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Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

picower.mit.edu

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Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#111

Post by agumonkey »

Aurornis wrote: post #43

When you see headlines (or hear podcasters) talk about dopamine and other neurotransmitters, remember that neurotransmitters are merely signaling molecules. The correct way to interpret this study is that dopamine is part of the signaling chain involved in fear extinction. The specific details of where, how, and when that dopamine moves through the brain are important. The wrong way to interpret these studies is to t…

I assume that some process also evaluate the memory patterns associated with a stimuli/concept and then adjust the signals emitted after exposure ?

I'm very very interested in this topic (I have some issues on that front) so if anyone knows books about neurology regarding trauma. Feel free to suggest me books or articles. Thanks

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#113

Post by wyan »

aaroninsf wrote: post #89
Aurornis wrote: post #43

When you see headlines (or hear podcasters) talk about dopamine and other neurotransmitters, remember that neurotransmitters are merely signaling molecules. The correct way to interpret this study is that dopamine is part of the signaling chain involved in fear extinction. The specific details of where, how, and when that dopamine moves through the brain are important. The wrong way to interpret these studies is to t…

You're 100% right, and, I can say that my own experience is that correlating my own exposure to stimuli I have found fear-inducing, while on dopamine-modulating drugs, has proven highly efficacious in overcoming those fears. No A/B, results may vary, etc., but personally I have had life-changing results.

What types of dopamine-modulating drugs are we talking about, if it's ok to ask?

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#115

Post by HPsquared »

Aurornis wrote: post #59
abhisek wrote: post #5

I have a simple question. How do I control dopamine in "my" brain so that I can focus on "here and now" instead of HN and GitHub.

You'll get a lot of pop-science answers when you ask about dopamine. The less popular truth is that focus and self-discipline can't be reduced to a single chemical. It's not as simple as a level in your brain that goes up and down. Side note: ADHD is more than just dopamine, too. The stimulant medications used for ADHD have strong norepinephrine activity. There are non-stimulant ADHD medications that act on norepinep…

Anna Karenina principle oft quoted from Tolstoy:

"all happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way".

Like with any complex system, there are a lot of ways for the system to fail, and the number of states considered "working properly" is much smaller.

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#116

Post by castillar76 »

This is a fascinating finding! As someone with a neurodivergent brain (and kids with it as well), I'm wondering if this has something to do with the greater degree of anxiety in neurodivergent brains, which often have trouble processing dopamine the same way neurotypical brains do.

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#117

Post by Aurornis »

aaroninsf wrote: post #89
Aurornis wrote: post #43

When you see headlines (or hear podcasters) talk about dopamine and other neurotransmitters, remember that neurotransmitters are merely signaling molecules. The correct way to interpret this study is that dopamine is part of the signaling chain involved in fear extinction. The specific details of where, how, and when that dopamine moves through the brain are important. The wrong way to interpret these studies is to t…

You're 100% right, and, I can say that my own experience is that correlating my own exposure to stimuli I have found fear-inducing, while on dopamine-modulating drugs, has proven highly efficacious in overcoming those fears. No A/B, results may vary, etc., but personally I have had life-changing results.

Without details it’s impossible to know what you’re talking about, but it should be noted that the early phases of using stimulants or abuse-pattern usage (e.g. doubling doses before doing something, or even taking cocaine or other recreational drugs) is well-known to be associated with a heightened sense of confidence.

This doesn’t work forever (tolerance) and other people will experience the opposite effect with heightened anxiety.

If you want an example of why it’s not a blanket true statement or an easy solution for fear extinction, consider that stimulant use at excess dosages or abuse-pattern usage frequently ends in paranoia, where users are in such deep fear that they start sensing danger everywhere.

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#118

Post by Aurornis »

shemtay wrote: post #75
Aurornis wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Neurotransmitters are just "global variables" to the GPU. No, neurotransmitters are very local. Dopamine exists all throughout your body, including your bloodstream. The dopamine in one location is uncoupled from the dopamine in another location. The dopamine in your bloodstream can't get into your brain. Dopamine within the brain doesn't spill over into entirely different regions of the brain.

is it not true though that activity/threshholds of dopamine synapses can be globally or semi-globally up and down regulated?

It is not true.

It’s unfortunate that so many podcasters have leaned into the myths about being able to manipulate dopamine as some global up/down thing you can adjust by following certain protocols.

Andrew Huberman is among the worst at this because he has enough education that he should know better. I think he’s too enamored with the traffic and clicks he gets when he talks about dopamine, so he’s willing to stretch the truth or even break it completely if it will make for engaging podcast content.

Some of the studies he cites over and over again about dopamine don’t even say what he claims. Huberman is a joke among people who actually know the science, but he became a hero to people who thought he was just a nice guy sharing free knowledge with them.

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#119

Post by roenxi »

layer8 wrote: post #76
enaaem wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any special kind of meditation that is recommended?

Basic mindfulness meditation should do the job: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness#Watching_the_breat...

While it is literally just sitting somewhere watching the breath it is easy to do things wrong like sitting concentrating hard or being bored instead of observing the boredom. The irony of doing nothing being a difficult skill. Anyone interested probably wants to find some serious mediators to talk to - Buddhist monks are recommended but there are others here and there.

Re: Dopamine signals when a fear can be forgotten

#120

Post by braebo »

Aurornis wrote: post #118
shemtay wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

is it not true though that activity/threshholds of dopamine synapses can be globally or semi-globally up and down regulated?

It is not true. It’s unfortunate that so many podcasters have leaned into the myths about being able to manipulate dopamine as some global up/down thing you can adjust by following certain protocols. Andrew Huberman is among the worst at this because he has enough education that he should know better. I think he’s too enamored with the traffic and clicks he gets when he talks about dopamine, so he’s willing to stretc…

Would you say the harm outweighs the good Huberman does with his ability to communicate complex concepts in ways that are more digestible to laymen?
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