Yay! 100th Post! Now let's get serious.

So, while I was trying to think about what would be momentous enough to discuss in this post, I thought, what better way to spend the 100^th post than in an attempt to use neuroscience to SAVE YOUR LIVES?

We've had our share of apocalypse scares the past year, and there are only more coming. Everyone's so hyped up about 12/21/12 (when Andrew will save the world!), but there is a much more eminent threat that needs our attention.

What I'm talking about is the emergence of Consciousness Deficit Hypoactivity Disorder. This disorder is characterized by "the loss of rational, voluntary and conscious behavior replaced by delusional/impulsive aggression, stimulus-driven attention, and the inability to coordinate motor linguistic behaviors" (Voytek et. al., 2011). Little attention has been given to the spread of CDHD, outside the occasional reference in popular media. Due to this apparent lack of interest in the scientific community, not much is actually understood about the disorder itself, though its effects are devastating. All the more so for us, because it has struck so close to home.

Yes, some of you might have began to wonder when he stopped posting regularly. Those of us at home with him may have been surprised by his occasional absences at various “scout camps” and “activities,” especially when he returned groggy and unresponsive. We all assumed he was just physically exhausted from a long week of hiking, rock climbing, white-water rafting, and being stuck in contained areas with certain scouts all day. The self-confirmation bias warned us, but we didn’t listen. We used whatever we could find to explain away the signs. We couldn’t have been more wrong.

At this point you may be thinking: Stop being melodramatic Ruth. Johnny’s always been a little weird. It can’t be that bad.

But it can, because there’s one major symptom that I left out:

an insatiable appetite for human flesh.

O.O

That’s right, our beloved brother, Johnny Thomas Glass Jr., has become a zombie.

:<

But do not worry. There is hope. When I said there is "little" attention given to this disorder, I did not mean "zero." A pioneering group of neurologists has begun neuroimaging research in attempt to understand the Zombie Brain. This brave group of men and women has risked their lives to further the cause of scientific inquiry (it is, as you can imagine, a delicate procedure to lure a zombie into an MRI).

This research does have a practical application as well. Voytek, a cognitive neuroscience post-doc at the University of California, suggests that "by closely examining zombie neurology and behavior, we can leverage our knowledge of the physical limitations and behavioral susceptibility of the zombie to our survival advantage" (2011). With this in mind, I have included the following guide to dealing with the undead.

Research (Voytek et. al., 2011) also suggests damage to the prefrontal cortex (affecting judgment and planning) and possibly the Broca's and Wernicke's areas as well (resulting in zombie's inability to communicate verbally). As you can imagine, these many neurological differences manifest themselves in the extreme behaviors exhibited by zombies in general (i.e., eating people) and our brother in particular (Luckily he's not at that stage yet).

So please: don’t stay out late at night, wear a lot of leather, stay alert, carry an aluminum baseball bat. But most importantly, stay informed. Additional resources include:

CDC Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse
Voytek's Survival Tips
The Zombie Research Society
The Zombie Survival Guide

I'd like to leave you on a slightly different note.
CDHD is a serious disorder, one that hurts not only the people surrounding those infected, but the infected individuals as well. Though it is certainly important to contain the epidemic and keep from being eaten, it is equally important that we are sensitive to the plight of individual zombies and that we work to combat the misconceptions and stereotypes present in popular culture that dehumanize them.

It is true that WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN EAT YOU, but it is also true that UNDEAD PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE TOO.

I love you all!
Ruth

(Also, thank you to Johnny for being a zombie, Adri for making Johnny a Zombie, and Richard for the emoticons :)