I Can't Think of a Witty Title Regarding Epilepsy

Epilepsy, in my mind, is kind of  a scary thing to have. I can't really imagine having to be wary of my daily activities pretty much all of the time. Defining epilepsy can be kind of difficult. Put simply, epilepsy refers to the tendency to have recurring seizures. These seizures are generally caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain, disrupting the way the brain sends messages, ultimately leading to the brain's messages getting mixed up. Again, that's the simple explanation, but the truth of it is that epilepsy is a lot more complicated than that. It comes in different forms and effects every epileptic person in unique ways. If you're having trouble understanding, fret not, my friend! Here's a video of a doctor and some children talking about how seizures work (there's also a nice little animation):

If you're wondering why I decided to cover epilepsy, I have a couple of reasons. For one, I didn't know too much about it before I did some reading recently. The main reason, though, is that one of my uncles and my girlfriend have it. They each have very different types of seizures. My uncle has convulsions, during which he collapses and shakes violently on the floor. He actually broke his shoulder recently due to a seizure he had at work. My girlfriend, on the other hand, has the types of seizures in which she just spaces out for a while. On a really bad day, she might pass out. Luckily, that hasn't happened in quite some time.

In case you're wondering what kinds of things can trigger seizures (and I know you are) here's a list:

• Stress
• Excessive drinking
• Lack of sleep
• Forgetting medication
• Skipping meals
• Flashing lights

From what I've heard, if someone is having a seizure, there's not a whole lot you can do. If it's really bad, definitely call for an ambulance, but otherwise, the general consensus seems to be that you should just wait it out. I remember, not too long ago, people used to suggest some stupid things like putting something like a spoon in the person's mouth to prevent them from biting off/swallowing their own tongue. Needless to say, you should not do that. Besides, I'm pretty sure you can't swallow your own tongue. Trust me; I've tried. At any rate, that's about all I have for today.

If you'd like to learn more about epilepsy, Epilepsy Action is a great place to start.

Stay classy, San Diego.

The Pixies Have A Relevant Song For This One

Sometimes, when I'm having a bad day, I cheer myself up by reminding myself that I live in a decent time. Think about it: we're living in a time where technology is advancing so rapidly that people wouldn't even dream of some of the things we have available. We live in a time where people and cultures are coming together and discrimination is becoming less of an issue. We also live in a time where it's no longer acceptable to have someone electrocute you until you're unconscious and hammer sharp objects into your brain.

By now, some maybe be aware that I'm talking about lobotomies. Others may be confused and possibly scared. For the uninitiated, a lobotomy is a procedure in which doctors would damage the prefrontal cortex of the patient or disconnect it from the rest of the brain. Do you want to see how lobotomies were done? No? Too bad.

So, to recap, the doctors would basically stick an ice pick above the patient's eye and just, you know...chip away at their brain.  This all came about when it was reported that damaging the prefrontal cortex of primates could make them "tamer". Naturally, someone thought, "Hey! I bet this would work on people with mental disorders!" Enter Walter Freeman. Freeman was a doctor (with no experience in surgical procedures, mind you) who performed thousands of lobotomies. Freeman performed lobotomies on all kinds of people, ranging from those with severe mental disorders to those who were just a little odd. A lot of them wouldn't even be considered mentally ill today.

One of Freeman's more notable patients was Rosemary Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy. Rosemary was known to have mood-swings and, occasionally, violent outbursts. Most people attributed her behavior to the stress of having to compete with her siblings. However, it was decided that Rosemary should undergo a lobotomy to help calm her down. The lobotomy left Rosemary "permanently incapacitated". Publicly, her family would claim that she was mentally retarded, but it was clear that the procedure left her in a bad state. For the rest of her life, she was institutionalized or required a caretaker. It's pretty messed up when you think about what a drastic effect the procedure had on her. It's often said that her symptoms before the lobotomy could have been depression. What I find really disturbing is that depression, today, is a very treatable condition. Whether through therapy or medication (if needed), lots of people with depression are perfectly capable of leading normal lives. Because of the time she lived in, Rosemary Kennedy never got that chance.

Thankfully, because of advances in medicine and psychology, lobotomies are no longer in fashion. So, again, be grateful for living when you do. If this were any other time, exhibiting what we like to call "quirky behavior" could have gotten you a drill in your head.

See you, space cowboy.

Let's Play the National Drinking Game!

Right off the bat, I want whoever's reading this to check out this video first:

Did you watch it? Good! That was an alcoholism PSA from foreverago that really puts our society's attitudes about alcohol into perspective. Now, some may say that the voice-over was just being a buzzkill, and to those people, I say, "shush." During the first half of the disembodied voice's questions, the party goers seemed to make light of everything, until they actually examined themselves and realized that they meet the criteria for having a drinking problem. Obviously the criteria listed in the video is probably outdated as crap, so let's look at how the DSM-IV defines both alcohol abuse and dependence:

To fit the DSM-IV's qualifications for alcohol abuse, a person must meet one or more of the following over the course of one year.

• Role Impairment (e.g. failed work or home obligations)
• Hazardous use (e.g. Driving, swimming or operating machinery while intoxicated)
• Legal problems related to Alcohol use
• Social or interpersonal problems due to Alcohol

To fit the DSM-IV's qualifications for alcohol dependence, a person must meet three or more of the following over the course of one year:

• Tolerance (increased drinking to achieve same effect)
• Alcohol Withdrawal signs or symptoms
• Drinking more than intended
• Unsuccessful attempts to cut down on use
• Excessive time related to Alcohol (obtaining, hangover)
• Impaired social or work activities due to Alcohol
• Use despite physical or psychological consequences

What's troubling to me is that I know people who brag about the stuff on those lists. These are things that could lead to health consequences, yet people don't seem to care. You may be wondering why I care so much, and my answer is that I've been around alcoholics my whole life. Relatives, friends, you name it. I know someone who literally can't go anywhere without drinking. If he leaves the house and knows he's not driving, he drinks in the car. If he goes out to eat somewhere, he orders alcohol, regardless of the time of day. The sad part is that this isn't even the worst of it. I have relatives who have health issues because of their drinking, yet they continue to do it. I have several friends who have been in some scary and stupid situations because of alcohol. The list goes on, I assure you.

I think it goes without saying that I don't drink. Never have, never will. A big part of it is that my father is an alcoholic. I'm lucky enough that he's a functioning alcoholic and it hasn't affected my family much aside from our concerns about his health, but that fact doesn't provide much comfort. Over the years, there have been numerous studies linking alcoholism to genetics. Knowing this, I've decided that it's best for me to stay away from it altogether.

The biggest thing I've always wondered about is why people drink. It certainly doesn't smell good and I can't imagine that it tastes any better, so I've always assumed that it was the effect it had on people that keeps them coming back for more. "But, Stevan! What, exactly, does it do to your brain!?" you may be asking. Well, I'll tell you. Alcohol combines with GABA to make its effects last longer while also blocking activity from the glutamate receptors. Additionally, alcohol increases the stimulation of opiate and dopamine receptors. "But, Stevan! You're using a bunch of big words and I don't have a fancy college education like you do!" you are saying. Put simply, alcohol makes you feel good and care about stuff less.

Before I wrap it up, I feel like I should make something clear. Despite my personal feelings and experiences regarding alcohol, I don't think it's a bad thing. In moderation, alcohol can help relieve stress and some say it's even good for your heart. I know there are plenty of people who know how to drink responsibly, and I'm sure they make up the majority of drinkers. The problem is that there are still a large number of people in the minority who don't drink responsibly...and some of these people have cars.

Seacrest out!

The Blood-Brain Barrier: The World's Pickiest Bouncer

Picture this: one night, you and your friends decide that you just want to get out and have some fun, so you drive down to the hottest club in town to see what the big fuss is about. When you get there, there's a huge line of people waiting and almost no one can get in. Of what seems like hundreds of people standing outside, the bouncer will only let about five in. Has anything like that ever happened to you? No? Me either, but that's beside the point. The club is your brain. The bouncer? That would be the blood-brain barrier. The poor saps  hanging outside in the rain are the countless chemicals, viruses, and other microscopic things trying to get to the brain.

Because the brain is so important to, well, everything we do, it only makes sense that the body would have developed an extremely effective defense mechanism to protect it from viruses and harmful bacteria. That mechanism is the blood-brain barrier. The barrier works by denying access to pretty much everything save for a select few things like small, uncharged molecules and molecules that dissolve in fats. The brain is basically feudal Japan. That being said, you can see how this might be a bit of an issue. As much as blocking out viruses and the like helps, the brain has a nasty habit of shutting out nutrients and other helpful things. This makes developing new medical treatments difficult as many treatments are unable to get past the barrier.

There are a few ways to penetrate the barrier, but none of them seem like anything I, or anyone else, should be willing to try. Things like radiation, hypertension, trauma, and infection have been found to break down the blood-brain barrier, but they're likely to cause more harm than good.

The blood-brain barrier is one of the more remarkable mechanisms we have that protects us. It's also one of the few bodily mechanisms that I've heard of people trying to bypass as opposed to improving, which makes it all the more interesting to me. It's funny to think that some parts of our bodies work against us just as much as they do for us. Maybe someone will find a way to penetrate the barrier without the risk of making the brain vulnerable. Wouldn't that be great? 

At any rate, it's time for me to skedaddle. 'Til next time...

That's the news, and I'm outta here.

Of Mice and Men (and Other Animals Too)

I've noticed that a lot of people seem to be writing about animal research, and for good reason. There are a lot of emotions that come up with this topic and I kind of want to get in on the action, so here we go!

I find that I lean toward the "minimalist" side of the debate. Let's face it, animal research has done a lot for modern medicine whether anyone wants to admit it or not. However, in this video about the issue, Peter Singer makes some good points when he says that there are some unnecessary experiments being conducted. Ultimately, I believe animal research is necessary, but strict guidelines should always be followed.

The "abolitionist" groups out there seem to be no better than any other extremist groups in the world. Every few months you can hear a story in the news about someone killing (or attempting to kill) a researcher or someone wearing fur. It's this kind of behavior that makes people not take these groups seriously. Instead of trying to open a dialogue, they resort to violence. Here is a news story from earlier this year about a woman who was arrested for trying to hire a hitman to gun down people wearing fur. Obviously, fur and animal research aren't the same thing, but the article exemplifies the type of behavior radical activists (for any cause) are willing to resort to. Now, It's important to note that you can't generalize every animal rights advocate as some kind of blood-thirsty lunatic; this is strictly directed at extremists.

In closing, people need to stop being stupid and start talking out their issues like decent human beings. It amazes me that some of the people who are trying to protect these animals will actually start acting like them. Before I finish, I'd like to make note of the fact that I tried to find some funny cartoons related to animal research and everything I found (regardless of which side of the argument they were on) oversimplified the issue and ended up being really lame. Make of that what you will.

Looks like I'm done here. 'Til next time.
Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.