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 'cognitive abilities'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:39:18 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069647&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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=3552426&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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=2796600&cid=t_160316_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=2576713&cid=t_160316_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=2349062&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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=2104992&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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=2042806&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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=1384139&cid=t_160316_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=1336453&cid=t_160316_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=1176355&cid=t_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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_160316_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