The Brain Sciences

[SteveS]

Squid, mind fielding another question?  Can you think of one or two good online resources that are psychology related?  Like, state of the art, recent research, or something?  The idea of these brain sciences fascinates me, but I know next to nothing about them  :?  .  I know I could do a google search, but if there's a place to learn that a knowledgeable person likes I'd rather start there.

[Squid]

Are you looking for just general resource stuff or more scholarly work like journals?

[SteveS]

Eh, I guess just general stuff.

[Squid]

Well I suppose the APA and APS sites are good places to start for psychology:

http://www.apa.org/

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/

For neuroscience:

http://www.sfn.org/

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

Psychiatry:

http://www.psych.org/

http://www.wpanet.org/home.html

Neurology:

http://www.aan.com/

http://www.neurologychannel.com/

[SteveS]

Thanks Squid - I'll look these over.  Whenever I'm confronted with something that I realize I don't know too much about, I have a strong desire to learn.  Well, I should qualify, something scientific I don't know too much about.

Thanks again!

[Squid]

No problemo.

[SteveS]

Squid, here's something you might find interesting in return.  When I was getting my degree from the U. of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana, I know they reversed these two now, and call it Urbana-Champaign, but this is how it will always be to me) there was a large interdisciplinary building called the Beckman Institute that was studying human intelligence and artificial/machine intelligence.  I think the idea was to see how biological intelligence works, and try to use this knowledge to make intelligent machines and computer systems.  I found it interesting because of this cross-disciplinary approach.  Nature has had several billion years to perfect things - so why not reverse-engineer it, and model our man-made systems on natural systems?  Or at least take our queues from nature?

Anyway, here's a link to the place, they're still going strong:

http://www.beckman.uiuc.edu/

The "about" page sort of sums them up:

http://www.beckman.uiuc.edu/about/

I thought it was an interesting application of the brain sciences.

[Squid]

Oh yeah, there's a couple of specializations in neuroscience that work on this stuff like neural networks, AI and even human/computer interactions.  Part of the Brain and Behavioral Sciences department is into all this.  In fact, my advisor teaches all the neural network classes.  The specialization here gets people from computer science, engineering, physics, neuroscience, biotechnology et cetera who all focus on those particular areas.  It's really cool but way far outta my area - I'm more attracted to neuroendocrinology and neuropathology.  Pretty amazing stuff but I fear it'll take us a good while before we get a complete grasp on it.

[LARA]

Hi <b>Squid</b>
I would have to say that in my case, the negativity (okay, let's be honest here, downright hatred) I have towards psychology is not towards psychology as a science, but towards the way it's been applied in the mental health field.  My personal experiences in this area have been horrible and downright damaging and I've concluded that in many areas, the mental health system in America is basically a corrupt institution set in place to enforce social and cultural norms through any and all means possible to make a living rather than to assist damaged people in healing and self actualization.  As far as the science of psychology, I think it is just as valid as any other, but it does seem to attract more of what I consider flaky types than other types of sciences.  Please realize I know that I am speaking from personal experience, and I know it might be different for others.

I also don't agree with your quick assessment of ECT and would suggest you research this area with an open mind.  Sometimes ECT procedures are forced on patients or used as a punishment and it can be proven that it causes brain damage.  If someone voluntarily requests this procedure fine, but turning a severely depressed, suicidal individual into a quiet, barely functioning moron with memory loss and brain trauma is not what I would call a positive result.

Oh and by the by, I think Tom Cruise is a looney, and the worst thing that could have ever happened to critics of the mental health system who are trying to point out the flaws and corruption that is occurring there to try to make it function as it was meant to.  I think that people who don't want to see the flaws in the mental health system that exist right now must love the fact he exists and are playing politics by pointing a finger at him any time someone tries to make a valid criticism of the system.

[Squid]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been away for a while.

I agree, the mental health field needs much work, the entire medical system needs work - lots of work.  Social services is also an oft neglected area.

As for ECT, I don't believe I ever said it didn't have problems or was a type of miraclesque cure-all.  It's been known to cause structural damage, retrograde amnesia, et cetera.  Which is why it is usually seen as a last resort effort such as deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's and Tourette's patients.  About it being forced on patients without their consent or the consent of a medical proxy, I would wager that to be very illegal and doubt it is a common practice.  In the past, quite possibly but now, I was think it would be a very rare occurrence.  Do you have any links/info to such incidents?

[SteveS]

Squid!  Long time no speak - how's it going, man?

[Squid]

Squid!  Long time no speak - how's it going, man?

Yeah, I was without interwebs of my own for a while and waded through the first year of my graduate education.  Whew.  I think I'll post an update on the ol' Squid here soon.

[Squid]

Interestingly, in reference to ECT, an article was published recently in the journal Brain Stimulation about an ECT procedure which boasts the utility of previous ECT procedures but without many of the side-effects I mentioned earlier.

Here's a link to a short story about the research:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/e-nfo052708.php

[LARA]

Hi Squid. Sorry I can't find the link to the report that I read where a juvenile mental health center was accused of using ECT as a punishment, so I know that doesn't do you much good.  If I find it again, I'll post it for you.   I did find some more thorough research on the cognitive effects of ECT, which I realize you wrote you are already aware of.  Interesting reading nonetheless.

http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v32/n ... 1180a.html

I don't keep a link folder of bitter hatred for psychiatry around anymore.     I have better things to do with my time now and try not to waste it on my and others past failings.  I still have a sore spot though and I don't want to see others go through what I did when I know there are far less damaging and effective routes for creating a stable mind than what is currently being utilized in psychiatry and psychology.  I'm glad to see someone with a psychology degree going into neuroscience. I hope that the field can advance it's understanding of the mind and the difficulties of healing the complex problems that can arise in it from both a scientific and ethical standpoint.

[Squid]

Wonderful!  I love it when people give me journal articles to read.  I actually have an external hard drive dedicated to holding nothing but pdfs of journal articles.  I suppose I made the right choice going into research.

Anyhow, I'll give that a read when I can.  I have to have a research proposal first draft done by June 3rd and a final proposal ready to send to the IRB by the 23rd.  On top of that I'm switching from being a school district youth advisor to a psych department RA...and my summer class starts next week.  Lots of stuff to do.  Hopefully after the 23rd I'll have more free time to pursue other intellectual interests.