Article

2019-10-05 Science

Brain structure change in Holocaust survivors hereditary, study finds

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Posted by Skidmark 2019-10-05 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [336074 views ] Top

#1 My guess is that starvation will do that to a person.

The average age of the participants in the study was between 79 and 80

So these were babies/toddlers at the time?

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2019-10-05 06:09|| 2019-10-05 06:09|| Front Page Top

#2 Or perhaps that reduction helped survival?

Posted by Glenmore 2019-10-05 09:29|| 2019-10-05 09:29|| Front Page Top

#3 affecting the parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior.

Basically all that makes some of us human.

Posted by HeyZeus 2019-10-05 13:13|| 2019-10-05 13:13|| Front Page Top

#4 The study may be grounded in actual phenomena discovered, relating to the effects of the holocaust on its victims. The conclusions and hypothesis it tries to posit are however... suspect.

Or maybe I'm just a cynical bastard wary of devious antisemitic academics.

'Epigenetic changes' from one generation only are called transgenerational. The size of the brain or retarding of the growth thereof is beyond the scope of one generation of change.

What I want to know is which survivors lined up to be tested by the eggheads ?

Posted by Dron66046 2019-10-05 13:27|| 2019-10-05 13:27|| Front Page Top

#5 parts of their brain responsible for stress response, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior

The most likely explanation is that people with these handicaps had a better (not good but better than average) chance of surviving death camps. And, if the cause is genetic, they've passed these attributes to their descendants.

p.s. No need to invoke antisemitism, Dron66046. Simply recognize the fact that the researchers are likely biophysicists i.e., physicists working in biology. And physicists can't understand the theory of evolution - look at all the prominent physicists who published "proof" that evolution cannot work (the morons appear incapable of grasping the idea that variation is followed by selection).

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 13:56|| 2019-10-05 13:56|| Front Page Top

#6 Maybe you're right. I did say I'm a cynical bastard.

Yes, so the traits passed on would've been inherent for far longer then, in only particular individuals. Because there's no way PTSD could have induced the children to have reduced gray matter or cerebral mutations (!)

Early results show this is also the case in children of survivors too

This is what I think was suspect.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-10-05 14:13|| 2019-10-05 14:13|| Front Page Top

#7 I did say I'm a cynical bastard.

That's why you belong here.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 14:31|| 2019-10-05 14:31|| Front Page Top

#8 Reality is oftentimes confused with cynicism.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-10-05 15:17|| 2019-10-05 15:17|| Front Page Top

#9 A pessimist's life is full of pleasant surprises.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2019-10-05 15:37|| 2019-10-05 15:37|| Front Page Top

#10 I try to be cynical enough to understand the news, but lately it's hard keeping up.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2019-10-05 15:39|| 2019-10-05 15:39|| Front Page Top

#11 #9 is right ! You go through life smiling and oddly chuckling at the most inopportune moments though.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-10-05 15:42|| 2019-10-05 15:42|| Front Page Top

#12 #7 I did say I'm a cynical bastard.
That's why you belong here.
Posted by g(r)omgoru

I've been here since 2001. You're right

Posted by Frank G 2019-10-05 16:52|| 2019-10-05 16:52|| Front Page Top

#13 So, environment shapes multi-generational behavior.

Posted by Skidmark 2019-10-05 23:01|| 2019-10-05 23:01|| Front Page Top

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