validated the battery and its modifications by assessing 242 people ages 6 through 25 with fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome or other disabilities. They found that the battery produced reliable and valid results for those with a mental age of 5 years and above. The authors called for additional research to adapt the battery to people with lower mental ages and to older adults with intellectual disability who may be experiencing cognitive decline or dementia.

Alice Kau, Ph.D., of the NICHD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch is available for comment.

Shields, R et al. Validation of the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery in intellectual disability. Neurology. 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000009131.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

###

Continue reading here:
funded effort may help people with intellectual disability participate in clinical studies - National Institutes of Health

Neuroscience

Canadian actor Hamza Haq on yearning for roles rooted in reality – The Globe and Mail

Canadian actor Hamza Haq seen in CTV's medical drama Transplant.

Fabrice Gaetan

From an extra who blends into the background to the lead character in the new CTV medical drama Transplant, Hamza Haq has slowly and steadily worked his way up in an industry known for its fickleness. There were tough moments in between, especially when he decided not to play characters simply labelled as terrorist, turning down gigs that came with substantial paycheques.

As an actor, hes most interested in storytelling that goes beyond the facade, where fiction is based on a dose of reality. In Transplant, Haq plays Bashir Bash Hamed, a Syrian doctor with experience working in a war zone, now trying to make a new life for himself and his young sister in Canada. Although he starts off as an immigrant working in a Lebanese restaurant, circumstances soon see him get a residency in the ER at Torontos fictional York Memorial Hospital.

In some ways, the story mirrors Haqs own family history. His parents an engineer father and organic chemist mother moved from Pakistan to Canada via Saudi Arabia to provide a better future for their kids, and still work in jobs that dont account for their educational training.

Story continues below advertisement

The Globe and Mail caught up with Haq, 29, on the phone, shortly before he stepped onto the red carpet at the 70th Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) for the opening night film, My Salinger Year. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Philippe Falardeau, the film stars Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver, as well as Haq.

How is Berlin treating you?

Its cool. The hotel is great. I came in yesterday on an overnight flight, and I couldnt sleep. My childhood buddy from Ottawa happens to be in Amsterdam. He just met me here, we ordered room service and fell asleep by 7:30 p.m. So, really livin it up!

I was reading an article about you, and it said that as the youngest of four siblings, you were often the entertainer for the family. How so?

My role in the family has been comic relief for a very long time. At family weddings or anything like that, when everyone else was a little shy, it would be like, Hamza, get up and dance. And I always enjoyed that. We grew up on Bollywood, mimicking that choreography. For a cousins wedding, I memorized a whole dance routine. That was my first gig. I was seven.

Then you ended up studying neuroscience at Carleton University before switching to accounting. You graduated with a degree in film studies and law. Why neuroscience to start?

You know doctor, lawyer, engineer. To become one of those things, sure, was expected. But I just needed context. I wanted to understand degenerative brain disease more. As first-generation immigrants, our parents are living longer than their parents, but as a result they are having to deal with things people in their family never had to deal with like dementia and Alzheimers. And I thought neuroscience gave the correct context to me as to why I would spend my life studying this thing. But I ended up taking up acting to study for life instead.

Story continues below advertisement

Now that youve ended up playing a doctor on a TV series, how did your family react?

Everybody made that joke. It was inevitable, really. Youre a brown actor. Youre going to play a doctor eventually. It was cool to do it in this capacity, with the narrative that we have.

Another role that brown actors often end up auditioning for is that of a terrorist. After a while you decided to turn down those roles. Why?

Terrorism in the Muslim world does exist, but the way its portrayed, theres no truth behind the character. If I were approached to do somebody who was being radicalized, or had any more context than, Oh yeah, hes Muslim if I were given an opportunity to tell that story of how one becomes that way, and the dangers of things that lead people that way, Id be happy to tell that story.

I had played Arab bad guys, and I was tired of getting the note that, Yeah, but a little bit more angry, a little bit more Arab. You know, more Arab!

For the role of Bash, or Dr. Bashir Hamed, you had to learn Arabic, speak in a dialect. Tell me about rounding out this character.

Story continues below advertisement

[Transplants creator and writer] Joseph Kay and I have done this before for another role, trusting the information that I bring to the table, and also doing an insane amount of research. We had so many great consultants on the show, from Syrian refugees to doctors.

I even had a personal trainer, and he turned out to be a Syrian refugee. I love that, I love being involved and bringing forth characters that are based on truth. Before we add a layer of fiction, if there isnt a foundation of truth, theres no point in telling the story. I only hope I am fortunate enough to find other roles that allow me the same process.

How else did you prepare for this role?

We had many great medical consultants, like Dr. Zachary Levine at Montreal General. We went to boot camp to learn how to hold instruments properly, how best to look competent. I thought it was a lot of fun. Ive always had an aptitude for science, and a base level interest. It was really cool for me to have that hands-on experience. And to see a life that could have been! And who knows, could still be.

You started off as an extra, and now youre the lead actor in a medical drama. Do you feel like youve made it?

Ill give myself some credit, for working hard, and not listening to those uncles and aunties who said, Maybe you should get a real job. But Ill give most of the credit to my immigrant parents, who came to Canada to provide opportunities to their kids that they never had.

Story continues below advertisement

Transplant debuts on CTV on Feb. 26, at 9 p.m. EST.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Plan your screen time with the weekly What to Watch newsletter, with film, TV and streaming reviews and more. Sign up today.

See more here:
Canadian actor Hamza Haq on yearning for roles rooted in reality - The Globe and Mail

Neuroscience

A deeper look into the mind of a criminal: using brain scans for insanity defense – WJBF-TV

In this day oftechnology, lawyers and doctors are attempting to use brain scan to look intothe mind of criminals. Think MRIs, think PET scans that look at peoples brainsand try to figure out why they commit crimes. Is that useful? Is that somethingthat we could depend on in a trial? Well talk about it. Speaking of trials,how about neurolaw? It is really making headlines lately and it has to do withtrying to use the discoveries of neuroscience and try to apply them in a legalsetting. Well talk about how useful neurolaw is and if its something thatcould continue to make headway in the future. And internet-based data, whatdoes that mean? That means what if somebody posts something that is somewhatsketchy and then later they become the next mass shooter. Should we have seenthose red flags in those social media posts? We cant think of a better personto tackle all of those difficult subjects with than MCG Forensic Psychologist,Dr. Michael Vitacco, a Means Report veteran.

Brad Means: Dr.Vitacco, thanks as always for coming back.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thanks for having me.

Brad Means: Well,lets take a look at this imaging that I talked about. That was the firstbullet point we saw on our screen.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yes, sir.

Brad Means: Is itpossible to take a photograph of someones brain and see if they are going tobe a criminal or to see what made them commit a crime?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yeah, thats a really emerging topic within the idea of neuroscience.

Brad Means: Yeah.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:And what has been going on is that some of these applications have been used inexactly that manner. The problem with this is that many of them are being usedincorrectly. And people are using images to make these sort of assertions youjust spoke about, like hey, this helps us understand this or this leads tothis, when in fact, the science is not quite there yet. So a lot of thesetopics are actually, and these technologies are being misused. And thatswhere, as a scientist and a forensic psychologist, we want to kind of put thebrakes on some of these things and make sure were using it appropriately andcorrectly in scientifically backed manners.

Brad Means: Forpeople who support this, do they look for plaque or irregularities in the humanbrain and say, ah, there you see, criminal.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thats exactly what they do. They look for primarily irregularities ordifferent things, but the problem there with that is those irregularities arepresent in many people, including many people who never commit a crime. Andbecause of that, just because an individual has a specific or atypical brainissue, it ultimately tells you very, very little. And it tells you almost nothingabout their motive or different things like that which, when we get to the whyis one of the most critical things we can think of.

Brad Means: Is itstill too early in this, or are we already seeing things like this beadmissible in court, a PET scan image, an MRI image, where the judge isaccepting it into evidence?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Well, thats exactly a huge point. Its being accepted often without the judgeor the trier of fact giving it appropriate vetting. So often, its beingadmitted, and sometimes its being admitted wrongly.

Brad Means: So isit fair to say that what weve been talking about so far falls under thisneurolaw umbrella?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yeah, neurolaws exactly kind of the name for it. Its a subtype ofneuroscience, where neuroscience is being specifically applied to legal issues.And so neurolaw, and theres centers all over the country. So theyre trying tomake strides in this way, but unfortunately, in many applications, it is beingmisused.

Brad Means: Itseems like there would be a substantial amount of money to be made in thisfield.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:There is absolutely a substantial lot of money and theres also backing fromdonors who want to get their scans or their particular equipment into this areabecause in civil lawsuits or various things, it can become quite lucrative. AndI think thats fine, Im not speaking anything directly against that, but weneed to make sure that we have the appropriate scientific backing before weengage in these types of leaps when we talk about what the brain images showand what they actually mean regarding human behavior.

Brad Means: Whatwill it take to get there, more trials, years and years of research?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thats exactly right. We need to have years and years of research. We need tohave strongly regulated scientific studies, like anything, and we need to thenshow, in replication, where we kind of repeat whats been done, that thesestudies are actually showing us what they are.

Brad Means: Wevetalked before about the insanity defense.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yes.

Brad Means: Andso I wanna talk about that and regardless of what an imaging machine shows, howyou could determine if someone is insane. Whats the definition of insanity?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Right, so insanity is, the kind of colloquial definition is where you have amental illness, a serious and severe mental illness and because of that illnessyou dont understand right from wrong at the time.

Brad Means: Okay.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:So thats kind of what all states tend to use.

Brad Means: Themental illness component has to be present.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Has to be present first and then, that it leads to someone not understandingright from wrong.

Brad Means: Okay,so you cant have one without the other. In other words, you know, every childunder the age of three is not insane.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:No.

Brad Means: Theydont know right or wrong.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:But they dont know right from wrong.

Brad Means: Butyou have to have the mental illness there.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Right.

Brad Means: Allright, so how do you go about concluding that before youre called as an expertwitness to say, look my recommendation is that you consider this person insane.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Well, and it happens very rarely, but what we try to do is look at totalevidence thats available. And really also it kind of gets into motives. Wewant to know if someone is mentally ill, why did they do what they did? Forexample, someone can have a mental illness, get angry at someone and act out.And thats not insane, thats just someone whos angry versus someone who has amental illness maybe thinks someone is after them and because of that mentalillness and then acts against that. And thats more of a prototypical, regulardefinition of what insanity looks like.

Brad Means: Sowhen you get involved in those forensic psychological interviews take place inyour office or in the jail cell, are you looking for someone who, are youlooking to determine is someone has been insane their entire lives or iftheyre just insane at the time of the offense?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Well it only matters really at the time at the offense.

Brad Means: Thatsall youre concerned about. Thats all they want you to look at.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yes.

Brad Means: Andyou said more times than not, you dont recommend insanity.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:By far, by probably 95, 90% of the time we dont recommend insanity.

Brad Means: Why,most people arent insane?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Most people are not insane. Most people when they do something, even if itsnot understandable, even if its heinous, even if we cant understand it, theystill understood that what they were doing was against the law and against themorals of society.

Brad Means: Howquickly can you tell if someone is trying to dupe you and what do you look for?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Well, you look for patterns of behavior over the course of time. So if there isa history of such things its very evident. Its very hard to have a longstanding mental illness and it never shows up anywhere.

Brad Means: Right.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Theres always some kind of evidence that that is apparent.

Brad Means: Determiningif someone can tell right from wrong seems like a huge, daunting task.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:It can be.

Brad Means: Evenif the mental illness is there. So lets say youve got that part checked offand now youre going to the, do you know right from wrong part. Other than themtelling you that they dont know right from wrong, how do you determine that? Abunch of questions?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:A bunch of questions and then often what we do, I mean, many more times thannot is we talk to people who saw the crime. And now days we often get just aton of video evidence. Its almost hard to walk anywhere or go anywhere nowwhere theres not video evidence of where you are, cell phone evidence and justa variety of things. And we take all that together and we sort of disentangleit to try to get as close of a picture as possible of this persons behaviorand then the ultimate motives for such a behavior.

Brad Means: Is itpossible in the course of this brief interview together for you to kind of showme what it looks like and say look, heres one time when I determined that thisperson was insane because they said this to me. Or there was a moment in theinterview when I thought, okay this is officially an insane person.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yeah theres never one moment. Its usually a, several moments kind of puttogether. So and often like you kow, were going to talk to people around themso, how were acting the day it happened? How were they acting before thathappened? Were they calm, were they agitated? And you collect all this data andthat really helps inform our opinions of someones actual mental state at thetime of the offense.

Brad Means: Wetalked earlier about these images, that neuroalaw outlets are using.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yeah, right.

Brad Means: Andtheyre becoming more and more popular. I know youre among the naysayers. Butdoes a criminals brain look different in some cases than others? Ive heardthat pedophiles might have tumors

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Sure.

Brad Means: andthats a way to know that they are a pedophile or might become one. Does thecriminal brain sometimes actually look different?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:So we actually just published a paper in neuroethics on this topic of insanitydefense and neurolaw. And there has been some evidence where, for example,there as a case where a teacher started having sexual urges towards a child.And through the course of a bunch of evaluations, they actually found a tumorpressing on it, and when that was removed, he kind of went back to not havingthese urges. Whats really important to note about that is that even while thistumor was present he was taking major steps to hide his behavior, to concealinappropriate actions, to avoid his wife, and to hide some of these thoughts hewas having. When somebodys going through such pains to hide their behavior,that they know is illegal, that really suggests that they, despite the factthat they were having a hard time stopping themselves that they understood whatthey were doing was wrong. So even the fact that that tumor was present, stilldid not indicate that he did not understand the difference between right andwrong.

Brad Means: Sure,that behavior might have been there anyway.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:It could have been. But the mere fact that they were taking such steps to hideit and going through very elaborate processes was very informative. And even aswe talked about the specific case, provided real thorough evidence despite thefact that there was a brain issue, that the individual still understood rightfrom wrong. And thats one of the primary limitations of neurolaw is it doesntget at that motive and that ability to sort of get at the ultimate behaviorthat speaks to the issue.

Brad Means: Whenwe come back, were going to talk about some cases that have been in the newslately and why certain criminals may have behaved the way they did. As wecontinue our discussion with forensic psychologist, Dr. Michael Vitacco on TheMeans Report.

Part 2

Brad Means: Welcomeback to The Means Report. We appreciate your staying with us as we continue togo into the mind of a criminal, delve deeply into the mind of a criminal. Wecovered insanity and what it takes to make that determination in our firstsegment. And what good are brain images when it comes to looking at the mind ofa criminal. Dr. Michael Vitacco, forensic psychologist from Augusta Universitystill with us. Sometimes when youre watching those CSI type shows on TV youllsee criminal being interviewed, interrogated.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Right.

Brad Means: Andyoull see on the screen an image of their brain and the interviewer is tryingto see how those brain waves react or respond to certain images or questions.Is that realistic?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Its somewhat realistic.

Brad Means: Yeah.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:But the behavior that can be gleaned from that and the overall insights of thatbehavior based on those brain waves is still very, very limited. So you know,some of these brain imaging tools they have have also now been used as liedetectors and things. And again different areas of your brain will activate.But even some of that information has been called into serious question.

Brad Means: Areyou a lie detector fan?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:We dont use it in our practice.

Brad Means: Yeah.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:No, but even so, in fact its often not even admissible in criminal trials soagain those are things where we have to really improve our science before westart relying on such information especially when were talking about someonesfreedom. You know, these are high stakes sometimes.

Brad Means: Idont want to burst anybodys bubble, especially Marlena Wilson, our executiveproducer and director who loves CSI type shows. But I bet you sit there andshake your head a lot and say, thats not really how it works.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:That happens all the time.

Brad Means: Itdoes.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:And especially to where you know we see all these things being happen within ina very small period of time. You know we have evidence, convictions, trials,and its all done in 45 minutes plus commercials. Thats just not how lifeworks. Often these things go on for years.

Brad Means: Whatsthe difference between a sociopath and a psychopath?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thats the same sort of thing is that sociopath is an older term. It really meanssomeone who is antisocial and sort of lacks the ability and doesnt truly care.They lack emotions.

Brad Means: Okay.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Especially regarding other people.

Brad Means: Isthat a form of mental illness?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:No, not by a legal definition.

Brad Means: Notby a legal definition.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Right, being a psychopath does not excuse you from criminal behavior.

Brad Means: Weveseen a couple of cases in the news recently. We saw just this past week beforethe recording of this Means Report a tragic case out of South Carolina, asix-year-old girl

Dr. Michael Vitacco:I saw that.

Brad Means: whosebody was found. A mans body was found next to her, a 30-year-old man. Thepresumption is that he killed her and then killed himself.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thats right.

Brad Means: Takeme through the killing yourself part of things. What would be the benefit orgoal of a criminal, and were not convicting him. Were just using this as anexample because the case is in its early stages. of committing a heinous actagainst a child and then killing yourself never to be able to do that again. Whatsthat mindset and might that person have been determined insane one day?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Yeah, so let me give, caveat this. I only know this from the news. Ive notinterviewed anyone so these are very speculative answers.

Brad Means: Absolutely,and my question too, I think I just told you all I know about it.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Right so I dont know this particular case or what motivated him. I mean itspossible he felt tremendous guilt and he did it. Its also possible he didntwant to get caught and realized that his life was practically over anyway.Theres again several motives that could have come from that behavior. And itwould take a much deeper dive into his psychology and where his head was atwhich could be done if it was needed. But I think, safe to say, there was somesignificant problems with that individual.

Brad Means: Wesaw Dylann Roof in the headlines a few years ago out of Charleston, the massshooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Thats right.

Brad Means: Hehad some disturbing social media posts.

Dr. Michael Vitacco:He did.

Brad Means: Andso that brings me to my next topic which is can social media posts be redflags, and how would you know when they cross the line between just an angryperson and a criminal?

Dr. Michael Vitacco:Well more and more now days in my field and across the board is were gettingsocial media posts, instant messages as part of our discovery packet. When youconsider over 70% of Americans engage in some sort of social media use, Icertainly do, I assume you might have a Facebook page.

Brad Means: I do,yeah.

Continue reading here:
A deeper look into the mind of a criminal: using brain scans for insanity defense - WJBF-TV

Neuroscience

Why We Fail To Reach Goals: Our Brains Begin With One Focus, But Closing The Deal Requires Another, Study Suggests – Forbes

Getty

All of us start out after a goal with energy and motivation, so why do we so often fail to hit the target? A new study at the intersection of neuroscience and behavioral science offers a simple but useful insight about the failure to reach goals. It centers on the disconnect between our decision-making focus before we start pursuing a goal and our focus after we begin.

The study started with this hypothesis:

Researchers then conducted two experiments designed to measure physical and mental effort in pursuit of rewards (in this case, financial rewards). In both experiments, participants were offered options for combining high or low effort with high or low financial rewards. Giving them the choice allowed participants to align their expectations (high effort for more reward, lower effort for less reward, etc.).

The results of the experiments were consistent for both physical and mental effort: the amount of the financial reward influenced how the participants chose their effort-reward combinations, as expected. But when they started the work, their performance was determined by how much effort reaching the reward was really going to require, regardless of how much money was at stake.

In other words, a focus on rewards fueled the pursuit, but a focus on effort took over when the work started.

We found that there isnt a direct relationship between the amount of reward that is at stake and the amount of effort people actually put in, said Dr. Agata Ludwiczak, lead study author and research fellow from Queen Mary University of London. This is because when we make choices about what effort to put in, we are motivated by the rewards we expect to get back. But at the point at which we come to actually do what we had said we would do, we focus on the level of effort we have to actually put in rather than the rewards we hoped we would get.

The problem, according to this study, is that we fail to refocus on the reward not just once, but as often as needed to keep effort in perspective as the means to our desired end.

An even more basic problem is not realistically thinking through the effort required to achieve a goal from the outset.

Then when we face the reality of our choices, we realize the effort is too much and give up, added Dr. Magda Osman, study co-author and professor in experimental psychology at Queen Mary University, in a press statement. For example, getting up early to exercise for a new healthy lifestyle might seem like a good choice, but once your alarm goes off on a cold January morning, the rewards arent enough to get you up and out of bed.

In fairness, though, we dont always have the best sense of how much effort something will require, especially if its a goal we havent pursued before. Getting better at making decisions has much to do with figuring this out and not letting ourselves forget the lesson.

These findings backup those from previous neuroscience and behavioral science studies that tell us about the disconnect between our brains valuation of rewards and the get it done realities that influence our behavior. Our brains are reward-driven organs supercharged by neurotransmitters that fuel our drives and desires, especially dopamine, and its easy for us to get carried away in this chemical tsunami. It happens to us all the time, whether were thinking about it or not, even when we have plenty of experience to guide us.

The takeaway from this research has two parts. First, we must begin our goal pursuits with as much realistic acknowledgement of the effort required as possible, no matter how strongly the chemical surge hits us. Then, once we begin, we must refocus back to the reward and keep the effort in perspective.

That will at least give us a fighting chance of reaching the goal, recognizing, of course, any number of other factors can still change the game.

The study was published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research.

Read more from the original source:
Why We Fail To Reach Goals: Our Brains Begin With One Focus, But Closing The Deal Requires Another, Study Suggests - Forbes

Neuroscience

Video: From Brains to Agents and Back – insideHPC

Jane Wang from DeepMind

In this video fromNeurIPS 2019, Jane Wang from DeepMind Alberta presents: From Brains to Agents and Back.

Building on the connection between biological and artificial reinforcement learning, our workshop will bring together leading and emergent researchers from Neuroscience, Psychology and Machine Learning to share: how neural and cognitive mechanisms can provide insights to tackle challenges in RL research and how machine learning advances can help further our understanding of the brain and behavior.

Jane Wang is a research scientist at DeepMind. Her background is in computational and cognitive neuroscience, complex systems, and physics. She is interested in applying neuroscience principles to inspire new algorithms for artificial intelligence and machine learning.

See more talks from NeurIPS

Check out our insideHPC Events Calendar

Read this article:
Video: From Brains to Agents and Back - insideHPC