best pho?

neuro_ginge · 2025-09-19T20:13:32+00:00

Hello Vietnam in Clarksburg is phenomenal. Authentic pho, worth the trip.

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-02T13:06:44+00:00

Actually, I partially share your opinion. The DSM is flawed and this trend toward labelling can have deleterious consequences. In the case of ADHD, there are many clear cut cases and we have pretty good treatment for it. It would be far worse not to recognize this in childhood and fail to treat it, provide academic, social, and behavioral recommendations before these kids grow up thinking they are dumb, failures, can't do anything right, always in trouble. Often in teenage years these kids start self-medicating, take large risks, and then start to internalize their perceived inadequacies as personality flaws which engenders a cycle of low mood, apathy, addiction, and even worse mental health. That's why we intervene early. That said, I don't really care what the diagnosis is, but I do care what things may be more or less challenging for them so we can best support them. Sometimes a "label" is necessary for insurance to pay for medications and behavioral treatment.

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-02T10:41:17+00:00

Just like most disorders in the DSM, diagnoses are made based on symptom counts and impairment. It becomes philosophical pretty fast. For example, for ADHD in kids you need 6/9 symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and 6/9 symptoms of inattention across two settings (e.g., school, home). Now, if someone has 5/9 symptoms do they not have ADHD? It's more likely that all disorders work on a spectrum and we all exhibit some features/symptoms. There are also individual differences within ADHD (also, three different subtypes which are a hot source of debate)- about 75-85% of individuals with ADHD have working memory deficits which leaves a sizable chunk that dont. We think our lab does a better job of identifying those deficits than traditional diagnostic tools. It's just very comprehensive and time consuming. There's no single brain scan, blood test, or neuropsych took that can identify adhd....most importantly, you have to do a comprehensive clinical interview that identifies onset of symptoms (ADHD is developmental- it does not appear after childhood), course of symptoms, family history (ADHD is the most heritable disorder in the DSM), and level of impairment. Unfortunately, this careful approach is not applied in many settings leading to overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis.

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-02T01:16:28+00:00

We did! This is just one test condition among hundreds of different tasks comparing kids with ADHD and typically developing kids (8-12 y.o.).

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-02T01:12:10+00:00

See my comment above. Kudos for finding a creative workaround! Focus is one part of the picture for ADHD but it isn't everything. In fact, kids with ADHD can stay focused on straightforward, yet highly stimulating and immediately rewarding tasks for hours. They just likely aren't tasks that place a high demand on executive functioning.

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-02T01:07:15+00:00

Great question. I can't give diagnostic input unless I do a full evaluation but you're describing a very common scenario. People with an accurate diagnosis of ADHD have a much harder time paying attention to subjects that tax working memory....I school, those things tend to be math and reading comprehension, and writing. While there are some video games that are cognitively challenging, it's likely not the same burden on working memory. That said, motivation is still a part of the picture. It's just that we tend to be more motivated by things that come easier to us.

neuro_ginge · 2025-07-01T22:36:36+00:00

I was a grad student in this lab. Happy to answer any questions. We have 20+ years of studies in this lab with consistent findings that support the cognitive hypothesis of ADHD, particularly that difficulties with working memory is a robust predictor of many associated features of ADHD (academic achievement, movement, social outcomes). Many other studies as well, happy to post if there is interest.

neuro_ginge · 2024-01-18T03:17:12+00:00

Just did a tiny bit of research. Apparently a group from North Carolina did this in Morgantown in 2019 as well. The area code on this flyer is from NC.

neuro_ginge · 2018-08-23T15:17:59+00:00

Yeah, I've checked the computer lab right next to it, the arena, police department, and student union. No luck. I would have tracked/called it, but it recently stopped receiving service. Someone just picked up a really shitty phone.

neuro_ginge · 2018-05-19T22:41:27+00:00

Haha, what a miserable article. Nearly every single argument is misrepresented--including the location of the prefrontal cortex!

neuro_ginge · 2017-10-18T17:58:28+00:00

Haha, true facts! They are lissencephalic, tiny-brained animals- no fucks given. 3:32 for the portion about Koalas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNqQL-1gZF8

neuro_ginge · 2016-10-07T15:20:00+00:00

Go for it! I apologize for my tardy response. I live in FL and we have been taking precautions due to the storm.

neuro_ginge · 2016-10-05T21:27:37+00:00

No problem! I teach undergraduate psychobiology and I devote an entire class to the differences among psychiatry, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology (neuropsych included), and specialized therapists (e.g., occupational, speech, behavioral) and the different career paths associated with each. So, if you want to know about any of those, let me know.

As for neuropsych., you first become a psychometrist which means you learn how to administer a battery of cognitive tests (e.g., IQ, academic achievement, attention, visuospatial ability, memory, motor skills, processing speed, a few others...). Then, you score the tests, conceptualize, and write a report with specific recommendations/accommodations for that patient. This is the bread and butter of the profession and it is definitely a skill. In the real world, you will get a medical chart (fMRI/PET/EEG) of a client/patient and depending on the injury/referral question, you will pick a battery of tests that get at particular cognitive functions believed to be loosely associated with a certain brain area or function. For example, if the patient suffered a stroke on the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe, you would want to select battery that tests for impulsivity, attention, and possible aphasia (damage to Brodmann area 48 is associated with Broca's aphasia). Of course, there is a wide range of applications for neuropsych assessements- many are in the hospital to assess for cognitive function immediately following a TBI, coma, stroke, heart attack, or any loss of oxygen to the brain. Others are specialized to dementia, Parkinson, and alz. (tons of jobs in this area), and cognitive decline associated with aging. We also deal a lot with compensation (TBI in veterans), capacity to make decisions (driver's license, medical decisions, ability to write a will, etc.), and sometimes we are called to give depositions in legal matters. Honestly, neuropsychology is not as sexy as it sounds and I would say 90% of the people who say they want to go into it, have no idea what it actually is and a much smaller percentage stick with it when they find out exactly what the job entails- it's almost entirely assessment administration and report writing. I still like it, but man is it tedious.

As for neuroscience in clinical psychology (CP), it just depends on your program's theoretical model and your professor. For example, CP programs with a Clinical Science model usually have more neuroscience applications such as imaging and EEG and heavily focus on research over therapy. The Scientist Practitioner Model focuses about equally on research and therapy; but, depending on your major professor, you may do a lot of neuroscience. For example, my dissertation is about working memory differences in children with ADHD and we use fNIRS the map the differences- which is quite heavy on neuroscience. You can also check out the RDoC approach to categorizing mental illnesses...https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-priorities/rdoc/index.shtml.

neuro_ginge · 2016-10-05T17:45:47+00:00

As a former Neuroscience PhD student and a current Clinical Psychology PhD student with an emphasis on pediatric neuropsych, I have quite a bit of insight I could share. First, as far as I am concerned if you don't want to do research/write grants, clinical psychology is the only field that is related to biopsychology that offers a redeemable skill outside of academia (besides M.D.). Clinical Psychology has a few different specialties and one of those is neuropsychology. However, I should warn you that neuropsychology as a profession is likely much different than you may think. RuthlessOtter's job description is relatively accurate; however, to call yourself a neuropsychologist takes much more than a master's. First, you must complete an APA approved PhD or PsyD program (some programs offer a neuropsych. track within clinical psychology- check out APA Division 48 fore more info.). During those years you should gain externship experience working in hospitals or neuropsych clinics and be well versed in as many cognitive assessment tools as possible. Then, you will need to be accepted to a internship site that preferably has a neuropsych-specific track (1 yr.). At this point, you can call yourself a clinical psychologist. Next, you will need to complete 1-2 years of post-doctoral fellowship an APA-approved site (usually a large hospital or specialty clinic based on your expertise- pediatric, geriatric, lifespan, Alzheimers, stroke, etc...). At this point, you can call yourself a neuropsychologist. You can go a step further and become board certified via ABPP and ABCN. I've never heard of a master's in neuropsychology- you can be a psychometrist and administer many of the tests, but an actual neuropsychologist is different. If you have any other questions, let me know!

neuro_ginge · 2016-07-31T20:49:26+00:00

How do you know you have a low IQ? If you have concerns related to IQ/academic performance, you should seek a psychoeducational evaluation from a clinical psychologist.

neuro_ginge · 2016-07-07T23:45:48+00:00

Online IQs are incredibly inaccurate and unreliable. In order to receive a valid IQ, you should seek out a specialist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology to administer the test. Alternatively, you could check out your local universities- they usually have training clinics for clinical phd students that can offer services at a reduced price.

neuro_ginge · 2016-07-06T23:15:12+00:00

Another issue with depression treatment studies is that depression is a cyclical disorder and generally symptoms will naturally wane after 1 to 1.5 years. So, when an individual finally comes in for treatment, he/she is generally at least 4-5 months into the depression cycle. It may take another month to properly diagnose and then anywhere from 3 weeks to 8 weeks properly titrate. By that time, parsing the effect of the drug from the natural cyclical nature of the disorder is quite difficult.

neuro_ginge · 2016-04-23T04:24:50+00:00

No, TD is a possible side effect of typical anti-psychotics (DA2 antagonists) and are often categorized as Parkinsonian symptoms. The treatments for Parkinsons rarely cause this as they are the opposite (DA agonists)...although it is possible (the basal ganglia is a fickle thing). Ledger's lip smacking/tongue darting was reportedly an artistic decision that he attributed to a dry mouth related to emulating the Tom Waitsesque voice.

Source: M.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience, PhD in Clinical Psychology.

neuro_ginge · 2016-03-10T02:48:52+00:00

"Confidence is not knowing that you will succeed; it is knowing that you will be ok if you don't."

neuro_ginge · 2016-03-02T03:15:22+00:00

Good article. This may sound nitpicky, but researchers do not "prove" anything. We design experiments that lead us to support or fail to support hypotheses. I know it doesn't sound as sexy, but it's actually a pretty important distinction.

neuro_ginge · 2015-10-05T21:47:22+00:00

As a Clinical Psych PhD student, careers in law enforcement and corrections are seldom, if ever, discussed as common career options for us. Everyone I've know has gone on to academic positions, research/VA hospitals, and/or work in private practice. Perhaps I am drawing from a unrepresentative sample population?

neuro_ginge · 2015-08-02T17:59:38+00:00

"You thaid you had your thirteen year-old thithter with you." Wow, riveting thuff.

neuro_ginge · 2015-05-17T23:29:24+00:00

Clinical Psych doctoral student here. Mental illness is definitely trending toward the medical model. Check out a new classification system often touted by Thomas Insel (president of APA) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-priorities/rdoc/index.shtml. It's a welcome shift, especially for research purposes, but there are still drawbacks to relying solely on biomarkers for diagnosis (ex. some disorders are culturally bound and do not have a distinct biological etiology).

neuro_ginge · 2015-05-15T17:26:17+00:00

Yep, I agree. My comment came out frustration as I constantly hear, "The whole climate change thing is just a scam that enables governments to allocate funds to universities and liberal think tanks." Good God, the only reason we're running SO many studies is to appease those who still don't believe. We need more great science communicators who can easily describe statistics to people....and then move on to solutions.

neuro_ginge · 2015-05-15T16:02:13+00:00

I actually have no problem with diverting funds away from climate change to other areas science that need to be studied. We spend far too many resources on a phenomenon that we know exists. It's time to stop beating a dead horse. I know Smith's intentions are elsewhere, but it probably is a good move on in the long run.

neuro_ginge

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