#orbitofrontal cortex

Different Brain Areas Linked to Smoking and Drinking Behaviors

These discoveries help to show that there are different neural bases of different types of addiction, and that the orbitofrontal cortex, a key brain region in emotion, is implicated in these two types of addiction.

Two Distinct Brain Regions Have Independent Influence on Decision-Making

Often when we make a decision, we calculate its "expected value," by multiplying the value of something (how much we want or need it) with the probability that we might be able to obtain it, a concept first introduced by 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal.

BLANKbottle Orbitofrontal Cortex Stellenbosch, South Africa 2022 Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Clairette

Orbitofrontal Cortex is the ‘control’ wine, a byproduct, in an experiment in which BLANKbottle worked with scientists at Neural Sense to create a wine that was a result of subconscious reactions.

Using brainwaves, blood oxygen levels and eye dilation, 21 different wines were sampled and tested. This wine is a blend of the best of the wines selected by the orbitofrontal cortex, where conscious decisions are made. A toasty, creamy, complex white with high acidity.

Tasting notes: tangerine, pear, waxy lemon

Orbitofrontal Cortex

Hello all, this is another attempt to retain information for school, this time for my psychology class.

There are two main parts of the brain that are involved in social anxiety. The first is the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is at the very front of the brain. The OFC is heavily involved in 'higher' brain functions, especially those that deal with social behavior, decision-making, and emotional regulation. The second major brain structure is the amygdala, which allows us to experience emotion. It is commonly referred to as the brain's 'fear center'.

As these two descriptions imply, in a 'normal' brain, the OFC has very tight control over the amygdala. Most of its 'job,' so to speak, is to keep the amygdala in check. However, in a person who experiences social anxiety, the connections between these two structures have been changed or twisted in some way. The amygdala has far more control than it normally would, allowing for feelings of panic and/or fear in situations where said feelings would not logically be occurring; in this case, those situations involve social interaction.

How Your Brain Learns to Expect Muddy Puddles in the Park (and Other Things)

Previous research has identified the midbrain's role in learning about preferences.

うちの Department of Neurobiology and Behavior というところがやっているセミナーシリーズを同僚と聞きに行く。

今日は Dr. Betsy Murray さんのお話を伺った。今日のお話はおそらく Specialized areas for value updating and goal selection in the primate orbitofrontal cortex に基づいたものかな。正直、ニューロ関係はまだまだ素人に近い私なので、知らない脳の部位とかその役割とかが沢山あるので、こうやってトークを聞きながら何かしら自分なりにメモって、その後そのメモを元にググってお勉強をするというのも大事な活動かな。それに、Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence で書かれているように人間の脳を知ることと Artificial Neural Network の研究は今後もお互いに関連しあっていくと思うしどこで何が発想の元になるかわからないからね。なんとなく、純粋に興味深いというのもあるし。

午後はアルゴリズムの授業があった。今日から Dynamic Programming。

授業の後は、昨日に引き続きまた採点業務を二時間弱。まだ半分も終わってない。

そして、その後はまた論文読みを再開し二時間弱（授業でプレゼンをしなければいけない）