Extremely tough RC

[miteshsholay]

Scientific advances in the twentieth century have allowed researchers to study the chemical activities taking place in the sleeping human brain. In the 1970s, researcher Barry Jacobs drew on these advances to propose that a shared neurochemical basis in the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine accounts for the observable similarities between dreams and hallucinations. To test Jacobs’ theory, researchers attempted to elucidate the role of serotonin and norepinephrine in the normal sleep cycle and the effect of hallucinogenic drugs on these neurotransmitters.
Serotonin appears important for managing sleep, mood, and appetite, among other functions, while norepinephrine facilitates alertness and mental focus. Both neurotransmitters are discharged in high quantities only during waking states. At the onset of sleep, the neurons that release these neurotransmitters become less active, allowing the brain to enter the three non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) stages of sleep. The non-REM stages typically are not associated with normal dreaming, though parasomnias, such as sleepwalking and confusional arousals, are most common during stage 3. When the brain is ready to enter the fourth stage, REM, which is strongly associated with dreaming, the levels of these two chemicals drop virtually to zero. The Jacobs hypothesis held that the absence of norepinephrine was required to enable the brain to remain asleep, while the absence of serotonin was necessary to allow dreaming to occur.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug which causes significant alteration of the senses; at doses higher than 20 micrograms, it can have a hallucinogenic effect. LSD mimics serotonin well enough to be able to bind at most of the neurotransmitter’s receptor sites, largely inhibiting normal transmission. In addition, the drug causes the Locus coeruleus, a cluster of neurons containing norepinephrine, to greatly accelerate activity. If the drug stimulates norepinephrine, thereby precluding sleep, and inhibits serotonin, creating a necessary condition for dreaming, then the resulting hallucinations could merely be "dreaming while awake." The research thus far is promising but inconclusive; future scientific advances should allow this theory to be tested more rigorously.

According to the passage, each of the following is true EXCEPT
A)Norepinephrine and serotonin are discharged only during waking states.
B)Ingesting more than 20 micrograms of LSD will cause some people to hallucinate.
C)Rapid eye movement is the stage of sleep during which people typically dream.
D)LSD causes neurons to increase the rate at which they discharge norepinephrine.
E)The absence of serotonin seems to be necessary in order to enable the brain to dream.

OA is A
I dont get why D is eliminated
OE says
(D) True. The third sentence of paragraph three says that the neurons containing norepinephrine "greatly accelerate activity" when LSD is in someone's system. Sentence three of paragraph two tells us that "neurons release norepinephrine" - so if this neuronal activity is increased, then the rate at which norepinephrine is released would also increase.

Lets see the premises cited:
Line 44 " In addition, the drug causes the Locus coeruleus, a cluster of neurons containing norepinephrine, to greatly accelerate activity."
How do we know that discharging norepinephrine is the only activity of this neuron?
How do we know that Locus coeruleus is the only neuron containing norepinephrine?

Also the second premise
Line 20 " At the onset of sleep, the neurons that release these neurotransmitters become less active,..."
Several types of neurons can release norepinephrine. How can we generalize Locus coeruleus' accelerated activity to be true for all the neurons (as stated in the choice)?

[miteshsholay]

Also having doubts with option C
C)Rapid eye movement is the stage of sleep during which people typically dream.

OE says
(C) True. Sentence five in paragraph two tells us that REM (rapid eye movement sleep) "is strongly associated with dreaming."

This reasoning implies that
since X is associated with Y, hence X contains Y.
What if its Y that contains X?
What if nobody contains anybody and they are just related?
For ex: Tables are associated with chairs, but tables dont
contain chairs.
It is possible that REM is associated with dreaming in the sense that unless REM happens, dreaming wont happen.?

[tim]

i think you are focusing too much on requiring unassailable logical conclusions in your first post. can you honestly say that D is a better answer than A, in that there is more support that A happens than D? that's what you need to be focusing on, not on trying to invent ways for D not to be true..

as for your second post, you've brought in the word "contain", which is not present in the question, proceeded to define "contain" the way you want, and then claim there is some problem with the question that does not mention the word. this is what is known as a Straw Man argument; you definitely need to avoid doing this sort of thing..

[miteshsholay]

ok. i think i am spending a lot more efforts in proving correct answers wrong and pushing wrong answers into consideration.

[tim]

exactly. this is a very good lesson to learn..

[SaahilR545]

Hello Tim

One last thought on the same question - The passage says "Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug which causes significant alteration of the senses; at doses higher than 20 micrograms, it can have a hallucinogenic effect"

With the use of can in the above sentence, I am not sure how A can be true here. Could you please help out.

Thank you