Two different studies have correlated individuals having trouble smelling peanut butter with potential Alzheimer’s disorder. As reported on alzheimers.net, a test for this disease may be to cover your right nostril, open a jar of peanut butter a few inches away, and try to smell it. Trouble smelling it? It could be an indication of the disease.
Autism
A multinational research team, which published their results in eLifehere, found individuals with varying Autism-Spectrum Quotient (QD) did not focus on the same aspects of this image (credit to the publishers and Discover Magazine):
For the last half a decade, politics in the United States have been extremely polarizing. Numerous events have occurred during this time that further illustrate the divide in the country. Last Wednesday, we saw the changing of the guards and a potential shift in the future of the USA. As we start to focus on the future, I wanted to reflect back on a little-known study with an interesting finding.
Four years ago, the election of President Trump caused significant distress to many individuals across the country. Some individuals disturbed by the 2016 election results experienced a loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and concentrating, and have become easily annoyed; whereas, other individuals equally disturbed by the election did not experience similar symptoms of depression. Tashjian and Galvan (2018) examined the stress from a neuroscience perspective, finding that both an individual’s brain and their social support structure impacted their stress levels.
I am not a neurologist or a neuro-psychologist. From what I recall from previous study, the mesolimbic pathway transmits dopamine to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala. The NAcc is believed to be involved or associated with pleasure seeking and addictive behavior. The NAcc and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which is involved or associated with the production of sounds, have a connection. Tashjian and Galvan (2018) found “greater activation in the NAcc and stronger connectivity between the NAcc and mPFC were associated with less depression for affected individuals even under conditions of high election-related distress” (pg. 2895). Previous studies have also seen a connection between NAcc and mPFC in relation to motivational state and reinforcer magnitude.
We already know that brain design/chemistry/genetics/neurological structure can make individuals more susceptible to depression. However, a strong social support structure may help to mitigate this genetic predisposition. Not knowing if I have a neurological structure more susceptible to depression or depressive behavior, I should focus on fostering a strong support structure so I can reduce distress for future trauma. And, who doesn’t like having more friends.
Interestingly, LePage has become news again. In addition to preparing to challenge Maine Governor Janet Mills in 2022, LePage has met with sovereign citizens and reportedly told them to “get our guns out” if they felt their First Amendment rights were being stifled.
Some sovereigns use their own license plates. From Reddit.
The majority of sovereign citizens are not violent. They may not pay taxes or have a driver’s license, but they do not engage in threatening or violent behavior. However, some sovereign citizens are domestic terrorists. They act out in furtherance of their viewpoint.
In 2020, there were several instances in which identified sovereign citizens threatened or were violent. This list was put together from multiple sources, including Stareschi (2020).
Every Introduction to Psychology and Social Psychology course has a discussion about the bystander effect. And, inevitably, the phenomenon is coupled with the story about Kitty Genovese. Kitty was a New York City bartender who was killed near her residence. According to the story, multiple people heard Kitty’s screams for help, but they did nothing.
The Bystander Effect is when the presence of other people discourages others from acting. We see this happen all the time. We regularly pass people on the highway who are stranded and need help. (I know this is simplistic, as there are many other factors at work, but this is a legit example.) Typically, the bystander effect occurs when there is an emergency situation or a bully.
Despite the neatness of the Kitty Genovese story in illustrating this phenomenon, the story is largely inaccurate. The New York Times had originally posted that 37 witnesses saw or heard the attack (later corrected to 38 witnesses). Further research has found this number to be inaccurate. The story usually continues by discussing how no one called police. That is also incorrect. There were several individuals who called the police during the attack. Kitty was killed. People did witness, and some did act to help her. Others did not help. The responsiveness of the police likely also contributed. It was a series of cascading failures that led to Kitty’s murder, not just bystander apathy.
Interestingly, the internet and social media have become mediums to mitigate this phenomenon. “Karens” are being recorded and broadcasted so people can shame them. Is is working? I’m not sure, but we are seeing regular recordings of people standing up to racist bullies. It would be interesting to see if these videos are helping people combat the bystander effect.
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