MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'abilities'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:13:18 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069647&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FLn-_yPbE_50%2F (Editor’s Note: this timely new report illustrates the need for innovative brain fitness interventions focused on maintaining if not enhancing targeted cognitive functionality, such as driving safety or financial decision-making, leveraging lifelong neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve. What the report presents as inexorable, somewhat genetically pre-programmed decline, it is not.) BMO Retirement Institute Report: Boomers’ Ability to Make Financial Decisions Often Declines With Age (Market Watch): - “The BMO Retirement Institute released a report today which raises awareness of the potential impact on aging Canadians of declining cognitive abilities — often caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — and describes how this decline can affect their ability to ma... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069647 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:33:51 +0100 5069647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028710&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-archive.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project had a MAJOR update today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.Today's update added the following 29 new data sets from John "Jack" Carroll's original collection.  We now have approximately 40% of Jack Carroll's original datasets archived on-line.PIMS01/PIMS02  Pimsleur, P., Stockwell, R. P., 7 Comrey, A. L. (1962). Foreign language learning ability. Journal of Educational Psychology, 53, 15-26. PEDU01 &nbs... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028710 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:36:00 +0100 5028710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251187&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fresearch-byte-more-on-knows-go-and.html I continue to be intrigued with the increasing research on the domain of Go.......I have posted a number of articles at my blog over the past five years (can be found by clicking on Go category label) that indicate that it is a separate cognitive domain and, more importantly, it has significant diagnostic potential for a wide array of cognitive disorders, esp. during the early stages of a disorder.The nose knows :)Cognitive factors in odor detection, odor discrimination, and odor identification tasks. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsycholgy, 32 (10), 1062–1067Authors: Margareta Hednerab; Maria Larssonab; Nancy Arnoldc; Gesualdo M. Zuccod; Thomas HummelcAbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine cognitive correlates of olfactory performance across three different tasks... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251187 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:06:00 +0100 4251187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245354&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fdoes-the-gre-measure-anything-related-to-graduate-school%2F The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is required for admission to many graduate schools around the country. The computerized test includes verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections.   The test was designed to predict success in graduate school. The research, however, does not support the idea that a high GRE score will predict graduate school success. Sternberg & Williams (1997) conducted a study to investigate how well GRE scores predicted graduate students’ success. Forty psychology faculty members at Yale were asked to rate graduate students’ abilities on five scales:  analytical, creative, practical, research and teaching.   The researchers also looked at first- and second-year student’s grade point averages, and overall evaluations of disserta... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245354 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:56:11 +0100 4245354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098207&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fresearch-bytes-nose-knows-more-research.html This article summarizes recent research on neuroimaging changes associated with olfactory impairments in schizophrenia patients and on related functional changes in psychophysiological measurements (e.g., odor identification, odor discrimination, odor detection threshold, and odor memory). The possible role of these changes as biological markers of the disorder will be discussed, as will potentially productive directions for future research.Clear, A. M., Konikel, K. E., Nomi, J. S., & McCabe, D. P. (2010). Odor recognition without identification. Memory & Cognition, 38(4), 452-460.Odors are notoriously difficult to identify, yet an odor can often lead to a sense of recognition, despite an inability to identify it. In the present study, we examined this phenomenon using the recognition-with... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098207 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 03:09:00 +0100 4098207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648598&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Fintroducing-the-creative-mind%2F We were sorry to see Susan K. Perry of our Writer’s Mind blog leave after only a few short months blogging with us. By all accounts, people enjoyed her blog and I know I learned something about writing from her insights. But producing new and interesting blog entries week after week can sometimes be more work than people realize. (Trust me, I understand!) But as they say, when one door closes, another one opens. With that, I’m pleased to introduce our new blog on psychology and creativity, The Creative Mind, with Douglas Eby. The Creative Mind will explore some of the main emotional and psychological topics that can affect how well or how freely creative people are able to express themselves. Douglas hopes to cater this blog to both professionals and to anyone who may want to f... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648598 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:30:41 +0100 3648598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552426&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FsCwFViMSU2I%2F In conclusion In conclusion, in my opinion, the Owen et al. (2010) study contributes to the literature on computerized brain training, by showing that a substantial number of individuals can be recruited to participate, with a wide range of actual amount of practice, and that transfer as measured did not occur in tasks measured as spans, but did show small effects similar to that of drug effects on the one test measured as number correct. Transfer effects have been observed in studies with older adults as well as younger ones in more controlled research environments; it remains to be seen whether the data collected by the Nature study authors on older adults, which were not included in the published article, will show different results. Obviously, few studies in general have been conducted... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552426 Mon, 10 May 2010 23:11:43 +0100 3552426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490679&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fbrain-games-dont-help-your-brain%2F A red flag always goes up in my mind when I see an entire industry sprout up around something that doesn’t have a lot of research backing. That’s been the problem with these so-called “brain games” — you know, those video or online games that supposedly improve your memory or thinking. Makers of these games like to point to studies of people who were older (usually seniors), had existing memory or cognitive problems or other issues who engaged in specific tasks and then were shown to have some improvement in memory or cognition. Few studies have been done on these games with everyday folks like you and I. And fewer still studies have been done on the specific games being marketed to consumers (often the studies use tasks that the games then try and replicate,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490679 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:43:08 +0100 3490679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490746&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-project.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.Today's update added the following 22 new data sets from John "Jack" Carroll's original collection.**GUIL31, GUIL32A, GUIL41:     Guilford, J.P., Lacey, J.I. (Eds.) (1947).  Printed classification tests.  Army Air Force Aviation Psychology Program Research Reports, No. 5.  Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. [discussed ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490746 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:01:00 +0100 3490746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133703&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-hca.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.After a period of inactivity (due to being swamped), I am pleased to announce the following additions and revisions.Currently, 115 of Jack Carroll's original correlation matrices (in Excel file format) are now available at the archive. These correlation files can be downloaded for free and can be used for secondary data analysis. Of these 115, 75 also include the ori... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133703 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:57:00 +0100 3133703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056889&cid=t_180178_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F2gZ4PfCXW64%2F This study is published in the December 2008 issue of Personal Relationships. Source: Blackwell Publishing Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056889 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:12:27 +0100 3056889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984880&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E5%2FGVbZRtnVvWE%2Fditmnov2009ott.mp3 I have been getting great feedback on my DITM medical technology podcast which starts the podcast series I’ll be doing regularly.  Several people wrote to ask if I could post a version with just the interview since they loved it so much and wanted to share that segment.  The original podcast starts with FDA approvals then has an interview with Sony Exec Bob Ott on the future of video technology in entertainment and medicine that we did a the NAB broadcast meeting in Vegas. Here’s an edit version with just the interview enjoy and share with your friends!   addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2009%2F11%2F12%2Fsonypodcast%2F'; addthis_title = 'DITM+Podcast+on+Future+of+Video+for+Entertainment+%26%23038%3B+Medicine+With+Sony+Exec'; addthis_pub = ''; (Source... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984880 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:15:36 +0100 2984880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796600&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-hca.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.Today's update added the following 10 new datasets from John "Jack" Carroll's original collection.Davis, F.B. (1944). Fundamental factors of comprehension in reading. Psychometrika, 9, 185-197.Davis, P.C. (1956). A factor analysis of the Wechsler-Bellevue scale. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 16, 127-146.**Day, R. (1980). Unpublished study of the Langua... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796600 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:41:00 +0100 2796600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796616&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fchc-cognitive-achievement-relations.html [Double click on image to enlarge]I'm pleased to announce the completion of the Cattell - Horn - Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities-Achievement Research Synthesis project, a project first described in a prior post. The purpose of this project is to systematically synthesize the key Cattell-Horn- Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities designed research studies that have investigated the relations between broad and narrow CHC abilities and school achievement.The project can be accessed via a clickable MindMap visual-graphic navigational tool (similar to the image above...but "active" and "dyanamic") or via the more traditional web page outline navigational method. You can toggle back and forth between the different navigation methods via the options in the upper right hand corner of the ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796616 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:02:00 +0100 2796616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576713&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F6Zf6JEzLmOc%2F Here you have the July edition of our monthly newsletter covering cognitive health and brain fitness topics. Please remember that you can subscribe to receive this Newsletter by email, using the box at the top of this page. Public libraries have long offered the public more than books. And now, recent demographic and scientific trends are converging to fundamentally transform the role of libraries in our culture. You may enjoy reading this recent article I wrote for the May-June 2009 Issue of Aging Today, the bimonthly publication of the American Society on Aging: Public Libraries: Community-Based Health Clubs for the Brain. The Big Picture Can You Outsmart Your Genes? An Interview with Author Richard Nisbett: David DiSalvo interviews Richard Nisbett, the author of Intelligence and How to ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576713 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:18:09 +0100 2576713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415543&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fchc-cognitive-achievement-relations.html [DOUBLE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]The table above is an attempt to summarize and compare the conclusions reported by the Flanagan and Fiorello researchers in the area of reading and math. Although the comprehensive CHC COG-ACH relations summary tables are not structured to reflect age-differentiated relations, Flanagan et al. (2006) provide insights into potentially important developmental COG- ACH relations. For example, the Flanagan research group reported that Ga, Gs and Glr abilities are important during the early school years and then decline in relative importance while Gc becomes increasingly important with increasing age. Narrow ability COG-ACH differential developmentally-based relations are also briefly summarized by Flanagan et al. (2006). Despite limited empirical evidence in k... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415543 Mon, 18 May 2009 18:51:00 +0100 2415543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415544&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fchc-theory-prior-cognitive-achievement.html The first attempt to summarize the cognitive-achievement relations research vis-à-vis a CHC lens (CHC COG-ACH) was presented in McGrew and Flanagan's (1998) Intelligence Test Desk Reference: Gf-Gc Cross-Battery Assessment (ITDR). The closest other effort of note is the blended CHC-neuropsychological research integration efforts of Fiorello and colleagues (Fiorello, Hale & Snyder, 2006; Fiorello & Primerano, 2005; Hale & Fiorello, 2004).According to Flanagan et al. (2006), studies were identified for potential inclusion in their CHC COG-ACH summaries via three search methods. First, research studies that investigated the relations between cognitive abilities and reading, math, and writing achievement were identified via a search of the PsycINFO electronic database. Second, an a... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415544 Mon, 18 May 2009 18:16:00 +0100 2415544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415548&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fpromise-of-chc-theory-of-intelligence.html Combine the past 20 years of CHC-driven intelligence test development and research activities (click here and here) with the ongoing refinement and extension of CHC theory (McGrew, 2005; 2009) and one concludes that these are exciting times in the field of intelligence testing. But is this excitement warranted in school psychology? Has the drawing of a reasonably circumscribed “holy grail” taxonomy of cognitive abilities led us to the promised land of intelligence testing in the schools—using the results of cognitive assessments to better the education of children with special needs? Or, have we simply become more sophisticated in the range of measures and tools used to “sink shafts at more critical points” in the mind (see Lubinksi, 2000) which, although important for understand... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415548 Fri, 15 May 2009 18:02:00 +0100 2415548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2387017&cid=t_180178_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F9AAZniQhuvk%2F Do you have special mental powers? I do believe some folks have the ability to “know things.” I think there are also a lot of fakers in the world who prey on people who desperately hope to learn things about people who have passed or even the future. Still, I think all of us have the ability to listen to our gut instincts more than we do. Want to know what kind of psychic abilities you may have? Take this test and find out. Image: sxc.hu Post from: Blisstree Are You Psychic? (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2387017 Sun, 03 May 2009 17:34:27 +0100 2387017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349062&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-project.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.Request for assistance: The HCA project needs help tracking down copies of old journal articles, dissertations, etc. for a number of datasets being archived. Please visit he special "Requests for Assistance" section of this archive to view a list of manuscripts that we are currently having trouble locating. If you have access to either a paper or e-copy of any of th... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349062 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:18:00 +0100 2349062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2242985&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-hca.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. An overview of the project, with a direct link to the archive, can be found at the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation web page (click on "Current Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities Archive") . Also, an on-line PPT copy of a poster presentation I made at the 2008 (Dec) ISIR conference re: this project can be found by clicking here.Current Update: Today's update added information (either original correlation matrix or manuscript--or both) for the datasets listed below:FAIRO1A/FAIRO1:  Fairbank, B.A. Jr., Tirre, W., Anderson, N.S. (1991).  Measures of thirty cognitive tasks:  Intercorrelations and correlations with aptitude battery scores. In P.L. Dann, S. M. Irvine, & J. Collis (Eds.), A... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2242985 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:46:00 +0100 2242985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2217627&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FgAFeyCIEMYo%2F CONCLUSIONS What those 2 recent studies say and imply • Cognitive training can help healthy adults improve specific cognitive skills, and improvements seem to last longer than the training itself (Willis et al., 2006; Smith et al., 2009). • Cognitive training can help adults in the early stages of cognitive impairment and dementia improve some cognitive skills (Sitzer et al, 2006) • One needs to make informed decisions. SharpBrains' Evaluation Checklist may prove useful. What neither study says or implies • Whether cognitive training can postpone the emergence of dementia: More long-term studies are needed. (We know that mentally stimulating activities can help build a Cognitive Reserve and delay symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease, but that evidence is not based on randomized clini... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2217627 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:21:56 +0100 2217627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131943&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fchc-cog-ach-relaltions-project-update.html [double click image to enlarge]I just posted anohter update to the on-line PPT SlideShare show that I mentioned the past two days. The show now presents my current interpretation of the results of this research synthesis project in the area of basic reading skills and reading comprehension. The new addition is a set of slides (like the one above) where the broad and narrow CHC ability findings for each domain are presented side-by-side for basic reading skills (BRS) and readingn comprehension (RC). The show is called CHC Cog-Ach Relations: Reading Achievement Analysis (click here to access)This presentation presents an update of the "CHC COG-ACH correlates research synthesis" project described and hosted at IQ's Corner and IAP. The viewer should first read the background materials regardin... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131943 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:17:00 +0100 2131943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2130081&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fchc-cog-ach-relations-project-update-ii.html I just posted an update to the on-line PPT SlideShare show that I mentioned yesterday. The show now presents my current interpretation of the results of this research synthesis project in the area of basic reading skills AND reading comprehension. The show is called CHC Cog-Ach Relations: Reading Achievement Analysis (click here to access)This presentation presents an update of the "CHC COG-ACH correlates research synthesis" project described and hosted at IQ's Corner and IAP. The viewer should first read the background materials regarding this project at these sites (how to access is also included in first slide). The current slides present my preliminary analysis and conclusions re: the relations between CHC cognitive abilities and basic reading skills as a function of age (developmental... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2130081 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:03:00 +0100 2130081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104992&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F511462725%2F Good article in the New York Times today: An Epidemic of Crashes Among the Aging? Unlikely, Study Says - "The (Insurance Institute for Highway Driving) insurance institute is conducting further research to determine why the risks appear to be going down for older drivers. It may be that today’s older drivers are simply in better physical and mental shape than their counterparts a decade ago, so they are not only less likely to make a driving mistake, but also less frail and better able to survive injuries." There is no doubt that, as a group, older persons of any given age are in better physical and mental shape today than their counterparts years ago. For context, worldwide life expectancy has increased more than 20 years in less than 6o years - so you can imagine how a person... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104992 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:09:36 +0100 2104992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096156&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F508550112%2F My apologies for not having blogged in a few days. I landed back in San Francisco today after speaking and participating in a very stimulating event put together by the Arizona State University's Adaptive Neural Systems Center with funding from the National Science Foundation. The 2-day symposium was titled Co-Adaptive Learning: Adaptive Technology for the Aging (link opens a PDF with the agenda), featured impressive speakers and a highly qualified audience, and covered a wide array of current and future healthcare and aging applications of neuroscience. The one aspect that was very meaningful for me to observe how often we discussed cognitive abilities, cognitive deficits, cognitive assessments, cognitive enhancement tools (both invasive and non-invasive) in a variety of healthy aging and... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096156 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:00:40 +0100 2096156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2090807&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fchc-cog-ach-research-synthesis-project.html [Double click on image to enlarge]I'm pleased to announce another update and major revision to the the Cattell - Horn - Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities-Achievement Research Synthesis project, a project first described in a prior post. This is a work "in progress". The purpose of this project is to systematically synthesize the key Cattell-Horn- Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities designed research studies that have investigated the relations between broad and narrow CHC abilities and school achievement.The status of the project can be accessed via a clickable MindMap visual-graphic navigational tool (similar to the image above...but "active" and "dyanamic") or via the more traditional web page outline navigational method. You can toggle back and forth between the different naviga... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2090807 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:19:00 +0100 2090807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2063129&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fchc-cog-ach-research-syntheis-project.html [Double click on image to enlarge]I'm pleased to announce an update and major revision to the the Cattell - Horn - Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities-Achievement Research Synthesis project, a project first described in a prior post. This is a work "in progress". The purpose of this project is to systematically synthesize the key Cattell-Horn- Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities designed research studies that have investigated the relations between broad and narrow CHC abilities and school achievement.The status of the project can be accessed via a clickable MindMap visual-graphic navigational tool (similar to the image above...but "active" and "dyanamic") or via the more traditional web page outline navigational method. You can toggle back and forth between the different navigation ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2063129 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:42:00 +0100 2063129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2042806&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fmcgrew-2009-now-official-chc-and-hca.html As previously reported, my article in Intelligence (CHC theory and the Human Cognitive Abilities project:  Standing on the giants of psychometric intelligence research) is now officially published and available (click here).Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, intelligence, cognition, IQ, HCA, CHC, Human Cognitive Abilities, Catell-Horn-Carroll (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2042806 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:12:00 +0100 2042806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2019279&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-overview.html At the forthcoming 2008 International Society for Intelligence Researchers (ISIR) conference (next week- Dec 11-14), I'm presenting an overview and update of the Woodcock-Munoz-Foundation (WMF) Human Cognitive Abilities project.For those who cannot attend, I've uploaded a copy of my PPT slides to Slideshare. Click here to view. I would recommend selecting the "full view" icon to better see the detail in the slides.Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, cognition, cognitive, intelligence, HCA, Human Cognitive Abilities, WMF, Woodcock-Munoz Foundation.ISIR (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2019279 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:17:00 +0100 2019279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961763&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F453492398%2F If you could, you would. You can, but prefer not to know it? More than any other organ, your brain is up to you. You are what you think, not just what you eat. Here's some food for thought: Design your Mind Setting cognitive and behavioral goals raises challenging and worthy questions: What do you want from your brain? Will you know it when you achieve it? To attain the brain of our choosing, we must understand our selves and current abilities. Introspection and curiosity are helpful if they trigger and sustain the effort to enrich the mind. However, objective information which leads to informed assessment of brain function is often lacking. Mind your Brain Honesty. Openness. Self-awareness. Irrefutable virtues, but in practice most people fall short. Few regularly appraise their brain ski... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961763 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:57:54 +0100 1961763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961764&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F451972819%2F (Please note that this is my personal take at the discussions that took place in Dubai as part of the Global Agenda Council on the Challenges of Gerontology put together by the World Economic Forum, and builds on the work of my colleagues, but it does not represent a formal document or statement of position. Simply put, we would like to engage your brain in defining the challenges and outlining/ executing the solutions). Context: The Challenges of the Aging Society The world is aging. This is occurring in two ways: through shifts in the age structure that will eventually lead to many more people reaching older ages than ever before, and through continued success in extending life. Less than 100 years ago, life expectancy was between 30 to 40 years. Today, close to 800 million citizens are ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961764 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:58:52 +0100 1961764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764577&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F382481146%2F The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article yesterday, titled To Be Young and Anxiety-Free, focused on the value of cognitive behavioral therapy to help children with high levels of anxiety learn how too cope better and prevent the snowball scenario, when that anxiety grows and spirals out of control resulting in depression and similar - "...new research showing that treating kids for anxiety when they are young may help prevent the development of more serious mental illnesses, including depression and more debilitating anxiety disorders." - "Of course, most kids have fears without having a full-blown anxiety disorder. And some anxiety is healthy: It makes sense, for example, to be a little nervous before a big test. Doctors and psychologists do caution that the i... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764577 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:16:42 +0100 1764577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1661199&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F348791756%2F A few colleagues and I just had an interesting exchange on the recent article at The Atlantic, Is Google Making Us Stupid?, which basically blamed Google for literally rewiring our brains into more stupid brains (not being able to pay attention, read deep books...) based on a number of personal anecdotes and a little research.  My 2 cents: this is a complex topic and we'd first need to clarify the question, before looking for answers to support or refute it. I found the Atlantic article superficial for a meaningful conversation, with its title and main premise making little sense: Google can not makes us stupid, in the same way that guns don't make us violent or pens don't make us good writers. The author of the article complains about having less of a number of cognitive abilities than... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1661199 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:37:32 +0100 1661199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1715323&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fwmf-human-cognitive-abilities-hca.html The free on-line WMF Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) archive project was updated today. The major updates included the following:A number of new datasets (correlation matrices analyzed in Carroll's 1993 factor analysis meta-analysis) and original journal articles were added to the archiveThe HCA project needs help tracking down copies of old journal articles, dissertations, etc. for a number of datasets being archive. Please visit the "master bibliography/inventory" section of this archive and visit the on-line dataset/reference file. When viewing the on-line working inventory, manuscripts/references featured in the color red are those we are currently having trouble locating. If you have access to either a paper or e-copy of any of the designated "fugitive" documents, and would be willing... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1715323 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:58:00 +0100 1715323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544539&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F319104093%2F A few colleagues referred me over the weekend to a very nice article at business publication Portfolio. While the article does an excellent job at introducing the reader to the concept and promise of computerized cognitive assessments, it also contributes to the mythology of "Brain Age". Let's first take a look at the article How Smart Are You: The business of assessing cognition and memory is moving from testing brain-impaired patients to assessing healthy peoples' brains online. A couple of quotes:  - "Cognitive Drug Research is one a handful of businesses, most of them outside of the U.S., that work with pharmaceutical companies to test how new drugs for everything from nicotine addiction to Alzheimer’s disease affect the mind’s ability to remember things, make deci... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544539 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:15:14 +0100 1544539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1509844&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F309354311%2F Our fellow blogger Jeremy over at PsyBlog has written a thoughtful post comparing the value of a number of cognitive enhancing tools. His overall verdict? "The evidence for exercise boosting cognitive function is head-and-shoulders above that for brain training, drugs, nutritional supplements and meditation. Scientifically, on the current evidence, exercise is the best way to enhance your cognitive function. And as for its side-effects: yes there is the chance of an injury but exercise can also reduce weight, lower the chance of dementia, improve mood and lead to a longer life-span. Damn those side-effects!" Article: Which Cognitive Enhancers Really Work: Brain Training, Drugs, Vitamins, Meditation or Exercise? Jeremy, I started writing this as a comment to your post in your bl... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1509844 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:42:31 +0100 1509844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478518&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F300818189%2F We had an informative webinar this Tuesday, discussing the State of the Brain Fitness Software market today, based on the findings in our Market Report. In case you missed it, you can find below a link to check out and download the PowerPoint slides I presented (just the visuals, without audio) to cover these areas: 1- The Four Pillars for Brain Health 2- Cognitive Abilities can Be Assesed and Trained 3- An emerging field, and poised to grow 4- A confusing player landscape. Think "What For", not "Best". Link: State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 Please remember that we have 2 upcoming webinars, and you can still register!: Webinar #2: In “Brain Rules for Thinking Smarter,” John Medina, developmental molecular biologist and author of Brain Rules: 12 P... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478518 Thu, 29 May 2008 23:06:47 +0100 1478518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1416565&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F02%2Fthe-interior-situation-of-infants%2F We presented them with pictures of faces, side by side, one white and one African, and we observed where they preferred to look. The white children in Israel preferred white faces. Babies in Ethiopia preferred to look at Ethiopian faces. The third group showed no preference.’ More fascinating still is that Spelke’s lab has revealed a deep-seated prejudice, present in infants, that trumps racial bias: language. Dr Katherine Kinzler, though based in Harvard, spends much time running parallel studies in France. ‘Five-month-old babies will look longer at somebody who spoke to them in their language. Older infants want to accept a toy from someone who has spoken their language,’ Dr Kinzler says. ‘They like toys more that are associated with some... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1416565 Fri, 02 May 2008 13:36:09 +0100 1416565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1406963&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F29%2Ffailing-in-order-to-succeed%2F Everyone’s heard of the need for self-esteem. If you don’t feel good about yourself, how can you ever accomplish anything in your life? But what you may not know is the need for something else, which may be even more important — self-efficacy. That is, the belief that you have what you need in order to succeed (even if you don’t always do so). People with self-efficacy often have very high standards for themselves, which brings about a paradox — they may not always have the highest self-esteem, nor do they always succeed (according to their own standards). What they do do is to never give up and always continue believing in themselves and their abilities. The Wall Street Journal’s Melinda Beck has a column today about the role and importance self-ef... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1406963 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:59:34 +0100 1406963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1384139&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F273186601%2F Interesting recent news: 1) A Paradigm Shift in Genetics (Philadelphia Inquirer) 2)  Conference on Brain Development and Learning: Making Sense of the Science (thanks Pete) 3) 1 in 5 veterans found with mental disorder (Boston Globe) 4) Common Medications May Harm Memory in Older People (U.S. News & World Report) 5) Men More Likely to Develop Cognitive Problems (Forbes) For more on these news, and commentary:     1) A Paradigm Shift in Genetics (Philadelphia Inquirer) - "Our understanding of genetics is currently undergoing a paradigm shift," says Melanie Ehrlich, a molecular biologist at the Tulane Cancer Center. "It is now commonly acknowledged among scientists that it is not enough to look to DNA as the sole determinant of heredity." Ehrlich is re... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1384139 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:43:14 +0100 1384139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523192&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2FI3pWK6oP1V8%2F LASIK Safety Review On April 25, 2008, the committee will discuss general issues concerning the experience and quality of life of patients who have had LASIK. How Serious is the Problem?  Are the Patients Going Blind? Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said a number of concerns have been raised concerning patient satisfaction with LASIK. Companies that could be affected by such a meeting include LASIK device makers such as Advanced Medical Optics Inc, as well as LASIK providers such as TLC Vision Corp and LCA-Vision Inc. Obviously, it’s a technology that has caught on and is used very, very widely. And there have been questions raised in terms of … quality of life and what does it actually do for the patient as opposed to t... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523192 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:15:28 +0100 2523192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523193&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2FG_j_Zqz4Evs%2F The FDA Ophthalmic Devices Panel will meet Apr 24, 08 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM & Apr 25, 08 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM in the Gaithersburg Holiday Inn, Ballroom - 2 Montgomery Village Ave. Gaithersburg , MD On April 24, 2008, the committee will discuss, make recommendations, and vote on a premarket approval application, sponsored by VisionCare Technologies, Inc., for an implantable miniature telescope (IMT™). The IMT™, a visual prosthetic device, is indicated for monocular implant in patients with stable, moderate to profound central vision impairment due to bilateral central scotomas associated with end-stage macular degeneration with geographic atrophy or disciform scar, foveal involvement and cataract. Since these diseases lead to central dysfunction of the retina the implantable telescope spre... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523193 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:00:57 +0100 2523193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523194&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F-7aAzY5L1fU%2F This is your brain on performance enhancing drugs Perhaps the top science journal in the world - Nature - reported today on epidemic-like levels of cognitive performance enhancing drug abuse by top academic scientists. why they began the survey The survey was triggered by a Commentary by behavioural neuroscientists Barbara Sahakian and Sharon Morein-Zamir of the University of Cambridge, UK, who had surveyed their colleagues on the use of drugs that purportedly enhance focus and attention (Nature 450, 1157–1159 ; 2007). In the article, the two scientists asked readers whether they would consider “boosting their brain power” with drugs. Spurred by the tremendous response, Nature ran its own informal survey. 1,400 people from 60 countries responded to the online poll. They looked at ill... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523194 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:42 +0100 2523194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1362396&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F267493589%2F This is your brain on performance enhancing drugs Perhaps the top science journal in the world - Nature - reported today on epidemic-like levels of cognitive performance enhancing drug abuse by top academic scientists. why they began the survey The survey was triggered by a Commentary by behavioural neuroscientists Barbara Sahakian and Sharon Morein-Zamir of the University of Cambridge, UK, who had surveyed their colleagues on the use of drugs that purportedly enhance focus and attention (Nature 450, 1157–1159 ; 2007). In the article, the two scientists asked readers whether they would consider “boosting their brain power” with drugs. Spurred by the tremendous response, Nature ran its own informal survey. 1,400 people from 60 countries responded to the online poll. They looked at ill... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362396 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:42 +0100 1362396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353960&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F265442233%2F  Gizmodo is reporting today about how White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said he improved his performace though the daily use of a Nintendo video game.  This reminded me of research I did while at Yale on similar visual testing on surgeons.  We found back then that for both atletes, and surgeons (especially endoscopic surgeons) visual accuity correlated with performance and both could be imporved with exercises.  First the report on the catcher and the video game.  Gizmodo writes: We were just about to stuff Nintendo’s Flash Focus vision game into the snake oil file when White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski revealed he actually improved his hitting through daily use of the software. Like many of the White Sox batters last year, Pierzynski stunk, and to come around he played Flash Fo... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353960 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:00:47 +0100 1353960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1336453&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F260444543%2F Driving as Next Brain Fitness Application?  Last month, at the MIT/ SmartSilvers event where we presented our Brain Fitness Market Report, we discussed what specific applications, beyond the current emphasis on healthy aging, might take computerized cognitive training to a new level.   Assessing and improving driving skills would be a top candidate, given both the well-defined nature of the need and the appearance of programs with growing evidence (both scientific and real-world) behind. The New York Times Asks...  Along these lines, the New York Times just published this article: Are You a Good Driver? Here’s How to Find Out. A few quotes: - "COULD a video game make you a better driver? More important, could computer software prevent teenagers from making fatal mistakes or e... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1336453 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:13:24 +0100 1336453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1253218&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F240687731%2F There has been a flurry of debate in the military, industrial, and privacy sectors on “smartdust” and the concept of “souveillance” - but no one has yet realized this technology is poised to springboard into medicine and transform medical diagnostics. Here I wanted to give you an overview of what this idea is and why you should keep your eye on it. First the general concept background: “Smartdust” refers to micro devices(called motes) which are detection microchips each potentially the sizeof a speck of dust. These grains of sand however can automatically self-network.Sofar people have conceived of theselow-power distributed sensing networks as having functionsfor climate control systems,entertainment devices and especially for big brother type surveilla... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1253218 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:12:48 +0100 1253218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1225250&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F233946087%2F NatureNews has just reported on a new drug that plugs calcium leaks in muscles and boosts stamina (in mice). I have previously written of the next wave of what I call “designer drug abuse” coming- performance enhancing drugs. The first batch arecalled eugeroics and offers improved memory, mood enhancement, improved alertness and cognitive powers without any of the nasty side effects and mass murder of speed and crank. This new class is a physical performance enhancer. You can read my thoughts on how far people will go in the future to enhance their bodies here. If you think plastic surgery is the rage of body enhancement - wait until we get performance and congnitive enhancing bionics,drugs, and implants! Nature writes of the published in the online edition of the Proceedings o... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1225250 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:34:05 +0100 1225250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1176355&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F222621494%2F Discussion  Contact information and Registration Here. Bios:  Alvaro Fernandez, Co-founder, CEO SharpBrains.com. Alvaro is a leading voice and thought-leader in the growing science-based brain fitness market, Alvaro has been quoted by Los Angeles Times, Forbes, MSNBC, MarketWatch, among others, and is a guest blogger at the Huffington Post. Alvaro has presented trends in the emerging brain fitness market at multiple conferences and universities including the Neurotech Leaders Summit, Serious Games Summit, Stanford Business School, Neurotechnology Industry conference, the Institute for the Future, American Society on Aging (2007), and more. He started his career at McKinsey & Company and led the launch and turnaround of several publishing and education companies in the US and Europe,... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1176355 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:51:01 +0100 1176355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1123470&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F208966446%2F You have survived the 2007 shopping and eating season. Congratulations! Now it's time to shift gears and focus on 2008...whether you write down some New Year resolutions or contemplate some things that you want to let go of from last year and set intentions and goals for this year - as is a friend's tradition on the winter solstice. To summarize the key findings of the last 20 years of neuroscience research on how to "exercise our brains", there are three things that we can strive for: novelty, variety and challenge. If we do these three things, we will build new connections in our brains, be mindful and pay attention to our environment, improve cognitive abilities such as pattern-recognition, and in general contribute to our lifelong brain health. With these three principles of ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1123470 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:43:13 +0100 1123470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1084654&cid=t_180178_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F198090188%2F The holidays are approaching and you can expect many software and game developers to advertise their products aggressively, trying to get you buy their "brain training" products for you or as a gift for a loved one. The good news is that there are more and more tools we can use to keep mentally stimulated and even train and improve specific cognitive abilities (like processing speed, short-term memory...). You may be reading about Nintendo Brain Age, Posit Science, MindFit, Lumosity, Happy Neuron, MyBrainTrainer, emWave, StressEraser and more. And, of course, there are also non-technology based interventions. The bad news is that it is difficult to separate marketing from scientific claims, and to understand which one, if any, may be a good complement to other healthy lifestyle... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1084654 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:06:52 +0100 1084654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996633&cid=t_180178_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F178032873%2Fsmoke_gets_in_your_brain.html Do you remember the Platters crooning … Smoke Get’s in Your Eyes … or am I simply aging myself here? Either way … you'd likely enjoy YouTube's version. It seems that secondhand smoke gets into more than just your eyes, though.  That die-hard smoker who still lights up in the workplace ... also affects your brain adversely, according to a new study. It seems that researchers at Temple University found that teens exposed to secondary hand smoke in enclosed buildings – failed Standardized tests 30% more than their peers without smoke exposure. Does it happen where you work? Mounting evidence suggests that smoke affects cognitive development – and so it only makes sense that it can also lower a person&r... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996633 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:57:58 +0100 996633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811849&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F146367723%2F Chalk up another innovation to Ray Kurzweil America’s leading inventor (and Lifeboat Foundation Advisor along with me). This one is a simple and elegant solution to help the visually impaired. Developed in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind, the device (The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader) is a digital camera that can photograph any text or sign and then digitally OCR it and read it outload to the user! Quite a simple concept. Kurzweil recalls the invention of the First OCR Reader in 1974 In 1974, computer programs that could recognize printed letters, called optical character recognition (OCR), were capable of handling only one or two specialized type styles. I founded Kurzweil Computer Products, Inc. that year to develop the first OCR program th... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811849 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:22:09 +0100 811849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791302&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F142579808%2F I have been inundated with requests for information and critiques of Medical HD endoscopy/laparoscopy systems. To meet the rising tide of demand for information I will begin an ongoing series of posts of HDTV in surgery, laparoscopy and endoscopy. You can read about my testing of the Worlds Highest Resolution HDTV Surgical Camera - Ever! - First Exclusive Evaluationhere. (Source: docinthemachine) docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791302 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:47:16 +0100 791302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791303&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F142569785%2F I have previously written about the Army’s robotic prosthetic arm projects - run of course through DARPA. You can see my posts and a video fest at Video Fest of Brain-Computer Links & Control. An equally amazing story is how the project has come to be- DARPA contacted Deam Kamen (and team at DEKA of Segway fame) and challenged him to create this amazing feat of technology. The NYT reports Eighteen months ago Segway entrepreneur and serial inventor Dean Kamen received a visit from Anthony Tether, the electrical engineer who runs the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the militarys research and development agency. Mr. Tether had come to Mr. Kamens rural western Massachusetts workshop to persuade him to tackle a challenging engineering problem: a robotic arm that would make... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791303 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:25:55 +0100 791303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=510867&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F30%2Fmedgadgetditm%2F I am very excited to begin guest blogging over at Medgadget!  I am sure many of you are familiar with the site.  Medgadget is a hugely popular site that reviews new medical devices.  My first post is Bionic Implants Available Today: Docinthemachine Guest Post and reviews the state of the art of current human bionics; technology and ethics. Medgadget is edited by Michael Ostrovsky, M.D. & Nicholas Genes, M.D., Ph.D. (of blogborygmi and grand rounds fame) & Timothy Odell along with webmaster Gene Ostrovsky.  After admiring their work from when I began blogging, I was honored to be one of their finalists for best medical technology blog 2006.  Then the real suprise cam when I received an email from Nich & Michael asking if I would consider guest blogging on medgagdet ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=510867 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:09:38 +0100 510867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=503926&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F27%2Fhumansheep%2F Many reports on-line are coming out about chimeric man-sheep creatures developed. Scientists have created the world’s first human-sheep chimera - which has the body of a sheep and half-human organs.  The sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells - and their evolution brings the prospect of animal organs being transplanted into humans one step closer.  Professor Esmail Zanjani, of the University of Nevada, has spent seven years and £5million perfecting the technique, which involves injecting adult human cells into a sheep’s fetus. What is the promise: He has already created a sheep liver which has a large proportion of human cells and eventually hopes to precisely match a sheep to a transplant patient, using their own stem cells to create their own floc... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=503926 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:43:17 +0100 503926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492386&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Ffridaybionics%2F For your enjoyment today - a collection of forward thinking docinthemachine posts about robotics and bionic humans.  Take a minute today to push your mind a decade into the future.  Ponder with me roboic amoeba rovers inthe body, bionic retinal implants, and humanoid androids.  Finish the day with a post on the singularity and mind transfer into a computer.  What makes a human human?  While you may think you know, the distinction is blurring as a result of medical technology advances. (Source: docinthemachine) docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492386 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:33:55 +0100 492386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492389&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Fretinalimplant%2F I previously wrote about retinal implants that might cure blindness.  This idea is yet another in the line of machine-human implants that will first replace natural abilities - aqnd ultimately augment human abilities.  Look here for a video fest and link fest of bionic human implants in development. Researchers now claim to have developed another retinal implant to cure blindness now with four times the resolution of previous implantable chips Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) announced their plans to test an improved retinal implant in blind patients. The new implant, which scientists hope will improve patients’ vision even more, has four times the resolution of the previous version.  Details of the chip and it’s challenges: The device, developed by... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492389 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:56:40 +0100 492389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492390&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Fmindtransfer%2F Kurzweil and others have been forecasting the coming of the technological singularity for some time. The term, coined by Vernor Vinge, describes the creation of “humans 2.0″ when man and machine become connected in the creation of a new type of being.  For more background information on this concept and predictions for it s coming in the future read here.  As Vinge writes: The acceleration of technological progress has been the central feature of this century. We are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth. The precise cause of this change is the imminent creation by technology of entities with greater-than-human intelligence. Potential ways this may happen Computers that are “awake” and superhumanly intelligent.  Large computer netwo... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492390 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:38:59 +0100 492390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492391&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Fthe-most-life-like-android-ever-made-video%2F Meet Jules, the most life-like robot you have ever seen. The robot is programmed with the most sophisticated artificial intelligence features.  It can recognize babies vs. adults, its creator and people he has ‘met’.  video of “intelligent” android (Source: docinthemachine) docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492391 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:18:25 +0100 492391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=474844&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F14%2Feviltech%2F Is the TechDoc  Evil? Technology is neither good nor evil, it’s the use that crosses the moral boundaries. As technology is leaping forward an an unprecedented pace, this old question is more pressing now than ever. (If you’re short on time skip to the last paragraph for my conclusions) A review of this debate can be found here including this question: As we have seen, technology can be neutral, and … “can act as a catalyst to engender trust” … It is also clear that in many situations, technology is certainly not neutral; technology can marginalize people, incite divisiveness, block knowledge flow… Is technology a neutral “tool” that is designed to carry out the will of the user?  Ars technica in a post ipods at war related this debate to the Myth ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=474844 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 02:27:53 +0100 474844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=471285&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F13%2Fgr325-3%2F Grand Rounds 3.25 is up over at Scienceroll.  A gret blog I have mentioned before it is run by Bertalan Meskó, a Hungarian Medical Student wit a passion for genetics.  Definitely worth checking out there are about 60 posts but excellently organized in categories to make the reading clear and quick.  A nice variety. I am honored that he chose two submissions from docinthemachine (one I submitted and one submitted by somemone else!).  There are links to my posts on : docinthemachine’s first podcast on the coming technological revolution in surgery (in a new web 2.0 section of grand rounds )and also on new regulations to spread information and increase post marketing surveillance of drugs from the FDA (Source: docinthemachine) docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=471285 Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:53:59 +0100 471285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=471291&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F09%2Feugeroic%2F this stuff makes crank look like candy Gizmag reports on the further evolution of no-sleep performance enhancing drugs. The original version of these substances was the “time-shifting” drug, Modafinil that enables you to stay awake for 40+ hours with close to full mental capacity and with few side effects. (produced by Cephalon as PROVIGIL®, MODIODAL® in France and VIGIL® in Germany, for excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy and for “shift work sleep disorder” - hear that you medical interns?- web site advertises free 7 day trial supply).   This is precisely the substance the the former chief medical director of the olympic committee spoke to me of.  He asked - once this stuff hits the street don’t you think a majority of college students would use ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=471291 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:30:49 +0100 471291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=471296&cid=t_180178_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2007%2F03%2F05%2Fbrainvideos%2F   I have written before on direct brain-computer interfaces such as the monkey brain controlled robot arm, a woman with a robotic brain controlled limb, soldiers with brain controlled limbs, a paraplegic with a matrix-neural plug in his grey matter, and a brain cap interface for gaming.   Damn- Kurzweil even predicts that once the singularity comes we will all be downloading our brains into computers forming humans v 2.0.  Now techeblog puts all the borg-matrix-brain-computer link videos in one place.  Click here to see the future-fest.     (Source: docinthemachine) docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=471296 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:10:04 +0100 471296