____________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
____________________________________________________________
Neuroscience for Kids had several new additions in June including:
A. June Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news2506.html
B. New Neuroscience in the News
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/inthenews.html
C. New Neurocalendars
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurocal.html
__________________________________________________________
The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for July is "Functional Neuroanatomy" at:
Learning neuroanatomy requires that you are able to understand the brain in three dimensions and this month's Site of Month is available to help. The "Functional Neuroanatomy" website was created at the University of British Columbia and is one of the best neuroanatomy resources I have seen. Some of the materials may be too advanced for people starting to learn about the brain, but there are many materials available for beginning neuroscientists.
Start your exploration of the website at "Introduction to Neuroanatomy" where you will find videos of a human brain dissection and a clinical neurological examination. This page also has two interactive modules that introduce the central nervous system and neurophysiology. These modules allow you to learn at your own pace and to test yourself. Back at the main page you can access many other interactive modules about different areas of the brain by clicking on the "Interactive Modules" box in the middle of the right column.
For something really unique, click on the "3D" box at the bottom of the left column to take you to a new page with three resources to see the brain in three dimensions. The Holobrain WebVR allows you to use virtual reality (VR) to get inside the brain, but it works without VR too. The 3D Reconstructions page has a series of short videos showing rotating images of different parts of the brain and 3D Neuroanatomy Models page has interactive views of the brain.
If you are interested in a specific part of the brain, try one of the short courses on the site by clicking on the Neuroanatomy Syllabus box at the bottom center of the main web site. On the new page you will find outlines for eight different courses. Each course has a description of learning objectives, videos and learning modules.
You can spend many hours exploring Functional Neuroanatomy and I am certain that you will learn something new about the brain when you explore this website.
__________________________________________________________
Last month, news media reported that a large population of endangered San Francisco garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) was found living near San Francisco International Airport. This announcement was great to hear and shows that conservation efforts in the area are working.
West coast garter snakes have an interesting connection to neuroscience: they are immune to the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin in their favorite food, the rough-skinned newt. Tetrodotoxin binds to sodium channel sites to prevent sodium ions from entering a neuron. Therefore, an action potential will not be generated. The common garter snake has a single genetic mutation on nerve and muscle receptor sites that prevents tetrodotoxin from binding. So, garter snakes can feast on newts without suffering any ill effects.
Reference: Hanifin, C.T., Brodie, E.D. Jr. and Brodie, E.D., III (2008) Phenotypic Mismatches Reveal Escape from Arms-Race Coevolution. PLoS Biol 6(3): e60. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060060
__________________________________________________________
Hiccups, also called singultus, happen when the diaphragm and muscles between the ribs contract suddenly. This causes air to close the vocal cords and the "hic" sound of a hiccup. There are many folk remedies for hiccups including holding your breath, breathing into a bag, standing on your head, eating a spoonful of sugar, getting scared, drinking from the wrong side of a glass, and plugging your ears and drinking. One group of scientists says that they have invented a new device that can stop hiccups almost immediately and is effective about 90% of time.
The new device, named the "forced inspiratory suction and swallow tool (FISST)," is an L-shaped straw that is used to sip water. The design of the straw requires people to suck on the straw a bit more strongly than normal to drink the water. The additional suction is thought to stimulate the phrenic and vagus nerves. These nerves cause the hiccups in the first place so the extra stimulation interrupts their hiccup-inducing signals.
I had the opportunity to test a simple model of this device when my wife got the hiccups. When she got the hiccups, I quickly filled a glass of water and found a plastic straw that bends nears the top. I told my wife to place the straw flat on the bottom of the glass so that it would be a little difficult to take a sip of water. I thought this simple method would be similar to the FISST device. My wife took two sips of water and her hiccups were gone! Of course, more experimentation is needed. I have tested only one subject and I do not know if the hiccups would have gone away on their own. However, my wife's hiccups usually last a few minutes and sipping from the bent straw worked very quickly. I'll keep a straw available in case another episode of hiccups presents itself.
Reference: Alvarez, J., et al., Evaluation of the forced inspiratory suction and swallow tool to stop hiccups, JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2113933. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13933.
__________________________________________________________
A. "Dog, Yawn It" (about contagious yawning in dogs, DISCOVER magazine, June 2021).
B. "Where Did Music Come From," "Cinema Amnesia" and "The Future of Psychotherapy (DISCOVER magazine, July/August 2021)
_________________________________________________________
A. The Department of Psychology at Arizona State University will offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience this fall.
B. The stonefish has a neurotoxic venom that binds to receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The sting of a stonefish can cause intense pain, paralysis, heart problems and even death.
C. The Cortex District is a business/innovation area in the St. Louis historic Central West End and Forest Park Southeast neighborhoods.
D. In the United States in 2019, there were about 61,000 traumatic brain injury-related deaths (about 166 traumatic brain injury-related deaths every day). (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html).
E. "Neuron" is the name of a coffee shop in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
To remove yourself from this mailing list and stop your subscription
to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter, send e-mail to Dr. Eric H.
Chudler at: chudler@u.washington.edu
_________________________________________________________
Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter and the "Neuroscience for Kids" web site are always welcome. If there are any special topics that you would like to see on the web site, just let me know.
Eric
Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.