Methamphetamine_A Disrupted Dialogue Between Memory and Reward

Heysieattalab and colleagues(2016) delve into the neurological underpinnings of addiction, specifically how amphetamine disrupts communication within the brain's reward and memory systems, and here is a closer look (Heysieattalab et al., 2016): 

• Hijacking the Reward System: Our brains naturally have a reward system that reinforces positive experiences by strengthening connections between neurons. This system helps us learn and remember pleasure-related things, motivating us to repeat those actions. Addictive drugs like methamphetamine interfere with this system, essentially hijacking it and causing it to prioritize the drug above all else. 
• Focus on the Hippocampus:  Heysieattalab and colleagues focused on the hippocampus, a critical brain region for memory function. It's like the brain's filing cabinet, storing information and helping us consolidate memories. Their research investigates how METH use disrupts this process. 
• METH and Impaired Memory: Normally, the hippocampus strengthens connections between neurons through a process called Long-Term Potentiation (LTP). This allows us to learn and form lasting memories. However, the study finds that METH disrupts LTP in the hippocampus, hindering its ability to function effectively. This can explain the cognitive deficits often observed in people struggling with METH addiction. 
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  The Reward Circuit Connection: The hippocampus doesn't operate in isolation. It communicates with other brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key player in reward processing. The NAc is like the brain's pleasure center, registering and amplifying feelings of reward. METH disrupts dopamine levels in both the hippocampus and NAc. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in motivation, reward, and movement. By altering dopamine function in these areas, METH can further manipulate the reward system and drive addictive behaviors.
• Potential Therapies: Heysieattalab and colleagues (2016) explore using medications targeting specific NAc receptors. These medications could potentially counteract the adverse effects of METH on memory function by regulating dopamine signaling within the reward circuit. This research paves the way for developing treatments that address not just the addictive aspects of drugs like METH but also the associated cognitive impairments.

In conclusion, Heysieattalab and colleagues' (2016) study highlighted how Meth addiction disrupts communication within the brain's memory and reward circuitry, and by understanding these changes, scientists can develop more comprehensive treatment strategies to combat addiction and its consequences.

References

1. Heysieattalab, Soomaayeh & Naghdi, Nasser & Hosseinmardi, Narges & Zarrindast, Mohammad-Reza & Haghparast, Abbas & Khoshbouei, Habibeh. (2016). Methamphetamine-Induced Enhancement of Hippocampal LTP Is Modulated by NMDA and GABA Receptors in the Shell-Accumbens. Synapse (New York, N.Y.). 70. 10.1002/syn.21905. 

Dreams and the Therapeutic Relationship

Understanding Dreams in Trauma: Beyond Repression

This blog post explores the role of dreams in individuals with trauma, particularly those with borderline or psychotic presentations, and here, we delve more deeply than the Freudian concept of repressed unconscious, examining the idea of an "unrepressed unconscious" shaped by early experiences (Scalabrini et al. 2021):

• The Compulsion to Repeat

Trauma survivors often experience dreams that seem to repeat the traumatic event. This repetition isn't a conscious choice but rather a way for the mind-body system to initially process what it couldn't handle. These dreams lack the symbolic language of neurosis and instead focus on raw emotions and sensory details.

• The "Unrepressed Unconscious"

Freud's theory emphasized repressed memories, those actively pushed down. However, for traumatized individuals, especially those with pre-verbal experiences, the trauma may be "unrepressed" - lodged in the amygdala (our emotional center) and influencing us unconsciously.

• The Role of Memory Systems
  

Our memory systems play a crucial role. Repressed memories involve active forgetting and are linked to conscious thought. Unrepressed memories, often from pre-verbal stages, reside in the implicit memory system, with the amygdala playing a central role.

• Dreams as a Bridge

Traumatic dreams can bridge the implicit (bodily) and explicit (narrative) memory systems. Triggers in daily life or therapy can reactivate these memories, leading to dreams that express them in sensory and emotional ways.

• The Importance of Nightmares

Nightmares, often accompanied by intense emotions, are crucial to processing trauma. They represent an initial attempt to verbalize what was previously nonverbal. Through dreams, patients can integrate these experiences into their conscious awareness. A safe and supportive therapeutic relationship is essential. By focusing on bodily sensations and verbalizing emotions, therapy helps patients utilize dreams as a symbolic tool to work through past experiences.

• Beyond the Neurotic Spectrum

Severely borderline and narcissistic patients may have difficulty with dreams or remembering them. This difficulty is linked to problems with symbolizing emotions. The body receives emotions but doesn't connect them to feelings, leading to a "short circuit" where emotions remain trapped in the body. (Scalabrini, et al, 2021)

Conclusion

Dreams in trauma offer a window into the "unrepressed unconscious." By understanding the link between implicit memory, emotions, and dreams, therapists can help patients utilize dreams for healing and integration.

References

1. Scalabrini, A., Mucci, C., & Esposito, R. (2021). Dreaming the unrepressed unconscious and beyond: repression vs dissociation in the oneiric functioning of severe patients. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.545

Unveiling the Unconscious: Repressed vs. Unrepressed Memories in Dreams

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, introduced the concept of the unconscious mind, a vast reservoir of thoughts, memories, and desires hidden from our conscious awareness. Within this unconscious, Freud proposed the existence of "repressed" content—traumatic or unacceptable experiences we actively suppress. This blog post explores the concept of the unconscious and challenges Freud's view with a more recent understanding  (Scalabrini et al.,2021):

• Freud's Repressed Unconscious

Freud believed the unconscious contained "thing representations"—emotional traces of childhood experiences that were too painful to remember and thus repressed. According to Freud, these repressed memories could only be accessed indirectly, often through dreams. (Scalabrini et al., 2021)

• Challenging Freud: The Unrepressed Unconscious

Recent research by Mancia, Schore, and others proposes a different view. They argue that the first year of life is crucial for self-development. During this period, the right brain, dominant for emotions and implicit memory, plays a more significant role than the left brain, responsible for language and explicit memory.

• Early Trauma and Dissociation

This developmental perspective suggests that very early traumatic experiences, especially those related to insecure attachment with caregivers, cannot be effectively repressed. Instead, they become dissociated – buried deep within the amygdala and implicit memory, influencing our emotional lives without conscious awareness.

• Dreams: A Window to the Unrepressed Unconscious

While Freud saw dreams as expressions of repressed desires, this new view proposes that dreams can also reveal the unrepressed unconscious. These dreams, particularly in individuals with severe personality disorders, may contain fragmented images and emotions linked to those early traumatic experiences.

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  The Role of Memory Systems

The different memory systems involved further support the distinction between the repressed and the unrepressed unconscious. Repressed memories, requiring active forgetting, are linked to the left brain and explicit memory. Conversely, unrepressed memories, often from pre-verbal stages, reside in the implicit memory system, with the amygdala playing a central role.

The Science of Dreaming and Memory

Studies show that REM sleep, characterized by increased hippocampal activity and decreased prefrontal cortex activity (the opposite of deliberate forgetting), might be when the unrepressed unconscious manifests in dreams. This suggests that dreams may be a way to process and integrate these early experiences.

• Implications for Therapy

Understanding the difference between repressed and unrepressed unconscious has significant implications for therapy. It suggests that for individuals with severe trauma, traditional techniques focused on recovering repressed memories may not be as effective. Instead, therapists might need to focus on helping patients process the unprocessed emotional residue from those experiences stored in the implicit memory system.

• Conclusion

The concept of the unconscious mind is complex and ever-evolving. This post highlights the emerging view of the unrepressed unconscious, formed through early experiences and influencing our emotional lives. By exploring this uncharted territory, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and develop more effective therapeutic approaches for those carrying the weight of unprocessed trauma.

 References

1.  Scalabrini, A., Mucci, C., & Esposito, R. (2021). Dreaming the unrepressed unconscious and beyond: repression vs dissociation in the oneiric functioning of severe patients. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.545

Decoding Dreams: What Happens When We Sleepwalk Through Our Minds

Have you ever woken up from a dream feeling strangely emotional or with a bizarre story lingering in your mind? You're not alone. Dreams, those fantastical journeys at night, have captivated humanity for centuries. But what exactly are they, and what purpose do they serve? This post explores the science behind dreaming, linking it to memory, emotions, and the unconscious mind. Scalabrini and colleagues (2021) give us some insights into this process:

• The Offline Processing Powerhouse: Sleep and Dreams

Unlike our waking state, where immediate reactions to the environment rule the show, sleep allows for different processing, especially during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. It's like putting our brains in "offline" mode, where they can consolidate information and strengthen memories for long-term storage.

• Dreams: A Gateway to the Unconscious

Think of dreams as whispers from the unconscious. They may express our emotional state and dredge up forgotten memories linked to early childhood experiences stored deep within. The brain's "seeking systems," which drive our feelings and behaviors, further support this emotional connection.

Dreams and the Spark of New Ideas

Here's something interesting: by reactivating old memories and forging new connections, dreams might lead to new insights and self-discovery! This process is similar to the "embodied memories" concept, where experiences are somehow stored within the body.

• Why Logic Takes a Backseat in Dreams

Ever notice how dreams can be wildly illogical and full of intense emotions? It's because they operate outside the realm of reason. This lack of rationality might be linked to brain activity patterns observed in schizophrenia. But who needs reason when you can have flying elephants and talking trees, right?

• The Science Behind the Dream State: It's All About the Brain

While REM sleep is most commonly associated with dreaming, it can also occur during other sleep stages. Recent studies have shown increased brain activity during REM sleep compared to deep sleep, suggesting this is prime time for information processing in the brain.

• Dreaming: A Virtual Reality Experience?

Imagine REM sleep as a preconscious state, creating a virtual reality model of the world. This model interacts with our primary consciousness, a more straightforward awareness focused on emotions and basic perceptions.

• Brain Regions on Night Shift: Who's Working During Dreams?

Studies show that brain areas responsible for reasoning and planning take a backseat during REM sleep. On the other hand, there's a surge of activity in subcortical and limbic regions linked to emotions and memory (think amygdala and hippocampus). This explains why dreams are often so emotionally charged and involve vivid imagery.

• 
  
  
  When Your Body Talks: The Role of Interoception in Dreams

Ever felt a dream influenced by your body's internal signals? That's interoception at play! During sleep, external stimuli are blocked out, while internal signals from your body become more prominent. This suggests interoception plays a key role in shaping dreams, similar to how we interact with the external world when awake.

• Dreams and the Memory Maze

The increased activity in the hippocampus, a memory hub, during REM sleep suggests that dreams involve memory retrieval. This points to the involvement of self-related processing in dreams. The bizarre elements of dreams might even be linked to the activity of the hippocampus and amygdala.

The Right Brain Takes the Lead: Creativity and Emotions in Dreams. Studies show that the right brain, associated with creativity and emotions, is more active during dreaming. This explains dreams' fantastical and emotionally charged nature.

The Power of Seeing: Visual Processing During Dreaming

Increased activity in the visual cortex during REM sleep suggests that dreams might involve internally generated visual experiences, like a "mind movie."

Unlocking the Unconscious: Dreams as a Window to the Self

Dreams can be seen as unconscious expressions, revealing emotional memories and aspects of the self. However, this unconscious likely refers to implicit memory and unrepressed experiences rather than Freud's concept of repressed memories.

The Mystery Continues: Unveiling the Secrets of Dreams

While research sheds light on brain activity during dreaming, the specific content of the unconscious and its meaning remain a fascinating mystery waiting to be unraveled. So, next time you have a vivid dream, take a moment to ponder the hidden messages it might hold. After all, dreams are your brain's way of processing the day, sparking creativity and offering a glimpse into the depths of your own unique mind.

Sweet dreams!

References

1.  Scalabrini, A., Mucci, C., & Esposito, R. (2021). Dreaming the unrepressed unconscious and beyond: repression vs dissociation in the oneiric functioning of severe patients. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2021.545

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