#devinsky

[disabled-systems]

(Regarding non-epileptic seizures)

According to the United States' National Library of Medicine's academic article entitled 'Dissociative Seizures: a Challenge for Neurologists and Psychotherapists', a Dissociative Seizure is defined: "Dissociative seizures resemble epileptic seizures but have no electrophysiological correlate. Their manifestations may include alterations of consciousness such as trance or stupor, amnesia, and/or hypermotor seizures with more or less rhythmic movements of the head and trunk, muscle stiffness, and tremor-like movements. In the current diagnostic manuals (DSM-IV, ICD-10), they are considered a manifestation of a dissociative or conversion disorder (e1). Dissociative seizures are not under the patient’s voluntary control and are thought to represent the patient’s involuntary response to emotional stress." Associated cited articles include 'Reuber M. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Answers and questions', 'Gates J R. Diagnosis and treatment of nonepileptic seizures' and 'LaFrance WC, Jr, Devinsky O. Treatment of nonepileptic seizures'. Further, the United Kingdom organization Epilepsy Action mentions that, "...it’s thought they are a physical reaction to distressing triggers such as sensations, thoughts, emotions and difficult situations. Some experts say dissociative seizures are the brain’s way of ‘shutting down’ to protect itself from overwhelming distress. What happens during a dissociative seizure varies from person to person. Some dissociative seizures look very similar to epileptic seizures, whilst others look more like fainting. Someone having a dissociative seizure may fall to the floor and have shaking or jerking movements, bite their tongue and lose control of their bladder. Other people may go blank and stare, and not be able to respond to people around them.

Sources:

stresshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647137/

https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/dissociative-seizures-non-epileptic-attack-disorder-nead

So, in those with dissociative identity disorders, non-epileptic seizures may occur in between switches. For instance, if I switch with Doc and in between the switch our head droops or our eyes blink rapidly or feel like we’re going to fall over; that is a non-epileptic seizure switch.

I hope this helps! Sorry if it comes off as rude, we’re in a class where we research stuff constantly and we responded in between work

- 🌅 anon

thank you so much for this info!! i had no idea, this is great to know :)

-aimee (any)

[moko1590m]

いわゆる「霊」を見た、感じた、などの体験は、解離や統合失調等の精神疾患の症状だという科学的な研究はたくさんあると思います。それらの研究で共通して挙げられている、霊に関連する体験と症状の対応を、出来るだけ詳しく教えてください。

ChatGPT:

とても本質的な問いです。「霊的体験」は文化によって神聖なものとされることもありますが、精神医学・心理学の分野では、こうした体験の多くが特定の神経心理学的・精神病理学的状態と関連しているとされます。以下に、科学的研究や臨床所見に基づく「霊的体験」と精神疾患の症状の対応関係を詳しく紹介します。

🔍 科学的に確認されている「霊体験」と精神的・神経的症状の対応

① 幻���（幻視・幻聴）— 統合失調症、せん妄、睡眠障害など

霊体験の内容対応する症状関連する疾患・状態誰もいない場所で「声が聞こえる」幻聴統合失調症、PTSD、重度のストレス亡くなった家族や霊を「見る」幻視統合失調症、レビー小体型認知症、薬物誘発性精神病人の気配を感じる、影を見た気がする体性感覚幻覚／幻視睡眠麻痺、過覚醒状態、慢性ストレス

📚 研究例:

Waters et al. (2012): 統合失調症患者の幻聴には「他者性（自分以外の存在と感じる）」があり、これは「霊の声がする」という感覚に非常に近い。

Blom (2010): 正常な人でもストレスや喪失体験の後、一時的な幻覚（亡くなった人を見るなど）が起こることがあり、これは「非病理的幻覚」とも呼ばれる。

② 自己境界の崩壊／自己感の変容 — 統合失調症、離人症、解離性障害

霊体験の内容対応する症状関連する疾患・状態霊に「憑依された」自己同一性の混乱・乖離解離性同一性障害（DID）、統合失調症自分が自分でない感覚、「誰かが自分を操作している」離人感・現実感喪失離人症性障害、統合失調症自分の体から魂が抜け出す感覚（体外離脱）解離性体験強いトラウマ体験、PTSD、てんかん（側頭葉）

📚 研究例:

Sierra & Berrios (1998): 離人症の患者は、世界が「霧がかったように見える」「現実感がない」と表現し、これは死後世界や幽界の感覚に類似。

Devinsky et al. (1989): 側頭葉てんかんの患者が「存在を超えた存在と接触する」ような体験を報告。霊的啓示との類似性が指摘された。

③ 感覚過敏・感覚処理異常 — 自閉スペクトラム症、PTSD

霊体験の内容対応する症状関連する疾患・状態特定の場所で「空気が重い」「寒気がする」感覚過敏、過覚醒PTSD、ASD（自閉症スペクトラム）、不安障害誰かに見られているような感覚過度の警戒・不安感パラノイド型統合失調症、PTSD

📚 研究例:

Ramachandran & Blakeslee (1998): 側頭葉への刺激によって「超自然的存在を感じる」ことが誘発される（いわゆる「神のスポット」）。

Persinger（2001）の実験では、「神のヘルメット」と呼ばれる装置で側頭葉に微弱な磁気刺激を与えることで、多くの被験者が「霊の臨在感」を報告。

④ 夢と覚醒の中間状態（睡眠麻痺、金縛り）— 睡眠障害・ナルコレプシー

霊体験の内容対応する症状関連する疾患・状態金縛り中に「霊が上に乗ってきた」睡眠麻痺における幻覚睡眠障害、ナルコレプシー夢の中で霊に襲われるレム睡眠行動障害PTSD、睡眠障害全般

📚 研究例:

Cheyne et al. (1999): 金縛りと「侵入者体験」は、REM睡眠と覚醒の中間状態に起きる典型的な現象であると報告。

🧠 神経科学的メカニズムの共通点

脳部位関連する体験解釈側頭葉幻聴、幻視、宗教的体験感情・記憶・言語処理に関与。異常活動は「声」や「霊」の知覚に繋がる。前頭前野自己意識、抑制機能機能低下で「自他の境界」が曖昧に。憑依体験に類似。頭頂葉体の空間的認知、身体図式自己と他者の区別が崩れると、「背後に誰かがいる」などの感覚が生じやすい。

🧩 まとめ：霊体験は「精神病理的症状」の文化的な解釈である可能性

多くの「霊体験」は、精神疾患や神経活動の異常による知覚・認知の異常で説明可能。

文化的背景や信仰は、それを「病気」ではなく「霊的現象」として意味づける傾向がある。

つまり、「霊を見る」こと自体が異常なのではなく、それをどう意味づけるかが文化や教育、環境に依存している。

ご希望であれば、これらの研究の原論文や実験の詳細、文化人類学的観点からの補足も提供できます。気になるトピックがあれば教えてください。

4o

あなた:

今のご回答は、症状の方から整理していただいたと思いますが、今度は、精神疾患の方から整理してもらえますか？

ChatGPT:

もちろんです。今度は、精神疾患のカテゴリーごとに、「霊的体験」とどのように対応・関連しているかを中心に整理します。各疾患ごとに、その代表的な症状や体験の特徴、霊的体験として現れうる形を具体的に解説していきます。

🧠 精神疾患別に見る「霊的体験」との関連

① 統合失調症（Schizophrenia）

主な症状

幻聴・幻視

妄想（被害妄想、宗教的・霊的妄想）

思考の解体、連想の拡散

自我境界の喪失

対応する霊的体験

「霊の声が頭の中で聞こえる」「神が語りかけてくる」

「霊が自分の中に入ってきた（憑依）」

「監視されている、呪われている」

「私は選ばれた者だ」という啓示体験

科学的背景

側頭葉・前頭前野のドーパミン活動異常

自己他者区別の失調による「外的存在の声」としての幻聴

② 解離性障害（Dissociative Disorders）

主な症状

解離性健忘、離人感・現実感喪失

解離性同一性障害（DID：多重人格）

自己の意識や身体のコントロール感の喪失

対応する霊的体験

「霊に体を乗っ取られている」「誰か別の存在に動かされている」

「自分が自分ではな��」「霊が私に語りかけてくる」

「霊に導かれて行動してしまう」

科学的背景

強いトラウマにより自己防衛的に「人格の分離」が起こる

霊や超常的存在という「外的自己」の仮構を通じた自己分裂の表現

③ PTSD（心的外傷後ストレス障害）

主な症状

フラッシュバック、過覚醒

感情麻痺、過度の警戒

自己や世界の認知の歪み

対応する霊的体験

「亡くなった人が現れる（特に事故・災害の被害者）」

「霊が繰り返し夢に出てくる」「償わなければならない」

「見えない存在に常に監視されている感覚」

科学的背景

扁桃体の過活動、前頭前野の抑制機能低下

トラウマ記憶の象徴的表現としての霊的イメージ

④ 睡眠関連疾患（特にナルコレプシー、睡眠麻痺）

主な症状

入眠時・覚醒時の幻覚（睡眠時幻覚）

睡眠麻痺（金縛り）

自発的な体外離脱感

対応する霊的体験

「夜中に霊に押さえつけられる（金縛り）」

「幽体離脱体験」「夢と現実の境界のあいまいさ」

「寝ている間に霊が話しかけてきた」

科学的背景

REM睡眠の途中で意識が覚醒することによる意識と身体の分離

睡眠関連幻覚（hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations）

⑤ 側頭葉てんかん（Temporal Lobe Epilepsy）

主な症状

脳内の電気的異常による幻覚・情動体験

「霊的な一体感」「時空を超えた感覚」

既視感や超常的な確信

対応する霊的体験

「神や宇宙の存在と繋がった」「啓示を受けた」

「過去世を思い出した」「魂が永遠であることを悟った」

「天国や死後世界を見た」

科学的背景

側頭葉の異常な電気活動が「宗教的感情」「超越感」を誘発（いわゆる「神のスポット」）

精神症状が目立つため、誤って精神疾患と診断されることも

⑥ 重度の抑うつ／双極性障害（躁うつ病）

主な症状

抑うつ期：無価値感、死への願望

躁状態：過剰な自信、霊的な使命感

対応する霊的体験

「死者が迎えに来ている」「死後の世界が見えた」

「私は救世主としての使命を帯びている」

「霊的な世界の真理を悟った」

科学的背景

躁状態では宗教的・霊的妄想が出現しやすい

抑うつ状態では死後世界への期待や「霊との再会」が慰めとして現れる

🧩 補足：健常人にも見られる「非病理的霊体験」

強い喪失体験（配偶者、家族の死）直後の「故人が現れる」体験

瞑想や宗教儀式中の「神の臨在感」

これらは一過性で生活機能を著しく損なわない場合、病的とはみなされないこともある（文化的・宗教的背景により解釈される）

📌 まとめ

精神疾患代表的霊体験主な神経心理的��因統合失調症幻聴、憑依、神との対話側頭葉・前頭葉の機能異常解離性障害憑依、別人格、体外離脱自己の分離と記憶断裂PTSD幽霊の出現、被害者の霊フラッシュバックと象徴化睡眠障害金縛り、夢中の霊覚醒とREMの混同側頭葉てんかん啓示、霊的つながり側頭葉の電気的発火躁うつ病救世主妄想、死後幻想情動の極端な変動

ご希望であれば、これらを図解したチャートや比較表にしてお渡しすることも可能ですし、個別の疾患についてさらに詳しく掘り下げることもできます。どの方向で掘り下げたいですか？

[nursingwriter]

¶ … Epilepsy Medically speaking, the disease of epilepsy is part of a group of neurologic disorders characterized by recurring episodes of "convulsive seizures, sensory disturbances, abnormal behavior, loss of consciousness" or a combination of all (Glanz, 434). Epilepsy is usually classified as a specific disorder when a person experiences two or more seizures without a clear reason for the seizures. Some researchers believe epilepsy may be the result of a hereditary tendency or some type of brain injury, such as severe head trauma or stroke. The condition of recurrent and unprovoked seizures is referred to as true epilepsy. Thus, it is a common misconception that all seizures are medically referred to as epilepsy. The causes of epilepsy are quite complex, but most agree that as its basis, it is related to some kind of dysfunction in the human brain. During an epileptic seizure, the brain systems that maintain and control the normal balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain's electrical activity are compromised. For instance, the inhibitory nerve cells, or those that "switch on" other cells, become too active which may also be caused by an over-production of a specific neurotransmitter, being chemicals that stimulate cells to discharge electrical energy. To alter a person's behavior via a seizure, "a small group of abnormal cells cause changes in neighboring cells or in the cells that have the strongest connections. Ultimately, groups of cells are activated at the same time, and electrical discharges within many cells become linked which creates a storm of electrical activity in the brain" (Devinsky, 89). All of this is related to the brain's most important function -- to organize all of the messages that the brain receives from the body and spinal cord, whether generated exteriorly or interiorly. To accomplish this task, the brain has two mechanisms, a start and a stop and when the message is no longer required, the brain cancels it or "switches" it off. In a normal brain, the chemicals that maintain these two functions are well-synchronized, but in a person with epilepsy, a disruption of the chemical balance for these functions causes the messages to be sent and passed where they do not normally end up, resulting in a seizure. The diagnosis of epilepsy is also complex and varied, but generally, a number of questions are asked by the physician which greatly aids in the accurate diagnosis of epilepsy. Some of these questions include issues on stress levels, a lack of sleep, any recent head trauma, the use of illegal or legal drugs and the physical position that the person was in prior to the seizure. Also, questions are asked about the attack itself, such when it began, if there were any warning signs, any abnormal movement of the eyes, face, arms or legs and the loss of the ability to speak. Questions about how the person responded after the attack are also important, such as if the person was confused or tired, had normal speech abilities or experienced a severe headache. In addition, the diagnosis for epilepsy involves a number of tests and examinations that help to pinpoint the possible causes of the seizures. Some of these tests are designed to eliminate obvious causes, while others, such as electrocardiograms (ECG) and electroencephalograms (EEG) are carried out to assist the specialist in epilepsy to make an accurate diagnosis. At times, "a physician may be reluctant to make any kind of diagnosis for epilepsy, especially if the afflicted person has experienced only one or two seizures or episodes" (Preston, 178). Thus, any true or accurate diagnosis of epilepsy is not confirmed until the tests results are conclusive and indisputable. Since one of these tests is so important to the proper diagnosis of epilepsy, it must be examined in some detail. The routine EEG is the most common test for the disorder. The treatment and prevention of epilepsy is also complicated, yet in recent years, researchers have devised several way in which epilepsy can be successfully treated. After a true diagnosis has been established, the person afflicted with the disorder undergoes drug treatment via a number of specialized medications. Due to recent advances in the study of epilepsy, an ever-increasing number of anti-epileptic medications are available, such as Tegretol, effective against generalized seizures; Zarontin; Lamictal, used in patients where previous treatment has been ineffective, and Frisium, effective against many types of seizures and usually prescribed for women who have seizures during their periods. Unlike other kinds of medication, epileptic drugs control the symptoms of the disorder rather than aiming for a cure. This is accomplished by raising a person's seizure threshold, or by reducing their vulnerability to experiencing epileptic seizures. Chemically, they help to increase the brain's ability to "stop" or "turn off" the firing of neurons. Once the patient has reached a certain level, the so-called "steady state," the drug becomes highly effective, but some patients continue to have seizures which then requires higher and longer doses of the medication. Thus, the treatment of epilepsy is never a guaranteed success. Despite all of the research which has been conducted by medical and scientific professionals within the last ten years or so, a cure for epilepsy has not been achieved. Yet there have been a number of advances, such as investigations into neurochemical and cellular changes linked to seizures, the mapping of genes (human genome), developing more effective anti-epileptic drugs, refining advanced techniques for mapping areas of the brain, and developing new epilepsy surgical procedures. As a result of these advances, "diagnostic techniques have been improved and are more efficient than ever" (Turner, 214), some of which, such as a CAT scan and PET scan, have revealed startling information on exactly how epilepsy works and how it can possibly be reversed. While on the subject of treatment and cures for epilepsy, a certain case study reveals much about how epilepsy affects not only the patient but also his/her family and even social customs. In 1982, Lia Lee, the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos, became afflicted with epilepsy, yet her parents "believed that the seizures were caused by the flight of her soul from her body, known as gaug dab peg or "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" ("The Spirit Catches," Internet). As a result, the little girl suffered greatly, due to her parents not giving her the proper medication doses as prescribed by her doctors. This is a clear-cut example on how culture often clashes with science, for the treatment prescribed by the girl's doctors could possibly have saved her, but her parent's superstitious beliefs prevented it. For epilepsy, one form of therapy is known as the Ketogenic Diet, first used in the 1930's and made up of mostly fats, little or no carbohydrates and a small amount of protein which has shown to reduce "the frequency of seizures in more than half of the patients who followed it" (Turner, 214). This diet is named ketogenic because it causes a metabolic change in the body called ketosis. On this diet, the body metabolizes its own protein which produces chemicals called ketone bodies and uric acid. But with the addition of phenytoin in 1938, this diet became one of great interest and during the past several decades, new studies have confirmed its overall therapeutic value in treating epilepsy. As to epilepsy being a disabling factor in the lives of those with it, the affect that the disorder creates varies from one individual to another and depends on how successful one's medical treatment has been in controlling seizures. Yet even if a person no longer experiences seizures, the mere presence of epilepsy will influence many areas of their lives, such as employment, school and other social activities. Whether or not the afflicted person is truly disabled depends on the advancement of the disorder and the number of seizures experienced at any given time. In the world of medicine today, there is still much about the inner workings of the human brain that are relatively unknown. Yet advancements in brain scanning and other techniques are giving researchers greater insight on how epilepsy works and why the brain responds as it does to the seizures. Obviously, with advances in genetic testing and the existence of the Human Genome Project, epilepsy could one day be cured and thus help millions of sufferers to live a "normal" and non-disabling lifestyle. Annotated Bibliography Chadwick, David. Living with Epilepsy. London: Optima Publishing, 1987. (An excellent book which explains in-depth how a person can cope and live with epilepsy. It also provides information on support groups for those afflicted with the disease). Preston, Robb. Epilepsy: Causes and Treatments. Miami, FL: Symposia Specialists, Inc., 1980. (Another excellent book that discusses all the major aspects of epilepsy. It also provides much information on what a person should do when someone is experiencing an epileptic seizure). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." Book Review. Internet. 2003. Accessed September 19, 2005. http://www.spiritcatchesyou.com/bookdescription.htm.(A very thorough review of Anne Fadiman's book which describes Lia Lee's battle with epilepsy, both medically and culturally). Read the full article

[viagostalons]

the declinsky moodboard no one asked for

[prokopenkokavinsky]

Declan Lynch is amazing at flirting... until:

Jiang gives him a long look with dark eyes and a slight smirk on his lips and a soft laugh that has him on his knees.

Gansey pulls him by his tie without a word to his car and kisses him against it to shut him up

Until Kavinsky blows the smoke out and grins at him and calls him baby boy and tells him to get in the car and drives him to an unknown destination

So yeah, Declan Lynch is a flirt. Just not around hot guys

[non-mortem-somni-fratrem]

CAN YOU STOP DESTROYING ME BY HITTING ME WITH SHIPS THAT HAVE NO CONTENT?!

K treating Declan like a sugar daddy even though they're both loaded is my literal favorite thing

hahaha yes ‘dec, buy me that’ ‘DEC, BUY ME THAT’ and declan is like god fucking buy it yourself, or dream it you little shit. and kavinsky is like YOU’RE A FUCKING HORRIBLE SUGAR DADDY. ‘K, I AM LIKE ONE FUCKING YEAR OLDER THAN YOU I STG’ they have this exact conversation like at least every other day

[crookedspoonfic]

WIP Week Day #6

Your AU WIP.

Not like most wips I posted haven’t already been AUs.

Fandom: The Raven Cycle Characters/Pairings: Kavinsky/Ronan, Declan  Rating: T for UST Word Count: 2,255

I have probably rewritten this part 24 times and will likely rewrite aspects 2-3 more times, because the Cabeswater mention was shoehorned in and that’s why the mood is all over the place. 

It’s the current first scene of my childhood friends AU that isn’t adding up so far. But @neurotoxia​ said it does at least have potential, and after all the time she spent listening to me rant about it, I owe it to her to finish.

@owltrocious​ - this is part of the 8k thing I mentioned a while ago, on the off chance you’re interested in possibly overwritten snippets. And with snippers I mean chapter-long excerpts.

Henrietta's early morning scenery is a stunning mixture of lush green grasses glinting with a kaleidoscope of dewdrops, sun slanting off the reddish rooftops, and trees waving lazily in the breeze. Too bad this natural beauty is overshadowed by your mood going to school. You can think of a dozen activities you'd rather be doing – dishes and laundry among them – than entering the tedium that is Aglionby.

Yet you promised Gansey, and some moronic honorable code dictates you be true to your word. Sometimes being unable to lie is a huge pain in the ass, but it's still a point of pride for you.

You pull into the parking lot. At the edge of the campus you spot a lone figure hunching in the shade behind the buildings. As you park, someone slinks around the corner, hunched and nervous. You imagine greetings and other things to be exchanged: there's a quick sweep of the area, a clasping of hands, a friendly cuff on the shoulder, then the newcomer hurries away.

You haven't seen Kavinsky on school grounds for weeks, but then again, your own attendance record is not a stellar example of punctuality and sticktoitiveness. He may well have been here when you weren't, and there's no way to tell unless you asked around, which you damn well are not going to do. It doesn't interest you. Nor does it matter.

Still, his presence draws you in like a current, despite your resentment and your insistence on avoiding him during daylight hours. He's a different creature then, at once too strange and too familiar, a grown-up version of the boy you used to chase over the green meadows stretching out beyond the Barns.

He looks all wrong now.

You prefer to encounter him at night, when the darkness obscures the angles of his face and the alcohol makes it light up from within. It's easier then to ignore the loss of innocence – not that he ever had much to begin with, but there used to be a boyish side to him that got excited about more than just self-destruction.

As ridiculous as it sounds, you still miss the old him, the one you flew kites with, built mud castles with, ditched homework with in favor of playing in the fields till evening yawned into night, this scarecrow of a boy, all stick-limbs and sinew, yet with a softness about him you're beginning to think must have been imaginary. There's no way this sharp-boned skeleton you're approaching is the same boy you used to tussle with, tip cows over with, lie in the grass and dream together with.

You'd rather avoid him after your fight this weekend. But you promised Gansey.

His mouth splits into a sickle grin when he sees you, the neutral one he flashes everybody, regardless of what business they have with him. You're not special anymore.

"Dickhead," he greets you, and it's the friendliest he's been in a while.

"Shit-for-brains," you shoot back.

"What brings you here?" It's almost lewd, the way he sucks on his cigarette, and your eye tics because of how much you want to punch him for making your eyes wander to his lips. "Need some love potion for your girlfriend? Think that get him to finally let you screw him?"

By way of reply, you slam his back against the wall. It doesn't faze him. He just laughs in your face.

"My bad. Of course you'd let him screw you." He tips his head in defiance and the glint of his sunglasses blind you.

"I'm not here to talk about Gansey." This close, you catch more than a whiff of his knife-like aftershave under the cloud of weed and cigarette smoke. It, too, is less repulsive at night, when it had hours to disperse or mix with exhaust fumes. Sometimes you wonder if he's trying to mask the rot that has infested him, if he even notices how far it has spread.

"But you would let him screw you," he laughs at you again and it is grating. "There's no shame in this, you know. If either of you have performance issues, you can tell me, I'll help you sort it out."

"I said, that's not what I'm here to talk about. Are you deaf as well as stupid?"

"Okay, okay, I'll bite," he says and snaps his teeth. "What are you here to talk about?"

Your fingers tighten around the lapels of his school uniform. "Cabeswater," you say, because that's a conversation you still need to have, one he's been refusing to have, and you're running out of time.

He rolls his eyes ostentatiously and lets his head thud against the brick behind him. "Don't you ever quit? I already told you no."

"No is not an option."

"It's gotta be, because that's the one I'm going with."

"Don't be that way, asshole. I'm not telling you to quit, I'm asking you to help me figure out how to make it safe. It used to be, man, and I'm sure it can be again."

He's staring at you for a while, eyebrows scrunched together behind his sunglasses and lips slightly pursed. He sucks in his bottom lip and chews on it.

"Want to stock up for tonight?" he asks finally, but you barely catch the sounds coming out of his mouth.

"What?"

That's not the answer you've been expecting. Or the question.

It's been a while since he invited you in person. Most of the time you just went, like everyone else, but unlike everyone else, you don't cluster around him like a swarm of flies. You don't need his attention. You have it anyway, in a sort of negative, I know you're there but I'm waiting to see what you'll do sort of way, unless he decides to give you the time of day – or night.

You hate how sometimes being at his parties feels like begging.

He was yours before he decided for whatever shit reason that you weren't good enough anymore and started hanging out with other people. You're still sore about that. You fucking used to dream together, build things together, an entire world of dreams, but now he seems to be content with providing his cronies with all the pills and weed and booze they can ever need or want? Fucking waste, if there ever was one.

"You're coming, right?"

"I've got better things to do," you sneer and immediately regret it. If he's offering you a chance to talk to him, you ought to take it.

"Such as Gansey, I know, I know." He slaps his palm on your head and rubs his thumb over your buzz cut. It makes you dangerously aware of how close you are and how deliberately he has been derailing the conversation. "I'm sure if you ask nicely enough, he'll take you himself. Making sure to keep a tight leash on you. How do you put up with the chafing, anyway?"

"None of your concern."

"C'mon, just ask him to take you for a walk. I'm sure no one would be surprised to find you on all fours beside dear old Dick."

"Fuck off." Your fuse is dangerously close to blowing. You jam his shoulders harder into the wall behind him.

"That's cute, coming from the asshole accosting me when I was minding my own business."

Before you remember to pull his hand away, his fingers smooth down your head to clamp around the back of your neck. And just like that you're transfixed, unable to move when he pulls you in, crushes your nose against his shoulder and his cheek against yours where his stupid sunglasses dig into your flesh, and all you feel is skin and heat and an elevated pulse that's rushing him to an early grave. Your own pulse is not far behind.

"Be there tonight," he murmurs so his breath plays about your earlobe and you shiver. "And bring me something fun."

With his other hand, he presses something small and rounded into your palm. You don't need to look to know it's one of his dream pills. You have an assortment of them hidden away in a drawer; you prefer to go about dreaming your tried and true way.

"On the house." He folds your fingers over it and leans close as if kissing the air above your scabbed knuckles.

Something turns over like an engine in your chest, or maybe your head, because not a single thought sparks and all you can focus on are his goddamn pretty lips – which he must have noticed too, because he's raising his shades from his nose and he's grinning in a way that would signal danger if you had your wits about you, but you don't, and the bruise around his eye has faded since the weekend, and before you know it you're touching it, your palm against his cheek, your thumb brushing over his discolored skin, his fingers curling over your wrist, dipping into the cuff of your uniform, tickling the sensitive skin there, and you're certain that if you don't stop this right now, he'll twist the moment like a knife in your gut, unthinking and inevitable, just as that last time, when he ruined what friendship was left between you and gave you no choice but to push him away completely.

Maybe you thought you could salvage something that way, or maybe you were just trying to save your skin.

"Still a chickenshit?" he asks, nose brushing yours, mouth a hair's breadth from your own. You don't appreciate the reminder, but what the hell, you've been living with the consequences of it every day.

Is this your chance at a do-over?

Off to your side, someone coughs politely.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Your first instinct is to shove Kavinsky away, as if that would undo the past minute and a half; your second is to freeze where you stand because fuck, this is Declan. Your own brother saw you nearly make out with your childhood friend. God Jesus Mary fucking shit, he's going to think you're jealous or something.

Kavinsky just settles back against the wall as if nothing at all had been happening, as if his fingers weren't still burning on your wrist, as if Declan were just another desperate fuck willing to sell his soul for whatever services Kavinsky provides.

"Not if you plan on joining in," he says, bold as brass.

Declan smiles thinly, but his eyes are on you. You're aware of the fire in your cheeks, how your brother can't miss it. "That's not exactly how I planned on spending my free period."

"Let me guess," Kavinsky surmises with a dirty grin. "You need another batch of blue pills to please your latest lady friend, am I right?"

Your lips compress. The jab at Declan's promiscuity ticks you off. There's something those two can talk about. They were fucking made for each other.

You rip your hand free and turn around; whatever their body language is about to betray, you don't want to find out. "I was leaving anyway."

Before you can, however, Declan pulls you aside. His voice is perfectly fucking neutral when he says, "Stay away from him. He's not your friend anymore."

Anger flashes hot inside you, blood pounding in your ears. Your face grows hotter still. It pisses you off how effortlessly Declan can pretend to be unaffected by what he'd just witnessed. It pisses you off how he doesn't care that you might have been encroaching on his territory. It pisses you off how he's so goddamn casual about his sex life, like none of his partners matter to him.

It pisses you off that you have these thoughts at all. This wasn't what you bargained for at all.

Fuck Declan and fuck Kavinsky, too.

"Don't worry. He's all yours."

With that, you stalk off, heart in a snarl of anger, ache and annoyance. When you piss off your brother, you want it to be on your terms, not a crazy happenstance that brought you all together in one place.

Kavinsky must have been trying to stop you, because Declan tells him to leave you alone. You're not sure how you feel about Kavinsky listening to him.

"Don't forget tonight," Kavinsky calls after you.

You flip them both off over your shoulder.

But with you out of the picture, they've already moved on to other topics. You've been in their way the entire time.

"So, you do want me all to yourself," you hear Kavinsky say. "I get it. Okay, shoot. What can I do for you, handsome?"

"Don't," Declan hisses. "Not on campus."

The rest of their conversation is lost in the rustling of the leaves overhead. You keep your gaze resolutely in front of you. You don't want to turn around and see your brother finishing what you started.

Your insides are boiling. You don't know what you're most furious about: the fact that Kavinsky still hasn't agreed to stay away from Cabeswater, that you nearly fell prey to him, or the fact that your brother interrupted your nearly falling prey to Kavinsky.

That you wanted to fall prey to him.

School is out of the question now. Sorry, Gansey. You can't show your face near him anymore, not before you haven't wrung a promise from Kavinsky and certainly not in this state. You need an outlet for your growling anger, preferably one that includes smashing things to pieces.

Here's a thought: maybe you are jealous.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 12, 2023

Alterations in a cross-hemispheric circuit associates with novelty discrimination deficits in mouse models of neurodegeneration. Adaikkan, C., Wang, J., Abdelaal, K., Middleton, S. J., Bozzelli, P. L., Wickersham, I. R., … Tsai, L.-H. (2022). Neuron, 110(19), 3091-3105.e9.

Motor learning drives dynamic patterns of intermittent myelination on learning-activated axons. Bacmeister, C. M., Huang, R., Osso, L. A., Thornton, M. A., Conant, L., Chavez, A. R., … Hughes, E. G. (2022). Nature Neuroscience, 25(10), 1300–1313.

Crowding results from optimal integration of visual targets with contextual information. Cicchini, G. M., D’Errico, G., & Burr, D. C. (2022). Nature Communications, 13, 5741.

Frequency effects in action versus value learning. Don, H. J., & Worthy, D. A. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 48(9), 1311–1327.

Awake perception is associated with dedicated neuronal assemblies in the cerebral cortex. Filipchuk, A., Schwenkgrub, J., Destexhe, A., & Bathellier, B. (2022). Nature Neuroscience, 25(10), 1327–1338.

State-dependent pupil dilation rapidly shifts visual feature selectivity. Franke, K., Willeke, K. F., Ponder, K., Galdamez, M., Zhou, N., Muhammad, T., … Tolias, A. S. (2022). Nature, 610(7930), 128–134.

A partially nested cortical hierarchy of neural states underlies event segmentation in the human brain. Geerligs, L., Gözükara, D., Oetringer, D., Campbell, K. L., van Gerven, M., & Güçlü, U. (2022). eLife, 11, e77430.

Temporal Dynamics of Neural Responses in Human Visual Cortex. Groen, I. I. A., Piantoni, G., Montenegro, S., Flinker, A., Devore, S., Devinsky, O., … Winawer, J. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(40), 7562–7580.

GABA facilitates spike propagation through branch points of sensory axons in the spinal cord. Hari, K., Lucas-Osma, A. M., Metz, K., Lin, S., Pardell, N., Roszko, D. A., … Bennett, D. J. (2022). Nature Neuroscience, 25(10), 1288–1299.

Neuronal Encoding of Emotional Valence and Intensity in the Monkey Amygdala. Iwaoki, H., & Nakamura, K. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(40), 7615–7623.

Effort Reinforces Learning. Jarvis, H., Stevenson, I., Huynh, A. Q., Babbage, E., Coxon, J., & Chong, T. T.-J. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(40), 7648–7658.

Unusually Slow Spike Frequency Adaptation in Deep Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons Preserves Linear Transformations on the Subsecond Timescale. Khan, M. M., Wu, S., Chen, C. H., & Regehr, W. G. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(40), 7581–7593.

Distinguishing externally from saccade-induced motion in visual cortex. Miura, S. K., & Scanziani, M. (2022). Nature, 610(7930), 135–142.

The Neurodata Without Borders ecosystem for neurophysiological data science. Rübel, O., Tritt, A., Ly, R., Dichter, B. K., Ghosh, S., Niu, L., … Bouchard, K. E. (2022). eLife, 11, e78362.

Complementary task representations in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex for generalizing the structure of problems. Samborska, V., Butler, J. L., Walton, M. E., Behrens, T. E. J., & Akam, T. (2022). Nature Neuroscience, 25(10), 1314–1326.

Saccadic contributions to smooth pursuit in macular degeneration. Shanidze, N. M., Lively, Z., Lee, R., & Verghese, P. (2022). Vision Research, 200, 108102.

Attractor-like Dynamics in the Subicular Complex. Sharma, A., Nair, I. R., & Yoganarasimha, D. (2022). Journal of Neuroscience, 42(40), 7594–7614.

Decision formation in parietal cortex transcends a fixed frame of reference. So, N., & Shadlen, M. N. (2022). Neuron, 110(19), 3206-3215.e5.

Thalamus-driven functional populations in frontal cortex support decision-making. Yang, W., Tipparaju, S. L., Chen, G., & Li, N. (2022). Nature Neuroscience, 25(10), 1339–1352.

The passive state: A protective mechanism for information in working memory tasks. Zhang, J., Ye, C., Sun, H.-J., Zhou, J., Liang, T., Li, Y., & Liu, Q. (2022). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 48(9), 1235–1248.

[thebadboyfanclub]

I Got You (Napoleon x Reader)

This is the third time i’m trying to post this fucking thing, tumblr won’t let the posts I do from my laptop under search results but they will show posts I do from my phone. Anyways, enjoy!

“This better be worth it Waverly”

“Ohhh (y/n) dear trust me it will. Let me introduce you to your new colleagues”

As she walked in the room with one big desk and a few chairs, three of them were occupied by two men and one woman, probably in her 20s. Her eyes however focused on one particular man.... The man that was one of the reasons you thrived in the illegal field.

“This is Miss Gaby Teller, the most important person in this case, next to her is mister Illya  Kuryakin, her supposed fiance and-”

“Napoleon Solo. The thief”

She bitterly interrupted Waverly, he was of course aware of (y/n)’s past with Napoleon, it was one of the reasons he requested her to join this case, keeping from her that piece of information of course. 

“(y/f/n), you’ve grown up”

“you got old”

“Right, now that everyone knows each other, (y/n) please take a seat and i’ll explain the plan”

As she took a seat from the other side of the table, directly in front of Napoleon, she tried to focus on Waverly and ignore Napoleons intense stare that almost drilled a hole on the side of her head.

“Ok, so since Illya is here to be the love interest for Gaby and Napoleon is here to just get some Italian legs in the air, what am I here for?”

“You dear (y/l/n), you will be portraying miss Brigitte Richard, an heir to the Richard well know Cigar, he is a close friend of mine and graciously agreed to take his daughters name”

“Won’t they know what his daughter looks like?”

“His daughter has been kept away from the public eye and she had transferred in Britain during high school, that’s also where she went to College and recently decided to stay there. I will give you a file of hers to study. Your goal is to get close to Victoria vinciguerra during the event, maybe even seem interested in mister Solo, of course for show, nothing more”

“Of course, everything is only just for show when it has to do with Napoleon”

-

(Y/n) was dressed in her best attire, her long red dress that hugged her waist so beautifully, of course some silver diamond earrings on her ears and her hair up in a perfect updo, her heels were comfortable at least, but if she had to run the dress would not hold for long until it gives a show to anyone around her, she prays that it didn’t have to happen, or she would be royally screwed,

“Miss Richard , your father was right you do have your mothers eyes”

What a fool, she thought, this is who she was hiding from? a woman that complimented her for the resemblance in her eyes.... she wasn’t even close to being related to this people. However, on the outside, she smiled brightly at the tall blonde lady

“Thank you so much, god rest her soul she at least she was generous enough to pass them down to me, my dads brown eyes are great but a tad bit boring don’t you think?”

The blonde gave a tight lip smile to her comment. Of course, if she knew that her real parent had never seen this type of luxury, the lady wouldn’t even spare a glance.

“I don’t believe we’ve met, Victoria Vinciguerra”

“Brigitte Richard, my father made sure to keep me away from all of... this, he wanted his kids to be humble”

“I’m really sorry for your brother”

“It’s alright, I miss him but... c’est la vie”

(Y/n) had almost swallowed the file Waverly had given her, she even looked into the cigar company, just in case anyone asked questions. As the two ladies kept talking, she started hearing commotion,she turned her head  towards the direction it was coming from and saw one familiar man falling to the ground.

“What is going on over there?”

“Excuse me dear”

Victoria started walking towards him and of course (y/n) followed. When they finally reached the crowd that was already forming a circle around him, there he was fanning himself the invitation dramatically, in true Napoleon fashion. (Y/n) kissed her teeth in annoyance, he was supposed to discreetly blend in, not cause a god damn ruckus the minute he walks in.

“Thank you, Thank you”

“I wonder what they do to people without invitations”

That is when she decided to take actions. She weaseled her way out of the crowd and kneeled in front of him to his level, offering her glass of champagne to him.

“Are you alright sir?”

“Yes, thank you very much Darling”

“I’m Victoria Vinciguerra, she is (y/f/n). I do believe an apology is in order. I’ll take it from here”

You helped him get up on his feet and took two steps to lean in and talked to her.

“of course miss Vinciguerra... next one is mine”

She giggled as she walked away in triumphant. To be frank the rest of your job was to keep an eye on these two, yet she could still say she completed the most important part.What she didn’t expect was the growing fire in the pit of her stomach that was directed to Victoria, looking at her talking to Napoleon so nonchalantly made her teeth hurt and her breasts ached with rage.

“It’s such a lovely day to be so pouty miss”

“Well sir... there is nothing really here for me to smile about”

“Not even me?”

“I think I am better off being the reason for someone to smile”

“Roberto  Russo, charmed”

“Brigitte Richard”

Roberto was a handsome man, tall, light brown hair, hazel eyes, sharp jawline, full lips and extremely well dressed, no doubt he knew his way around women and money. What a better distraction and cover up than him?

What (y/n) had not calculated was Napoleon picking up at her “strategic” flirt and filling like punching the hell out of this pretentious little Italian boy that grew up spending daddy’s money. He restrained himself from walking over to her and taking her hand, guiding her away from everyone, keeping her all to herself.

“I saw you were talking to my aunt”

“Oh you are related to Victoria?”

“Yes, my dad is her brother. I actually haven’t spoken to her today, come with me?”

“How could I ever refuse?”

As he offered his arm she smiled and linked hers with his, walking over with her head held high as they got close to Napoleon and Victoria

“My dearest Roberto, how are you?”

she kissed her nephew at both of his cheeks and yet no smile was shown. She really was cold, Roberto however smiled brightly, feeling excited to show his knew “catch” to his aunt.

“I’m doing well... who might he be?”

“Jack Devinsky, Nice to meet you”

Roberto looked at Napoleon up and down, almost well not almost... judging him harshly. Napoleons sure looked rich but there were levels to how rich you were, especially when men judged one another.

“Roberto Russo. Well... aunt Victoria may I occupy you for a minute”

“Of course, anything for my nephew”

“It will only take a minute dear”

“I am counting”

She replied at him, he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss as he stared directly in her eyes, winking at her as she left her with Napoleon. They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, they haven’t really spoken since the case started, (y/n) made sure to avoid him.

“You look stunning if that isn’t obvious”

“Thanks”

She said dryly. She barely even looked him in the eye, all she could see was that damn night, the night she lost everything, the night her heart shuttered, the night he showed her all the cruelty of the world he always talked about.

“You are mad at me”

“Do you blame me?”

“No, it still upsets me though”

“That sounds like a personal issue to me”

-

The event was a success. which meant (y/n) could finally relax and wear her pajamas, pour a drink for herself and lounge in the couch her room had. She still wore his necklace, the gold star necklace he had bought her way back when... she took the charm in her hands and felt the cold metal.

How much more could she take with him around? it took her so much time to heal and now here he was again, scratching the wounds she had closed up all by herself. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at her door. She got up to answer it and was met with the man of the hour.

“Napoleon”

“May I come in?”

She sighed before stepping aside to let him in. Even when all she wanted was to punch him in the face, her heart took over her and let him walk into her room and her life once again, even when she had swore to take revenge when she saw him again.

“What do you want?”

“To talk”

“About what?”

She was well aware she was snapping at him, could you blame her? He had swore to protect her, help her when she had nothing and no one, taught her everything and then one night she came home to find all his belongings missing... and that damn letter tore her apart, she didn’t sleep for days, she waited for him to return for months and yet he never did.

“(Y/n) I know-”

“YOU KNOW NOTHING

”her voice booming through the entire room, it was like a glass of emotions was overflowing, threating to spill and make a mess. He saw the pain in her face, her lower lips trembling, her hands forming fists... still what caught his eye was one thing, the necklace. She was wearing his necklace, after all these years she didn’t throw it away. He took a breath through his nose before continuing.

“(y/n) you have every right to be upset-”

“Damn right I do”

“Will you just listen?”

“listen to what Napoleon?! What?!What?!What?!”

Next thing that was heard was her glass smashing at the wall, Vodka dripping down and small pieces of glass going everywhere. Napoleon was shocked, he should have known this wouldn’t be easy, he had wanted to reach out to her over the years, he had even went through with finding her, yet every time he chickened out last minute and walked away from it. Now, here she was in pain, yelling and smashing things... she had become his enemy

“I’m sorry”

“You are sorry? Sorry? for what Napoleon? for leaving me? for doing it in such cruel way? for lying to me?”

“I never lied”

“You swore to me that you loved me, that you... cared”

There it was, tears. She couldn’t even control it, as her voice cracked and the waterfalls started, she didn’t also want to cover them, she wanted him to see what he had done... to hell with being the bigger person. He wanted to hug her, comfort her, make her feel loved but now all he could do was to try and reason with her.

“I had to leave”

“Why? What could possibly be the reason... money? paintings? women?”

“You know I would never cheat on you”

“Oh yeah, cause leaving our house in the middle of the night is so much better”

She tried wipe away her tears, silence falling between them once again. As a way to calm and hide her emotions, she kneeled and started picking up pieces of glass, her back turned to him. Napoleon went to her side and even when he wanted to pick her up and kiss her, he controlled his desire

“(Y/n) stop, you’ll cut yourself”

“I’m fine Napoleon”

“(Y/n) the maid can do it”

“I said I’m- FUCK”

a piece of sharp glass had cut her as she accidentally gripped it a bit too hard. Napoleon saw the blood and got up immediately to find some tissues, while (y/n) got on her feet and brought her hand close to her chest, closing it to a fist as a way to stop the pain. When Napoleon approached she turned her back once again

 “I said I’m fine”

“(Y/n) you are bleeding, let me care for you”

She had started crying again. As she turned around and opened her hand to him Napoleon gently placed the tissues on the wound, dabbing away the blood carefully.

“Why did you leave?”

“I thought I was protecting you, a way to keep you away from all of the things I was doing”

“Yet... here we are”

He looked up at her. Her lower lip was in between her teeth, tears freshly running down, her beautiful eyes were now red and puffy, her nose was running and he still found her heavenly.

“You kept the necklace”

“I tried throwing it away, or ponding it... I couldn’t find the courage... it’s too pretty”

“I tried coming back to you... multiple times”

“Why didn’t you do it?”

“I don’t know, I just didn’t”

She finally kept eye contact with him, getting lost once again in those ocean blue eyes, the eyes she looked at when they were laying naked on their bed, the eyes that looked at her when she woke up. With his one hand Napoleon slowly reached over and wiped a few tears with his thumb

“You are too pretty to cry over me”

“I missed you Napoleon”

She whispered looking down on the ground in embarrassment. She was everything he ever wanted, a woman that loved him and had his back and he tossed that all away, his intentions were pure yet the damage was gigantic. He hesitated for a minute, before taking her in his arms for a hug, her head nuzzling on his neck as she held on to him for the first time in what felt like centuries. Napoleon kissed her head, smelling her shampoo that was always the same, lavender.

“I missed you too munchkin”

She giggled at the nickname. Napoleon had met her when she was struggling to survive, she was this delicate little thing that looked everyone with kind eyes, yet once he got to know her he saw the passion, the fire, the potential she had to become something great, he didn’t want all that potential to go on illegal things that could possibly get her in jail or worse kill her. So from the beginning of the relationship he called her munchkin.

“Will we be alright?”

“I got you munchkin, I got you”

[cbdben1]

WHAT MEGA CANNABIS DISPENSARY ALL ABOUT

CBD comes in many bureaucracy, along with oils, extracts, pills, patches, vapes, and topical preparations for use on skin.Gold Coast carts If you’re hoping to lessen irritation and relieve muscle and joint pain, a topical CBD-infused oil, lotion or cream – or maybe a bathtub bomb -- can be the satisfactory alternative. Alternatively, a CBC patch or a tincture or spray designed to be located underneath the tongue lets in CBD to directly enter the bloodstream.

 Outside of the US, the prescription drug Sativex, which uses CBD as an lively ingredient, is permitted for muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and for cancer pain. Within the US, Epidiolex is accepted for sure sorts of epilepsy and tuberous sclerosis.

Some CBD manufacturers have come underneath government scrutiny for wild, indefensible claims, such that CBD is a treatment-fascinated about cancer or COVID-19, which it isn't. We want extra studies however CBD may show to be a helpful, distinctly non-poisonous option for handling tension, insomnia, and persistent ache. Without enough superb proof in human studies, we will’t pinpoint effective doses, and because CBD currently is usually available as an unregulated complement, it’s hard to recognise exactly what you are becoming.

 If you decide to try CBD, make sure you are getting it from a reputable source. And communicate along with your health practitioner to ensure that it received’t affect some other drugs you're taking.The hashish compound called CBD is being touted as a remedy for a variety of conditions. But the substance’s unsure legal fame is stalling severe research. 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an unlawful drug with no redeeming value. It is likewise a useful prescription medicine for epilepsy, with good sized potential for treating severa other conditions. And it's far a herbal nutritional complement or ‘nutraceutical’ with limitless evangelists inside the fitness and wellness community. Although contradictory, all three statements are true from special perspectives, and scientific researchers are frustrated. 

“In New York City, you can go to a latte store and get a CBD product, however if I want to do a medical trial, I’ve got to get a 2,000-pound secure and undergo six months of paperwork and licensing,” says Orrin Devinsky, director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in New York City. Like the hashish plant from which it's far derived, CBD, a sort of cannabinoid, is classified by way of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration within the same manner as are heroin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) — agenda 1 substances with “high ability for abuse” and “no currently well-known medical use”.

This flies in the face of contemporary evidence. Numerous research have shown that CBD is a safe and non-dependancy-forming substance that doesn't produce the ‘excessive’ related to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive aspect of cannabis1. In 2018, the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that Epidiolex — a purified CBD product developed through GW Pharmaceuticals in Histon, UK — successfully reduces the frequency of seizures in sure uncommon types of paediatric epilepsy. This approval has heartened the cannabinoid research community, which has long diagnosed the medicinal ability of CBD but arise in opposition to scepticism and regulatory constraints on the street to the health facility.

[viagostalons]

declan/kavinsky is like this:

kavinsky: i'm going to turn you on to so many bad habits, baby

declan:

declan: you are a bad habit, joseph

[twins2994]

Houston Astros-Minnesota Twins Series Preview

 9.28.20-Zack Greinke RHP (3-3) 4.03 ERA Vs. Kenta Maeda RHP (6-1) 2.70 ERA

9.29.20-TBA Vs. Jose Berrios RHP (5-4) 4.00 ERA

9.30.20-TBA Vs. Michael Pineda RHP (2-0) 3.38 ERA

The Astros At A Glance- The Houston Astros got a ton of help when MLB announced that fans would not be in attendance for games this season. The whole Trash Can cheating scandal would have been interesting to watch throughout the year. Michael Brantley was the most consistent hitter on the team. He hit .300 with five homers and twenty-two RBI’s. George Springer smacked a team-high fourteen home runs. Kyle Tucker emerged on the scene and had a team-high 42 RBI’s. Jose Altuve hit just .219 on the season. Alex Bregman hit just six homers and twenty-two RBI’s. The Astros lost a ton of pitching from their World Series team in the form of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole. Even guys like Roberto Osuna and Chris Devinski only threw a handful of innings. Zack Greinke had a solid year and some youngsters came around like Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers, Cristian Javier, and Jose Urquidy. Former Twin Ryan Pressly became the closer when Roberto Osuna went down. He has locked down twelve saves with a 3.43 ERA. Lefty Blake Taylor and righty Enoli Paredes became good options out of the bullpen. The Astros picked up Brooks Raley, who’s been good from the left side. Who knows how all these young Astros arms will fare come playoff time?

The Twins At A Glance- The Minnesota Twins are 2020 American League Central Division Champs after the White Sox collapsed in the final week of the regular season. The Sox could have easily won the division, but are now the seventh seed in the postseason. Nelson Cruz was the MVP of the Twins in this shortened season. He hit .303 with sixteen homers and 33 RBI’s. The team hopes to get Byron Buxton back from concussion symptoms. It sounds like he was out shagging flyballs in the workout on Monday and felt a lot better. Josh Donaldson tested his calf by taking groundballs on the workout day. He also had some good rounds of batting practice. The Twins hit .242 as a team and smacked 91 home runs in 60 games. Kenta Maeda was the Twins best pitcher this year. He should get Cy Young votes and will get the nod in Game 1. I think a lot of his success is contributed to his release point. His fastball, slider, and splitter are all released at the same angle and it’s tough for hitters to pick up the ball. Jose Berrios struggled at times, but was still sharp. Michael Pineda looked good in just five starts. Rich Hill got better as the year went on. Taylor Rogers and Sergio Romo both finished the year with 4.05 ERA’s. Both guys were good with a few bad outings mixed in. Trevor May and Tyler Duffey still remain sixth and seventh inning options. Matt Wisler had a fantastic year with a 1.07 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. Caleb Thielbar gave the Twins a lefty option with a 2.25 ERA. 

What To Watch For-  The Twins went (4-3) against the Astros in 2019. They won three out of four at Target Field and lost two out of three at Minute Maid Park. The Twins are (12-11) all-time against the Astros at Target Field. Zack Greinke is (5-9) with a 4.64 ERA in 24 career games against the Twins. He owns a 5.14 ERA in seven games at Target Field. Kenta Maeda went 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs in his only regular season outing against the Astros. He pitched in four games of the 2017 World Series and threw 5 2/3 innings giving up one run on five hits. Jose Altuve hit a homer off him in Game 5. Kenta Maeda owns a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 postseason innings. Jose Berrios is (2-3) with a 6.43 ERA in five starts against the Astros. He has allowed six runs in seven playoff innings. Michael Pineda is (3-4) with a 5.03 ERA in nine starts against the Astros. He never pitched in the postseason despite spending four seasons with the Yankees. The Twins have lost sixteen consecutive playoff games. Their last postseason win was in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS in the Bronx. The Twins had a lead in Game 2, but blew that and the streak started. The Astros have been to the playoffs in five of the last six years. They won the World Series in 2017, lost the ALCS in 2018, and lost in the World Series last year. This is an experienced bunch with a lot of young pitching after Zack Greinke. It should be a fun series at Target Field. I wish I could be there to experience postseason baseball again. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 31, 2019

Feeling a Touch to the Hand on the Foot. Badde, S., Röder, B., & Heed, T. (2019). Current Biology, 29(9), 1491-1497.e4.

The Puzzling Relationship between Attention and Motivation: Do Motor Biases Matter? Di Bello, F., Giamundo, M., Brunamonti, E., Cirillo, R., & Ferraina, S. (2019). Neuroscience, 406, 150–158.

State-dependent geometry of population activity in rat auditory cortex. Kobak, D., Pardo-Vazquez, J. L., Valente, M., Machens, C. K., & Renart, A. (2019). eLife, 8, e44526.

Adult-born hippocampal neurons bidirectionally modulate entorhinal inputs into the dentate gyrus. Luna, V. M., Anacker, C., Burghardt, N. S., Khandaker, H., Andreu, V., Millette, A., … Hen, R. (2019). Science, 364(6440), 578–583.

Post-learning Hippocampal Replay Selectively Reinforces Spatial Memory for Highly Rewarded Locations. Michon, F., Sun, J.-J., Kim, C. Y., Ciliberti, D., & Kloosterman, F. (2019). Current Biology, 29(9), 1436-1444.e5.

A Stable Visual World in Primate Primary Visual Cortex. Morris, A. P., & Krekelberg, B. (2019). Current Biology, 29(9), 1471-1480.e6.

Number detectors spontaneously emerge in a deep neural network designed for visual object recognition. Nasr, K., Viswanathan, P., & Nieder, A. (2019). Science Advances, 5(5), eaav7903.

Cerebellar Purkinje cells control eye movements with a rapid rate code that is invariant to spike irregularity. Payne, H. L., French, R. L., Guo, C. C., Nguyen-Vu, T. B., Manninen, T., & Raymond, J. L. (2019). eLife, 8, e37102.

Memory-Efficient Synaptic Connectivity for Spike-Timing- Dependent Plasticity. Pedroni, B. U., Joshi, S., Deiss, S. R., Sheik, S., Detorakis, G., Paul, S., … Cauwenberghs, G. (2019). Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 357.

A neural signature of pattern separation in the monkey hippocampus. Sakon, J. J., & Suzuki, W. A. (2019). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(19), 9634–9643.

Thalamocortical synapses in the cat visual system in vivo are weak and unreliable. Sedigh-Sarvestani, M., Palmer, L. A., & Contreras, D. (2019). eLife, 8, e41925.

Burst Firing and Spatial Coding in Subicular Principal Cells. Simonnet, J., & Brecht, M. (2019). Journal of Neuroscience, 39(19), 3651–3662.

Pupil responses to hidden photoreceptor–specific modulations in movies. Spitschan, M., Gardasevic, M., Martial, F. P., Lucas, R. J., & Allen, A. E. (2019). PLOS ONE, 14(5), e0216307.

Visuomotor adaptation in the absence of input from early visual cortex. Striemer, C. L., Enns, J. T., & Whitwell, R. L. (2019). Cortex, 115, 201–215.

Olfactory Navigation and the Receptor Nonlinearity. Victor, J. D., Boie, S. D., Connor, E. G., Crimaldi, J. P., Ermentrout, G. B., & Nagel, K. I. (2019). Journal of Neuroscience, 39(19), 3713–3727.

Hippocampal Contributions to Model-Based Planning and Spatial Memory. Vikbladh, O. M., Meager, M. R., King, J., Blackmon, K., Devinsky, O., Shohamy, D., … Daw, N. D. (2019). Neuron, 102(3), 683-693.e4.

Communicative misalignment in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Wadge, H., Brewer, R., Bird, G., Toni, I., & Stolk, A. (2019). Cortex, 115, 15–26.

Sequential Neural Activity in Primary Motor Cortex during Sleep. Xu, W., de Carvalho, F., & Jackson, A. (2019). Journal of Neuroscience, 39(19), 3698–3712.

Rats Generate Vibrissal Sensory Evidence until Boundary Crossing Triggers a Decision. Zuo, Y., & Diamond, M. E. (2019a). Current Biology, 29(9), 1415-1424.e5.

Texture Identification by Bounded Integration of Sensory Cortical Signals. Zuo, Y., & Diamond, M. E. (2019b). Current Biology, 29(9), 1425-1435.e5.