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Jules
lol before you say anything, this is not for me. I'm writing a novel, and one of the character's recent memories are completely wiped clean. After she disappeared for several days, she was found in a car surround by illegal drug paraphanalia, which authorities chalked up to her having memory loss. Any suggestions??
Not to be a pain, but if you could please justify/support your answer or have resources cited so i can make sure that info is solid
thanks for everything =)
Answer
How Marijuana Causes Memory Deficits
ScienceDaily (Aug. 4, 2009) â Memory loss associated with marijuana use is caused by the drugâs interference with the brainâs natural protein synthesis machinery, according to a study published in Nature Neuroscience.
Though it has been documented that marijuana impairs memory, the precise mechanism for this memory impairment was previously unknown. Andrés Ozaita, of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, along with colleagues in France and Germany, focused on THC, the main psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana, which acts on a specific class of receptors known as cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are known to affect the connection strength between neurons.
The scientists found that THC increases the activity of a pathway that promotes protein synthesis in the mouse brain. This transient increase of protein synthesis was mediated specifically by cannabinoid receptors expressed on the brainâs inhibitory neurons, and correlated with long-term memory deficits in mice. Interestingly, the authors also found that inhibition of this signaling pathway by rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent organ rejection following transplantation, prevents THC-induced amnesia in mice.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803123240.htm
A new study finds those who've used a lot of marijuana have worse memories and don't think as quickly.
It's not the first study to suggest pot hurts memory, but the findings are stark.
In one memory test, long-time uses remembered seven of 15 words, on average. Non-users remembered 12 of 15. On a decision-making test, those who had rarely smoked pot had impaired performance 8 percent of time, while long-term tokers had 70 percent impairment.
The results are detailed in the March 14 issue of the journal Neurology.
The study involved 64 people age 17 to 49 selected from a larger study group. They were split into three groups: those who had smoked four or more joints per week for more than 10 years; those who'd been smoking for five to 10 years; and those who had smoked at least once but not more than 20 times and not at all in the past two years.
The middle group consistently scored in between the other two.
"We found that the longer people used marijuana, the more deterioration they had in these cognitive abilities, especially in the ability to learn and remember new information," said Lambros Messinis of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital of Patras in Patras, Greece
A separate study in Neurology last year found higher blood flow velocity in the marijuana users even a month after they stopped smoking. Researchers said the change could help explain other studies that have revealed memory problems in pot smokers
A Harvard Medical School study in 2003 found lasting memory impairment in people who had started smoking marijuana before age 17, when the brain is still forming.
And research published in November indicated that heavy marijuana use might put adolescents who are genetically predisposed to schizophrenia at greater risk of developing the brain disorder.
Some 3.1 million Americans age 12 and older use marijuana daily or almost daily, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In 2004, 5.6 percent of 12th graders reported daily use of marijuana
http://www.livescience.com/health/060313_pot_brain.html
Marijuana use tied to Memory Loss http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/marijuana-tied-to-memory-loss/2006/03/15/1142098471704.html
Marijuana Proven to Affect Memory
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/03/marijuana-memory.html
Marijuana's Memory Loss Caused by Scrambled Neurons
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=adIaujYahQX0
How to cope with a loss of a pet..?
nfogey_198
This morning I recieved the bad news that my parents cat vvas hit by a car, and killed... It wasn't my pet; but still, I had grown fond of this cat, and I feel absolutly horrible! All I can think about is the blood stain, and bits of fur I saw on the street, when I came over to visit them today!!! It was just a dumb cat... Why am I so shaken?
Answer
I'm so sorry. I know what it's like to lose a best friend. The reason why you're so shaken is because death is so strange to us.
When a person you love dies, it's natural to feel sorrow, express grief, and expect friends and family to provide understanding and comfort. Unfortunately, the same doesn't always hold true if the one who died was your companion animal. Many consider grieving inappropriate for someone who has lost "just a pet."
Nothing could be further from the truth. People love their pets and consider them members of their family. Caregivers celebrate their pets' birthdays, confide in their animals, and carry pictures of them in their wallets. So when your beloved pet dies, it's not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your sorrow. Animals provide companionship, acceptance, emotional support, and unconditional love during the time they share with you. If you understand and accept this bond between humans and animals, you've already taken the first step toward coping with pet loss: knowing that it is okay to grieve when your pet dies.
Understanding how you grieve and finding ways to cope with your loss can bring you closer to the day when memories bring smiles instead of tears.
What Is the Grief Process?
The grief process is as individual as the person, lasting days for one person or years for another. The process typically begins with denial, which offers protection until individuals can realize their loss. Some caregivers may try bargaining with a higher power, themselves, or even their pet to restore life. Some feel anger, which may be directed at anyone involved with the pet, including family, friends, and veterinarians. Caregivers may also feel guilt about what they did or did not do, and may feel that it is inappropriate to be so upset. After these feelings subside, caregivers may experience true sadness or grief. They may become withdrawn or depressed. Acceptance occurs when they accept the reality of their loss and remember their animal companion with decreasing sadness. Remember, not everyone follows these classic stages of griefâsome may skip or repeat a stage, or experience the stages in a different order.
How Can I Cope with My Grief?
While grief is a personal experience, you need not face loss alone. Many forms of support are available, including pet bereavement counseling services, pet-loss support hotlines, local or online Internet bereavement groups, books, videos, and magazine articles. Here are a few suggestions to help you cope:
Acknowledge your grief and give yourself permission to express it.
Don't hesitate to reach out to others who can lend a sympathetic ear.
Write about your feelings, either in a journal or a poem.
Call your local humane society to see whether it offers a pet loss support group or can refer you to one. You may also want to ask your veterinarian or local animal shelter about available pet loss hotlines.
Explore the Internet for pet loss support groups and coping information.
Prepare a memorial for your pet.
ps- this video also helped alot with the grieving process.
http://www.indigo.org/rainbow/rainbow.swf
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