Becky Appleton This blog post will look at what hallucinations are, what causes them, and what can be do to help people who suffer from them. Normally, we are pretty good at identifying what’s real in the environment, but occasionally this processing is distorted, and people see things which aren’t there. This is a hallucination, and the … Read more
Can you imagine constantly feeling as though people are plotting against you, or that they are watching you and spreading rumors? These are common symptoms of people who suffer from delusions, which is turn is a symptom of schizophrenia. Delusions are defined as implausible, unfounded and strongly held beliefs which are personal to the individual … Read more
Another for the Brainteaser series now – The Rubber Hand Illusion. This involves tricking your brain into believing that a rubber hand is actually your own – sounds a bit weird I know! Botvinick & Cohen (1998) found that participants experience ownership of a rubber hand after they have viewed it receiving the same tactile … Read more
Post – traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder which is characterised by: reexperiencing the trauma (intrusive thoughts) avoidance and numbing increased arousal It has a lifetime prevalence of about 8%, and is more likely to occur in women than men. It differs from other anxiety disorders as it is anxiety … Read more
Can you imagine only being able to see one thing at a time? This is the struggle faced by patients with Simultanagnosia – an extremely rare visual disorder. The reason this is so rare is that it is caused by damage to the posterior parietal cortex (shown in light blue below) but on BOTH sides … Read more
Do you ever feel shy when talking to people you’ve never met before? Or get nervous before speaking in front of a large audience? While these emotions are normal, people with Social Anxiety Disorder (or Social Phobia) have a persistent fear of social situations. Often, sufferers believe that they will say or do something embarrassing, … Read more
Visual Extinction is a condition caused by damage to the parietal lobe, and is similar, although distinct from Visual Neglect. It is characterised by the ability to see stimuli in the opposite visual field to the brain damage, but only when there is no competition from other stimuli in the visual field on the same … Read more
Another brainteaser for you! First of all, watch this video. Make sure you pay attention to the instructions at the beginning – you’ll be asked questions about it at the end. What did you think? And importantly – did you see the gorilla?! Selective attention tests like these show how focused our attention … Read more
Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder which is characterised by recurring panic attacks. A panic attack is a brief period of intense discomfort and anxiety, and can cause symptoms like breathlessness and palpitations. During a panic attack, the individual will typically have thoughts such as ‘I’m going mad’ or ‘I’m having a heart … Read more
I’m back with a video from the psychologist who inspired me to study this subject at uni – V.S. Ramachandran. This TED talk looks at what makes us human and how studying neuroscience can link questions from philosophy to psychology. It also mentions Capgras syndrome – when patients with brain damage to the area of … Read more