Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [neurology]

Generally regarded as the center of the nervous system in most living beings.

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Does it take 30 seconds for a person to consciously realize that they're awake?

Source: "You actually have to be awake for a full 30 seconds to consciously realize that you are awake, but the body falls right back into sleep immediately after it wakes up to take a breath," Breus says. So people who have sleep apnea often can't…
clickbait
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Does bilingualism prevent Alzheimer's?

I have read a few articles that claim that being able to speak second a language has various benefits to the mind, including preventing or delaying Alzheimer's disease, Is this really true?
Four Seasons
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Are Facebook Likes similar to cocaine addiction?

The Financal Times reports: Dopamine jolt behind internet addiction The effect on the brain is similar to what makes drug addicts reuse cocaine Kristen Lindquist, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says social…
Renan
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Can sighted people learn to read braille by touch at a level comparable to blind individuals?

I've been told by a friend who works at a school for the blind that no sighted person has ever learned to read braille by touch at the level that is comparable to a literate blind person. Is this true? Many sighted people can read braille fluently…
epimika
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Does juggling increase gray matter/size of the occipito-temporal cortex?

I have been led to believe by expert testimonies that juggling may lead to an increase in brain depth and size. At the moment I am not able to draw on much evidence. If this is a myth, I would appreciate clarification, thank you. Example claims: "A…
The Rouge
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Did Akakhievitch open up the patient's brain and, one by one, ablate several thousand neurons, each of which related to the concept of his mother?

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=single-brain-cell-stores-single-concept Once a brilliant Russian Neurosurgeon named Akakhi Akakhievitch had a patient who wanted to forget his overbearing, impossible mother. Eager to oblige,…
Carlo Alterego
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Is addiction a disease?

In the DVD Pleasure Unwoven, Dr Kevin McCauley, a medical doctor, claims that addiction is a disease. In the video he argues against the choice model, and explains the neuroscience of addiction I found nothing in his arguments convincing. There…
Jerome Viveiros
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Does converting handedness lead to memory disorders?

Linkshaender Beratung (a.k.a. Lefthander Consulting) warns that trying to convert someone from being left-handed to right-handed (or vice versa) leads to a number of direct and indirect harms. The possible primary consequences of converting…
Lupe
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Did Emil Krebs master 68 languages?

The German polyglot Emil Krebs allegedly mastered 68 languages. Which, frankly, I find unbelievable. Unfortunately, I cannot find any reliable and convincing source. Is there solid evidence that Emil Krebs mastered 68 languages? The actual number of…
Mathias Müller
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Does neck-strengthening exercise prevent knockouts in boxing?

There are sites that claim stronger necks help prevent knockouts when boxing... For example: Livestrong Most boxers work hard to strengthen their legs for a good, strong base and their arms for a good, hard punch, but fewer remember to strengthen…
poopoothegorilla
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Can exercises be used to balance the brain's hemispheres?

I keep being told that exercises like touching your left knee with your right hand help stimulate the brain hemispheres and the "balance" between them. Here's a random example I found on Google from BrainAdvance. Can anyone provide evidence for…
DarkLightA
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Does listening to complaints damage your neurons?

I read this old news today as it's gone viral in Italy: That pain you feel listening to complainers? It's real enough to peel away neurons from your brain and render it pretty much useless, reports Inc. "The brain works more like a muscle than we…
Sklivvz
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Do humans have virtually limitless memory capacity?

I have been brought up believing that humans have virtually unlimited memory storage (long-term memory capacity) at least to the extent that we won't have to bother ourselves with that in our lifetime. I have read somewhere that we ought to have…
1gn1t0r
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Does the inner ear play a large role in regulating respiration?

Assoc Prof Dr Daniel Rubens has said that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome might be linked to damage to the inner ear. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may be linked to the build up of carbon dioxide and existing inner ear damage according to a new…
user52149
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Do antidepressants cause brain damage?

A friend two years ago read an online article that claims antidepressants cause brain damage. I don't know which one, but I imagine it was something like this. Do antidepressants cause brain damage?
Susan
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