shaking

[Diana Weedman]

> >I'm learning how to dissect out the cortex of fetal mouse brains.
> >I dissect the brains using 3cc Dumont forceps under a field microscope, and
> >I'm having difficulty keeping my hands from shaking.  The shaking makes
> >it difficult to peel off the meninges, and often the turns the brain into
> >mush.
> >        Does anyone know why the shaking occurs, and how it can be prevented?
> >Is it likely to disappear as I become more skilled?  I've tried holding
> >the forceps with a lighter grip but it doesn't seem to help.
 
I have had the same problem - and I finally realized it directly correlated with
the amount of caffeine I had had that day. I'm sure there could be many reasons
for shaky hands, but you might try doing your dissection before your morning
coffee/coke.

-Diana Weedman
Johns Hopkins Neurosci. Dept.