Mad Scientists & Experiments
This experiment used classical conditioning on a 9-month-old baby, leading him to fear several furry, white animals
The Little Albert Experiment
Which lobe of the brain houses the amygdala - the central structure for processing fear and emotional responses?
Temporal Lobe
What abnormal, self-replicating protein causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and "mad cow" disease?
Prion
What neurosurgical procedure was historically used to “treat” psychiatric disorders by severing prefrontal connections?
Lobotomy
What unethical U.S. experiment tested LSD and mind control on unsuspecting people in the 1950s?
Project MK-Ultra
Blood
Which hormone is released by the adrenal glands after the amygdala triggers a stress response?
Adrenaline (epinephrine)
The loss of dopaminergic neurons in this region of the brain leads to Parkinson's disease.
Substantia nigra
What is the only known environmental factor that significantly reduces Alzheimer’s risk across populations?
Regular aerobic exercise
This doctor performed horrific experiments on twins in concentration camps including injecting chloroform into their hearts and trying to create his own conjoined twins by sewing two children together back to back.
Dr. Josef Mengele
Coulrophobia is the fear of what?
Clowns
Which midbrain structure relays signals from the amygdala to trigger the physical "fight or flight" response?
The Hypothalamus
Which vitamin deficiency causes Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, often seen in chronic alcoholism?
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Which type of surgery involves implanting electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus to reduce tremors in Parkinson’s disease?
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
During WWII, this doctor performed surgeries with no anesthesia, injected subjects with diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea, or with chemicals he used in bombs. Other experiments included tying up men naked outside to observe the effects of frostbite.
Dr. Shiro Ishii (Unit 731)
Chiroptophobia is the fear of what?
Bats
Which hemisphere's amygdala tends to respond more strongly to negative or threatening stimuli?
What is the main excitatory neurotransmitter involved in excitotoxicity following a stroke?
Glutamate
Which drug stabilizes mood in bipolar disorder by affecting sodium ion transport and second messenger systems?
Lithium
In 1939, Mary Tudor and her advisor Wendell Johnson hypothesized that children subjected to negative reinforcement regarding their speech would develop a stutter.
The Monster Study of 1939
Phasmophobia is the fear of what?
Ghosts
People with bilateral amygdala damage show what unusual behavioral trait?
They experience little to no fear
What neurotransmitter is depleted in Huntington’s disease, contributing to excessive movement?
GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Clozapine is reserved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia due to risk of what serious side effect?
Agranulocytosis (a dangerous drop in white blood cells)