Got the causal chain breakdown of the stimulus correct, even noticing that the first premise, A-Acid--prevents--->lowered cog. function, seemed disconnected to the other premises supporting the conclusion. However, I got the answers wrong because I got distracted by reading into the confusing language.
If you know that you need to be looking for an answer that tries to make the premise about A-acid relevant to the conclusion, then every answer other than B is immediately eliminated.
Focus on which premise needs connecting to the conclusion, and find its resolution in the answers!
Hang with me here folks, I think I figured it out:
Conclusion: deterioration of cognitive faculties associated with Alzheimer's disease is caused by microglia (i.e. brain’s open immune cells).
Why: Microglia (brain’s open immune cells) attacks protein BA deposits by releasing poisons that destroy healthy brain cells which impairs brains cognitive functions; deterioration of cognitive faculties (caused by microglia) can be slowed by acetylsalicylic acid.
Assumption: AA slows down the deterioration caused by Microglia. It doesn't stop or eliminate it, it just slows it down. It's like adding an extra step (I'm just drawing it out here):
Initially, we had Microglia --> Deterioration.
Now, it's Microglia --> (AA) --> Deterioration.
How does AA, when slowing what is caused by Microglia, still reinforce the idea that Microglia still leads to deterioration (conclusion)?
Microglia = brain's open immune cells. OK.
AA = slows down the process of brain’s open immune cells --> deterioration, but still can/leads to deterioration.
Answer choice B --> Acetylsalicylic acid reduces the production of immune cells in the brain } So REDUCING the production of brain's open immune cells makes it so that there is LESS of them, so it won't lead to the deterioration as quickly, right? Logically: more bad/good cells = more reproduction of said cells; if brain’s open immune cells lead to deterioration, and this chain/process is slowed by AA, it makes sense that AA makes it so that there are LESS brain’s open immune cells (microglia).
So we have a lot of microglia (i.e. brain’s open immune cells) which leads to deterioration of faculties; taking AA slows this process (it doesn't stop or eliminate it). How can it do that? Well, logically, it has to impact Microglia somehow, if it makes longer to get from A (microglia) to B (deterioration). Answer choice B tells us: AA reduces number of Microglia = YES, there are less brain’s open immune cells, but this lower number still leading to deterioration REINFORCES the notion that those cells that were not reduced (which are still Microglia) by AA led to the deterioration of cognitive faculties.
I'm so proud I got this one right in 44 seconds. I didn't read the other questions after B since the worst thing I could do was to continue reading the other answers and start confusing myself.
My problem is if I took all day to build out the chain then I could get the question right but we won't have that time on the test. Has anyone noticed a increase of recognizing chains without having to write it out after building out the chains?
If you do the causal chain- which is what I did you’ll see that it’s actually working backwards from “Furthermore,…” The second sentence was the outlier which was the same thing from the previous lesson question. I saw how that sentence was too vague and therefore the weakest link in the chain. Looking at the root words specifically the antibiotic— then it was POE for the answer choices.
On first glance this question was ridiculous. Once I realized you had to bridge the gap between why ASA slows deterioration of brain functions (by limiting microglia which destroys protein BA), the answer was obvious, and surprising
I initially went for B, but I thought that it is possible for Ace. acid to reduce the production of all other immune cells except microglia, because the stimulus only indicates that microglia is "the brain's own immune cells", not "the brain's ONLY immune cells". So I thought (B) would be a trap answer. Like bruh I'm so foreign to these words and thought that microglia is a specific term denotes to one particular type of cell, so it can be that all other immune cells being reduced and this cell remains the same, yet it's actually a general term.
I got the answer right and I mapped it out, but it's taking me a very long time. When I see the "timing" at the end, it makes me nervous that I'm not going to be able to get this under timed conditions.
This got me because no where did it say that Alzheimer's patients WILL take this drug. Just that taking this drug can slow the deterioration. Seemed like it was bait to throw off an answer because of that.
i dont think i have enough brain cells for this question
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205 comments
don't think we have 7 min not break down the stimulus on test day. I'm skipping that question right away.
Got the causal chain breakdown of the stimulus correct, even noticing that the first premise, A-Acid--prevents--->lowered cog. function, seemed disconnected to the other premises supporting the conclusion. However, I got the answers wrong because I got distracted by reading into the confusing language.
If you know that you need to be looking for an answer that tries to make the premise about A-acid relevant to the conclusion, then every answer other than B is immediately eliminated.
Focus on which premise needs connecting to the conclusion, and find its resolution in the answers!
Got the causal chain breakdown of the stimulus correct. Still chose wrong answers the first time and for blind review...
Is A like saying AA-> reduct in M -> reduct in CD? If so, I thought you should not assume -X -> -Y
It’s just aspirin.
actually proud of myself. Got it wrong but then reread and took my time on the BR and got it right. small wins ladies and gents.
It's a good thing that the real LSAT isn't timed, or my strategy to get this question right wouldn't work...
Hang with me here folks, I think I figured it out:
Conclusion: deterioration of cognitive faculties associated with Alzheimer's disease is caused by microglia (i.e. brain’s open immune cells).
Why: Microglia (brain’s open immune cells) attacks protein BA deposits by releasing poisons that destroy healthy brain cells which impairs brains cognitive functions; deterioration of cognitive faculties (caused by microglia) can be slowed by acetylsalicylic acid.
Assumption: AA slows down the deterioration caused by Microglia. It doesn't stop or eliminate it, it just slows it down. It's like adding an extra step (I'm just drawing it out here):
Initially, we had Microglia --> Deterioration.
Now, it's Microglia --> (AA) --> Deterioration.
How does AA, when slowing what is caused by Microglia, still reinforce the idea that Microglia still leads to deterioration (conclusion)?
Microglia = brain's open immune cells. OK.
AA = slows down the process of brain’s open immune cells --> deterioration, but still can/leads to deterioration.
Answer choice B --> Acetylsalicylic acid reduces the production of immune cells in the brain } So REDUCING the production of brain's open immune cells makes it so that there is LESS of them, so it won't lead to the deterioration as quickly, right? Logically: more bad/good cells = more reproduction of said cells; if brain’s open immune cells lead to deterioration, and this chain/process is slowed by AA, it makes sense that AA makes it so that there are LESS brain’s open immune cells (microglia).
So we have a lot of microglia (i.e. brain’s open immune cells) which leads to deterioration of faculties; taking AA slows this process (it doesn't stop or eliminate it). How can it do that? Well, logically, it has to impact Microglia somehow, if it makes longer to get from A (microglia) to B (deterioration). Answer choice B tells us: AA reduces number of Microglia = YES, there are less brain’s open immune cells, but this lower number still leading to deterioration REINFORCES the notion that those cells that were not reduced (which are still Microglia) by AA led to the deterioration of cognitive faculties.
I'm so proud I got this one right in 44 seconds. I didn't read the other questions after B since the worst thing I could do was to continue reading the other answers and start confusing myself.
This is so time consuming... is there any way to do this faster..?
My problem is if I took all day to build out the chain then I could get the question right but we won't have that time on the test. Has anyone noticed a increase of recognizing chains without having to write it out after building out the chains?
If you do the causal chain- which is what I did you’ll see that it’s actually working backwards from “Furthermore,…” The second sentence was the outlier which was the same thing from the previous lesson question. I saw how that sentence was too vague and therefore the weakest link in the chain. Looking at the root words specifically the antibiotic— then it was POE for the answer choices.
im not a doctor how am i suppose to know 😭
I got this one through process of elimination, but only because the other answers didn't make much sense.
A: I don't think the immune deficiency in the brain matters that much. It shifts the blame from the microglia causing it to the BA protein.
C: this feels irrelevant and also a reverse of the causal effect that we established in the question.
D: Kind of the same problem as A, why are we shifting the blame away from the microglia?
E: Not really relevant - it doesn't mention cognitive decline at all, so why is this relevant?
I got it right! Y'all have no idea the wonders this is doing for my self-esteem <3 Never give up never what!?
bro this took me 7 full minuets to get
Hands down the most terribly written LSAT question I've encountered thus far.
On first glance this question was ridiculous. Once I realized you had to bridge the gap between why ASA slows deterioration of brain functions (by limiting microglia which destroys protein BA), the answer was obvious, and surprising
I initially went for B, but I thought that it is possible for Ace. acid to reduce the production of all other immune cells except microglia, because the stimulus only indicates that microglia is "the brain's own immune cells", not "the brain's ONLY immune cells". So I thought (B) would be a trap answer. Like bruh I'm so foreign to these words and thought that microglia is a specific term denotes to one particular type of cell, so it can be that all other immune cells being reduced and this cell remains the same, yet it's actually a general term.
no joke - this question (its medical jargon and difficulty and looong explanation) led me to take a nap break.
I got the answer right and I mapped it out, but it's taking me a very long time. When I see the "timing" at the end, it makes me nervous that I'm not going to be able to get this under timed conditions.
I'm hungry
damn, i got the answer wrong during blind review..i suck
This got me because no where did it say that Alzheimer's patients WILL take this drug. Just that taking this drug can slow the deterioration. Seemed like it was bait to throw off an answer because of that.
i dont think i have enough brain cells for this question