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'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:50:33 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182065&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FI8F8AzUnEz4%2F We are pleased to announce that full recordings for all presentations delivered during the 2011 SharpBrains Summit: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century (March 30 — April 1, 2011) are now available both to Summit Participants and to non-Participants. You can Learn More Here and Access 40+ Talks and 20+ hours of up-to-date information and analysis of brain science, technology and innovation, delivered by nothing short of a world-class faculty. –> Reg­is­tered Sum­mit Par­tic­i­pants can access all Ses­sion Record­ings by click­ing on the ses­sion titles in the Agenda page and using the same Username and Password they used to participate in the Summit. –> Didn’t Reg­is­ter to Par­tic­i­pate in the 2011 Sharp­Brains Sum­mit but want to access all Ses­... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182065 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:21:34 +0100 5182065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182066&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FcHHww-Xin4g%2F (Editor’s note: Pathways responsible for higher-order thinking in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), or executive center of the brain, remain vulnerable throughout life—during critical early-life developmental windows, when the PFC fully matures in the early 20s, and finally from declines associated with old age. At all ages, physical activity and PFC-navigated social connections are essential components to maintaining brain health. The Experience Corps, a community-based social-engagement program, partners seniors with local schools to promote purpose-driven involvement. Participating seniors have exhibited immediate short-term gains in brain regions vulnerable to aging, such as the PFC, indicating that people with the most to lose have the most to gain from environmental enrichment.) Over ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182066 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:18:19 +0100 5182066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182096&cid=t_100597_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-multiple-sclerosis-spell-checker%2F The more I write about multiple sclerosis, the more I realize that I’m smarter than my computer about said topic. Sometimes I feel like my spell-checking software hasn’t caught up with the vernacular of our disease. Other times, I feel like we’re just making up words for stuff — oft, we are! Myelin, Cog-Fog, Assistive, PML, CCSVI… not something your everyday word processing program recognizes; and I need it too! In my current state, I find myself relying more and more on the brain under my fingertips more than I trust my own T-Cell infested gob but squiggly red, blue or green highlights (GREAT! Now I’m to understand color-coding as well) splash their way across my screen as I type. I once mentioned, a few years ago now my issue with typing my passwords when my fingers aren�... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182096 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:13:11 +0100 5182096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174744&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbeyond-iq-series-8-what-is-goal-setting.html Background comment regarding this series Interest in social-emotional learning and resiliency training (click here and here for just two examples) in education has shown a recent uptick on activity. Given this activity, IQs Corner is starting a series to explain the previously articulated Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), which was a model ahead of it's time (IMHO). The imporance of non-cognitive (conative) characteristics in learning have been articulated since the days of Spearman, the father of the construct of general intelligence. Richard Snow's work on the concept of "aptitude," which integrates cognitive and conative individual difference variables, is the foundation of the Beyond IQ MACM. Non-cognitive (cognitive) characteristics of learners are important for lea... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174744 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:11:00 +0100 5174744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169576&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2F99B5X6YMrKA%2F URL: http://www.get.gg/Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help mental health problems. This website offers CBT self-help information, resources and tools, including therapy worksheets. For: Anyone, Clinicians, ConsumersTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Cognitive, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Common Factors, Counselling, Depression, Eating Disorders, Emotional Health, General Psychology, Life, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Personality, Personality disorders, Psychology and Technology, Psychology and the Media, Self-helpFeatures: Articles, Assessment Instruments, Clinical Tools, File Sharing, Information, Links, Multimedia, Patient Handouts, Research Tools, Resources, Training, e-learning Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help mental hea... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169576 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:00:09 +0100 5169576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182067&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182067 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5182067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169611&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169611 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5169611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159439&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fo71YDxEQEUA%2F We just noticed that the Alliance for Aging Research offers an excellent list of references on Brain Health Research, organized in these 10 sections below. Enjoy! #1 Nourish Your Noggin: Eat a Brain Healthy Diet #2 Use It or Lose It: Stay Mentally Active #3 Work Out for Your Wits: Exercise and Keep Fit #4 Interact with Others: Stay Social #5 Rest for Restoration: Get Plenty of Sleep #6 Unwind for Your Mind: Manage Your Stress #7 Guard Your Gray Matter: Protect Your Head #8 Think Overall Health: Control Other Conditions #9 Give Your Brain a Break: Avoid Unhealthy Habits #10 Understand Your Risk: Consider Your Genes Related articles: The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains Debunking 10 Brain Myths (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159439 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:52:32 +0100 5159439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159156&cid=t_100597_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fchanging-your-environmental-mind.html There are many educational and ethical issues regarding the environment and environmentalism that are generally not addressed, especially when it comes to teaching non-science students. Independent environmental services professional and college professor Chyrisse P. Tabone, who is based in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida has spent several years attempting to find a way to remedy this situation. Sciencebase covered her work on teaching environmental science some time ago, now in this post we put a few questions to Professor Tabone about her follow-up paper in which she examines a new approach to teaching environmental issues and the responses of a group of students confronted with those problems. What is the basis of your approach? I have honed and perfected my non-traditional teaching inst... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159156 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:14:41 +0100 5159156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159492&cid=t_100597_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-clogs-my-funnel%2F I guess I think both in words and in pictures. As a writer, it’s kind of required that I use words but, in my mind, I oft see what multiple sclerosis is doing to me in misty cartoons and ghostly graphics. I envision ‘brain floss’ to clear away the annoying plaques along my axons the way minty, flat-glide dental tape clears bits of barbeque from between my teeth. I could almost see the poison of Novantrone zapping new immune cells as they emerged from my bone marrow before they could make their way to a morning meal of my myelin. Lharmeet’s Sign looked like Igor flipping those big, nasty switches in Dr Frankenstein’s laboratory and sending massive jolts down the Jacob’s Ladder of my spinal cord. And now, the clogged funnel… I think I’ve mentioned this metaphor in a previous... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159492 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:39:39 +0100 5159492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159895&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F23%2Fself-management-a-very-vexing-definition%2F Self management is one of those terms that is used to describe the aim of cognitive behavioural programmes for chronic pain. It’s even in my description of this blog! At the same time, it’s difficult to arrive at a definition of self management that “everyone” agrees upon. Self management can mean helping people to be “actively involved in their health care and to provide a variety of creative and individualized strategies to deal with their health problem in their daily life and ultimately to live as normally as possible despite their symptoms” (Zuffery & Schulz, 2009) – but the Devil is in the details! What exactly does being “actively involved” mean?  Can it mean accessing treatments like massage, injections, acupuncture &#8220... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159895 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:21:38 +0100 5159895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159493&cid=t_100597_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-mental-exacerbation%2F I promise I’ll read this post through an extra time or two — and have Rose comb it as well — as I’m experiencing something very new to me and my MS. I’m calling it a “mental exacerbation.” I have met a few people whose executive function, memory, and even general cognition have taken a direct hit from our old nemesis: multiple sclerosis. I can remember a few conversations in these pages having to do with increased difficulty with multitasking and attention, and I’ve lived with some of those issues for many years now. What I am now experiencing is beginning to frighten me quite a bit, but, as odd as it may seem, I also feel great comfort as well. The past few days have found me completely overwhelmed by even the smallest list, stack, or process. Time managem... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159493 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:48:36 +0100 5159493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140022&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbeyond-iq-series-3-importance-of.html Background comment regarding this series Interest in social-emotional learning and resiliency training (click here and here for just two examples) in education has shown a recent uptick on activity. Given this activity, IQs Corner is starting a series to explain the previously articulated Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), which was a model ahead of it's time (IMHO). The imporance of non-cognitive (conative) characteristics in learning have been articulated since the days of Spearman, the father of the construct of general intelligence. Richard Snow's work on the concept of "aptitude," which integrates cognitive and conative individual difference variables, is the foundation of the Beyond IQ MACM. Non-cognitive (cognitive) characteristics of learners are important for lea... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140022 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:07:00 +0100 5140022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140027&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fbeyond-iq-series-picture-model-of.html Background comment regarding this series Interest in social-emotional learning and resiliency training (click here and here for just two examples) in education has shown a recent uptick on activity. Given this activity, IQs Corner is starting a series to explain the previously articulated Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), which was a model ahead of it's time (IMHO). The imporance of non-cognitive (conative) characteristics in learning have been articulated since the days of Spearman, the father of the construct of general intelligence. Richard Snow's work on the concept of "aptitude," which integrates cognitive and conative individual difference variables, is the foundation of the Beyond IQ MACM. Non-cognitive (cognitive) characteristics of learners are important for lea... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140027 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:05:00 +0100 5140027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140334&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Feducation-or-a-cognitive-behavioural-approach%2F In this study by Day, Thorn & Kapoor, the two approaches were used with a group of people from a rural area, with relatively low socio-economic status, and a reading grade level of about 8.  Both groups received a group-based programme of 10 sessions of 90 minutes.  They both received a workbook and additional reading material.  The CBT group had home-learning and also participated in behavioural activities such as relaxation in-session, while the education group did not. Interestingly, this study presents qualitative information on how participants experienced the sessions, rather than outcomes measures, so it’s difficult to establish whether pain, disability, mood or acceptance were influenced.  Instead it presents thematic analysis from in-depth interviews of the participa... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140334 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:35:42 +0100 5140334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140020&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FG3_SB0nhgiw%2F Charting Brain Growth in Humans and Chimps (New York Times): – “Although baby humans and baby chimpanzees both start out with undeveloped forebrains, a new study reports that the human brain increases in volume much more rapidly early on.“ – “The growth is in a region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex and is part of what makes humans cognitively advanced compared with other animals, including the chimpanzee, our closest relative. The prefrontal cortex plays a major role in decision-making, self-awareness and creative thinking.” –> To learn more about study Differential Prefrontal White Matter Development in Chimpanzees and Humans: click Here (requires subscription). –> To explore what may have happened otherwise, you may want to watch the new movie Rise of ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140020 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:59:35 +0100 5140020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130816&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F15%2Fthe-amazing-power-of-the-placebo-effect%2F Placebo effects have been shown in many different areas in science.  Sometimes placebo effects have been shown to mimic or even exceed effects produced by active treatments (such as therapies or medications). The definition of placebo is an inert, inactive, fake, sham, dummy, non-therapeutic, pseudo, or spurious substance or procedure presented as a treatment for any of a number of conditions. In general, the placebo effect can be defined as a positive effect that occurs after receiving treatment (interaction, therapy, medication), even when the treatment is inert (inactive, fake). The placebo effect is a ubiquitous phenomenon.  We all experience some degree of the placebo effect on a regular basis. The power of the placebo effect is illustrated in the movie classic, The Wizard Of Oz. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130816 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:31:15 +0100 5130816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125694&cid=t_100597_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Fnursing-times-2011-vol-107-no-26-3%2F Fade fave: How to manage harmful drinking Fade skinny: A summary of the latest NICE guideline advising on diagnosing, assessing and managing harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in adults and young people. Contact the Library for a copy of this article Filed under: Journals Tagged: Alcohol Misuse, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Guidelines, NICE (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125694 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:51:04 +0100 5125694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118804&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fhf4KEUKSGxI%2F Giffords’ recovery renews focus on coverage gap for veterans (Miami Herald): - “Doctors and rehabilitation specialists have learned a great deal from the treatment of traumatic brain injuries in combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. One in five veterans of those wars has suffered some form of traumatic brain injury, most commonly concussions from roadside bombs.” - “Yet veterans’ health care doesn’t consistently cover cognitive rehabilitation therapy, the same therapy that’s helped Giffords and other well-known figures — such as Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota and ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff — get their lives back to normal after major brain traumas.” - “Cognitive rehabilitation can include speech and communication therapies, and therapies to boost memory ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118804 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:40:39 +0100 5118804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118716&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26686253%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EStudy-Brain-Games-Give-Cognitive-Boost.htm At last, there is scientific proof that it’s possible to boost generalized cognitive performance with specific training, in this case web-based brain games. For years, we’ve heard first that we should keep sharp by doing crossword puzzles or similar brain-challenging activities, only to find later that research has been unable to prove their effectiveness in [...] CommentsPosit counts Dr. Michael Merzenich, a key figure in ... by Roger DooleyI'm a big fan of Lumosity. Can definitely see improvement in my ... by Ben MillerPlus 6 more...Related StoriesBrain Fitness: Skip the Sudoku, Be a VolunteerA Better Brain in Four DaysUse Your Cell Phone, Save Your Brain (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118716 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:38:24 +0100 5118716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107919&cid=t_100597_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FZtiK3ptQ3jA%2Fmore-evidence-that-vascular-disease.html Those who smoke, are overweight, or have high blood pressure are more likely to have cognitive challenges later in life, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of California at Davis studied MRI scans of approximately 1,352 people for the purpose of identifying vascular risk factors.The subjects were part of the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study and had multiple scans over the past decade. Among the results: researchers found that people with diabetes in mid-life lost brain volume faster in the hippocampus. Participants who smoked in mid-life lost their overall brain volume faster than non-smokers. Obese participants and those with hypertension were more likely to do badly on tests involving executive functioning or planning. The good news is that the damage can be lim... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107919 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:07:00 +0100 5107919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096340&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2F8-practical-pointers-to-help-your-child-pay-attention%2F Getting kids to pay attention is hard enough. But thanks to today’s technological advances, it can become an even bigger challenge. For instance, a University of Washington study found a link between toddlers watching TV and diminished attention spans by seven years old. Another study from UCLA found that kids who used technology had less reflective thought. Interestingly, however, they did have greater visual-spatial skills. “Technology is producing learners with a new set of cognitive strengths and weaknesses,” said Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D, psychologist, attention expert and author of Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School, a guide for kids who are inventive thinkers, crave novelty and are strongly drawn to dist... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096340 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:49:03 +0100 5096340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096345&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F02%2Fthe-critical-thinking-coach-interview-with-stephen-haggerty-part-2%2F This is part 2 of an interview with Stephen Haggerty (read part 1 here), a Critical Thinking Teacher of the Year award winner at Eastern Kentucky University. Does one need to be highly intelligent to be a good critical thinker? Highly intelligent…what does that mean?  Does that term imply book intelligence? Street smarts?  I would argue anyone could engage in higher-level thinking if they are trained in the terminology and how to apply it. It takes a lot of practice to be a critical and creative thinker who communicates effectively, but I do believe if one is dedicated to being more successful in life, then they can learn to apply the principles of critical and creative thinking through effective communication. It seems some critical thinking advocates view critical thinking as nothin... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096345 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:10:16 +0100 5096345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086356&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FuEjEDMUJhrQ%2F First of all, an announcement. We are starting a Virtual Internship Program @ SharpBrains, allowing full-time undergrad and grad students and postdocs to lead 100-hour projects jointly defined by themselves and by SharpBrains. Interested candidates should Contact Us indicating a) a preliminary project proposal (200 words or less), and b) brief bio and qualifications (200 words or less). Internships don’t require travel and will be paid in-kind, with access to SharpBrains reports and conference recordings. SharpBrains will select a limited number of Interns based on fit between candidates’ proposal and bio and SharpBrains mission and activities. Let’s now explore the latest edition of the monthly Sharp­Brains eNewslet­ter, starting with a comprehensive perspective on the educati... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086356 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:29:36 +0100 5086356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077868&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FbVs7OP1xH_I%2F In recent years, we have witnessed the beginnings of a revolution in education.  Technology has fundamentally altered the way we do many things in daily life, but it is just starting to make headway in changing the way we teach.  Just as television shows like Sesame Street enhanced the passive learning of information for kids by teaching in a fun format, electronic games offer to greatly enhance the way kids and adults are taught by actively engaging them in the process. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that sixty-seven percent of American households play video or computer games [1].  They are especially popular among young males, with a recent study of teenagers by researchers at Yale reporting that 76.3% of male (and 29.2% of female) teens play video games [2].  These... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077868 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:36:31 +0100 5077868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069646&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F7WRGFlNNhZU%2F New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD students (press release): - “Prior research shows ADHD children have slower brain development and a reduced ability to cope with stress,” said Dr. Stixrud. “Virtually everyone finds it difficult to pay attention, organize themselves and get things done when they’re under stress,” he explained. “Stress interferes with the ability to learn—it shuts down the brain. Functions such as attention, memory, organization, and integration are compromised.” - Dr. Stixrud added, “Because stress significantly compromises attention and all of the key executive functions such as inhibition, working memory, organization, and mental flexibility, it made sense that a technique (such as Transcendental Meditation) th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069646 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:35:14 +0100 5069646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069647&cid=t_100597_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=5069843&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Fmanaging-migraines-without-medication%2F Ahhh, migraine – psychedelia without the high… nausea without the alcohol… The diagnostic criteria: A) At least 5 attacks fulfilling B-D; B) lasting untreated 4-74 hours; C) two of the following: unilateral, pulsating, moderate or severe pain intensity, worsening with physical activity; D) one of the following: nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia; E) not attributed to another disorder. (International Classification of headache disorders, 2004) (go here for one of the most comprehensive sites on migraine) The main treatment for migraine is to use medication – best evidence to date suggests:  “Only two pharmacological treatments have been shown to be effective in placebo-controlled randomized trials: topiramate and local injection of botulinum to... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069843 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:42:59 +0100 5069843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062291&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fbps-on-dsm%2F Some of you may be following the development of the forthcoming fifth revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the major book used for psychiatric diagnosis. There has been a lot of criticism due to the secrecy of the process this time around, but the British Psychological Society (BPS), the major mental health organization in the UK, is taking an even more interesting and refreshing angle: criticizing the entire current framework of diagnosis. The DSM takes a medical approach to diagnosis. In short, this means that a ‘patient’ is assumed to have an underlying ‘pathology’ that manifests as various ‘symptoms’ that are assessed to make a ‘diagnosis’ and then apply a ‘treatment’ to said diagnosis. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062291 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:44:58 +0100 5062291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050914&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FO712DJOvAhQ%2F Very interesting new data reinforcing two main themes we have been analyzing for a while: 1) We better start paying serious attention (and R&D dollars) to lifestyle-based and non-invasive cognitive and emotional health interventions, which are mostly ignored in favor of invasive, drug-based options 2) Interventions will need to be personalized. The study below analyzes data at the country level, but the same logic applies to the individual level Many fear Alzheimer’s, want to be tested: survey (Reuters): - “The telephone survey of 2,678 adults aged 18 and older in the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Poland was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Alzheimer Europe, with funding by Bayer AG” - “When asked to identify the most feared disea... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050914 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:26:15 +0100 5050914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050721&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fbed-sharing-seems-okay-for-toddlers%2F While not particularly popular here in the U.S., bed sharing arrangements are a little more common in many other countries, especially when sleeping quarters may be scarce. A new study just published suggests that such bed sharing between parents and their toddlers and young children probably don’t result in any kind of long-term psychological or social problems. The study followed a sample of 944 low-income families who were enrolled in the Early Head Start program, and followed the toddlers and parents over the course of five years. Once other factors were accounted for — such as the family’s socioeconomic status, the mom’s educational level, ethnicity and parenting style — the negative outcomes associated with bed sharing went away. This suggests that bed s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050721 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:06:36 +0100 5050721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050915&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FbcsIvOBs0_c%2F Although ADHD used to be considered a disorder of childhood, follow-up studies indicate that between 30% and 60% of children with ADHD continue to experience symptoms and impairment in adulthood. And, even when ADHD symptoms decline over time, many individuals continue to experience significant impairment in important areas of functioning. For example, children with ADHD have poorer academic achievement as adolescents compared to their peers and this trend continues into adulthood. Research pertaining to occupational functioning is limited but available data clearly points to poorer employment histories in adults with ADHD. Predictors of occupational outcomes in individuals with ADHD have not been carefully investigated, however. A recent study conducted in Norway with a large sample of ad... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050915 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:36:52 +0100 5050915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050751&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fbeyond-bullet-points-in-medical-education%2F Buffer Readers from this blog recognize my interest in presentation skills. Not only the presenting but also the design of slides. Often I’ve written about the boring powerpoint slides often used in lectures with endless bullet points and great deal of text. Several authors have explained why these bullet points won’t teach the audience anything. They have argued why simple design principles in developing the slides does improve the retention of information. how people learn best from words and pictures, based on the theoretical underpinnings of multimedia learning theory, and, accordingly, to understand how to design effective multimedia instructional messages Multimedia learning is learning from words and pictures. Words can be seen or heard, pictures can be static (pictures... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050751 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:25:03 +0100 5050751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028710&cid=t_100597_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=5029273&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fself-efficacy-and-fear-of-movement-mediate-pain-intensity-and-disability-in-acute-pain%2F Most clinicians working in chronic pain management are well aware that the time it takes for people to finally be referred for management of their pain is far too long and some of the readers of this blog who work with people who have acute pain may wonder whether anything I write about applies to them and the people they treat.  To both groups of readers – today’s post should apply! Arguably the most common reason for people seeing a doctor is because of a musculoskeletal pain.  Treatment is usually quite simple: diagnosis, pain relief, anti-inflammatories and gradual return to function.  It’s this last part of treatment that seems to cause the most trouble for people - what if the pain doesn’t settle, what if I’m damaging my body, how long should I &#8220... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029273 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:29:01 +0100 5029273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028705&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FjKO-tpp3LHo%2F Issues with aging can be costly for retirees’ money (Associated Press). Quotes: – “With age comes wisdom about money — up to a point.” - “Years of handling your own finances and investments sharpen the ability to make sound decisions. But failing to prepare for the day when growing older hampers your judgment can be costly at an age when more is at stake. Seniors older than 65 hold about $18 trillion in assets, according to government data, or about a third of all U.S. net worth.” - “Sometimes the senior’s worst enemy is himself or herself,” says Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago attorney and investment adviser. “Poor financial decisions and cognitive impairment go hand in hand.” To learn more: click on full article. (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028705 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:50:02 +0100 5028705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008695&cid=t_100597_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FzenwcpYUxkw%2Fmidlife-weight-gain-linked-to-dementia.html Being overweight during middle age may increase your risk of developing dementia later on, a new Swedish study suggests. Several studies have already linked obesity in middle age to dementia in later life, but it was unclear whether merely carrying some extra pounds in midlife was a risk factor. The new research suggests that even being overweight -- defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 -- is linked with a higher risk of dementia. "Being overweight at midlife increased the risk of dementia in late life by more than 70 percent," said lead study author Dr. Weili Xu, a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Being obese raised the risk even more, to nearly fourfold. "Although the effect of midlife overweight on dementia is not as substantial as that ... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008695 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:08:00 +0100 5008695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008449&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fq6v6sBUFKL4%2F Thinking globally to improve mental health: NIH announces international research initiative (press release): - “The Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health Initiative, led by the National Institutes of Health and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, has identified the top 40 barriers to better mental health around the world. Similar to past grand challenges, which focused on infectious diseases and chronic, noncommunicable diseases, this initiative seeks to build a community of funders dedicated to supporting research that will significantly improve the lives of people living with MNS disorders within the next 10 years.“ – “Participating in global mental health research is an enormous opportunity, a means to accelerate advances in mental health care for the diverse U.S. popul... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008449 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:53:39 +0100 5008449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008450&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fim1unD-albg%2F Great article in the Wall Street Journal today: Unlocking Dyslexia in Japanese. Quotes: - “Experiences like that of the Lundays are providing scientists and educators with clues about how people with dyslexia learn and how best to teach them. Researchers have long observed that some dyslexics have an easier time with languages like Japanese and Chinese, in which characters represent complete words or ideas, than they do with languages like English, which use separate letters and sounds to form words.“ – “Learning experts don’t suggest that studying Chinese or Japanese will help dyslexics learn to read English; there’s no getting around the fact that reading English well requires being able to identify and blend sounds. But improved understanding of the way dyslexics absorb char... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008450 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:56:17 +0100 5008450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992816&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fcognitive-efficiency-measures-as-brain.html Yet on more study linking poor global processing speed (Gs) with a clinical disorder, this time reading (again). It is very clear that during the past decade one of the most robust research findings (based on the relations between psychometric measures of abilities and all kinds of clinical disorders) is the importance of "cognitive efficiency" in identifying individuals with a wide variety of disorders. The CHC domains of processing speed (Gs) and working memory (Gsm-WM) have repeatedly been found to be strong indicators that something is wrong in cognitive function, across many clinical disorders. I like to describe measures of cognitive efficiency (Gs+Gsm) as brain thermometers. They can tell you that the cognitive system is not operating efficiently, but they lack specificity to make s... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992816 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:48:00 +0100 4992816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992997&cid=t_100597_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlsjDsYTX5tA%2F For the second time in less than two years, the FDA has issued a sobering warning about the Depakote epilepsy med sold by Abbott Laboratories. This time, the agency says that children born to mothers who take the anti-seizure drug or related products during pregnancy have an increased risk of lower cognitive test scores than children exposed to other such drugs (read here). The conclusion was reached after the agency reviewed epidemiologic studies. In the primary study upon which the FDA based its conclusion, cognitive tests were performed at age three; in other studies, testing was done on children 5 to 16 years old. The problem, the FDA says, is that long-term effects on cognitive development are unknown and it remains unclear whether the effects occur when fetal exposure is limited to l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992997 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:19:37 +0100 4992997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992815&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FgROm1dTTA8I%2F Let’s explore some  high-quality new resources, announcements and studies in this June edi­tion of the monthly Sharp­Brains eNewslet­ter. The field is clearly on the move! Portraits of the Mind: Several sharp brains (Rick, Karen, John, thanks!) strongly rec­om­mend the recent book  “Por­traits of the Mind: Visu­al­iz­ing the Brain from Antiq­uity to the 21st Cen­tury” (which includes the image on the left) as great read­ing and as a beau­ti­ful cof­fee table book. Promoting Healthy, Meaningful Aging Through Social Involvement: The cur­rent issue of Cere­brum includes the excel­lent in-depth arti­cle on the value of volunteering program Experience Corps to promote healthy and meaningful aging through social involvement. Working memory training can improve fluid i... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992815 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:04:45 +0100 4992815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984501&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FbjbrRmU_AUk%2F URL: http://psychology.vanguard.edu/amoebaweb/Outstanding resource maintained by Douglas Degelman, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. Features over 2000 categorized links to quality psychology content. For: Anyone, Researchers, StudentsTopics: ADHD, Abnormal, Academia, Addiction, Anxiety, Behaviour Management, Bipolar, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Depression, Eating Disorders, General Psychology, Mental HealthFeatures: Articles, Databases, Information, Links Outstanding resource maintained by Douglas Degelman, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. Features over 2000 categorized links to quality psychology content. Also, lists monthly featured websites, psychologically related, of cours... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984501 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:00:13 +0100 4984501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992168&cid=t_100597_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fcooling-cap-could-provide-insomnia.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992168 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:52:00 +0100 4992168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976238&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F29%2Fblack-and-white-thinking-must-be-abolished%2F Black and white thinking, for those readers unfamiliar with cognitive distortions, refers to the tendency to reduce complex ideas and situations into simple, dichotomous, and mutually exclusive categories. Think of good or bad, yes or no, all correct or all wrong, acute pain or chronic pain, neuromatrix or peripheral mechanisms, cure the pain or manage the pain. It’s a way of simplifying arguments or decisions that can work well when the situation requires very fast decision-making, or where the options are very limited. It doesn’t work at all in the messy and complicated worlds of clinical reasoning, theory development, or in discussions to broaden understanding. I’m pondering this because of the way various aspects of pain management and the science of pain are misrepre... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976238 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:15:22 +0100 4976238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976036&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Ffuv1BBULwMs%2F The current issue of Cerebrum –a great publication of the Dana Foundation– includes the excellent in-depth article Promoting Healthy, Meaningful Aging Through Social Involvement: Building an Experience Corps, written by researcher Michelle Carlson: “Over the last decade, scientists made two key discoveries that reframed our understanding of the adult brain’s potential to benefit from lifelong environmental enrichment. First, they learned that the adult brain remains plastic; it can generate new neurons in response to physical activity and new experiences. Second, they confirmed the importance of social connectedness to late-life cognitive, psychological, and physical health. The integration of these findings with our understanding of individuals’ developmental needs throughout li... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976036 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:01:23 +0100 4976036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975941&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F28%2Fmarsha-linehan-what-is-dialectical-behavioral-therapy-dbt%2F Last week the New York Times ran a fascinating piece on Marsha Linehan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington and the original developer of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a modification of standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but including elements of acceptance and mindfulness. Her work has been designed specifically for people who harm themselves, for those diagnosed with borderline personality (BPT), and those who suffer from pervasive suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. For the first time in her life, the mental health expert disclosed her own story (that we also discussed on the blog yesterday), which involved hospitalization at the age of 17 that lasted longer than two years. Benedict Carey, author of the interview with Linehan, writes: No one knows h... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975941 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:45:03 +0100 4975941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975944&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fmarsha-linehan-acknowledges-her-own-struggle-with-borderline-personality-disorder%2F Dr. Marsha Linehan, long best known for her ground-breaking work with a new form of psychotherapy called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), has let out her own personal secret — she has suffered from borderline personality disorder. In order to help reduce the prejudice surrounding this particular disorder — people labeled as borderline often are seen as attention-getting and always in crisis — Dr. Linehan told her story in public for the first time last week before an audience of friends, family and doctors at the Institute of Living, the Hartford clinic where she was first treated for extreme social withdrawal at age 17, according to The New York Times. At 17 in 1961, Linehan detailed how when she came to the clinic, she attacked herself habitually, cut her arms legs a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975944 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:12:20 +0100 4975944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968694&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2FXjSCPI9gHS0%2Fwhy-neuroscience-matters.html On May 11, 2011 Ginger Campbell, MD gave a talk entitled "Why Neuroscience Matters" at the London Skeptics in the Pub. Episode 42 of Books and Ideas is an edited version of that talk, including the lively Q and A with the audience. Listen to Episode 42 of Books and Ideas Free Episode Transcript (Download PDF)     Subscribe to Books and Ideas Podcast:   References  Bayes, A., Grant, S., et al. "Characterization of the proteome, diseases and evolution of the human postsynaptic density." Nature Neuroscience 14, 19–21 (2011) (Published online 12/23/2010). Libet, B. "Do We Have Free Will?" Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6. No. 8-9, 1999, pp. 47-57. On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton; p 127. Philosophy in t... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968694 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 12:00:30 +0100 4968694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968582&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Ffrustrated-by-devices-read-the-manual%2F Handsome, well-made tools are a joy to use; confusing devices are a drain. So often, I find, things once easy to operate — TVs, irons, dishwashers, alarm clocks, washing machines — are now humiliatingly challenging. Cognitive-science professor Donald Norman points out that when we expect a device — like a toaster or video camera — will be fairly simple to operate, and it’s not, we assume we’re at fault, instead of holding the object responsible. One Sunday afternoon, when I was frantically trying to synchronize the data on my laptop with my desktop, I kept getting strange error messages. In desperation, I asked my husband to take a look. “Oh. Our internet service isn’t working,” he announced after fifteen seconds on the computer. I’d assumed I was doing ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968582 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:22:03 +0100 4968582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960202&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FKL0ko4TEcXU%2F A couple of very interesting recent announcements show (in a military context) how well-targeted brain training can complement and augment existing approaches, both to help “normal” and “clinical” populations, in ways that silo-based, rear-mirror thinking often misses: U.S. Department of Defense Awards $2 Million to Brain Plasticity Inc. to Study Impact of Brain Training for Traumatic Brain Injuries (press release): “Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI), a technology incubator dedicated to the discovery and development of novel technologies that harness the basic principles of brain plasticity to improve the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric disorders, was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense.” “The grant will fund a two-year... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960202 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:21:27 +0100 4960202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960119&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fare-low-carb-diets-bad-for-the-brain%2F Are low carbohydrate diets bad for the brain? Ketogenic diets (low carbohydrate diets) promote the increased use of ketone bodies–soluble compounds produced by the body when fatty acids are broken down–by the brain. But, is this safe? When examining epileptic children who spend years in ketosis, or the accumulation of higher than normal ketone bodies, there seems to be no negative effect on cognitive function, except fatigue in the beginning stages of the diet (Hale, 2010). In addition, ketogenic diets are used as treatment for some diseases.  Klepper and colleagues (2003) reported that ketogenic diets have been used for decades to treat intractable childhood epileptics, but they can also be used for treating other conditions such as glut 1 deficiency syndrome and pyruvatedehy... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960119 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:58:36 +0100 4960119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953136&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fresearch-byte-age-related-cognitive.html Note that the final model (above) is consistent with prior research I included in McGrew (2005) and which is also online here. There is clearly strong evidence for the primary role of processing speed (Gs) playing a indirect role on cognition mediated via working memory.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology neuroscience psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner general intelligence working memory executive function cognitive control processing speed working memory Gsm Gs aging cogni... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953136 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:45:00 +0100 4953136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953133&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F8oBp7RDNqzM%2F A couple of SharpBrains friends strongly recommend the recent book  “Por­traits of the Mind: Visu­al­iz­ing the Brain from Antiq­uity to the 21st Cen­tury”, by Carl Schoonover, both as great reading and as a beautiful coffee table book.  The book is available now with a significant discount via Amazon.com. You can see more pho­tos here, and read a good New York Times article here. Enjoy! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953133 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:55:32 +0100 4953133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945248&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F17%2Fwhat-to-do-about-catastrophising-even-when-youre-not-a-psychologist%2F In this study, 25.9% of those reporting acute pain, and 51.3% of those reporting chronic pain endorsed catastrophising beliefs.  And this group of people were not seeking treatment (as an aside, this is one of few studies to look at non-treatment-seeking people)!  The study also found that in those with high levels of catastrophising, mental health problems were more prevalent, and that catastrophising explained a good proportion of work disability.  In other words, even in this very healthy group of people, catastrophising was associated with greater vulnerability to having difficult managing pain and keeping mentally healthy.  If this finding is identified in other non-treatment-seeking people, I think we can confidently draw the conclusion that catastrophising may be one of the more... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945248 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:24:01 +0100 4945248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934548&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FFQD0FQS_7mw%2F Lumos Labs, the company behind lumosity.com, has raised $32.5 million dollars in a Series C round from Menlo Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Harrison Metal and Norwest Venture Partners. In our 2010 market report Lumos Labs came up as one of the category Leaders given its market and research momentum (not easy for a startup to get clear momentum in either of those dimensions, much less in both of them), so our congratulations to them for now adding such investment traction. This is the largest round of funding so far in the cognitive fitness space so far, and should contribute to the maturity of the field as well as to more innovation and R&D. Description: Lumos Labs is a cog­ni­tive neu­ro­science research and devel­op­ment com­pany that builds soft­ware tools for improv­ing bra... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934548 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:01:51 +0100 4934548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934549&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Furd0ifGFTWU%2F Very interesting new study on computerized cognitive training (or brain training), well summarized in LA Times article Memory training improves intelligence in some children, report says. Quote: The training program used by Jaeggi and co-workers focused on ramping up working memory: the ability to hold in mind a handful of information bits briefly, and to update them as needed. Cognitive scientists consider working memory a key component of intelligence. But they have long debated whether strengthening short-term memory capacity will boost a person’s overall intellectual function, and will do so even after the brain-training sessions are over. It can, and it does, according to this new research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The full study, Short-term... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934549 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:55:54 +0100 4934549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921521&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fhow-our-intuitions-deceive-us-part-2-interview-with-daniel-simons%2F In part one of this interview, we began exploring the limits of human perception with Daniel Simons, a Psychology professor and co-winner of an Ig Noble prize.  This conversation is part two of that discussion. Assuming you can name only one, what is one of the most popular myths associated with attention? How about one for memory? We assume that we will automatically notice anything that appears before our eyes, regardless of what else we’re doing.  But, in reality, we’re only aware of a tiny subset of the world around us, and our awareness depends critically on the focus of our attention. Without focusing our attention, we can look without seeing.  We tend to miss unexpected objects and events because they do not attract our attention. And, without our attention, we don&#8... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921521 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:15:05 +0100 4921521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911844&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F08%2Fa-brief-review-of-cognitive-behavioural-approaches-for-pain-management%2F Cognitive behavioural approaches for pain management are not exactly the same as cognitive behavioural therapy for mental health problems.  While there are some underlying concepts that are the same, cognitive behavioural approaches for pain management include a wider range of strategies, and are far less readily defined than the very structured approach used in mental health.  In fact it has only been in the last few years that research into the process of change in pain management have been conducted. What defines a cognitive behavioural approach? The assumption that people can learn to accept their chronic pain That people can broaden their self-concept beyond being “a patient” into being “a person with pain” That people can learn or re-explore skills to deal ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911844 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:39:00 +0100 4911844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911664&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fr6MhbcUATqg%2F Let us highlight a couple of insightful and brief articles in the New York Times and a very powerful analysis in The New York Review of Books; they provide useful clues about Brain Calisthenics, Bilingual Brains, and Debunking Myths on Mental Illness. Brain Calisthenics for Abstract Ideas (NYT): Now, a small group of cognitive scientists is arguing that schools and students could take far more advantage of this same bottom-up ability, called perceptual learning. The brain is a pattern-recognition machine, after all, and when focused properly, it can quickly deepen a person’s grasp of a principle, new studies suggest. The challenge for education, Dr. Kellman added, “is what do we need to do to make this happen efficiently?” Experts develop such sensitive perceptual radar the old-fashi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911664 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:12:58 +0100 4911664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902483&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fthink-encouraging-girls-to-stay-smart-in-a-dumb-downed-world%2F In her gutsy book, Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, attorney and national television legal analyst Lisa Bloom paints a dire picture: The problem is not just about that 25 percent of young women who would rather be hot than smart; rather, it’s about a culture that actually makes that a rational choice: rewarding girls for looks over brains. And it’s about ALL of us, intelligent American females, ranging from girlhood to old age, who are dazzling ignorant about some critically important things. An aggravating thing happened in the last generation. As girls started seriously kicking ass at every level of education (girls now out-perform boys in elementary, middle, and high schools; we graduate from college, professional, and graduate schools in greater ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902483 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:23:52 +0100 4902483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902484&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fidentifying-and-avoiding-contaminated-mindware%2F Broadly speaking, there are two key problems that contribute to irrational thoughts and behaviors: processing problems and content problems. The processing problem is reflected in our tendencies to be cognitive misers.  We naturally engage in thinking that is rapid and computationally inexpensive.  This cognitive thriftiness often serves us well, but at other times it can lead to less than optimal decisions.  Content problems include- mindware gaps, and mindware contamination. Mindware (a term invented by cognitive scientist David Perkins) is defined as rules, procedures and other forms of knowledge that are stored in memory and can be retrieved in order to make decisions and solve problems (Stanovich, 2009). A mindware gap occurs when the tools of rationality — scientific think... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902484 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:08:04 +0100 4902484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893949&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fpain-behaviours-persist%2F In this study by Martel, Thibault and Sullivan (2010), people with back pain were recorded on two separate occasions (on averge 22 days apart) while carrying out two lifting tasks designed to elicit pain behaviours.  These recordings were reviewed by trained observers who recorded the number of pain behaviours in each segment of film using a standardised coding scheme (developed by Keefe and Block, 1982).  Participants in the lifting tasks also completed a range of questionnaires – the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and the Pain Catastrophising Scale. Before I describe the findings, in this study two different forms of pain behaviour were identified – communicative behaviours are things like grimacing, speaking, sighing, moaning and so on; while... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893949 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:26:00 +0100 4893949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883743&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FHmvYXZVd7PY%2F The use of a variety of brain training interventions is growing in the area of mental health. Emerging evidence suggests that in the near future targeted brain training may even be used to prevent substance abuse. For example, training working memory may reduce sub­stance abusers’ discounting of long-term rewards and punishments — such discounting is one of the reasons why people susceptible to addictions do not benefit from traditional informational/ educational approaches to drug prevention. Let’s explore some expanding applications of brain training, and much more, in this latest edition of the monthly Sharp­Brains eNewslet­ter. Brain Training and Mental Health ADHD: Brain Training, Neurofeedback, Diet, and More: What can be done to fight ADHD and improve the lives of peo­pl... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883743 Tue, 31 May 2011 11:04:42 +0100 4883743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883925&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Fcatastrophising-and-pain-i%2F One reason I love blogging is the discussion between me and readers. I wrote about the language of pain recently, and out of that discussion I’ve spent a few days digging around the literature to look at what is known about the relationship between language, pain and catastrophising. I’d argued in my post that metaphoric language can reflect distress both in the communicator and the listener, and that this is supported by fMRI studies in which various parts of the brain are activated when emotion-laden communication about pain is being carried out, while one of my readers thought I might be taking this interpretation too far. Pain behaviour My reason for being interested in how we communicate about pain is that talking about pain (including describing it) is a pain behaviour. P... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883925 Mon, 30 May 2011 19:15:07 +0100 4883925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872261&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FC6MsRAtQj1A%2F Here are the top 30 Sharpbrains articles based on our readers’ ranking since 2006 and since 2010. Brain science news, brain fitness trends, brain health and maintenance tips, read on to expand your mind! . Top 50 Brain Teasers, by Sharp­Brains Team The Ten Habits of Highly Effec­tive Brains, by Alvaro Fernandez How can I improve my short term mem­ory?, by Pascale Michelon Brain Plas­tic­ity: How learn­ing changes your brain, by Pas­cale Michelon Brain Fitness Program and Neuroplasticity @ PBS, by Alvaro Ferandez What are Cognitive Abilities?, by Pascale Michelon How can I improve my short term mem­ory?, by Car­o­line Latham Your Brain on Trading, by Janice Dorn Stress Man­age­ment Work­shop for Inter­na­tional Women’s Day, by Alvaro Fernandez Video Games Pros and Co... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872261 Fri, 27 May 2011 16:18:53 +0100 4872261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872262&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJBtYpGEKoSg%2F Substance abuse can have dramatic consequences on the brain and behavior. The traditional way of preventing drug abuse is often education. Awareness programs do work with people who can picture long-term repercussions of abusing drugs. Other people, most often those vulnerable to addictions, do not benefit from such programs. It seems that they tend to devalue both rewards and punishments that will happen in the future, a behavior known as delay discounting. This leads them to opt for immediate rewards, such as those provided by drugs, and ignore future consequences. Would it be possible then to train the brain of these people so that they show less delay discounting? Would that help them stay away from addictive substances? Delay discounting is a brain function that involves the frontal l... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872262 Thu, 26 May 2011 16:14:50 +0100 4872262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862629&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F25%2Fthe-critical-thinker-academy-2-interview-with-kevin-delaplante%2F This is part two of a two-part interview of Kevin deLaplante, a professor of philosophy and founder of The Critical Thinker Academy. Check out part one here. What is your favorite book on critical thinking? I often get requests for book recommendations. It’s hard because critical thinking requires so many different kinds of skill development, and no single book is going to cover everything. Also, people are usually interested in specific issues or topics, and once I know what those are it’s easier to recommend sources. My “starter kit” recommendation is to pick a good introductory book on basic argumentation and fallacies written from a logic/philosophy perspective, plus a good introductory book on the psychology of reasoning and decision making (something in the “biases ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862629 Wed, 25 May 2011 13:58:39 +0100 4862629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862729&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fr2TpIHXFofg%2F If you practice biceps curls at the gym, you will get bigger muscles that are also stronger. So far, the same seemed true for the brain. Thanks to neuroplasticity, practice triggers neuronal and synaptic growth (i.e., brain volume growth), which correlates with better performance. In this fascinating Scientific American article we learn that as the brain masters a new skill, some brain areas do get bigger but eventually shrink back to normal! The performance gain acquired through practice stays present, in spite of the shrinkage. Studying the auditory cortex of rats, they found that the expansion of a ‘skill-specific’ brain area with training is only short lived, even when changes in ability are long lasting. So what does change? Although newly learned perceptual skills don’t show up... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862729 Tue, 24 May 2011 18:49:56 +0100 4862729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862635&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Fa9JCMwbkQUE%2F URL: http://psychfutures.ning.com/PsychFutures is an open network, albeit designed for individuals at various stages of their psychology career, from A-Level to degree-level to professionals. Primarily, we are about choosing your next step in psychology. For A-Level psychology students who are thinking about studying the subject at degree level, there’s advice on exam preparation and applying to university or college. For undergraduates thinking about post-degree options, our members provide peer-to-peer advice about postgrad psychology. For those looking beyond studying we have a section devoted to psychology careers. For: Anyone, Anyone, Clinicians, Researchers, Students, TeachersTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Addiction, Anger, Behaviour Management, Child and Adolescent, Clinical Psycholo... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862635 Tue, 24 May 2011 17:00:53 +0100 4862635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848048&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FE5U30HPur8M%2F ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affects millions of children and adults (up to 5% of children in the US).  More and more evidence suggests that brain training may be key to help these individuals. With this in mind, we put together our most recent articles on the topic to  a) help you better understand what is going in the brain of a person with ADHD, and b) provide you with up-to-date information on what can be done to fight the disorder and improve the lives of people suffering from it. We particularly thank Dr. Rabiner from Duke Uni­ver­sity for writing many of these articles. What is ADHD? What kind of attention is involved in ADHD? ADHD may be considered as a problem in the willful control of attention as opposed to a pure deficit in the ability to pay attent... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848048 Fri, 20 May 2011 20:02:10 +0100 4848048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848003&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F20%2Fmyths-about-rationality%2F Rationality has been a popular topic of discussion for many years.  There is a huge body of literature, popular and scholarly, that addresses rational thinking skills.  It seems as if everyone has an opinion on rationality.  Rationality is often misunderstood, and the word loses its importance when it is defined in terms so broad or ambiguous that it can mean virtually anything.  This confusion has contributed to myths concerning rationality. In a recent interview I asked cognitive scientist Keith Stanovich: What are the two most common myths about rationality? I am aware there are more than a few, but if you were limited to discussing two, what would they be and how do we combat these erroneous thoughts? Here is Dr. Stanovich’s answer: I discuss many of these in all my books, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848003 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:33:15 +0100 4848003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841579&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fmyths-about-memory%2F Memory is important in everyday judgments and decision-making.  In some way or another, memory affects most aspects of our lives.  It is no surprise that there are many myths about memory. Memory involves processing of information in different stages: sensory, short-term, and long-term.  However, the mechanics of memory are not my concern in this article. Here, I’ll focus on a couple of popular myths about memory.  Donald Varakin, cognitive scientist, sheds light on these myths. So I posed the following question to Dr. Varakin… I am aware there are numerous myths about memory.  What have you found to be the two most common myths? It’s probably hard to limit it to two, but assuming you can only give us two, what would they be? Here’s Dr. Varakin’s reply: ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841579 Thu, 19 May 2011 20:30:39 +0100 4841579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841735&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJXoGd4HSVHM%2F What is brain fitness really? What will happen in terms of brain fitness innovation in the next decade? What’s the biggest challenge? Who could answer these questions better than the expert SharpBrains 2011 Summit speakers? Discover below the answers of 7 of them. .1. How would you define “brain fit­ness” vs. “phys­i­cal fit­ness”? Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Har­vard Med­ical School: Phys­i­cal fit­ness can refer to an over­all or gen­eral state of health and well-being. How­ever, it is also often used more specif­i­cally to refer to the abil­ity to per­form a given activ­ity, occu­pa­tion, or sport. Sim­i­larly brain fit­ness might be used to refer to a gen­eral state of healthy, opti­mized brain func­tion, or a more spe­cific brain-based abil­ity to proce... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841735 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:55:56 +0100 4841735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841477&cid=t_100597_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-review-of-the-most-common-physician-errors-in-thinking-and-judgement%2F2011.05.19 In my recent review of Peter Palmieri’s book Suffer the Children I said I would later try to cover some of the many other important issues he brings up. One of the themes in the book is the process of critical thinking and the various cognitive traps doctors fall into. I will address some of them here. This is not meant to be systematic or comprehensive, but rather a miscellany of things to think about. Some of these overlap. Diagnostic fetishes Everything is attributed to a pet diagnosis. Palmieri gives the example of a colleague of his who thinks everything from septic shock to behavior disorders are due to low levels of HDL, which he treats with high doses of niacin. There is a tendency to widen the criteria so that any collection of symptoms can be seen as evidence of the condition. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841477 Thu, 19 May 2011 15:00:33 +0100 4841477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841736&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F5QrUzR8vQNE%2F Laughing feels good. Laughing is indeed good in most cases. A good belly laugh amounts to an aerobic exercise as your blood pressure and heart rate increase, your breathing changes and your diaphragm contracts. Laughing has also been shown to boost the immune system and reduce stress. Laughing is thus good for your brain! Here are two fun ways to take a further look at laughter and the brain : Listen to these laughs and decide whether it is a human or a computer laughing. Try this to find out how much you are stressed. You may be surprised… Enjoy! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841736 Tue, 17 May 2011 18:59:52 +0100 4841736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829084&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F4nxLYTlQzms%2F Conclusions Aerobic exercise seems to benefit overweight children not only physically but also mentally. These findings mirror the ones observed in the aging population. Aerobic exercise influences cognition through the increase of growth factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which leads to increased capillary blood supply to the brain and growth of both new neurons and synapses. With childhood obesity on the rise, these are very timely findings. In addition, exercise is a simple solution to increase physical health and mental performance. Something to tell to your school board, over and over! Related posts: Fitter bodies = fitter brains. True at all ages? Exercise as a Treatment for ADHD (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829084 Mon, 16 May 2011 17:59:30 +0100 4829084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829087&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fiqs-reading-chun-et-al-taxonomy-of.html Click on image to enlargeI just finished my first read of Chun et al.'s thought provoking article that suggests and interesting external/internal taxonomy of human attention. All my comments are embedded in the article as per the IQ's Reading feature of IQ's Corner. A very thought provoking article that ties together a wide array of research on attention, working memory (attentional control), the importance of brain network synchrony (esp. the P-FIT model of Haeir et al), etc.Worth the read. I particular like the treatment of working memory as more an attentional control mechanism and the treatment of cognitive control and top-down vs bottom-up attention.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPadintelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829087 Sun, 15 May 2011 02:47:00 +0100 4829087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820997&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FAiWHQHdtHoM%2F This article explores another relationship between music and dementia: playing a musical instrument, even as an amateur, may protect the brain later on against dementia-related damages. Researchers had 70 people ages 60 to 83 perform a variety of tests to measure visuospatial memory, ability to name objects, the brain’s ability to adapt to new information […] those who had engaged in musical activity for 10 years or longer scored substantially better than those with no musical activity in their past. the longer people play instruments, the more benefits they may derive. All were amateurs who had started playing when they were 10 years old. the relationship between cognitive skills and years of musical activity held up whether the musicians were currently involved in making music or not... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820997 Fri, 13 May 2011 14:43:15 +0100 4820997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820922&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F12%2Funderstanding-research-methodology-5-applied-and-basic-research%2F In conclusion, I will leave you with the words of Keith Stanovich: [I]t is probably a mistake to view the basic-versus-applied distinction solely in terms of whether a study has practical applications, because this difference often simply boils down to a matter of time.  Applied findings are of use immediately.  However, there is nothing so practical as a general and accurate theory. (2007, p.107) References Stanovich, K. (2007).  How to Think Straight About Psychology: 8th Edition.  Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Photo by Helen Cook, available under a Creative Commons attribution license. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820922 Thu, 12 May 2011 19:55:10 +0100 4820922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820998&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwWKmkNNTOac%2F This article originally appeared on her Psychology Today blog. More on her work can be found at sianbeilock.com (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820998 Thu, 12 May 2011 16:34:21 +0100 4820998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813364&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FgTWlWXqLTVk%2F URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/index.shtmlThis site includes biographical profiles of people who have influenced the development of intelligence theory and testing, in-depth articles exploring current controversies related to human intelligence, and resources for teachers. For: Researchers, Students, TeachersTopics: Academia, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive, Educational Psychology, Philosophy, TeachingFeatures: Articles, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Information, Research, Research Tools This site includes biographical profiles of people who have influenced the development of intelligence theory and testing, in-depth articles exploring  current controversies that are related to human intelligence, and resources for teachers and educators. (Source... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813364 Thu, 12 May 2011 00:20:32 +0100 4813364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813690&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F11%2Fthe-language-of-pain%2F Have you ever wondered about the ways we communicate our pain? Pain behaviour doesn’t just include nonverbal communication – one of the main ways we communicate our pain is through speech. Words are an incredibly powerful aspect of pain behaviour that strikes me as something we haven’t really studied much. When I was searching for the article to refer to in this post, I looked in PsychInfo under the terms “linguistics” and “pain” – and out of the tens of thousands of articles under each term, and total of 16 included both words. Sixteen! The stimulus for this post comes from someone who said the term “catastrophising” is a misnomer – a way for health professionals to dismiss or minimise the suffering and distress someone who... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813690 Wed, 11 May 2011 00:57:33 +0100 4813690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813479&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FugfBQbWpR8I%2F Music can soothe and trigger memories. It is as such that music is most often used with Alzheimer’s patients. A new study suggests that music may also be used as a booster for learning new things, an ability very impaired in those with Alzheimer’s. Individuals with Alzheimer’s and matched controls were presented with unfamiliar songs lyrics: half of the lyrics were sung and half were merely spoken. Participants were then presented with the lyrics they had heard as well as with new ones, and asked whether they recognized any lyrics. Alzheimer’s patients’ memory was much better for sung lyrics than for spoken ones. There was no difference between the two types of lyrics for the healthy older adults. Why do people with Alzheimer’s seem to benefit from musical stimuli? The authors ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813479 Tue, 10 May 2011 20:53:14 +0100 4813479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803558&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2Fcatastrophising-and-maybe-what-to-do-about-it-for-subacutechronic-pain%2F This study is also an excellent one for looking at process, or how people change over time using a daily diary method. The finding in this paper suggests that one way for helping people be more resilient and modify their tendency towards catastrophising might be to help them identify and then pursue positive experiences during each day.  Scheduling pleasant or enjoyable events as part of a daily routine is certainly something any clinician can do, and often those pleasant events can be physical, such as going for a walk, playing with the kids, or even doing some stretches. Finally (but not the final word!), a study by McKnight and colleagues looked at the mediating effect of self efficacy on the relationship between catastrophising and disability.  In this study, participants with early ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803558 Tue, 10 May 2011 02:18:40 +0100 4803558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803320&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F75FcWMqfLxc%2F Individuals suffering from schizophrenia show social cognitive deficits, that is difficulties in perceiving and understanding the social world. Research shows that schizophrenia is accompanied by social cognition problems such as problems identifying facial expressions, understanding and responding to social cues (e.g., body language), understanding that others have different mental states and thoughts than oneself (also called Theory of mind). These deficits are usually persistent over time and resist pharmacological treatment. Interestingly, social cognition may be trainable. This recent article reviews the research and shows that social cognitive training programs : produce a moderate to large improvement in the recognition of facial emotions produce a smaller improvement in Theory of ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803320 Mon, 09 May 2011 18:23:19 +0100 4803320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794947&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FN2E6PwNshHU%2F What’s going on in the brain while we sleep? A lot! Specifically, processes supporting the consolidation of memories. This Dana Foundation article reviews fascinating studies in which memories are reactivated during sleep thanks to either an odor or an auditory cue. Results suggest that such reactivation leads to better memory: reactivation during slow-wave sleep supports the transfer of the memory representation from the hippocampus to long-term storage in the neocortex, and also strengthens it one possible application of such findings could be to overwrite unwanted traumatic memories another application would be to use the deep-sleep reactivation to enhance memories in students, or in elderly people with declining memory skills. More evidence then that a good night sleep should be part... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794947 Fri, 06 May 2011 15:32:12 +0100 4794947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789447&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FYaFAHUra1Jg%2F Chemo brain or chemo fog refers to the cognitive changes that can occur during and after chemotherapy. These changes may translate into memory lapses, motor problems, difficulty finding words and problems managing multiple tasks and learning new things. Although the causes of the phenomenon are still under debate, it is nonetheless a real problem, affecting 20% to 30% of breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. This New York Time article reports that chemo brain effects may be longer lasting than originally thought. “Chemo brain,” the foggy thinking and forgetfulness that cancer patients often complain about after treatment, may last for five years or more for a sizable percentage of patients, new research shows. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, is a vi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789447 Thu, 05 May 2011 15:38:14 +0100 4789447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4788721&cid=t_100597_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fmid-life-sleep-changes-may-accelerate.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4788721 Wed, 04 May 2011 15:51:00 +0100 4788721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780495&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F04%2Fmore-psychological-stuff-isnt-in-my-scope-of-practice-so-what-can-i-do%2F I promised there would be more on this topic – it’s a popular one and full of vexing questions.  I left off yesterday, after making four points that IMHO might help incorporate some of the psychosocial management to a nonpsychological practice.  They were: Give precise advice about what to do. Give reasons for your advice. Ask the person about their understanding of their pain. Make sure you give clear timeframes for any activity restrictions. The underlying rationale for each of these is to counter two main problems that appear to underpin the development of longterm disability associated with pain: catastrophising, or ‘thinking the worst’, and avoidance. This point is really important, so listen up! It’s not the presence of pain alone that is the problem.�... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780495 Tue, 03 May 2011 19:32:40 +0100 4780495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780387&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FgN8ti3FGolg%2F The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) is scheduled to be released in May 2013. This recent Dana Foundation article points out the need of a fundamentally different approach based on the new ways researchers use to study and understand mental illness. The problem with the DSM-IV, our current shared diagnostic language, is that a large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that it does a poor job of capturing either clinical and biological realities. In the clinic, the limitations of the current DSM-IV approach can be illustrated in three salient areas: (1) the problem of comorbidity, (2) the widespread need for “not otherwise specific (NOS)” diagnoses, and (3) the arbitrariness of diagnostic thresholds. Whatever the ultimate approach to the DSM-5, ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780387 Tue, 03 May 2011 18:18:02 +0100 4780387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775488&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F-Sex1u-XPZI%2F The brains of children with neurological disorders seems to exhibit signs of neuroplastic changes, suggesting compensatory mechanisms for the disorder. This result opens up the possibility that brain training may be useful to help these patients control their symptoms. The disorder studied was Tourette syndrome (TS), which usually become evident in early childhood or adolescence before the age of 18 years.  The symptoms are involuntary movements (tics) as well as verbal tics or vocalizations.  These tics are frequent, repetitive and rapid.  Most cases of TS are mild and people lead productive lives. Participants in the study (average age of 14) performed a motor task with high levels of manual conflict (they had to obey instructions such as press a left key in response to an arrow point... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775488 Mon, 02 May 2011 19:14:14 +0100 4775488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768119&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FB-OzoNkj7bM%2F This article by Greater Good Magazine discusses how med­i­tat­ing can increase the den­sity of gray mat­ter in brain regions asso­ci­ated with mem­ory, stress, and empa­thy.  The Benefits of a One-Time Cognitive Training Program: They last but wane over time as shown in the 3-month follow-up results of the IMPACT study. Can Direct Brain Stimulation Boost Performance? The answer seems to be yes, according to three studies using different types of electrical/magnetic brain stimulation. How the Brain of a Blind Person Rewires Itself: The brain areas devoted to vision in peo­ple with eye sight turn out to be respond­ing to speech in blind people. How are Young Brains Affected by Stress? An interesting article from the Dana Foundation on the consequences of early l... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768119 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:18 +0100 4768119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762849&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F8izzhHbkdFE%2F Darold Treffert, M.D. is considered one of the foremost experts on savantism in the world. Dr. Treffert has published two books on savant syndrome: “Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome” in 2006 and “Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired and Sudden Savant” in 2010. […] In his efforts to raise public understanding about autism and savant syndrome he has regularly appeared on programs such as 60 Minutes, Oprah, Today, CBS Evening News and many others. Dr. Treffert was a technical consultant to the award-winning movie Rain Man that made “autistic savant” household terms and he maintains a very popular website at www.savantsyndrome.com hosted by the Wisconsin Medical Society. Dr. Treffert was gracious enough to have a wide-ranging conve... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762849 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:06:39 +0100 4762849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753984&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fworking-inside-the-envelope-or-pushing-the-boundaries%2F This study examines four different treatments carried out in parallel, it’s an unblinded/masked randomised trial designed to establish the effectiveness of these treatments as well as the adverse events associated with each treatment, and reviews the outcomes up to one year after treatment ended. Participants were carefully selected to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, and it’s interesting to see that only 28% of the people initially recruited actually met these criteria, and of this group, only 71% or 641 people actually progressed through to treatment.  Thankfully the CONSORT trial profile included in the paper shows very clearly who was ‘in’ and who was ‘out’ – and why! Clinicians were carefully trained, supervised ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753984 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:35:40 +0100 4753984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762850&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJJpc_cY72x4%2F Discussion moved from cognitive fitness to neuroplasticity, across regulatory and policy trends, and new product launches by new and established players  What did we take home from the SharpBrains Summit? Was it novel consumer insights arising from a new retail landscape? What of policy initiatives from innovation clusters around the globe? Do you see a future populated by neuroscience toolkits, driven by the inexorable demographic changes set to occur in the coming decades? Or was it a look “under the hood” of technology platforms developed by category leaders that sharpened our insight? Here are 10 emerging themes: The Need for Standardization of methodologies A profusion of cognitive and emotional health tests, batteries and new technologies are crowding the research environment... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762850 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:41:34 +0100 4762850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753830&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJJpc_cY72x4%2F Discussion moved from cognitive fitness to neuroplasticity, across regulatory and policy trends, and new product launches by new and established players  What did we take home from the SharpBrains Summit? Was it novel consumer insights arising from a new retail landscape? What of policy initiatives from innovation clusters around the globe? Do you see a future populated by neuroscience toolkits, driven by the inexorable demographic changes set to occur in the coming decades? Or was it a look “under the hood” of technology platforms developed by category leaders that sharpened our insight? Here are 10 likely themes to emerge. The Need for Standardization of methodologies A profusion of cognitive and emotional health tests, batteries and new technologies are crowding the research env... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753830 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:41:34 +0100 4753830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747652&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Ffa0J3zFFe7A%2F URL: http://www.premier.net/~gero/contents.html“building a bridge between the past and the future…” Geropsychology Central helps those who are concerned with helping older persons and their families maintain well-being, overcome problems, and achieve maximum potential during later life stages. This site involves people who have particular knowledge, skill, training and experience related to the aging process, and in dealing with older persons and the special issues that affect them. For: Anyone, ConsumersTopics: Behaviour Management, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Fitness, Cognitive Training, Common Factors, Depression, General Psychology, Health Promotion, Health Psychology, Health and Social Services, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Qual... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747652 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:00:39 +0100 4747652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747619&cid=t_100597_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FOHY-ZNVzpjs%2F The LITFL Review is your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peaks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747619 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:47:48 +0100 4747619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744840&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FEbcqXrugPxg%2F URL: http://www.minddisorders.com/The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders contains medical articles on mental disorders and conditions. Over 150 mental disorders are organized alphabetically. For: AnyoneTopics: Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Common Factors, Diagnosis, Educational Psychology, General Psychology, Health Psychology, History of Psychology, Mental Health, OCR Level-A Psychology, Pediatric Depression, Psychodynamic, Social PsychologyFeatures: Articles, Databases, Glossary, e-learning The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders contains medical articles on mental disorders and conditions. Over 150 mental disorders are organized alphabetically. Here are examples of topics of articles on our website: Learning Disorders Magnetic resonance imaging Manic episode Multisyst... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744840 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:00:19 +0100 4744840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742535&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F0vszrfUIDvw%2F A new study suggests that virtual reality and other video games involving motion can enhance motor improvement after a stroke. The improvement seems to be greater than the one observed with traditional therapy. This result is quite promising since 55 to 75% of stroke survivors experience motor problem in their arms. The study was a meta-analysis that looked at 12 previously published studies, for a total of 195 patients. Most were observational studies in which the patients used a variety of virtual (e.g., Wii) and non-virtual  (e.g., Glasstron) games during therapy. In the 5 randomized studies, a group of patients was assigned to standard therapy and another to virtual reality therapy. Patients in virtual reality therapy had 4.89 times higher chance of improvement in motor strength... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742535 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:20:41 +0100 4742535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742536&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWMn1-gocfY8%2F SharpBrains served a highly thought-provoking and informative 2011 Virtual Summit on Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century over 3 days, March 30th — April 1st. Here is a brief distillation of the large number (40+) of presentations. 1.The range and variety of presentations left no room for doubt that the digital brain health market is concerned with much more than improving cognitive performance and preventing/treating disease. There is a need for many tools in each of the following categories: computerized assessment for myriad cognitive, psychological and neurological concerns; data analysis and recommendation systems; interventions for manifold clinical and non-clinical problems; measurement of the effectiveness of interventions; dynamic feedback and intervention adjustment. Sig... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742536 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:40:06 +0100 4742536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724050&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FZkidvf57iq0%2F In the past few days you may have come across headlines claiming that weight loss can improve memory. If so, you may be wondering what to make of this. Let’s take a brief look at the study at the origin of these articles. Participants were 109 bariatric surgery patients and 41 obese people (controls) who had not undergone surgery. Bariatric surgery refers mostly to gastric bypass surgery, which creates a smaller stomach and bypasses part of the small intestine. The bariatric patients were enrolled in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery project conducted, among others, by researchers at Kent State university and Columbia University. The memory of the 150 participants was assessed before the surgery as well as 12 weeks after. Results showed that the memory of the surgery patie... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724050 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:02:03 +0100 4724050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723946&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F16%2Fcan-drug-rehabs-treat-mood-disorders%2F Awhile back the Washington Post ran an excellent article by Maia Szalavitz entited, “So, What Made Me an Addict? Experts Debate Whether Disease or Defect Is to Blame.” This question is so crucial to how we treat persons suffering from both addiction and mental disorders, and especially how we deal with those with dual-diagnoses. Just after I was discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital, a friend of mine strongly encouraged me to go away to a halfway house of sorts for three or more months … where they treat addicts primarily, and some persons battling mental illness … in order to allow time to heal. I ran it by my doctor. Did she think three months of AA meetings and yoga and group therapy would pull me out of my depression? Her response was interesting, and one I re... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723946 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:10:54 +0100 4723946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676948&cid=t_100597_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Ffor-adhd-adult-patients-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-plus-medication-better-than-medication-alone.php For ADHD Adult Patients, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus Medication Better Than Medication Alone An adult with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who takes targeted medication combined with 1-on-1 sessions of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is likely to experience significantly greater improvement of symptoms compared to an ADHD adult patient who only has the medication, according to research published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), August 25th issue,2010 The authors wrote: Approximately 4.4% of adults in the United States have ADHD, which is a disorder characterized by impairing levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Medications have been the primary treatment; however, many adults with ADHD cannot or will not take medications whil... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676948 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4676948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664346&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FZZnoOyvpZ3k%2F Stress management is among the pillars of brain health maintenance. High and sustained levels of stress can indeed damage neurons, especially in areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory. What about the effect of stress on the developing brains of infants and children? What are the cognitive consequences? How can these be prevented? This interesting article reports findings from both animal and human research answering these questions: Brain development goes through sensitive periods during which stressors and nurturing experiences can have lasting effects Chaos in the home and inconsistent parenting impairs development of self regulatory behaviors, which can lead to substance abuse, earlier onset of sexual activity, bad decision making and poor mood control. … consistency a... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664346 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:10:08 +0100 4664346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664499&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F31%2Fmoodjuice%2F I had a nice email from James Hardie from Moodjuice website, an NHS Scotland site developed for both health professionals and individuals to access self help resources. For patients, the site starts by saying “Emotional problems are often the mind and body’s way of saying that something needs to be changed in our life” - I like that!  I like the way the patient area is based on practical problems like housing, childcare, hobbies and interests, meeting people, relationships and so on. For professionals, the feature that really appeals to me is the “build your own resource” area.  This enables you to put together the most relevant handouts for the person you’re seeing – a lovely feature! Then you can print the whole lot off, and it’s a pulled-tog... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664499 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:12:26 +0100 4664499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658414&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F30%2Fantioxidants-and-your-health%2F Antioxidants are good for your health. Or at least that is a popular claim. An antioxidant is any molecule that slows down or prevents oxidation reactions.  Originally, oxidation reactions were defined as chemical reactions with oxygen.  More recently, oxidation reactions have been described as reactions in which an atom or molecule loses an electron. Oxidation is a natural part of life.  Excessively high antioxidant levels are detrimental to health. Some people have suggested that oxidation reactions contribute to heart disease, declines in cognitive abilities, and cancer. “Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene have been shown to be antioxidants in a test tube, and it is often claimed that they and many other substances are able to function as antioxidants in the body. However, wh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658414 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:20:01 +0100 4658414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653457&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FzShGnBkdl60%2F Please note Summit Registration will remain open until Wednesday, March 30th, 4am US Pacific Time/ 7am US Eastern Time, just a few hours before Summit starts. To the 257 professionals, innovators and researchers who have registered so far: Welcome! You should have received an email with detailed log-in instructions a few hours ago, please contact us by sending a quick message if you haven’t, including your order number. To Learn More: 2011 SharpBrains Summit (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653457 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:27:27 +0100 4653457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642777&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FyyME_JEo_sk%2F Registration to participate in 2011 SharpBrains Virtual Summit closes tomorrow Tuesday, March 29th, at 1pm US Pacific Time/ 4pm US Eastern Time. If you are planning to attend, please Register Now. — We are hon­ored to announce that Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, US Depart­ment of Education’s Assis­tant Sec­re­tary for Voca­tional and Adult Edu­ca­tion, will open 2011 Sharp­Brains Virtual Summit on Wednesday, March 30th, shar­ing her Wel­come Remarks with 220+ registered participants. Brenda Dann-Messier was nom­i­nated by Pres­i­dent Obama as assis­tant sec­re­tary for voca­tional and adult edu­ca­tion on July 14, 2009. On Oct. 5, 2009 she was con­firmed by the U.S. Sen­ate and began her offi­cial duties on Oct. 13, 2009. More information on Dr. Dann-Messier’s bi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642777 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:05:10 +0100 4642777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642778&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FzMup-MmCrO0%2F We are honored to announce that Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, will open 2011 SharpBrains Virtual Summit next Wednesday, March 30th, sharing Welcome Remarks with all participants. Brenda Dann-Messier was nominated by President Obama as assistant secretary for vocational and adult education on July 14, 2009. On Oct. 5, 2009 she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and began her official duties on Oct. 13, 2009. As the first assistant secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) who is also an adult educator, Dann-Messier leads the Department’s efforts in adult education and career and technical education, as well as efforts supporting community colleges and correctional education. She o... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642778 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:27:05 +0100 4642778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636554&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2F27Ut8F4xPUE%2F It’s all in the timing: A psychologist measures how musicians communicate emotion Dan Levitin designed a psychology experiment using a special player piano to analyze and reproduce a performance without expressive elements, and versions in between. When participants ranked their preference of versions it was found they matched the most expressive, in which a musician uses variations in timing, loudness and softness to convey emotion. In the second brief video, part 2, Levitin discusses implications for synthesized music. Hat tip: Open Culture. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636554 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:53:36 +0100 4636554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636556&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fuf-Uf8VZ06k%2F This article reports the work of German researchers who looked at blind people’s brains to try to answer these questions. They found out that indeed, blind people can understand speech even if sped up beyond the maximum rate that sighted people can understand. This seemed possible because the brain areas devoted to vision in people with eye sight turned out to be responding to speech in blind people. 10 syllables per second [is] the absolute limit of comprehension for sighted people. Blind people, however, can comprehend speech sped up to 25 syllables per second. brain scanner revealed that in blind people the part of the cerebral cortex that normally responds to vision was responding to speech.…somehow an unsighted person’s brain rewires itself to connect auditory regions of the bra... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636556 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:45:35 +0100 4636556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636555&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F2MrgmzutFLQ%2Fembodied-cognition-with-lawrence-shapiro-bsp-73.html Discussion) Brooks, R. (1991) "New Approaches to Robotics," Science 253: 1227-32. Brooks, R. (1991) "Intelligence without Representation," Artificial Intelligence 47: 139-59. Clark, A. and Chalmer, D. (1998) "The Extended Mind." Analysis 58: 7-19. Glenberg, A. and Kaschak, M. (2002) "Grounding Lanquage in Action," Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 9: 558-65. Ehrlich, S., Levine, S., and Golden-Meadows, S. (2006) "The Importance of Gesture in Children's Spatial Reasoning," Developmental Psychology 42: 1259-68. Thelan, E. and Smith,L. (1994) A Dynamical Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action (Cambridge: MIT Press) See Episode Transcript for additional references.  Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast: Annoucements:   Join the discussion of this episode in... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636555 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:00:06 +0100 4636555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631562&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FFOBERNYpykU%2F As announced by the NIMH a few months ago, schizophrenia can now be considered as a brain disorder. Research is focusing on the cognitive deficits as the main problem of the disorder, probably preceding and perhaps leading to the symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. A recent article in the Psychiatric Times reviews the different cognitive remediation techniques used with people suffering from schizophrenia. This is of interest to anybody working on mental health. Indeed, as Sophia Vino­gradov, Interim Vice Chair Psy­chi­a­try at UCSF will discuss during the SharpBrains Summit (next week!) schizophrenia is leading the way in understanding how to identify and address brain-based cognitive deficits associated with the disorder. …most [Cognitive Remediation (CR) programs] are now c... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631562 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:48:44 +0100 4631562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4627006&cid=t_100597_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FxvJpTZODnZM%2Fchasing-rainbows-for-information-pot-of.html Yesterday was a day filled with addiction. Ah, the sweet glow of the screen. The endless stream of information just a tap away in my iPad. Twitter. Facebook. Links, links, links!I woke up very under the weather. Perhaps it was because Mother Nature had a bad case of Psuedo ADHD this month—not sure which season it was."Ooh! I want Spring!Ooh! Ooh! I want more snow!Ooh! I'll do both!Ooh! Ooh! A rainbow!"She's been like a newborn puppy frolicking about after butterflies, though truth be told, the butterflies have had the good sense to wait for Mother Nature to make her mind up this year before making an appearance. Yes, I realize that the caterpillars have to arrive first. Don't mess with my metaphor.At any rate, yesterday I was not as frolicsome as a puppy or as flittery as a butterfly. In... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4627006 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:00:02 +0100 4627006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622371&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FlWy_pki3qbY%2F We are pleased to make eleven important announcements about the upcoming 2011 SharpBrains Virtual Summit…eleven additional reasons to consider registering and joining our event and community next week. Intel Corporation, the “Sponsors of Tomorrow™”, and Lumos Labs have become Summit Gold Sponsors. SharpBrains will issue a Certificate of Attendance to participants (20 hours of continuing education). Jamie Wilson shares 20 reasons why virtual conferences are the future. NIH/ NIA Program Chief Molly Wagster will discuss the new NIH Tool­box for Assess­ment of Neu­ro­log­i­cal and Behav­ioral Func­tion. Yaakov Stern (Columbia), David Darby (CogState), Keith Wesnes (United BioSource) and Jef­frey Kaye (Orcatech) will explore The Role of Cog­ni­tive Health Mon­i­tor­ing S... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622371 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:37:03 +0100 4622371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615262&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FI6O2P1izyjA%2F Fetuses and newborns react preferentially to their mother’s voice. A recent study looked for the first time at what is going on in a newborn brain when hearing his mother’s voice and a stranger’s voice. Results showed that not only newborns process their mother’s voice more actively than that of a stranger but they also process it differently. Researchers looked at the brain activity in response to voices (mother and female stranger) in 16 newborn babies (mean age: 21 hours), by applying electrodes to their heads while they were sleeping. Both the mother and a female nurse (who had visited the mother several times before the birth) were asked to make the short ‘A’ vowel sound. The mother’s voice processing initially activated the left posterior temporal lobe, an area particul... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615262 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:36:55 +0100 4615262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615450&cid=t_100597_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fmaking-self-help-more-helpful%2F In this study, Varley, Webb and Sheeran contacted (via email) the students and staff at a university in the UK.  People who were already being treated for anxiety were excluded, and the remaining participants (251 of them) were randomised into three groups.  All of them completed baseline Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, developed by Zigmond and Snaith, 1983) and the state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, and Jacobs, 1983). One group received no input, while the other two groups were asked to go to a web page where they downloaded a self-help booklet.  Both of the booklets were the same eight-page booklet containing psychoeducation, diary sheets for self-monitoring triggers and feelings, and two relaxation techniques &#... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615450 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:20:16 +0100 4615450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610895&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWmRE0YNJTlA%2F Conferences have long been a staple of the professional calendar. Now, after a recession that has slashed travel expenditure, the landscape for events is changing. Sophisticated digital platforms are enabling virtual environments that simulate the benefits of real events, and attendees are beginning to shift to accessing subject matter experts and industry networking online. But can the digital environment really displace brick and mortar events, where eye to eye meetings and chance connections can justify the often costly registration fees and travel costs? In organizations where hundreds of executives and professionals attend several conferences a year at $1,000 or more each in total cost, a virtual conference at $500 can be attractive. Making virtual connections at an online conference ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610895 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:49:41 +0100 4610895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605930&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FmomsnzcNFt4%2F Neurons in the brain transmit information by exchanging electrical and chemical signals. What would happen if these electrical signals were transformed by applying an external current? Could this help boost brain functions? In this article, Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is reported to help people solve brain-teasers. In the study weak currents altered the activity of neurons in the anterior temporal lobes through electrodes on the scalp. Read more In this other article another technique was used: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS works by generating a magnetic field that passes the scalp and the skull. In the study an exploratory use of TMS combined with cognitive training was tested for a few months on 8 Alzheimer’s patients. The results were promising. Read ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605930 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:39:52 +0100 4605930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605873&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F17%2F6-signs-its-time-to-dump-your-therapist%2F Sometimes a therapist just isn’t that into you. After all, a psychotherapy relationship isn’t just about teaching cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, or analyzing dreams. It’s about a human connection between two people — one person in need, and the other person who is there to act as a wise guide, teacher, and supporter through a process of change. Most therapists are pretty good at what they do. But even a good therapist may not always be the right fit for you. It’s similar to when you interview for a job where you feel like your resume is a perfect fit for the company, yet you don’t get the job. Perhaps the interview didn’t go as well as you thought, because the employer isn’t just looking for the best candidate — they’re ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605873 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:00:03 +0100 4605873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592532&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FCc5NbTKqPmo%2F Do you remember the IMPACT study published in 2009? It was a randomized clinical trial with healthy older adults that compared a computer-based cognitive program that trains audi­tory pro­cess­ing (Brain Fitness Program, Posit Science) with educational video programs (control group). People who used the program improved in the trained tasks, which was not that surprising, but there was also a clear ben­e­fit in audi­tory mem­ory, which wasn’t directly trained. A 2011 paper reports the 3-month follow-up results of the IMPACT study. The 487 participants in the original study were 65 and older. Training was 1 hour a day, 4 to 5 days a week, for a total of 40 hours in 8 to 10 weeks. There was no contact with the researchers between the initial training study and the follow-up study. T... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592532 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:26:01 +0100 4592532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592533&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F6rcGkHQY08o%2F Got a Brain? If so, please join us in celebrating Brain Awareness Week (March 14-20th), the annual global campaign organized by the Dana Foundation to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. Want to learn about activities in your area? Please visit BAW’s International Calendar of events. Want to discuss professional implications from this research, cross-sector partnerships and industry opportunities? Consider registering for our very own BAW Partner event, the 2011 SharpBrains Summit (March 30th — April 1st). (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592533 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:10:25 +0100 4592533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560352&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fdoes-interpersonal-psychotherapy-work-for-depression%2F Psychotherapy. You know, I spend a lot of time talking about it here, and it’s no wonder — it’s an effective treatment modality that too many people simply aren’t even considering. Much less using. Psychotherapy research is less likely to be biased than other types of treatment research, too, because researchers tend not to be treatment providers nor have any direct (or even indirect) financial incentives in the outcomes of their research. Sure, there remains the “publication bias” that affects all research, but generally speaking, I tend to trust psychotherapy research data more than I do most psychiatric medication research. So I was interested to read a recent meta-analysis on a specific form of psychotherapy called interpersonal psychotherapy for th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560352 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:10:08 +0100 4560352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560440&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FQXbljhNuPqU%2F Editor’s Note: We are pleased to bring you this arti­cle by Jason Marsh, thanks to our col­lab­o­ra­tion with the Greater Good Mag­a­zine. ——————- I consider myself something of a prospective meditator—meaning that a serious meditation practice is always something I’m about to start… next week. So for years, I’ve been making a mental note of new studies showing that meditation can literally change our brain structure in ways that might boost concentration, memory, and positive emotions. The results seem enticing enough to make anyone drop into the full lotus position—until you read the fine print: Much of this research involves people who have meditated for thousands of hours over many years; some of it zeroes in on Olympic-level meditators who have clocked 1... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560440 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:27:50 +0100 4560440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560441&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FYiBAxUUfUnY%2F The same way a brain fitness software program can help increase driving safety for older adults, simple cognitive tests may help determine whether a person can drive safely after a stroke. A recent study analyzed 30 previous studies in which the participants’ driving skills after a stroke were tested in an on-road evaluation. 1,728 individuals with an average age of 61 were involved. On average, 9 months had passed between the stroke and the driving evaluation. Note that 54 percent of the participants passed the on-road evaluation. The authors of the analysis looked for tests scores that could predict the actual driving evaluation outcome. They identified 3 simple cognitive tests that did quite well: a Road Sign Recognition test (assessing traffic knowledge and visual comprehension) a C... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560441 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:59:02 +0100 4560441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549823&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F5UgK_ABDmck%2F We have received a very thoughtful complaint about yesterday’s message, so let me take a few minutes to address it and to answer other frequently asked questions on the 2011 SharpBrains Summit. Complaint: “Why do people who procrastinate and sign up late warrant a special “perk” (referring to the “Integrative Neuroscience and Personalized Medicine” reference book we offered yesterday)? If that is the kind of business ethic you promote it almost makes me want to cancel my earlier registration.” That is an excellent point, which we did take into account but did not communicate properly. The reason we felt it was fine to offer such a “perk” was because discounted early-bird rates had just expired. Assuming 20–30 people register to the Summit by end of today, this gives th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549823 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:42:22 +0100 4549823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544968&cid=t_100597_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-fatigue-syndrome-can-psychotherapy-and-exercise-help%2F2011.03.03 [Recently] in The New York Times, David Tuller [wrote] about a study published in The Lancet that shows that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. In his article ”Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue, Study Shows,” Tuller writes: The new study, conducted at clinics in Britain and financed by that country’s government, is expected to lend ammunition to those who think the disease is primarily psychological or related to stress. The authors note that the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy, the type of psychotherapy tested in the study, is to change the psychological factors “assumed to be responsible for perpetuation of the participant’s symptoms and disability.” In the long-awaited study, patients who were randomly assigned to receive c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544968 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4544968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545073&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F2auDQU_j8WI%2F CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Accelerating the Future of Personalized Medicine, Evian Gordon, MD, PhD and Stephen H. Koslow, PhD -> Learn More and Register to Participate in the Summit Here, and get a chance at getting a complimentary copy of the book Integrative Neuroscience and Personalized Medicine! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545073 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:40:11 +0100 4545073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540732&cid=t_100597_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2Fwu9WsxM9XOc%2Fdouble-fisted-typing-action.html Perhaps the most unappreciated feature on my blog is the Distracted Writers Club. I can't imagine why. Who wouldn't find the blood pounding in their veins when reading about stupendous goals like writing 25 words in ONE SINGLE DAY‽ Ironically, this feeble goal was key to transforming my writing productivity. I’ve stated before that writing a lot wasn’t a problem for me. In fact, I can spout my opinion here so easily that I’ve given myself an artificial cap of 900 words per post just to spare you. The problem was sitting down and beginning. For some reason creative writing was difficult for me. I just couldn’t justify it. Perhaps because the reward was so far off in the future. With blogging, the rewards were more immediate. Google ranking. Subscribers. Page views. Comments (... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540732 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:41:21 +0100 4540732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536136&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FEm0llE1r6X0%2F URL: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/The Association for Psychological Science (previously the American Psychological Society) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of scientific psychology and its representation at the national and international level. For: Anyone, ResearchersTopics: ADHD, Academia, Addiction, Anxiety, Attachment, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Educational Psychology, General Psychology, General Science, Health and Social Services, Psycho-educationFeatures: Articles, Careers, Collaborative News, Group Management, Journals, Links, Networking, Resources, Societal or Organizational Membership The Association for Psychological Science (previously the American Psychological Society) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the adva... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536136 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:00:29 +0100 4536136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532378&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FVk4B07Z6vV8%2F Most parents want the best for their children and hope they will be healthy, happy and smart individuals. And most parents wonder what they should do to make sure this happens. In Brain Rules for Baby, John Medina (author of Brain Rules), provides a good summary of cognitive science findings that shed light on how a baby’s brain grows from 0 to 5.  In this book you learn as much about factors inherent to a child that parents cannot control (the seeds) and factors that parents can control (the soil). What follows is an excerpt from the “Smart Baby: Seeds” chapter in which John Medina describes the many “ingredients that make up the human intelligence stew”.  2. Self Control A healthy, well­-adjusted preschooler sits down at a table in front of two giant, freshly baked chocolate... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532378 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:43:09 +0100 4532378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532379&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FsdlqkXmDu3M%2F This study supports that patients with vit­a­min D defi­ciency show an increased risk of cog­ni­tive decline. Baby Sleeps and Brain Development: How much sleep a 12 month old baby gets can influ­ence the devel­op­ment of his/her exec­u­tive func­tions. PTSD: Can we Disrupt the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories? A discussion of the dif­fer­ent tech­niques used/ under research that can help PTSD patients. ; Books and Summit Updates Visual Illusions in Art and Science: These surprising classic illusions illustrate how art and magic can help science in undertansing how we perceive the world around us. 2011 SharpBrains Summit Agenda: You can now view the latest Agenda for the whole Summit and a 3-minute clip to learn how the SharpBrains Virtual Sum­mit: Retooling Brai... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532379 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:07:18 +0100 4532379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525053&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F26%2F10-forms-of-twisted-thinking%2F Both David Burns (bestselling author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and Abraham Low (founder of Recovery, Inc.) teach techniques to analyze negative thoughts (or identify distorted thinking — what psychologists call “cognitive distortions”) so to be able to disarm and defeat them. Since Low’s language is a bit out-dated, I list below Burns’ “Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking,” (adapted from his “Feeling Good” book, a classic read) categories of dangerous ruminations, that when identified and brought into your consciousness, lose their power over you. 1. All-or-nothing thinking (a.k.a. my brain and the Vatican’s): You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories. 2. Overgeneralization (also a favorite): You view a nega... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525053 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:17:59 +0100 4525053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522189&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FEu6bR1jN2O4%2F Here is a fun and interactive version of the famous Stroop test. This test is used in neu­ropsy­cho­log­i­cal eval­u­a­tions to mea­sure men­tal speed and flex­i­bil­ity, the hallmarks of executive functions. Performing well on the test requires strong atten­tion and self-regulation. Your job is to name the colors of the words. Do NOT read the words but the color of the ink used to write the words. For example, if the word “GREEN” is printed in a red color, you should say “RED” (and refrain from saying “GREEN”!) Speed matters so try to say the colors as fast as you can. A nice feature here: You will be able to record your reaction times. Ready to have fun? GO (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522189 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:16:23 +0100 4522189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532380&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJcpGWkYHsIk%2F The 2011 SharpBrains Summit: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century (March 30 — April 1st) is just 5 weeks away. You can Learn More and Register Today HERE. Don’t miss the opportunity to join an incredible line-up of 36+ confirmed Speakers, 7 Sponsors/ Exhibitors, 13 Partners, and 150+ Participants as of today, all available to you without any travel involved. Sponsors Sponsorship Opportunities Want to announce or promote your service or product at the 2011 SharpBrains Summit? Maximize your marketing and business development reach & make a big splash in front of our prestigious audience! Only two Sponsorship spots are still available and going fast! Click here for information about the various ways to get involved. Summit Partners Remember… Learn More and Register Today HE... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532380 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:06:23 +0100 4532380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517252&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FJcpGWkYHsIk%2F The 2011 SharpBrains Summit: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century (March 30 — April 1st) is just 5 weeks away. Rates go up THIS FRIDAY at 5PM EST, so please Learn More and Register Today HERE. Don’t miss the opportunity to join an incredible line-up of 36+ confirmed Speakers, 7 Sponsors/ Exhibitors, 13 Partners, and 150+ Participants as of today, all available to you without any travel involved. Sponsors Sponsorship Opportunities Want to announce or promote your service or product at the 2011 SharpBrains Summit? Maximize your marketing and business development reach & make a big splash in front of our prestigious audience! Only two Sponsorship spots are still available and going fast! Click here for information about the various ways to get involved. Summit Partners Rates ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517252 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:06:23 +0100 4517252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512502&cid=t_100597_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fcog-fog-multiple-sclerosis-cognitive-fog%2F I’m told by those who have cared for someone with Alzheimer’s disease that the hardest part is when the patient emerges, momentarily, from their dementia and it is evident by the look on their face (or comments) that they know exactly what is happening to them. While we know that multiple sclerosis isn’t Alzheimer’s, many of us are cognizant of the fact that “cog-fog” is a part of MS too. The anecdotal reports of treatment for CCSVI (the narrowing of veins which is theorized to be a contributing factor in MS) include a lifting of cog-fog as a major benefit. This “brain fog,” as it’s sometimes called, is difficult to pigeonhole in the realm of direct MS symptoms because teasing it from co-morbidities such as depression and fatigue can prove beyond the abilities of patients... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512502 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:52:36 +0100 4512502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507427&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F3ESQXRW2Tms%2F Cognitive performance can be improved but people vary in their ability to do so. It is not clear yet how to assess who will benefit the most from training and the cognitive tests used in the past were not very good at predicting this.   Dr. Kramer and his colleagues recently showed that the brain activity in a specific part of the brain (the dorsal striatum) at the start of training in a complex video-game could accurately predict how well people will benefit from the training.  Thirty-four young adults with little experience in playing video games were trained to play a complex video game called Space Fortress. After initial instruction, they played the game while their brains were being scanned using fMRI. For the next three to eight weeks (38 days on average) they completed ten two-... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507427 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:33:25 +0100 4507427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501689&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FfdPGYPyz51Y%2F The following is an excerpt from “Sleights of Minds: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions.” by Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde with Sandra Blakeslee, published by Henry Holt and Co., LLC (© 2010 by  Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde). Visual illusions are fascinating. They have both been used by artists and studied by scientists. Read on to learn how art can help science understand the secrets of how we perceive the world around use. Chapter 3. The Brother who Faked a Dome Visual Illusions in Art and Science Vision scientists like us seek to understand how we see, from both a psychological and a biological perspective, and our discipline has a long tradition of studying visual artists such as painters and sculptors. Scientists d... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501689 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:37:23 +0100 4501689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498274&cid=t_100597_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-experts-raise-alarms-about-aggressive-marketing%2F2011.02.19 A paper published in the February issue of Health Affairs – discussed at length in an article in the New York Times – contains the sort of blunt, plain-spoken language you seldom read in academic journals. The authors, who include some of the most prominent neuroscientists and ethicists in the world, warn that manufacturers are misusing the FDA’s humanitarian device exemption to promote deep brain stimulation as a “treatment” for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, they make clear that deep brain stimulation is very much an experimental procedure. Research is still at an early stage, and the risks to patients are not well defined. When suffering is severe and no other treatment has provided relief, there is value in making available an intervention like deep b... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498274 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:00:39 +0100 4498274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495323&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FGBUbT_mlCGg%2F Some sports such as foot­ball are par­tic­u­larly vio­lent and many play­ers suf­fer con­cus­sions. Con­cus­sions can cause a vari­ety of phys­i­cal, cog­ni­tive, and emo­tional symp­toms. Although symp­toms usu­ally go away within a few weeks with­out treat­ment, they may per­sist, or com­pli­ca­tions (such as demen­tia) may occur. Recent evidence shows that even hits to the head that do not lead to a concussion can impair visual memory. Detecting concussions is thus becoming critical in high-contact sports. A new test that can be performed at the sideline of sporting events seems to accurately detect concussions by looking at different types of eye movements that are usually abnormal after a concussion: The test, called the King-Devick test, captures impairment... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495323 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:57:40 +0100 4495323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489816&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FobcTqPEVmCU%2F We are pleased to announce two new resources for all professionals, researchers, developers, innovators and decision-makers in the field of brain health and cognitive fitness who are interested in better tracking and shaping the future that is already here. First of all, we have opened up a “Friends of SharpBrains.com” professional networking group on LinkedIn. If you are already a LinkedIn member, you can join the 377 existing members by clicking Here. Second, registered participants for the upcoming 2011 SharpBrains Summit (March 30 — April 1st) can now connect with each other and with speakers, as well as access 10 exclusive Innovation Case Studies prepared by the Win­ners and Final­ists of the 2010 Brain Fitness Innovation Awards. Ordered by approximate age group of the target ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489816 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:43:32 +0100 4489816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477919&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F8T-GC7lWqb4%2F What better way to celebrate Valentines’ day than to accompany Marian Diamond on her search for love and wisdom in the brain? Dr. Diamond is Pro­fes­sor of Neu­ro­science and Anatomy at UC-Berkeley  and one of the world’s fore­most researchers on neu­ro­plas­tic­ity and enrich­ment. In the 60s, her  pioneer work demonstrated the impact of physical and intellectual stimulation on brain functions. In this article she tells us why it matters to love our brains as well as where to look for love in the brain: … if everyone understood what we know today about his or her body and worked to keep it fit, and everyone practiced the golden rule, how much we could all enjoy, study, and maintain our beautiful earth to its fullest extent. But for all of this ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477919 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:34:11 +0100 4477919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470466&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fthecognitive-atlas-project-way-cool.html Very intriguing article and description of the Cognitive Atlas Project, a scientific social collaborative knowledge project.Poldrack, R. A. (2010). Mapping Mental Function to Brain Structure: How Can Cognitive Neuroimaging Succeed? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 753-761AbstractThe goal of cognitive neuroscience is to identify the mapping between brain function and mental processing. In this article, I examine the strategies that have been used to identify such mappings and argue that they may be fundamentally unable to identify selective structure–function mappings. To understand the functional anatomy of mental processes, it will be necessary for researchers to move from the brain-mapping strategies that the field has employed toward a search for selective associations. Th... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470466 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:04:00 +0100 4470466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470451&cid=t_100597_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F12%2Fare-we-rational-animals-part-2%2F This is the second in a two-part discussion about human rationality. Click to read Part 1, Are We Rational Animals?. Intelligence as a predictor of rationality Some may be surprised to learn that high levels of intelligence do not necessarily indicate high levels of rationality.  In fact, some people may rank high in intelligence while low in rationality.  There is more to sound thinking than intelligence. Below is a list of rational thinking tasks and their association with cognitive ability/intelligence from Stanovich (2010, p.221). Tasks that fail to show associations with cognitive ability Noncausal base-rate usage (Stanovich & West, 1998c, 1999, 2008) Conjunction fallacy between subjects (Stanovich & West, 2008) Framing between subjects (Stanovich & West, 2008) Anchori... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470451 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:44:23 +0100 4470451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464596&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwejuIjZ-Z6Y%2F Both children and adults need a good night sleep to function at their best. A recent study, summarized here, suggests that this is true for babies too: How much sleep a 12 month old baby gets can influence the development of his/her executive functions. Executive functions, supported by the frontal lobes of the brain, are often considered as indicators of children’s likelihood of succeeding in school. They involve decision-making, problem-solving, plan­ning, inhibit­ing, as well as other high-level func­tions (social behav­ior, emo­tional con­trol, work­ing mem­ory, etc.). Researchers asked parents to complete three-day sleep journals when their infants were 12 and 18 months.[…] three variables were identified: total hours of sleep, percentage of total sleep occurring between 7... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464596 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:16:50 +0100 4464596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460053&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F2HoNJkXp0Bo%2F CONCLUSION In terms of the first hour or so of play, users in this age group will be most motivated to engage with mobile brain training game technology when it’s perceived as providing a good challenge, of some practical benefit and is in some way familiar. Users will see usability issues, poor communication from the game and games that are inappropriately timed, i.e. too fast, as barriers to engagement. You can help us further understand what constitutes an enjoyable puzzle game experience for seniors by downloading the free iPhone app and participating in the next study. – Donal O’Brien is a PhD candidate at the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Queen’s University Belfast. His work is concerned with mobile digital game design and evaluation for seniors. His main interests are ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460053 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:23:12 +0100 4460053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455363&cid=t_100597_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FR9zgtX2BwpU%2F This article from the Dana Foundation asks a very interesting question: Can we disrupt the reconsolidation of traumatic memories that contribute to PTSD and bring relief to patients suffering from this disorder? This complete and stimulating read tells us how memories are formed and consolidated. The authors discuss the different techniques used or under research that can help PTSD patients. Since available therapies have success rates of only 60%, this is a pressing topic these days. The ethical question of whether it is okay to look for solutions to erase memories is also raised. Related article: Can Brain Fitness Innovation Enhance Cognitive Rehab? (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455363 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:04:49 +0100 4455363