5 ms·
Neuropsychologist here. They overstate their results (surprise, surprise, Nature). Isolating blood circulation in a way that mimics natural pulsatility is an am
by thereticent 3y ago
Neuropsychologist here. They overstate their results (surprise, surprise, Nature). Isolating blood circulation in a way that mimics natural pulsatility is an amazing feat. It is not, though, isolating the brain from the rest of the organism. The brain receives immense amounts of peripheral feedback through the nervous system and even the lymphatic system. If anything, this isolates the brain from endocrine feedback and stabilizes brain-based self-regulatory responses to lack of pulsatility.
Impressive, really. But it's not even close to a brain in a vat, for the record.
- speedylight 3y agoI’m a little confused, are they circulating blood just through the head of the pig?
- yencabulator 3y agoI think that's this part: > Selective vascular access to the brain is desirable in metabolic tracer, pharmacological and other studies aimed to characterize neural properties in isolation from somatic influences from chest, abdomen or limbs. So, as far as I understand: to control tracer liquid amounts more accurately, or deliver drugs to just the brain.
- thereticent 3y agoYes,the heart circulates blood through the body, which is still attached to the head. The intervention is disconnecting the blood supply of the head from that of the body and using an external pump that mimics the heart's pulsations to supply "head only" blood so that drugs can be delivered to the brain but not the body (or vice versa). But it's not total isolation of the brain from the body, just from things in the bloodstream like hormones, drugs, cytokines, etc. the nervous system is still entirely intact and connected throughout.