The brain is cool

[boundfate]

In neuroscience last week we learned about sex, sleep, and the beginning of drugs. It was a good class. :) You know you've finally found your passion when every class and every topic in your field is facinating enough to you that you can't wait to go home and pull up scientific articles on it. I think some of the other students might be frustrated

Comments

[gratefuladdict]

This is fascinating stuff!! I love learning. Did they talk about what's happening when you're dreaming and you start sleepwalking? How does a person override that part of their brain and decide to go for a little adventure?

[boundfate]

The explaination is basically that the brain is not a perfect machine. Stress in particular releases neurotransmitters that, when they build up enough, start to short circuit the pons's ability to paralize the muscles. That's why stress always makes sleep walking and sleep talking worse.

Some people are also built with more sensitivity to those neurotransmitters than others, or have a lower point where they override the pons.