Musical Tension, Reward & Neurochemistry

Welcome to the first Schauer of 2026, this week we’re discussing “brain washing” (a function of cerebrospinal fluid during sleep states) and integrating some g-dang information on the rest and digest system! Get ready for a gut-load of neuroscience and gastroenterology as well as a crude but functional amount of chemistry. Make sure to take your fiber after the communal STEAM session as sudden, public motility is frowned upon in most cultures.

I do apologize for mispronouncing molecules and neurological components, since I’m self-taught I don’t often get the experience to say these words out loud. Feel free to spell anything phonetically in the comments or DM me an *labeled* audio clip on Instagram. 

Part two coming next Wednesday!

Resources:

This Is What It Sounds Like - Susan Rogers & Ogi Ogas

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams - Matthew Walker PhD

The Mind Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choice, and Our Overall Health - Emeran Mayer, MD

Fragmented: A Doctor’s Quest to Piece Together American Health Care - Ilana Yurkiewicz

Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders — And How We Can Change That - Nicole C. Rust

The Beauty Molecule: Introducing Neurocerticals, the Breakthrough for Ageless Beauty - Nicholas Perricone, MD

How Your Brain’s Nightly Cleanse Keeps It Healthy 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-sleep-cleans-the-brain-and-keeps-you-healthy/

Reduced Brainstem Volume is Associated with Mobility Impairments in Youth with Cerebral Palsy

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9949252/#:~:text=The%20study%20also%20found%20that%20the%20reduced,Respiration%20*%20Cardiac%20function%20*%20Reflex%20control

Sleep and the heart: Interoceptive differences linked to poor experiential sleep quality in anxiety and depression

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5606300/

Source: Slow-wave sleep, acetylcholine, and memory consolidation

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0400237101#:~:text=These%20results%20suggest%20that%20the,1). 

Additional source: How is Sleep Regulated?

https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/sleep/2012/how-is-sleep-regulated#:~:text=The%20balance%20of%20neurotransmitters%20in,external%20sensory%20stimuli%20produces%20dreams.

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5: A Potential Target for Neuropathic Pain Treatment

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11808587/

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