How the brain increases blood flow on demand

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-brain-increases-blood-flow-demand

by gmays • 12 months ago

163 54 12 months ago

hms.harvard.edu

Insanity• 12 months ago

Always fascinating to me how we are brains, trying to understand how we work. Cool research!

why did it name itself brain or whatever linguistic origin that brain is ultimately derived from. perhaps it was Brian and some brain out there made a typo and here we are today

treetalker• 12 months ago

He's not the seat of consciousness — he's a very naughty boy!

SlowTao• 12 months ago

"I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this." - Emo Philips

kulahan2• 12 months ago

Along this same line of thought, I've always found it particularly fascinating that the universe is exploring the universe through molecules arranged into humans. Is the Universe the conscious one here?

hnuser123456• 12 months ago

What I never got is, why do we experience anything? Why can't the universe exist as a simulation where people do people things without having to consciously experience it all? Why can't I just shut off my experience and let my body do whatever it would do without having to put in effort, the same way everyone else's body does whatever it'll do without me having to experience everything they do?

reactordev2• 12 months ago

I adopt the theory that all consciousness is energy vibrating the strings of the quarks that make up the atoms of the universe that make up humans that study the workings of the universe and thus, ourselves.

A chorus of being.

exodust2• 12 months ago

Perhaps humans are not the end goal of the arrangement process. We like to think we are, but we're likely just a phase.

motoboi2• 12 months ago

Are we though? If you look closely at it, there is no evidence that brain causes consciousness, just correlation.

WantonQuantum• 12 months ago

There's a massive amount of evidence that consciousness occurs in the brain. If one were to propose that it's just a correlation then some kind of convincing argument would need to be made about how and why.

imchillyb• 12 months ago

I believe there is thorough, observable, evidence to suggest that consciousness is manifest exclusively through the brain.

Persons with damaged brains have damaged consciousness. Persons with underdeveloped brains have underdeveloped consciousness. People without functioning brains have no detectable consciousness.

There is a metric ton of observed and collected data on consciousness.

Of course evidence does not equal proof…

jimmygrapes• 12 months ago

Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Heres Tom with the Weather.

-Bill Hicks Don't take this as downplaying at all, because it's a fantastic and uplifting revelation, so long as one doesn't presume they're the first to consider it (it is even better this way imo)

grishka• 12 months ago

A physicist is just atoms studying other atoms.

bozhark• 12 months ago

So you can get brain hard?

crackrook• 12 months ago

You can get nose hard too! https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeymoon_rhinitis

HardCodedBias• 12 months ago

Brain blood perfusion is quite amazing.

I don't understand from their research if

1) The the blood flow is following the computational/metabolic demand (via the endothelial cells communicating via gap junctions)

2) the brain is signaling the endothelial cells directly.

Maybe the paper explains it, or maybe more research required.

evanjrowley• 12 months ago

Recently I started taking an angiotensin II receptor blocker as a medication to lower my blood pressure. The first week was difficult because my body couldn't significantly raise blood pressure during periods of sustained effort, like exercise and yardwork. I believe I'm over this now. Fortunately, the medication seems to be effective and I haven't experienced any negative side effects yet. Some people who take this medication have reported bad side effects, including "brain fog" while using it. I wonder if/how this medication might interact with the blood pressure control mechanisms observed in this research.

mediumrhino2• 12 months ago

I also take an angiotensin II receptor blocker and my experience has been similar. Additionally, I experience a perceived effect on stress levels as my pulse and blood pressure do not rise in stressful situations.

On the negative side, I definitely have a harder time reaching my maximum pulse when working out.

Danjoe4• 12 months ago

BP meds are dumb. Lose weight

mediumrhino2• 12 months ago

You assume that everyone has enough fat to shed to arrive at a desirable blood pressure. This is not the case.

thrawa8387336• 12 months ago

Worse, once you start it is very very hard to leave them

How the brain increases blood flow on demand

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