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Neurology's Most Interesting Case

The year was 1848. A 25-year-old man named Phineas Gage was doing his usual job as a railroad supervisor, just as he did every other day, using an iron rod to pack blasting powder into a rock. What he didn't know is that this day wouldn't be just like any other. Without knowing it, an explosion occurred, driving the rod through Gage's cheek and out the top of his head. The shocking part? He lived, becoming one of the most interesting cases in neuroscience in history. A piece of his frontal lobe was taken out with the rod, plus his skull was cracked. Effects include a total twist in his personality from the brain damage. Now, following his death almost 150 years ago, his brain is still studied by scientists eager to figure out the mystery of Phineas Gage's survival and how his brain continued to function. His skull has been preserved to continue being studied. Recently, his brain and skull have been reconstructed using data files as a reference. This situation leaves neurologists with a new perception of the human brain.
This situation intrigues me. The fact that this man was able to live after such severe brain and skull damage puzzles me. It is evident why scientists are so interested in this study. This event caused researchers to consider the brain possibly working in a hidden manner that has yet to be discovered. I also find that it makes you think how something happening in just a few moments can have a lasting impact. It probably only took a few seconds for Phineas Gage's injury to occur. Now, almost 150 years later, it is still being studied and taken into account. This could also reign true for countless other moments.


The article can be found at http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/phineas-gage-neurologys-most-interesting-case-gets-his-head-re-examined-new-neural-map.

X-ray of a normal human head

                                                                                                     


http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/phineas-gage-neurologys-most-interesting-case-gets-his-head-re-examined-new-neural-map.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_6150604_x-ray-human-brain-and-skull.html

The Connection Between Music and Emotions

A common outlet for the many emotions of many people is listening to music. It has been found that, depending on the person's selection of music, they may be making their bad mood worse, good mood even better, or vice versa. Specifically, teenagers turn to music to fit their every mood, from happy to sad to angry to excited. Especially when we are sad, we look to the sad songs on our iTunes playlist to drown into. However, this may be putting a dull mood at risk of becoming worse. It may even effect the way they see and think certain things. In the Netherlands, a study was conducted to test this. In this study, young adults took a visual detection test. They were to listen to 30 minutes of music (15 sad, 15 happy) while images of either happy or sad faces appeared faintly on a computer screen. It was found that the young adults participating in the study were able to distinguish the faces which fit the mood of the music playing at the moment. Also, at times, the subjects believed they saw sad faces during a sad song or happy faces during a happy song, when the screen was blank. The conclusion was made that music is able to alter one's emotions, also affecting their perception of certain things.
Since I am one to use music as an outlet of emotions, this article was immediately intriguing to me. I have felt that listening to a "blue" song when I match the emotion of it sometimes makes me feel better, but it also, other times, does put me deeper into the bad mood. The experiment carried out was also interesting to me, and I believe it was an interesting technique in finding proper results. Connecting feelings to a visual accurately shows the way music changes a person's perspectives and perceptions. The study explained in the article was interesting to me, and even allowed me to think on my personal connections to the beginning theory of the researchers.

                                           

Article can be found at http://news.yahoo.com/music-change-way-see-world-151800579.html

Pictures from http://www.newswise.com/articles/brain-music and http://www.ice.happycircle.co.uk/?p=648

Current Events

Over many  decades, the rates of diagnoses of autism have been rapidly increasing. In just two years (2006-2008), they increased by over 20 percent. On March 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on this topic, presenting the increasing rates of these diagnoses. However, researchers were unable to decide whether the numbers are because of the different "definitions" of the disorder, a natural spike in the number of children with autism, or other factors. It is even considered that the rise in numbers could be a result of state support packages for children with a diagnosis of autism. Therefore, because of the many variations and differences in cases of it, doctors have created changes to the "autism spectrum" in order to make rates decrease. If the symptoms and factors to a diagnosis were not as broad, rates of children with a type of this disorder would decrease. Researchers have been collecting information to solve the issue of increasing rates.
Autism has often been known as a common disorder in children. If a child has it, they should definitely be given proper treatment and care for it. However, it is possible that symptons are either too broad or the complete opposite. There are many variations of autism, and it is mostly different in each child with the diagnosis. Different types are often diagnosed when all symptoms of one type are not fully met. Also, cases may range from mild to severe. I do see a possibility that another disorder could be mistaken for a mild case of autism. In the article, it was also mentioned that this disorder is not very difficult to diagnose, for it is "not an exact science." This leads me to believe that cases may not always be fully examined before diagnosis of autism. If doctors looked deeper into these types of cases, they could possibly find another, more accurate diagnosis for the patient, and they could be treated for that. I believe that the changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be helpful in figuring out cases that appear to be of autism and will impact the rates of diagnoses. It will allow them to increase accuracy of diagnoses and make the "definition of autism" more specific.


                                                
http://www.apa.org/education/k12/brain-function.aspx


http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/brain-scan-detects-autism-in-adults/


Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/health/rate-of-autism-diagnoses-has-climbed-study-finds.html?_r=1&ref=science#

States of Matter Labs

Over the course of a week or two weeks, we completed three labs in order to observe physical and chemical changes and properties of difference substances. A physical change is the change of appearance or form of a substance, while a chemical change occurs when a substance changes into one or more new substances.

Observing a Candle and Pouring a Gas

In this lab, we began by observing the physical and chemical properties of the small, yellow candle. Physical properties include that it was yellow, striped, and small. Chemical properties were unable to be determined. Then, we recorded new observations after the candle was lit. The physical properties of the lit candle include that it was becoming shorter because of melting, more of the wick was being exposed, and the tip became black. The chemical properties of the candle were that it was burning and melting. For the second part of this lab, we used a larger candle. While it was being lit, we created a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, causing a chemical change in this substance. When we carefully tipped the beaker of the mixture over the flame, it burned out. This was because of the carbon dioxide in the beaker. The candle went through a slight chemical change, because the top was a little charred. The reaction between the carbon dioxide and the flame was a physical change, because the form of the flame changed, for it disappeared.


Roasting a Marshmallow!

The second experiment was roasting a marshmallow over the bunsen burner. To begin, we observed small marshmallows to determine the physical and chemical properties. Then, we burned larger marshmallows over the burner to create the black char, and the rest was caramel-colored and gooey on the inside. The charred part of the marshmallow tasted bitter and, for lack of a better word, burnt. The remainder of the marshmallow tasted gooey and sweet. The object went through a chemical change, because burning it created the char substance. It also went through a physical change, because of the golden brown color that appeared when the marshmallow was lightly roasted.


Changes of Sugar

For this lab, we began by observing the four sugar cubes to determine their properties. Then, we were required to crush them with the mortar and pestle until it became a powder. A physical change had taken place because the cube had been broken down, changing form. For the second part of the lab, we began by placing two of the sugar cubes into the test tube and lighting the Bunsen burner. We held the test tube near the burner and watched the sugar burn. Very quickly, it caramelized, turning into a golden-brown color that seemed to be a bubbling liquid. Then, just as quickly, it became black and hard. Shortly after it went through this change, a yellow-colored smoke came out from the test tube, and the process was almost complete. After the test tube took a moment to cool down, Mrs. Rousseau carefully broke the test tube so we could observe it more closely. The black substance took up about half the test tube, taking its shape. The substance was hard, but easy to break, and the texture was exactly the same as the sugar cube. The sugar cube had liquidated, then solidified. It went through physical and chemical changes.



The labs allowed us to observe changes in physical and chemical property and each built on to our knowledge about changes in states of matter. Overall, it was fun to complete experiments with fire.

Separating a Mixture - Lab Procedure

In order to complete this lab, my group went through the following procedure:

1. Remove the two red toothpicks from the cup with your fingers.

2. Remove the beans with the spoon (make sure you remove all of them).

3. Use the funnel and filter paper to isolate the water in the flask.

4. Remove the small piece of glass near the bottom of the cup.

5. Use a small amount of water in the flask and boil it on the hot plate for 5-10 minutes.

6. Remove the iron filings from the cup using the magnet, leaving the sand alone in the cup.

7. Use the magnifying glass to identify the buildup on the side and bottom of the flask after the water has boiled.

8. Identify each of the seven objects. You should have found glass, iron filings, toothpicks, water, salt, sand, and beans.

Frog Dissection

I completed this dissection online, because I was absent on the two days that this task was completed. The following website was used to give me a thorough understanding of the dissection of a frog: http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/Frog2/ To begin, the website provided photos of the incisions of the frog, followed by the identification of each organ. It specifically explained how the organs should look, and it also included photos and videos to complete the visual. This tool allowed me to see the whole of the dissection without completing it myself, and it was very helpful when preparing for the test.
This task, like the worm dissection, helped us compare life systems of other organisms to human life systems. Though I personally dislike dissections, they have allowed me to expand on my knowledge of life systems and how alike organisms are. I am curious to see how further dissections will work out for me.

 
(photo from http://true-wildlife.blogspot.com/2011/02/frog.html)