Latest news with #hallucinations
Reuters
14 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
US appeals court confirms patent validity of Acadia's Parkinson's drug
June 9 (Reuters) - Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD.O), opens new tab said on Monday that the U.S. Court of Appeals has confirmed the validity of its patent for Nuplazid, its drug for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease. The decision supports a December 2023 ruling from the U.S. District Court of Delaware, ensuring the patent remains protected in Acadia's legal battle against India-based drugmaker MSN Laboratories. The appeals court followed a precedent that says an earlier patent claim cannot be invalidated by a later one if they share the same priority date. "We are gratified that the U.S. Federal Appeals Court has affirmed the lower court's ruling in favor of our composition of matter patent for Nuplazid, securing protection into 2030 for this patent, and beyond based on the recent favorable ruling for our formulation patent providing patent protection for Nuplazid 34 mg capsule formulation into 2038," said CEO Catherine Owen Adams. This decision comes after another favorable ruling for Acadia regarding its formulation patent for Nuplazid. The court supported Acadia's claims of infringement and validity in its legal case against Aurobindo Pharma ( opens new tab and other companies. The U.S. FDA approved Nuplazid for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis in 2016.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
The science of sleep paralysis, a brain-body glitch making people see demons and witches
Many people who experience sleep paralysis see frightening hallucinations some call "sleep paralysis demons." Illustration by Leah Abucayan/Alberto Mier/CNN via CNN Newsource Baland Jalal lay in bed terrified, experiencing his own real-life horror film. Newly awake, the 19-year-old could see his surroundings but couldn't move or speak, and he didn't know why. He thought, ''My God, what do I do?'' Jalal, now 39, said of that moment in 2005. 'I tried to call my mom (and) dad, but no words would emerge from my throat. … I had this ominous presence of a monster, and it lifted my legs up and down. 'It strangled me, trying to kill me. And I was 100% sure that I was going to die,' Jalal added. 'It literally feels like all the evil of the universe is condensed into a bubble, and it's in your bedroom.' This type of hallucination is a hallmark for many people with sleep paralysis. It occurs during transitions into or out of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, similar to a traffic jam at a busy intersection — your brain, awake and alert, and body, still asleep and immobilized, collide momentarily, said Dr. Matthew P. Walker, director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, via email. Following deep sleep, REM sleep is the next critical phase of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming that's also extra vivid and lifelike, and by faster heart rate and breathing. It's essential for memory, concentration, mood regulation and immune function. Jalal's experiences propelled him to study this phenomenon around the world. He aimed to discover the cause of sleep paralysis, he said, and why some people with the diagnosis 'have these powerful encounters where it feels like evil of epic proportions.' He has since earned a doctorate in psychiatry and is now a researcher in Harvard University's psychology department and a leading expert on sleep paralysis. He also treats patients struggling with it. An estimated 30% of people worldwide experience at least one episode of sleep paralysis in their lifetime, according to the Cleveland Clinic. How many of those people have recurring and impairing sleep paralysis isn't clear, but the percentage is likely low, Jalal said. Here's what else you should know about sleep paralysis and how it can be managed. The science and symptoms of sleep paralysis In REM sleep, our bodies are paralyzed so we don't act out our dreams and risk hurting ourselves or others, Jalal said. Sleep paralysis episodes are usually only a few minutes long but can last up to 20 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. During sleep paralysis, however, 'we regain consciousness before the muscles regain their freedom from REM-induced paralysis,' said Walker, who is also a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley About 40% of people with sleep paralysis have visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations, such as pressure on one's chest or feeling out of body, Jalal said. For about 90% of those individuals, the illusions are terrifying. They can include ghosts or cat- or alien-like creatures, and their actions can be as innocuous as simply approaching them or as nefarious as molesting or trying to kill them. In Jalal's academic travels, he discovered the contents and interpretations of hallucinations, views on what causes sleep paralysis, and episode frequency and duration can all also have a cultural basis. People living in Egypt and Italy, for example, would often see witches and evil genies, hold them responsible and think they could die from sleep paralysis, Jalal said. People in Denmark, Poland and parts of the United States, on the other hand, have less supernatural or exotic explanations and less fear. 'Why do we see these monsters? Is it the dreaming imagery … that's spilling over into conscious awareness?' Jalal said. 'My answer to that is, according to my research, no, not exactly. But it's part of it.' When you're aware yet paralyzed and confused, your natural reaction is to escape that situation. Your brain is bombarding your body with signals to move, but your body can't return any feedback. Jalal's theory, in short, is that your brain says, 'to hell with it' and concocts a story it thinks your body must be facing to be experiencing such bizarre symptoms. The reduced activity in your prefrontal cortex — responsible for reason and logic — also contributes to hallucinations becoming 'extremely realistic and emotionally charged, amplified by an overly active amygdala, the brain's emotional alarm center,' Walker said. Causes and risk factors of sleep paralysis Though scientists know that wake-sleep glitch is what's happening during a sleep paralysis episode, they're not entirely sure why. But there are several factors that can increase the risk of fragmented sleep and sleep paralysis. Those factors include stress and related conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder and panic disorder, experts said. Much of Jalal's sleep paralysis occurred when he was in school. Now when he has an episode once or twice per year, it's usually during a high-stress period, he said. (Once you've experienced sleep paralysis, you can be conscious of that during an episode but still feel afraid.) Other common contributors are sleep deprivation, jet lag, an irregular sleep schedule, sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, and genetic factors, Walker and Jalal said. Obstructive sleep apnea, substance use disorder and some medications — such as those for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — can also raise risk, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Is sleep paralysis dangerous? As scary as sleep paralysis may sound, it's not actually dangerous, experts said. But depending on how recurring it is, sleep paralysis can be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, Jalal said. Regular episodes can also lead to anxiety around sleep and then avoidance of sleep, Jalal said. This pattern can interfere with your daily energy and ability to function. And if you often have frightening hallucinations, that can lead to anxiety or trauma-like symptoms. How is sleep paralysis treated? Sleep paralysis can be significantly alleviated with several practices or treatments, Walker said — starting with healthy sleep habits, for one. That includes seven to nine hours of restful sleep nightly. Maintaining a sleep schedule consistent in quality and quantity 'acts like tuning your internal clock, reducing the chance of disruptive wake-sleep overlaps — much like ensuring all parts of an orchestra are synchronized for perfect harmony,' Walker said. Also prioritize stress management, by using, for example, mindfulness and relaxation exercises, Walker said. Therapies can relieve certain underlying issues triggering sleep paralysis, including cognitive behavioural therapy, especially the version for people with insomnia. In more serious situations, medications are sometimes used, Walker said. Those include SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or tricyclic antidepressants that can help manage a smooth flow between sleep stages or even reduce the REM phase of sleep. Generally, boosting the brain's serotonin levels somehow compensates for the loss of the REM phase, Jalal said. But rarely, long-term antidepressant use has been linked with REM sleep behaviour disorder. While the aforementioned treatments can help reduce the frequency or length of sleep paralysis episodes, there isn't yet a gold-standard treatment that can stop an episode once it's happening. Jalal has been trying to officially create one over the past decade, though, and it's self-inspired. Called meditation relaxation therapy, the treatment reduced sleep paralysis by 50% after eight weeks for six people with narcolepsy, compared with a control group of four participants, found a small pilot study Jalal published in 2020. He currently has another study of the same treatment with more participants underway at Harvard. And the steps of Jalal's therapy are as follows: Cognitively reappraise the meaning of the attack. Close your eyes and remind yourself that your experience is common and you won't die from it. Emotionally distance yourself from it. Tell yourself that since your brain is just playing tricks on you, there's no reason for you to be scared or risk the situation getting worse because of your own negative expectations. Focus on something positive. Whether it's praying or imagining a loved one's face, this refocusing can make thoughts more pleasant rather than monstrous. Relax your muscles and don't move. Some experts say trying to slightly move your fingers or toes one by one may help you come out of an episode sooner. But Jalal's fourth step advises against this movement since you'd still be sending signals to paralyzed muscles and maybe triggering hallucinations. Viewing your own biology in a more objective way by learning more about the scientific basis of sleep paralysis is also helpful, Jalal said.
Geeky Gadgets
3 days ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Stop AI Hallucinations : Transform Your n8n Agent into a Precision Powerhouse
What if your AI agent could stop making things up? Imagine asking it for critical data or a precise task, only to receive a response riddled with inaccuracies or irrelevant details. These so-called 'hallucinations' are more than just a nuisance—they can derail workflows, undermine trust, and even lead to costly mistakes. But here's the good news: by fine-tuning your n8n AI agent settings, you can dramatically reduce these errors and unlock a level of performance that's both reliable and context-aware. From selecting the right chat model to configuring memory for seamless context retention, the right adjustments can transform your AI from unpredictable to indispensable. In this comprehensive guide, FuturMinds take you through the best practices and critical settings to optimize your n8n AI agents for accuracy and efficiency. Learn how to choose the perfect chat model for your needs, fine-tune parameters like sampling temperature and frequency penalties, and use tools like output parsers to ensure structured, reliable responses. Whether you're aiming for professional-grade results in technical workflows or simply want to minimize hallucinations in everyday tasks, this report will equip you with actionable insights to achieve your goals. Because when your AI agent performs at its best, so do you. n8n AI Agent Configuration Choosing the Right Chat Model The foundation of a reliable AI agent begins with selecting the most suitable chat model. Each model offers unique capabilities, and aligning your choice with your specific use case is crucial for optimal performance. Consider the following options: Advanced Reasoning: Models like Anthropic or OpenAI GPT-4 are designed for complex problem-solving and excel in tasks requiring nuanced understanding. Models like Anthropic or OpenAI GPT-4 are designed for complex problem-solving and excel in tasks requiring nuanced understanding. Cost Efficiency: Lightweight models such as Mistral are ideal for applications where budget constraints are a priority without compromising too much on functionality. Lightweight models such as Mistral are ideal for applications where budget constraints are a priority without compromising too much on functionality. Privacy Needs: Self-hosted options like Olama provide enhanced data control, making them suitable for sensitive or proprietary information. Self-hosted options like Olama provide enhanced data control, making them suitable for sensitive or proprietary information. Multimodal Tasks: For tasks involving both text and images, models like Google Gemini or OpenAI's multimodal models are highly effective. To improve efficiency, consider implementing dynamic model selection. This approach routes tasks to the most appropriate model based on the complexity and requirements of the task, making sure both cost-effectiveness and performance. Fine-Tuning AI Agent Parameters Fine-tuning parameters is a critical step in shaping your AI agent's behavior and output. Adjusting these settings can significantly enhance the agent's performance and reliability: Frequency Penalty: Increase this value to discourage repetitive responses, making sure more diverse and meaningful outputs. Increase this value to discourage repetitive responses, making sure more diverse and meaningful outputs. Sampling Temperature: Use lower values (e.g., 0.2) for factual and precise outputs, while higher values (e.g., 0.8) encourage creative and exploratory responses. Use lower values (e.g., 0.2) for factual and precise outputs, while higher values (e.g., 0.8) encourage creative and exploratory responses. Top P: Control the diversity of responses by limiting the probability distribution, which helps in generating more focused outputs. Control the diversity of responses by limiting the probability distribution, which helps in generating more focused outputs. Maximum Tokens: Set appropriate limits to balance response length and token usage, avoiding unnecessarily long or truncated outputs. For structured outputs such as JSON, combining a low sampling temperature with a well-defined system prompt ensures accuracy and consistency. This approach is particularly useful for technical applications requiring predictable and machine-readable results. Best n8n AI Agent Settings Explained Watch this video on YouTube. Stay informed about the latest in n8n AI agent configuration by exploring our other resources and articles. Configuring Memory for Context Retention Memory configuration plays a vital role in maintaining context during multi-turn conversations. Proper memory management ensures that responses remain coherent and relevant throughout the interaction. Key recommendations include: Context Window Length: Adjust this setting to retain essential information while staying within token limits, making sure the agent can reference prior exchanges effectively. Adjust this setting to retain essential information while staying within token limits, making sure the agent can reference prior exchanges effectively. Robust Memory Nodes: For production environments, use reliable options like PostgreSQL chat memory via Supabase to handle extended interactions without risking data loss or crashes. Avoid using simple memory nodes in production, as they may not provide the stability and scalability required for complex or long-running conversations. Enhancing Functionality with Tool Integration Integrating tools expands your AI agent's capabilities by allowing it to perform specific actions via APIs. This functionality is particularly useful for automating tasks and improving efficiency. Examples include: Email Management: Integrate Gmail to send, organize, and manage emails directly through the AI agent. Integrate Gmail to send, organize, and manage emails directly through the AI agent. Custom APIs: Add domain-specific tools for specialized tasks, such as retrieving financial data, generating reports, or managing inventory. To minimize hallucinations, clearly define the parameters and scope of each tool. This ensures the agent understands its limitations and uses the tools appropriately within the defined context. Optimizing System Prompts A well-crafted system prompt is essential for defining the AI agent's role, goals, and behavior. Effective prompts should include the following elements: Domain Knowledge: Specify the agent's expertise and focus areas to ensure it provides relevant and accurate responses. Specify the agent's expertise and focus areas to ensure it provides relevant and accurate responses. Formatting Rules: Provide clear instructions for structured outputs, such as JSON, tables, or bullet points, to maintain consistency. Provide clear instructions for structured outputs, such as JSON, tables, or bullet points, to maintain consistency. Safety Instructions: Include guidelines to prevent inappropriate, harmful, or biased responses, making sure ethical and responsible AI usage. Using templates for system prompts can streamline the configuration process and reduce errors, especially when deploying multiple agents across different use cases. Using Output Parsers Output parsers are invaluable for enforcing structured and predictable responses. They are particularly useful in applications requiring machine-readable outputs, such as data pipelines and automated workflows. Common types include: Structured Output Parser: Ensures responses adhere to predefined formats, such as JSON or XML, for seamless integration with other systems. Ensures responses adhere to predefined formats, such as JSON or XML, for seamless integration with other systems. Item List Output Parser: Generates clear and organized lists with specified separators, improving readability and usability. Generates clear and organized lists with specified separators, improving readability and usability. Autofixing Output Parser: Automatically corrects improperly formatted outputs, reducing the need for manual intervention. Incorporating these tools enhances the reliability and usability of your AI agent, particularly in technical and data-driven environments. Additional Settings for Enhanced Performance Fine-tuning additional settings can further improve your AI agent's reliability and adaptability. Consider the following adjustments: Iteration Limits: Set a maximum number of iterations for tool usage loops to prevent infinite cycles and optimize resource usage. Set a maximum number of iterations for tool usage loops to prevent infinite cycles and optimize resource usage. Intermediate Steps: Enable this feature to debug and audit the agent's decision-making process, providing greater transparency and control. Enable this feature to debug and audit the agent's decision-making process, providing greater transparency and control. Multimodal Configuration: Ensure the agent can handle binary image inputs for tasks involving visual data, expanding its range of applications. These settings provide greater control over the agent's behavior, making it more versatile and effective in handling diverse scenarios. Best Practices for Continuous Improvement Building and maintaining a high-performing AI agent requires ongoing monitoring, testing, and refinement. Follow these best practices to ensure optimal performance: Regularly review and adjust settings to enhance response quality, reduce token usage, and address emerging requirements. Test the agent in real-world scenarios to identify potential issues and implement necessary improvements. Align tools, configurations, and prompts with your specific use case and objectives to maximize the agent's utility and effectiveness. Consistent evaluation and optimization are essential for making sure your AI agent remains reliable, efficient, and aligned with your goals. Media Credit: FuturMinds Filed Under: AI, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Health Line
19-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
How Long Can You Go Without Sleep? Function, Hallucination, and More
It can be dangerous to go without sleeping, even for one day. Longer-term sleep deprivation can cause cognitive impairment, hallucinations, and other side effects. How long can you go? The longest recorded time without sleep is approximately 264 hours, or just over 11 consecutive days. Although it's unclear exactly how long humans can survive without sleep, it isn't long before the effects of sleep deprivation start to show. After only three or four nights without sleep, you can start to hallucinate. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to: cognitive impairments irritability delusions paranoia psychosis Although dying from sleep deprivation is extremely rare, it can happen. Read on to find out how staying awake for a full 24 hours or more can affect your body, and how much sleep you actually need to function. What to expect after 24 hours without sleep Missing 24 hours of sleep isn't uncommon. You might miss a night of sleep to work, cram for a test, or take care of a sick child. While it might be unpleasant to stay up all night, it won't have a significant impact on your overall health. Still, missing a night of sleep does affect you. Studies have compared 24-hour wakefulness to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent. This is above the legal limit to drive in most states. Some effects of going 24 hours without sleep include: drowsiness irritability impaired decision-making impaired judgement altered perception memory deficits vision and hearing impairments decreased hand-eye coordination increased muscle tension tremors increased risk of accidents or near misses Symptoms of 24-hour sleep deprivation usually go away once you've had some shut-eye. What to expect after 36 hours without sleep Staying awake for just 36 hours can have intense effects on your body. Your sleep-wake cycle helps regulate the release of certain hormones, including cortisol, insulin, and human growth hormone. As a result, going without sleep for an extended period of time can alter several bodily functions. This includes your: appetite metabolism temperature mood stress level Some effects of going 36 hours without sleep include: extreme fatigue hormonal imbalances decreased motivation risky decisions inflexible reasoning decreased attention speech impairments, such as poor word choice and intonation What to expect after 48 hours without sleep After two nights of missed sleep, most people have difficulty staying awake. They might experience periods of light sleep that can last up to 30 seconds. During these ' microsleeps,' the brain is in a sleeplike state. Microsleeps happen involuntarily. After a microsleep, you might feel confused or disoriented. Staying awake for 48 hours also disrupts the immune system. Inflammatory markers, which help your body prevent and target illnesses, start to circulate at increased levels. Some research has shown that natural killer (NK) cell activity decreases with sleep deprivation. NK cells respond to immediate threats to your health, such as viruses or bacteria. What to expect after 72 hours without sleep After 72 hours without sleep, most people experience an overwhelming urge to sleep. Many are unable to stay awake on their own. Going three days without sleep profoundly limits the ability to think, especially executive functions such as multitasking, remembering details, and paying attention. This level of sleep deprivation can make it difficult to see even simple tasks through to completion. Emotions are also affected. People who have undergone this level of sleep deprivation may be easily irritated. They may experience a depressed mood, anxiety, or paranoia. Research has also found that sleep deprivation makes it more difficult to process others' emotions. In one study, participants with 30 hours of sleep deprivation had difficulty recognizing angry and happy facial expressions. Finally, several days of sleep deprivation can significantly alter perception. You might experience hallucinations, which occur when you see something that isn't there. Illusions are also common. Illusions are a misinterpretation of something that's real. An example is seeing a sign and thinking it's a person. Can food and water intake have any effect on this? Sleep deprivation can change both your appetite and the types of foods you crave. Studies suggest that sleep deprivation is associated with both an increased appetite and an increased desire for foods associated with weight gain. However, consuming empty calories can ultimately leave you more tired. Eating well may offset some of the effects of sleep deprivation, but only to an extent. Since your body is conserving energy, opt for lean, protein-rich foods, such as nuts and nut butters, cottage cheese, or tofu. Avoid fatty proteins, such as steak or cheese. These will make you sleepier. Dehydration can exacerbate the effects of sleep deprivation — such as grogginess and difficulty concentrating — so it's also important to drink plenty of water. What if sleep deprivation becomes chronic? Chronic partial sleep deprivation is when you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis. It's different than pulling an all-nighter once in a while. It's also more common than missing one or two nights of sleep in a row, as most people are likely to sleep for at least a few hours per night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 35 percent of American adults don't get enough sleep per night. Chronic partial sleep deprivation is associated with both short-term health risks and long-term complications. Not getting enough sleep over a short period, such as a week, may cause: anxiety unstable mood drowsiness forgetfulness difficulty concentrating difficulty staying alert cognitive impairments decreased performance at work or school increased risk of illness or injury In the long term, not getting enough sleep can reduce immune functioning and increase your risk of certain health conditions. These include: How much sleep do you really need? The amount of sleep you need per night varies according to your age. In general, newborns and infants need more sleep, and adults need less sleep. The CDC have daily sleep recommendations based on age group: Age Daily sleep recommendations newborns 14-17 hours infants 12-16 hours toddlers 11-14 hours preschool-age children 10-13 hours school-age children 9-12 hours teens 8-10 hours adults 7-9 hours Gender may also play a role in how much sleep you need. Studies have found that women tend to sleep slightly longer than men, although the reasons for this are unclear. Sleep quality is also important. If you're concerned about how much sleep you're getting, make an appointment with your doctor. The bottom line It isn't clear how long humans can truly survive without sleep. But it is clear that extreme symptoms can begin in as little as 36 hours. This includes a reduced ability to think, poor decision-making, and speech impairment. Pulling an all-nighter once every couple of months likely won't do any long-term damage. But if they're happening more often — intentionally or not — talk to your doctor. If you're staying awake out of necessity, your doctor may be able to offer advice on how to do so in the most health-conscious way. Otherwise, your doctor can get to the root of your symptoms and help you get your sleep schedule back on track.
National Post
15-05-2025
- National Post
What are AI hallucinations? Computer expert breaks down why it happens, how to avoid it
More internet users are starting to replace popular search engines with advanced chatbots from artificial intelligence platforms. However, the more powerful they become, the more mistakes they're making, the New York Times reported. These mistakes are referred to as hallucinations. Article content Article content Hallucinations have even been at the centre of a recent case in Canada involving a lawyer accused of using AI and fake cases to make legal arguments. A Ontario Superior Court judge said the lawyer's factum, or statement of facts about the case, included what the judge believed to be 'possibly artificial intelligence hallucinations.' Article content Article content As AI becomes more prevalent as it gets integrated into aspects of everyday life, hallucinations are likely not going away any time soon. Article content Article content Here's what to know. Article content A report published in March by Elon University showed that more than half of Americans use large language models (LLM) like OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT or Google's Gemini. Two-thirds of those Americans are using LLMs as search engines, per the report. Around the world, nearly one billion people use chatbots today, according to data from marketing site Exploding Topics — with Canadians and Americans among top users. Article content There's also been a surge in the amount of Canadians using AI recently, new data released by Leger on Wednesday revealed. Nearly half of the Canadians surveyed (47 per cent) in March said they've used AI tools, compared to only a quarter saying the same in February 2023. Article content Canadians are more likely to trust AI tools when it comes to tasks around the home, answering product questions via chat, or for using facial recognition for access. Canadians are much less trusting when it comes to using AI for driverless transport, teaching children or getting help to find a life partner. Canadians were split on whether AI is good (32 per cent) or bad (35 per cent) for society. Article content Article content What are AI hallucinations? Article content Article content An AI hallucination is when a chatbot presents a response as true, but it is not correct. Article content This can occur because AI chatbots are not 'explicitly programmed,' said University of Toronto professor David Lie from the department of electrical and computer engineering in a phone interview with National Post on Tuesday. Lie is also the Canada Research Chair in Secure and Reliable Systems. Article content 'The programmer beforehand doesn't think of every possible question and every possible response that the AI could face while you're using it,' he said. Therefore, the chatbots rely on inferences from the training data. Those inferences can be incorrect for a multitude of reasons. The training data may be incomplete or the training method leads it to the wrong shortcuts to arrive at the answer. Article content He compared how the current generation of artificial intelligences are modelled to the human brain. Article content 'The way they're trained is, you give a bunch of examples … trillions of them. And from that, it learns how to mimic, very much like how you would teach a human child,' said Lie. 'When we learn things, we often make mistakes, too, even after lots and lots of learning. We may come to the wrong conclusions about things and have to be corrected.'
