Neurotopia

Friday Weird Science: Oxytocin in your Cavernosa

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:12:54 -0500

This post brought to you by Ben and Jerry's Dublin Mudslide Ice Cream. Because the Twitter people are like little devils on my shoulder, making me eat the cake...

(<3<3<3)

So Sci was going to do her final oxytocin post on another study in humans for oxytocin levels during male masturbation, but you know, you've seen one, you've seen them all. I know that they were looking at slightly different things, but...well...it all looked the same: oxytocin measured while a guy is in a room with some porn, measure some other stuff as well, look at the correlations. So Sci started digging around for something a little more unusual.

And when Sci saw this one, her little eyes brightened, and she said "oooooh! THAT ONE!"' much to the surprise of the nice evening janitorial lady in the lab. Because if you thought the LAST Friday Weird Science was one that you wouldn't want to volunteer for...

...how would you like a butterfly needle in your penis? What, that's not stimulating?!

Uckert et al. "Oxytocin plasma levels in the systemic and cavernous blood of healthy males during different penile conditions" World Journal of Urology, 2003.

For those not in the know, a butterfly needle looks like this:

(Insert into penis pointy end first)

Yadda yadda. Photos below NSFW, yadda yadda. It's Friday Weird Science, not like there's going to be puppies and kittens here.

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Oxytocin: The Love Molecule?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:34 -0500

And now Sci can finally get down to writing the hefty post in the oxytocin series, what she likes to call the effects on the soft stuff. The emotions, memory, trust, that kind of thing. She didn't know if she'd make it, for verily, this little grad student hath earned her ramen this day in looooooong experiments and time slaving away in the ~~salt mines~~ laboratory. But she is here! Her ramen is eaten! And it is TIME!

Oxytocin: Effects on the State of Love and Trust

aka "The LOVE molecule?"

(Right now, this is Sci's definition of love)

Sigh...Sci has heard so many people call oxytocin "the love molecule". Almost as many people as she has heard call dopamine the "reward molecule", or serotonin the "happy molecule". Based on the previous examples, Sci now officially reserves the right to call norepinephrine the "holy s**t we're going to DIE" molecule.

What do all these have in common? They are all SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. But for now, we're just going to stick to oxytocin. The "love molecule"?! You don't know the half of it!

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Oxytocin: Let's hear it for the boys!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:02:10 -0500

Sci will be honest. The migraine continues apace. But the oxytocin, it must be blogged. And the migraine medication, it makes Sci loopy! Given what I'll be blogging today, that might not be a bad thing...

(From the Devil's Panties, which is a super-cute webcomic if you're into geeks like Sci is. I met the artist once and she drew me one of these! Also, Sci would like to note that she does not use paint fumes as migraine medication.)

I've already gone through some of the basics of oxytocin, and the famous effects that oxytocin has on females. But what most general biology and physiology courses don't tell you is the big role that oxytocin plays in MALES. This molecule isn't just for the ladies.

Let's hear it for the boys:

(Nothing says manly men like high kicks)

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Oxytocin PSA

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:11:21 -0500

Sci was totally going to blog the effects of oxytocin in men tonight. Unfortunately, she has recently been stricken by a migraine of rather impressive proportions. Under such conditions, she has no ability to focus on things like brightly lit screens, cannot make herself understand anything more complicated than monosyllabic concepts like "ouch", and is decidedly Un-funny. She will be lying with a pile of frozen veggies on her head and Sci-cat in the illness position on her feet until further notice.

In the meantime, submit to Open Lab. You have only a few more weeks! And Sci wants to see all of your science hotness.

(Click on that one for the submission form)

Read the comments on this post...

Friday Weird Science: Oxytocin and the Big O

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:18:00 -0500

Rounding out Sci's first week of the Great Oxytocin Posting of 2009 (oh yes, there will be two weeks of this, hang tight), we've gotta do something weird. And luckily for everyone, oxytocin does lend itself to the strange types of studies. Like multi-orgasmic studies. Complete with measurements of anal contraction. You know you wanna volunteer for this one.

And luckily for all of you, Sci is the one doing the reading and the retelling of this study. Because reading the methods for this one might cause you to do this:

(Sci reading the methods)

Carmichael et al. "Relationships among cardiovascular, muscular, and oxytocin responses during human sexual activity". Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1994.

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Oxytocin: This one's for the Ladies

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:58:10 -0500

Previously I posted on the general features of oxytocin, what it acts on, and where it basically acts, and what it's mostly known for. But the reality is that oxytocin is a LOT more complicated than that, and has different effects of your body and your behavior, depending on who you are. It varies from person to person (as all biological things do) as well as between men and women. And today, we're going to discuss the ladies. Because if there is anything oxytocin is famous for, it's for its effects on women.

(Yes, yes, we will cover this bit).

You may have noticed lots of links in the previous post. Those links are to the literature which I searched before posting. There will be lots more links in this one to examples of studies which support what I'm going to tell you about. Of course, all of these are in science-ese, and so if you are puzzling over something and can't make it out, give a shout out in the comments with the particular paper, and Sci will do her best to cover the paper later on. I have a feeling that oxytocin is going to be a recurring topic.

So here we go.

This one's for the ladies

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Open Lab PSA

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:15:02 -0500

We Interrupt this craziness on Oxytocin for an important PSA:

Open Lab is COMING!!!

Sci all of a sudden looked up, realized it was November, and realized the deadline for post submission was December 1!!! That's close, people, real close. Right now, we have well over 470 entries (which you can see on Bora's blog here), many of them extremely good ones! And you can still submit! Submit the greatest posts of others, and have no shame in submitting yourself!

Submit to Open Lab!

(Zod compels you)

(Click on that one for the submission form)

A few caveats: NO VIDEOS. This is an anthology, and it is a book. Dead trees, peeps. As of yet, videos do not come in that format. If it relies on a photo or picture almost entirely, also out. Written word is best. Also, at this point in the stress, Sci highly recommends submitting things that are both excellent and make her laugh. Always aim to make Sci laugh!

Submit to Open Lab! Time is ticking!

Read the comments on this post...

Oxytocin: Starting with the basics

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:55:32 -0500

So sometimes, Sci gets questions, and sometimes those questions...are close enough to requests. And so, today Sci will begin what is probably going to be an extensive basic series on oxytocin. We ALL love oxytocin, right? Right! And we all missed Sci's big honkin' basic science posts right? Of course right!

So the question basically came down to this: What are the effects of oxytocin in female vs males, in particular the effects on sexual and bonding behavior, and how does this influence the autonomy of people (eg, are we really the tools of our hormones). The short answer: yes and no. The long answer: is very long. So today Sci is going to begin with a background post on oxytocin, what it is, where it acts, and some basic functions. The next post will be on effects of ocytocin in females specifically, and then a post on ocytocin in males specifically. And then, the synthesis. And interspersed in there, a few Friday Weird Sciences. I mean, oxytocin makes for some GREAT weird science. :) Keep in mind, though, that although Sci has done a boatload of research getting ready to blog this topic, she by no means going to hit ALL of EVERYTHING. She might have to blog some specific papers in the future, and she definitely welcomes anyone willing to chime in the comments with more info!

So here we go.

Oxytocin

(Complicated molecule, complicated actions)

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Repost: Prairie Voles in Love

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:13:01 -0500

As a taste of things to come. :)

For your Friday Weird Science, I present to you a Poem! And I shall call it "Prairie Voles in Love: An Ode to Oxytocin"

Out on the lonely prairie, gazing at the stars above
I saw through the night
the wondrous sight
Of prairie voles in love

'Twas truly a miracle to see
this display of monogamy
Monogamy, subject of vast debates
In only 3% of mammals, mostly primates
But here on the prairie, in burrows and holes
whole colonies of uxorious voles!

But who could love a prairie vole?
More handsome is a lump of coal!
The rodents are small,
hairy, buck-toothed and all
Though whiskers are cute, with bright eyes above,
That's a face only a mother could love!

Alas, love is not for their minds to control
The hormones must their hearts console
The posterior pituitary is something great
For forming pair-bonds with your chosen mate!
And for voles together through thick and thin
There is nothing better than oxytocin.

The posterior pituiary, the neurohypophysis
The place the love glow from pair-bonding is.
Without oxytocin, the voles just get laid
There is nothing from which pairings can be made.
The females needed oxytocin for when the morning came
Or male voles were kicked out, to do the walk of shame.

But it turns out that oxytocin is just for a girl
The boys need vasopressin to make their toes curl
ADH can turn those dead-beat dads
who otherwise would be bounders and cads
into a model husband, father, and mate
who any smart girl vole would kill to date.

No miracle, this monogamous bliss
So when your lover walks out
Don't waste time, scream, or shout,
Look to your neurohypophysis!

I am a HUGE geek. I know. Even my advisor tells me so. Ack! I'm still rhyming!!
Insel, T.R., Winslow, J.R., Wang, Z.X., Young, L., Hulihan, T.J. (1995). Oxytocin and the molecular basis of monogamy. Advances in Experimental and Medical Biology, 395(1), 227-234.

Read the comments on this post...

Friday Weird Science: The Stuttering Priapism

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:15:30 -0500

Editor's Selection Icon Who would have thought Sci would be running a normal pub-med search, for something COMPLETELY not weird science material, and come across...this? Truly, it was meant to be!

This case report is probably one of the weirdest things I've seen all week, and kept Sci scratching her head as to the possible mechanism. Also, it is, without a doubt, one of the most incredibly embarrassing thing to ever happen to a 15-year-old. And you thought YOUR teenage stories were bad...

Scwartz and Rushton. "Stuttering priapism associated with withdrawal from sustained-release methylphenidate" Journal of Pediatrics, 2004.

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Book Review: The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:58:41 -0500

Often, Sci gets books, and even though she's totally excited about them, has to move them to the bottom of the pile, in a vain effort to go through things in the order she receives them, and try to stay on top of it all (there's a pile of books next to Sci's bed a good two feet tall. Really). But when I got this one...it moved right to the front. I mean, how could it NOT!?

The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology by Masaharu Takemura.

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

An Open Letter: Journal References

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:06:35 -0500

Dearest High and Mighty Journal to Whom I Wish to Submit My Manuscript and Thereby Become Famous:

Greetings, from your most humble supplicant.

Verily, I have polished my manuscript. It is a thing of beauty. It is within your rather arbitrary and extremely paltry word limits, for truly, this humble scientist understands that succinctness and clarity are essential in scientific writing. My figures have been lovingly crafted to convey my totally awesome data, and my standard errors are indeed a thing of beauty. And so, O Great Journal, I offer this paper up unto you, in hopes that you and your reviewers shall think kindly upon my work and thereby make my name great amongst the scientists.

But I have a bit of a bone to pick...

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Friday Weird Science: The Deadly Sneeze

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:37:10 -0500

Sci always has all these PLANS for weird science, all these THINGS she's going to blog about. Seriously, a post on Ritalin-induced stuttering priapism (heh...heh...) awaits! But then, Mo posts something like this on Twitter, and Sci just HAS to cover it. It's too weird! Though it's not ACTUAL science, it still qualifies. How many people freakin' die from sneezes?!

"Man died after sneeze, inquest told"

Ah, sneezes. You think they're totally safe...

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

SFN Neuroblogging: Performance-enhancing Ritalin

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:49:15 -0500

Sci will admit that blogging SFN has been harder than she thought it would be. This is partially due to the lack of wireless on the poster floor (which would be REALLY hard to remedy), and partially due to...exhaustion. By the end of the second or third day, the posters all begin to blur before your eyes, and you bless anyone who is willing to send you a copy of their poster. This is because your notes, however extensive, become steadily less and less legible (Sci's netbook is not optimal for this kind of note-taking). So as Sci tries to write about all the cool stuff she's seen, she ends up squinting curiously at her notes and saying things like "task indecent via 02??? That doesn't make any sense!!!"

If they keep up this neuroblogging for next year (please do!!!) and if Sci is picked again (Same Sci-time...midnightish...and same Sci url!), Sci wants to start setting up interviews with people who have awesome abstracts, so I can take better notes. Or possibly I could start begging poster copies ahead of time. Many presenters aren't so good about sending them, and who can blame them? Sci has forgotten many a time. (As to why all poster-presenters don't hand out copies of their posters, or allow pictures of posters to be taken, well, Sci will save that for another post).

Anyway, I shall forge on, and attempt to decipher my own handwriting! Especially because I recall being very excited about this particular poster and the implications.

K. M. TYE, L. D. TYE, J. J. CONE, E. F. HEKKELMAN, P. H. JANAK, A. BONCI; "Methylphenidate (Ritalin) enhances task performance and learning-induced amygdala plasticity via distinct D1 and D2 receptor mechanisms "

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

To Dad, From a Runner

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:10:09 -0500

Once Upon a Time, there was a little girl.

This little girl became Scicurious. Her dad had a large role in getting her there. My Mom gave me charm, sparkle, and confidence. My dad gave me his sense of humor. And my dad gave me running.

Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...