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1846 myampgoesto11: human skeleton typogram
826 jtotheizzoe: Brain Electrodes Fix Deep Depression Long-Term A placebo-controlled study showed that an electrode surgically implanted into a particular brain region could eliminate symptoms of the deepest, most untreatable forms of depression: Deep depression that fails to respond to any other form of therapy can be moderated or reversed by stimulation of areas deep inside the brain. Now the first placebo-controlled study of this procedure shows that these responses can be maintained in the long term1. Neurologist Helen Mayberg at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, followed ten patients with major depressive disorder and seven with bipolar disorder, or manic depression, after an electrode device was implanted in the subcallosal cingulate white matter of their brains and the area continuously stimulated. For psychiatrists accustomed to seeing severely depressed patients fail to respond — or fail to maintain a response — to antidepressant or cognitive therapy, these results seem near miraculous. All but one of twelve patients who reached the two-year point in the study had completely shed their depression or had only mild symptoms. “Its almost spooky.” Of course, surgical implants to treat depression will never be mainstream or generally ethical*, but it shows that focused therapies dealing with very precise brain regions could alleviate symptoms, at least for some of the most untreatable sufferers of depression. (via Nature News) *EDIT: I should have written this more carefully and explained what I meant by my “ethical” comment. I posted a little more context here.
536 matthen: Some people supposed that the intricate pattern generated from Astroids which I posted could be a fractal. This animations zooms in to the top of the image, showing it is infinitely detailed and self-similar on smaller scales. [also]
53 just copped these
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