[Roma]

As I've told you before Thunder, I don't speak on opinions. That goes against my culture.

[Thunder]

Yes El, I do understand that, but this is a Discussion thread.

A discussion group is a group of individuals with similar interest who gather either formally or informally to bring up ideas, solve problems or give comments.

One element of conversation is discussion: sharing opinions on subjects that are thought of during the conversation. In polite society the subject changes before discussion becomes dispute or controversial.. For example, if theology is being discussed, no one is insisting a particular view be accepted.

[Ready2Transform]

With all the different medical experts out there not one of them have come up with only one reason for this.  Maybe some day with all this research people will have more concrete answers.

The tendency in research is to find there is no simple concrete answer to anything much, especially in brain and behaviour.

I don't think MLC is just one thing. There are too many differences. So looking for a cause, or defining this as one thing, is an anomaly.

Thank you for the reminder on this, Mermaid. Even this far in it sometimes gets easy to forget that we're not looking for the solution to a math problem. I can thank MLC for helping me discover a love for science, though (silver lining? ).

[Ready2Transform]

Yes El, I do understand that, but this is a Discussion thread.

A discussion group is a group of individuals with similar interest who gather either formally or informally to bring up ideas, solve problems or give comments.

One element of conversation is discussion: sharing opinions on subjects that are thought of during the conversation. In polite society the subject changes before discussion becomes dispute or controversial.. For example, if theology is being discussed, no one is insisting a particular view be accepted.

And that's what makes this such a great forum, and why even as detached from the MLCer as I am, I still come here. I love the people, and how the tone of this place makes it comfortable for everyone to stay here. Great description, T.

[Anjae]

Are there threads on what people can do to better there mirror work? Or GAL suggestions?

Yes, there are,


http://mlcforum.theherosspouse.com/index.php?topic=4287.0 - How To Do Mirror-Work + Self Care 

http://mlcforum.theherosspouse.com/index.php?topic=4215.0 -  Steps to good mind 

http://mlcforum.theherosspouse.com/index.php?topic=3774.0 - GAL Ideas

There are also many threads on all types issues in the Archives as well as on the main board. Just select the discussion, blue mirror, pink heart or green monster icon.

But this thread is called Biochemistry, Neurotransmitters, and Brain Research. It is to debate those issues, it is not even to discuss MLC per se. It is to debate and post articles on Biochemistry, Neurotransmitters, and Brain Research. So, childhood issues of the MLCer do not belong on this thread. There are threads for that.
 
We have a thread for all kinds of discussions: http://mlcforum.theherosspouse.com/index.php?topic=7571.0 Please be so kind to debate matter that do not pertain to this thread matter there. Thank you.

Changing, Trustandlove, Ready2 and anyone else reading along. I put your last post from this thread on the Discussion Thread. Please lets try and leave this thread to its subject matter and debate other issues there on or where else more to the point.l Thank you. 

[xyzcf]

Anjae, I have to disagree that childhood issues do not have a place on this thread for indeed childhood issues affect the brain and are part of the possibilities that contribute, for I don't believe that there is only one cause but a multiple of factors that are involved in the development of this crisis.

However, I can understand why this thread should be kept to scientific research relating to Biochemistry, neurotransmitters and brain research.

[Velika]

I agree with Anjae and have noticed that this thread in particular often ends up with a debate about whether there is a neurological basis for the the behaviors observed in MLC.

Unfortunately, this debate is not based in neuroscience or biochemistry. It is based on a Jungian/Ericksonean idea/assumption of MLC as a life transition. (I know there is reseach on how childhood trauma affects the developing brain, I mean the assumption that MLC is a process or "journey" rather than a result of neurological shift/change/damage/malfunction.)

Because of this, someone will often post something interesting about the brain (as C4E has done) and this is followed by a debate about origins of MLC that are not based in neuroscience.

This is a great discussion of course but I think the original purpose of the thread is lost and it is harder to find information in it.

I think most of us know a) MLC is an umbrella term for a spectrum of behaviors; b) Not everyone on this forum is observing the same behaviors; c) Not everyone believes this is physiological in nature; d) Because this is poorly understood we cannot rely on published studies and instead must look at better understood conditions that manifest in similar ways.

I really respect the tone and of course posters here, so my comments are simply regarding the content of the posts.

[iamnottheenemy]

I'd like to concur with the posters above that this particular thread is about biological aspects of brain science and I'd like to see it continue that way. Nearly five years into my journey, this is one of only two threads I come back to read (this and "MLC in the News"). As a single mom with limited time for online pursuits, my personal opinion is that it is frustrating to sift through debates to get to the information I came here for.

On another note, I think this may be the podcast Kikki referenced a few pages back: http://holyhormones.com/mens-health/andropause/menalive-author-jed-diamond-phd-supporting-men-and-the-women-who-love-them-on-holy-hormones-honey-october-8/

[iamnottheenemy]

Timely discussion. Yesterday afternoon, D told me ex-H is being unfriended on FB for his lack of ability to filter what he says/types. This reminded me that I had seen something linking lack of verbal filter (verbal dysdecorum) and neurological conditions. As we've said over and over, no two MLCs are alike, but this describes many of my ex's symptoms:

Psychopathology of Frontal Lobe Syndromes
Michael H. Thimble, F.R.C.P., F.R.C. Psych
11 Oct 2016

One of the specific behavior deficits following frontal lobe damage is attention disorder, patients showing distractibility and poor attention. They present with poor memory, sometimes referred to as "forgetting to remember." The thinking of patients with frontal lobe injury tends to be concrete, and they may show perseveration and stereotypy of their responses. The perseveration, with inability to switch from one line of thinking to another, leads to difficulties with arithmetic calculations, such as serial sevens or carryover subtraction.

An aphasia is sometimes seen, but this is different from both Wernicke's and Broca's aphasia. Luria (9) referred to it as dynamic aphasia. Patients have well-preserved motor speech and no anomia. Repetition is intact, but they show difficulty in propositionizing, and active speech is severely disturbed. Luria suggested that this was due to a disturbance in the predictive function of speech, that which takes part in structuring sentences. The syndrome is similar to that form of aphasia referred to as transcortical motor aphasia. Benson (10) also discusses the "verbal dysdecorum" of some frontal lobe patients. Their language lacks coherence, their discourse is socially inappropriate and disinhibited, and they may confabulate.

Other features of frontal lobe syndromes include reduced activity, particularly a diminution of spontaneous activity, lack of drive, inability to plan ahead, and lack of concern. Sometimes associated with this are bouts of restless, aimless uncoordinated behavior. Affect may be disturbed. with apathy, emotional blunting, and the patient showing an indifference to the world around him. Clinically, this picture can resemble a major affective disorder with psychomotor retardation, while the indifference bears occasional similarity to the "belle indifference" noted sometimes with hysteria.

In contrast, on other occasions, euphoria and disinhibition are described. The euphoria is not that of a manic condition, having an empty quality to it. The disinhibition can lead to marked abnormalities of behavior, sometimes associated with outbursts of irritability and aggression. So-called witzelsucht has been described, in which patients show an inappropriate facetiousness and a tendency to pun.

Some authors have distinguished between lesions of the lateral frontal cortex, most closely linked to the motor structures of the brain, which lead to disturbances of movement and action with perseveration and inertia, and lesions of the orbital and medial areas. The latter are interlinked with limbic and reticular systems, damage to which leads to disinhibition and changes of affect. The terms "pseudodepressed" and "pseudopsychopathic" have been used to describe these two syndromes." A third syndrome, the medial frontal syndrome, is also noted, marked by akinesia, associated with mutism, gait disturbances, and incontinence. The features of these differing clinical pictures have been listed by Cummings, (12) as shown in Table I. In reality, clinically, most patients display a mixture of syndromes.

Orbitofrontal syndrome (disinhibited)

Disinhibited, impulsive behavior (pseudopsychopathic)
Inappropriate jocular affect, euphoria
Emotional lability
Poor judgment and insight
Distractibility

[Anjae]

Interesting neuroscience developments:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/16/portable-brain-scanning-helmet-could-be-future-for-rapid-brain-injury-assessments - Portable brain-scanning helmet could be future for rapid brain injury assessments

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/02/alzheimers-treatment-within-reach-after-successful-drug-trial-amyloid-plaques-bace1 - Alzheimer's treatment within reach after successful drug trial