Uncertainty: I

1.2.1.2. Learning & Retrieval
The article by Courville et al. (2006) on Trends in Cognitive Sciences journal describes bayesian theory of conditioning in a changing world.
"... We suggest that, in a statistical account of conditioning, surprise signals change and therefore uncertainty and the need for new learning. "

TICS 10:294-

Uncertainty in the context is a chance to acquire new information, new learning that could, or not, be 'useful' later. This is a classical conditioning explanation. If new learning is rewarding, may an uncertainty-seeking behavioural response take place? May context change become a stimulus-response (operant) conditioning)?

UNCERTAINTY: Index

Please find below the Uncertainty's logicus-tree index.
The full tree is in-progress, waiting for free contributions.

Uncertainty's logicus-tree (1)
1. Psychobiological state under a changing condition.
1.1. Context
1.2. Expected or unexpected uncertainty (2)
1.2.1. Assessment, Memory, Evaluation, Probability estimation, Prediction
1.2.1.1. Sensation, Coding, Elaboration, Perception, Filtering
1.2.1.2. Learning & Retrieval
1.2.1.3. Qualitative matching
1.2.1.4. Quantitative matching
1.2.1.5. Executive planning & function
1.2.1.6. Spatio-temporal transcendence
1.2.2. Chaos, Random, Information overload (due to rapid data transitions or large data amount)
1.2.2.1. Serendipity
1.2.2.2. "Black-Swan" (3)
1.2.2.3. Signal/Stimulus (data) features
1.3. Expected or unexpected processing interaction
1.3.1. Neuroanatomical basis
1.3.2. Neurochemical basis
1.3.3. Abnormal processing
1.3.4. Allostatic processing

Credits: (1) L. Wittgenstein; (2) P. Dayan; (3) N. Taleb

Video on Martin Lindstrom's NeuroMarketing

Check this video on Amazon about the video presenting Martin Lindstrom's NeuroMarketing
watch it now!
We want to dedicate more space to Lindstrom, and shortly let you know about 'uncertainty' neuroscience research at NeuroPsiLab

Mouse Party (is not different from human party)

Since animal models of drug addiction own high face and construct validity to the human condition, please take a look at this site from University of Utah: the action of common drugs of abuse on brain mechanisms of mice (and humans) in a funny cartoon.
The Mouse Party (http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/addiction/drugs/mouse.cfm)
Have fun!

Repetition as a form of saving

Check this out 
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Repetition and the brain: neural models of stimulus-specific effects
Pages 14-23 Kalanit Grill-Spector, Richard Henson and Alex Martin

Quantic- & Neuro- Sciences

Conceptual commentary on Nature:

Concept Quantum mechanics in the brain
Christof Koch & Klaus Hepp
Nature 440, 611 (30 March 2006)
doi:10.1038/440611a

Good opportunity to re-read Penrose's 'Emperor's New Mind'.

Neuroeconomics

Review on inter-disciplinary research on decision-predictability, expectations etc.

Neuroeconomics: cross-currents in research on decision-making
Sanfey et al.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10: 108-116, 2006
doi:10.1016/j.tics.2006.01.009

Question: may neuroscience help economics for the construction of decision-making models? Or viceversa? Cross-validation? uhm...

Music & Brain, again

Another study on music: perinatal exposure to Mozart K.488 in mice improves performance for memory tests. The behavioural data correlate with molecular changes in the brain.

Exposure to music in the perinatal period enhances learning performance and alters BDNF/TrkB signaling in mice as adults
S. Chikahisa et al.
Behavioural Brain Research Volume 169, Issue 2
15 May 2006, Pages 312-319
doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2006.01.021

The present results are compelling. Molecular correlates - even if significant - are less: changes in neurotrophin receptor expression, in signal transduction molecules, etc may be in different relationship to the effects of 'Mozart Effect', but it is very difficult to draw any conclusion about it. Hundreds of different molecular changes may occur after listening K.488 for weeks! And, what about techno, requiem or rock 'n' roll? Do we have to expect different effects?

see also BIOBEHAVIOURAL's post, February 22, 2006
Ecstasy & Noise: synergistic brain effects

Musical Listening test

Go to this University of Newcastle (UK) site for testing your ability to listen music:

Musical Listening test

Yes, you are maybe different and it's a genetic matter.

Look also at this The Scientist commentary

Brendan Maher, Music in the genes

Tips for better blog reading

10 tips for effective blog reading:

Nik n Dav blog

Fast molecular check up

New gold-made biosensor measures cocaine presence by changes in DNA conformation.

An electronic, aptamer-based small-molecule sensor for the rapid, label-free detection of cocaine in adulterated samples and biological fluids.
Baker BR et al.
J Am Chem Soc. 2006 Mar 15;128(10):3138-9.

Commentary on MIT Technology Review's, 10th March

This discovery it's at an early stage, but we must forecast potential development: real-time drug control, molecular correlates of specific behaviours, affetive/mood states, statements. We see great research &practice applications, but bioethicity should be monitored.

[drugs]

Drug effective for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Prazosin shows significant efficacy to reduce symptoms of stress induced by words with emotional value in Veterans.

Daytime Prazosin Reduces Psychological Distress to Trauma Specific Cues in Civilian Trauma Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Taylor FB
Biological Psychiatry Volume 59, Issue 7 , 1 April 2006, Pages 577-581 doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.09.023

It is not clear whether the drug is working only on the stress component or if its action is also on reduction of the traumatic value of Stroop words. The optimal integrate intervention would be to supply an extinction component (psychological, and maybe also pharmacological) for the de-evaluation of trauma related cues, to the exisisting symptomatic anxiolytic approach

Intelligent transcription

Identification of gene which expression is under control of natural selection in humans and in other primates. In humans, but not in the other primates, the genes with increased expression are those coding for transcription factors.

Expression profiling in primates reveals a rapid evolution of human transcription factors
Y. Gilad
Nature 440, 242-245 (9 March 2006) doi:10.1038/nature04559

Considering the very high homology between humans and chimp genome, very little is left to support the view that we are the product of an intelligent design. This study shows that 'the number of genes' is the wrong place to look for an evidence of i.d., but 'how genes works' (transcription factors regulate gene expression) may be the right one. Hm, not sure...

Limited attentional resources

Distraction, limited attentional allocation and other topics at this no-recent article on Science Careers (Science magazine) web site:

Mind Matters: Driven to Distraction
Irene S. Levine
27 January 2006

Body weight hormone modulates mood

Preclinical study confirm a molecular link between body weight regulation & depression

Leptin: A potential novel antidepressant
PNAS January 31, 2006 vol. 103 no. 5 1593-1598
Lu XY

Only caution: animal models of mood disorders are still debated for their limited validity (i.e. failure to confirm drug efficacy in the clinic).

Smoking in women

Questionnaires on smoking status, history & dependence, plus genotyping in young women. Correlative study from Israel:

Why do young women smoke? I. Direct and interactive effects of environment, psychological characteristics and nicotinic cholinergic receptor genes
Molecular Psychiatry (2006) 11, 312–322. doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001774; published online 13 December 2005
L Greenbaum

Tobacco addiction is a complex and multifactorial disorder. Cross-validation among different levels of analysis are needed. This is a good example how data from environmental, behavioural and molecular level could be evaluated in order to identify determinants factors.

Brain Microstimulation and Learning

Sub-cortical brain areas called caudate putamen may play an important role in the associative learning process between a stimulus and the motor output. Check this paper out: they show that the microstimulation of caudate putamen in primates improve learning of a reward related stimuli

Selective enhancement of associative learning by microstimulation of the anterior caudate
Ziv M Williams & Emad N Eskandar
Published online: 26 February 2006; doi:10.1038/nn1662

Interesting. Experimentally interesting. So, first of all forget potential applications, at least by direct microstimulation: invasive damage but, worst, manipulation of good memories acquisitions. Just kidding. Seriously, this is the case of drugs that activates caudate putamen, like drugs of abuse and nicotine, may enhance the acquisition of reward-related memories. This may be a mechanism that could explain addicts cue reactivity to drug-related stimuli (smell, taste, etc).

Disease Monitoring ideas from New Google's CEO

Google appointed a new CEO, Larry Brilliant. According to WIRED NEWS, Brilliant has some interesting plans on global-wide scanning of all 'bad things' warning posted on the www (read 'bad things' as disease alerts).

Brilliant's Wish: Disease Alerts by Kim Zetter, WIRED NEWS (04:00 AM Feb, 23, 2006 EST )

Larry, in the long list of 'bad things' please include also the emergence - or just spot-appearances somewhere in the world - of new addictive drugs, natural or designer chemicals, abuse or misuse of approved medications. Early monitoring will greatly help to control for the widespread of new drug addiction.

More on stimulus elaboration...

As far as concerns brain elaboration of exteroceptive stimuli (see 22nd Feb 2006 posting on this site), take a look at today's issue of Nature magazine for the following articles:

Adaptive filtering enhances information transmission in visual cortex
Sharpee et al., Nature 439, 936-942
doi:10.1038/nature04519

Efficient auditory coding
Smith & Lewicki, Nature 439, 978-982
doi:10.1038/nature04485

These papers may be quite difficult for non-experts, so we recommend to read the commentary (by DeWeese & Zador, same Nature's issue, doi:10.1038/439920a). The problem of efficient elaboration of sensorial stimuli invokes mechanisms of neuroplasticity for processing, storing and recall. It would be interesting to know more how stimuli elaboration is influenced by changes in neurotrasmitters induced by drugs.

Ecstasy & Noise: synergistic brain effects

Interesting data from Italy: laboratory rats exposed to MDMA (ecstasy) plus a white noise (mimicking high volume rave party music) affects brain electrocortical activity. The same dose of MDMA alone, did not induce any change. The Authors suggested an alteration of specific brain areas when ecstasy is administered in an ambient with loud music rather than in a quiet one.

Electrocortical effects of MDMA are potentiated by acoustic stimulation in rats
Iannone M., et al. BMC Neuroscience, doi:10.1186/1471-2202-7-13 (2006).

Interesting data and elegant paper. More studies are needed in order to identify if this noise -induced potentiation of MDMA effects is mediated by a common molecolar mechanism (increased levels of the brain neurochemical serotonin?). Does noise exposure change levels of serotonin or of other neurochemicals? May be this effect also evident after alcohol, nicotine or drugs administrations?

Born on 4th Jan (or Feb, or Mar or any other winter time day

Is your birthday in wintertime? You have a significant probability to be heavier, taller, to have a larger head circumference and to be brighter in neuropsychological tests (let's say more smart...). This is the bottom-line of a recently published study by an australian team.

Season of birth is associated with anthropometric and neurocognitive outcomes during infancy and childhood in a general population birth cohort. by John J. McGrath, Sukanta Saha, Daniel E. Lieberman and Stephen Buka

Schizophrenia Research, Volume 81, Issue 1, 1 January 2006, Pages 91-100

They performed this research in kids up to seven years old. So, the superior physical and cognitive outcome is not demonstrated to be still valid during adulthood. Please, do not forget environment. Not in the sense of 'traditional' psychosocial development, but in terms of biobehavioural mechanisms such as nutrients, foods, vitamins, drugs and, last but not least, stress -induced neuromediators.