PF Member Photo Thread Archive

[Danger]

I didn't actually mean diagnostically. I just wanted a picture of her on the computer.

 

[arildno]

You have a really sexy brain, hypnagogue.

 

[matthyaouw]

I find brains attractive in a person, but not so much in that way.

 

[honestrosewater]

Actually, I believe that just the singular "thalamus" refers to both 'halves' on either side.

edit: Then again, I think I've seen thalami used as well. So, not sure what the proper usage is, or if they're equally acceptable.

Yeah, thinking of them as halves makes sense. I've seen 'right thalamus' and 'left thalamus' and such but the whole just called 'the thalamus'. Anyway, how was it? Did you learn anything?

(zooby just likes to start trouble.)

 

[hypnagogue]

Anyway, how was it? Did you learn anything?

It was OK. I don't have any fear of enclosed spaces, but I was still a bit uncomfortable and anxious to slide into that very small MRI space strapped down and everything. But that went away pretty quickly.

Subjectively, the most interesting thing was the noises made by the fMRI machine. First of all, it's quite loud, and they had me put in earplugs before going in. There's a perpetual, rhythmic banging kind of noise that the experimenter joked would make a good techno beat. (I guess that noise is related to the generation of the magnetic field.) Then whenever they scan your brain while you're doing some task, there's an additional noise whose sound I've mostly forgotten by now-- I think it was kind of whiney and droning.

Finally there was a third kind of noise that occurred when they were doing the structural scan (which is what generated the pictures I've posted here). That was the really interesting one. It was a periodic droning electronic kind of noise (lasting about 3 or 4 seconds I'd say) that steadily rose in pitch, from deep to fairly high, before pausing briefly and beginning all over again. It was very trancey. There was something like 10 or 15 minutes of this. As time went on, the bursts of trancey noise rose in pitch earlier in their lifespans-- I'm guessing this was because they were doing their axial scans one by one, starting from about my chin and moving up, so the spatial source of the noise was changing with respect to my ears. Anyway, what was interesting to me about this was that if I chose to focus my attention on the trancey drones, they would actually sound different than if I paid them no particular attention. In particular, towards the end of each cycle, if I paid attention, I heard what seemed like mildly hallucinatory dancings and phrasings and echos playing off from the actual noises. (Don't know if that makes sense, it's hard to explain.) I wonder what the cause was-- I wonder if something about the magnetic field or radio waves in my immediate environment was having some subtle effect on the activity of my auditory neurons. Or then again maybe it's nothing that exotic, but it's still strange.

Yes, that structural scan was pretty trancey with the droning tones and the perpetual beat of the MRI machine floating in the background. I was also instructed during this time to stay still and keep my mind free of thoughts, and I was in that enclosed space where the only thing I could see (via a mirror) was what was projected onto a screen, which during this time was someone's laptop computer desktop image of huge bright yellow flowers against a deep blue clear sky, a kind of exaggeratedly calm and almost trippy image in its own right. So with all that going on I did get into a bit of a zone.

As for the experiment itself, nothing too special there. I was shown a series of images, some of them of negative emotional valence and some neutral, and after viewing each image I rated how aroused I felt on a scale of 1 to 5, and also how 'bad' I felt, from 1 to 5. Before each image I saw one of three cues which told me what to expect. One meant "neutral image coming up," one meant "negative image coming up-- just react naturally" and one meant "negative image coming up-- reinterpret the image so it doesn't seem negative." The reinterpretation consisted of things like "oh, those are just actors, that's not a real situation" or "OK, he's hurt, but he's about to get medical attention and he'll be fine." I was free to make up whatever interpretation I wanted, though the experimenter went over some strategies with me beforehand.

There wasn't really much to be learned for me from the experiment. The main thing I guess they were looking for was to see what brain regions mediate negative emotional reactions and particularly, what brain regions mediate cognitive inhibition of or coping with negative emotional reactions. That's stuff to be learned from the brain scan in conjunction with the data of my responses. I don't think it's too informative if you just look at the behavioral components.

 

[JamesU]

Danger, I need an explanation of your sig. I don't get it...

 

[Danger]

Danger, I need an explanation of your sig. I don't get it...

It's here in posts 17 and 18. Sorry about the link; that function isn't working properly. The highlighting is because I had to run a global search to find the damned thing. https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=91020&page=2&highlight=parked+Cessna"

 

[JamesU]

aha!

 

[honestrosewater]

Anyway, what was interesting to me about this was that if I chose to focus my attention on the trancey drones, they would actually sound different than if I paid them no particular attention. In particular, towards the end of each cycle, if I paid attention, I heard what seemed like mildly hallucinatory dancings and phrasings and echos playing off from the actual noises. (Don't know if that makes sense, it's hard to explain.) I wonder what the cause was-- I wonder if something about the magnetic field or radio waves in my immediate environment was having some subtle effect on the activity of my auditory neurons. Or then again maybe it's nothing that exotic, but it's still strange.
Yes, that structural scan was pretty trancey with the droning tones and the perpetual beat of the MRI machine floating in the background. I was also instructed during this time to stay still and keep my mind free of thoughts,

Maybe that was the real test. I wonder whether people respond to those instructions in a similar way. How exactly do you keep your mind free of thoughts? And what does that look like? Eh, I'm not asking so much as thinking out loud.

As for the experiment itself, nothing too special there. I was shown a series of images, some of them of negative emotional valence and some neutral, and after viewing each image I rated how aroused I felt on a scale of 1 to 5, and also how 'bad' I felt, from 1 to 5.

'aroused' as in your physical reaction and 'bad' as in a cognitive appraisal? I just finished reading a little about theories of emotion (I'm trying to figure out how to manage some of mine). Do you know anything about the attribution-of-arousal theory (a.k.a. cognitive arousal theory)?
Did they give you time to recover between images?

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

This is me totally unaware that I was having a photo taken of me.

http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/2338/memberphoto2yo.jpg

Although that was a good few days ago.

 

[matthyaouw]

Psh, seen that before (much to my dismay...)

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

Yeah, it's not me, as indicated by matthyaouw's premature joke-homicide there (my shorts are much shorter than that). It's actually a cover of a record that matthyaouw has apparently seen before... (mm hmmm, let's not ask where).

 

[Danger]

Yeah, it's not me,

Well, it couldn't be after all. Who would expect a photo of an invisible man?

 

[hypnagogue]

How exactly do you keep your mind free of thoughts? And what does that look like?

Yeah, I actually laughed when the experimenter told me to do that because he just said it so matter-of-factly. "Ho hum, tie your shoes, snap your fingers, clear your mind of all thoughts." They know it's not trivial of course, but I guess there's not much more you can say. And even if you fail to keep your mind free of thoughts, just trying to do so is likely to produce a less noisy brain image than if you're letting your mind roam free.

'aroused' as in your physical reaction and 'bad' as in a cognitive appraisal?

They didn't really specify. I suppose they're content going with colloquial interpretations, which I don't think is bad-- intuitively, there's an identifiable feeling of being aroused and one of feeling 'bad' (I don't know if that's exactly how they phrased it, but it was something simple), and they're pretty clearly distinct.

I just finished reading a little about theories of emotion (I'm trying to figure out how to manage some of mine). Do you know anything about the attribution-of-arousal theory (a.k.a. cognitive arousal theory)?

Not really, but it sounds like it might have something to do with attributing emotions to aroused states. (e.g. experiments have shown that people who are played a recording of a rapid heart beat and told that it is a recording of their own heart tend to feel anxious as a result.) Maybe post something about it over in the Mind & Brain Sciences forum?

Did they give you time to recover between images?

Yes, there's the pause to record assessments of arousal and affect, then there's another brief pause with a fixation point, and finally the time you spend looking at the cue. Altogether I'd say there was about 5 or 6 seconds inbetween actually viewing images. On some trials they also presented a cue without showing an image afterwards and then asked for arousal/affect ratings before repeating the cuing process.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Hypnagogue, I thought there was something out of place as I looked at your scans, so I brought them to the local MRI clinic, and sure enough they saw it too:

 

[honestrosewater]

So that's what happens when you try to clear your mind of all thoughts.

 

[hypnagogue]

zoob, don't you know the law of neuro-sanito-exclusion? It goes something like this:

It is physically impossible for bats and marbles to occupy space within the same brain.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It is physically impossible for bats and marbles to occupy space within the same brain.

Zoobies manage it.

 

[Evo]

A rare full length photo of Evo going to a party.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Very pretty, Evo! Where were you off to? Was this taken this weekend?

 

[Evo]

Very pretty, Evo! Where were you off to? Was this taken this weekend?

Going to a holiday party a couple of years ago. I don't have very many pictures of me standing, I'm always sitting.

 

[Astronuc]

A rare full length photo of Evo going to a party.

On behalf of the men of PF,

WOW!

Repeating myself of many moons ago - Simply stunning, and of course, very beautiful!

 

[Evo]

Awww, Astronuc, you're such a sweetie.

 

[Danger]

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Oh my my my... Astronuc has earned the right to speak on my behalf when ever he likes.

 

[hypatia]

Just a beautiful photo Evo, your just as cute as can be!

 

[arildno]

A rare full length photo of Evo going to a party.

You are simply divine.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'm multiplying.

By popular demand, yes. There has to be enough of you to go around.

I have the dumbest looking grin, now you know why I don't smile in pictures.

Nonsence. You look sweet, petite, and adorable.

 

[mattmns]

Zoob I have almost the same desktop, except I have used a little photoshop if you catch my drift :!)

 

[Astronuc]

I have the dumbest looking grin, now you know why I don't smile in pictures.

Not at all - I agree with Zooby's assessment, especially 'adorable', and I would amend my previous statement with - "Evo, you look radiant - the epitome of elegance."

 

[Math Is Hard]

pfft! your a dumbazz if your taskbar isn't on the left side

Why do you say that?

 

[zoobyshoe]

pfft! your a dumbazz if your taskbar isn't on the left side

I can't control the damned thing. It started out on the bottom, and then one day jumped over to the side. When I try to drag it back to the bottom it just stretches out.

 

[Knavish]

Click onto an open space--a place without quick launch buttons or tabs--inside the taskbar and drag it to where you like.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Click onto an open space--a place without quick launch buttons or tabs--inside the taskbar and drag it to where you like.

My god! That worked! I have conquored the taskbar!

 

[laminatedevildoll]

Evo, you are a true beauty! That's a cute dress you have on, by the way.