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 'computerized'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:24:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934549&cid=t_190092_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=4560274&cid=t_190092_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadvice-from-the-emr-trenches%2F2011.03.07 The latest from moi: “Implementing Electronic Medical Records: Advice from the Trenches” in the March/April 2011 issue of HIT Exchange magazine. An excerpt: The news released in late December from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that more than half of the nation’s physicians are now using electronic medical records (EMR)—double the adoption rate of just five years ago—is surely worth celebrating. Until, that is, you take a look and realize that just a fourth of office-based physicians have access to a “basic” EMR system including patient history, demographics, problem lists, clinical notes, and computerized physician order entry (CPOE), while just one in 10 has a “fully functional” system, which also includes the communication system required for me... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560274 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4560274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304984&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FMS2qn5Ph1As%2F Here is a news digest on brain training to start your stimulating New Year: Brain training games: Do they work? This piece explores the world of computerized brain training software: Who uses them? Are they worth the expense? You can also check out Sharpbrains Program Evaluation checklist to learn about the 10 ques­tions to ask when choosing a brain fit­ness pro­gram. Protect your brain: The new issue for athletes. Learn more about ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), the computerized clinical report which is quickly becoming the norm for high schools and colleges in determining an athlete’s cognitive brain function. For basic information on concussions and concussion-types sport-related damages, click here. Brain training: What’s the “true” pic... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304984 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:49:57 +0100 4304984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285201&cid=t_190092_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finterview-%25e2%2580%2593-informatics-nurse%2F2010.12.23 Ever wonder how all those hospital systems are created and maintained? (Computer charting, systems to report data to national and state organizations, to name a couple.) Sure, they could hire some IT guy to run them, but everything seems to flow better with a nurse’s touch. After all, we’re the ones using them all the time, right?  Jen C, RN, BSN almost MSN gives us a look into the world of nursing informatics. Jen has been doing this job for two years. She says she “stumbled into it” when she was interviewing for a new job and mentioned that she was starting her master’s in informatics. Although she was hired to be a staff nurse, within four months she was working in informatics. What do you do all day? Each day is different. I do a lot of troubleshooting. I go to a lot o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285201 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:00:59 +0100 4285201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245354&cid=t_190092_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fdoes-the-gre-measure-anything-related-to-graduate-school%2F The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is required for admission to many graduate schools around the country. The computerized test includes verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections.   The test was designed to predict success in graduate school. The research, however, does not support the idea that a high GRE score will predict graduate school success. Sternberg & Williams (1997) conducted a study to investigate how well GRE scores predicted graduate students’ success. Forty psychology faculty members at Yale were asked to rate graduate students’ abilities on five scales:  analytical, creative, practical, research and teaching.   The researchers also looked at first- and second-year student’s grade point averages, and overall evaluations of disserta... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245354 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:56:11 +0100 4245354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214314&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FDez2pHrB7PU%2F Everyone these days is talking about education and testing reform, but why is relevant brain research often ignored? Which organ if not the brain does the learning and teaching part? Renowned educator and brain expert Dr. Robert Sylwester shares his recommended Top Brain Books for Educators and Learners to help inform the conversation. A must read! Save the Date: the 2011 SharpBrains Summit, the second edition of our annual industry and research conference, will take place virtually from March 28th to March 31st 2010. Details will follow soon. Without further ado…please enjoy the November edition of our monthly eNewsletter: Research Bites Football and brain damage: In high-contact sports such as football, even hits not lead­ing to con­cus­sions can affect the brain. How to take o... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214314 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:33:36 +0100 4214314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172190&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FQ-06a2iBcN0%2F You have probably noticed the increasing amount of research and media coverage focused on “working memory”. What is working memory? Why do we care? How can we best enhance it? Working memory is the ability to keep information current in mind for a short period, while using this information for the task at hand. Working memory is supported by regions of the frontal lobes (in blue here) and parietal lobes (in yellow). Let’s take a few concrete examples to understand in which situations working memory is used. Situation 1: You are just back from your coffee break and your colleague, who is running in the hallway to catch up with the boss, tells you that Mr. Brown just called and can see you either on the 18th at 2:30pm or on the 20th at 9am. Your brain holds on to that information long... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172190 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:11:45 +0100 4172190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862102&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FE76ruBRg4FI%2F Brain fitness programs may help weak elderly walk faster (press release) A study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found preliminary evidence that brain fitness programs may help frail elderly walk faster, potentially preventing disability and improving quality of life. For walking while talking — which requires considerably more concentration than normal walking — the seniors who took computer training notably improved compared with their initial speeds. By contrast, no improvement in walking speed was observed for the control group. (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862102 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:53:03 +0100 3862102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827188&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FmoCgaTUZUos%2F In conclusion, results from this follow-up study provide evidence that neurofeedback can yield enduring benefits for some children with ADHD. As suggested by the authors, it may be an important component of a multimodal treatment program but its consistent use as a stand alone treatment does not seem to be supported by the findings reported here. – Dr. David Rabiner is a child clin­i­cal psy­chol­o­gist and Direc­tor of Under­grad­u­ate Stud­ies in the Depart­ment of Psy­chol­ogy and Neu­ro­science at Duke Uni­ver­sity. His research focuses on var­i­ous issues related to ADHD, the impact of atten­tion prob­lems on aca­d­e­mic achieve­ment, and atten­tion train­ing. He also pub­lishes Atten­tion Research Update, a com­pli­men­tary online newslet­ter that h... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827188 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:24:15 +0100 3827188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714311&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FiGhbnYRh3c8%2F Karolinska Development to divest portfolio company (press release) “Today, Karolinska Development has divested Cogmed, one of Karolinska Development’s portfolio companies, to Pearson where it will become part of Pearson’s Clinical Assessment business.” Why does it make all the sense in the world for a large publisher with heavy educational and clinical operations to acquire a computerized cognitive training company like Cogmed? and, why Pearson? Read more (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714311 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:51:38 +0100 3714311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617951&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fcurious-reading-about-neuropsychology.html Study raises questions about military's brain injury assessment toolBY KATHERINE MCINTIRE PETERS 24 May 2010next.gov.com (Source: BrainBlog) BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617951 Mon, 31 May 2010 20:42:00 +0100 3617951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3399048&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F-V4ktNxBuUI%2F Excellent article in the UK’s newspaper The Independent on the growing adoption of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) by the National Health Service (NHS). Very relevant to the US too, given that a growing number of insurers are offering computerized CBT. Quotes: “Why are we asking this now? There is growing frustration among GPs at the difficulty they face in providing psychological therapy for patients with mental problems including depression. A survey by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) published at the weekend found almost two-thirds of respondents said they were “rarely” able to obtain treatment for patients within two months. Getting help for children who had suffered abuse or trauma was even more difficult. Professor Steve Field, the presi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3399048 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:38:14 +0100 3399048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804078&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fcomputerized-cognitive-testing-in.html A United BioSource Corporation press release from 10th September, 2009:United BioSource Corporation (UBC) today announced the acquisition of Cognitive Drug Research, Ltd. (CDR), the leader in computerized cognitive testing for clinical trials. The CDR System is the most widely used computerized cognitive testing system in the world: it is used in more than 1000 trials encompassing approximately 50 different disease areas, validated in over 60 languages, and cited in more than 700 publications and abstracts. Additionally, CDR maintains the industry’s largest healthy subject, patient, and drug databases of cognitive effects, providing the standard for establishing the clinical relevance of compounds.Read the full press release (Source: BrainBlog) BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804078 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:56:00 +0100 2804078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695489&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fneuropsychology-abstract-of-day_12.html CONCLUSIONS:: Computerized cognitive training long after the cerebral malaria episode has immediate benefit on some neuropsychological and behavioral functions in African children. The long-term benefit of this intervention needs to be investigated.PMID: 19668094 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: BrainBlog) BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695489 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:16:00 +0100 2695489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602105&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FK6SqC-qPCLo%2F The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety just started to recommend a new driver safety program called DriveSharp (see AAA and Posit Release Program to Improve Drivers' Minds), developed by Posit Science. DriveSharp is a computerized cognitive assessment and training tool based on Karlene Ball's research on older adults' cognitive fitness and driving.  In the press release for the agreement, Peter Kissinger, driver safety research and policy veteran and CEO of the AAA Foundation, says that "Part of making our nation's roads safer is helping mature drivers who wish to stay active - a quickly growing population - maintain or improve their driving safety." We have Peter Kissinger with us to discuss the context for this innovative initiative. Peter, I appreciate your time. In order to s... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602105 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:18:19 +0100 2602105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2550271&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwqZRH9S9VxM%2F (Editor's Note: I recently came across an excellent book and resource, The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems, recently released in paperback. Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, one of the authors and leading Alzheimer's expert, kindly helped us create a 2-part article series to share with SharpBrains readers advice on a very important question, "How can we help the public at large to distinguish Alzheimer's Disease from normal aging --- so that an interest in early identification doesn't translate into unneeded worries?" What follows is an excerpt from the book, pages 72-78, discussing the Pros and Cons of the most common assessments). --- While no single test (other than a brain biopsy, which is a very invasive and risky proc... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2550271 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:37:04 +0100 2550271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511976&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F_61B2ooGmnw%2F Given the whole distracting "controversy" of whether Nintendo Brain Age "works" or not, I have started to use the following "brain teasers" in my talks in order to help the audience gain a more useful perspective of what is going on. They worked great both in the Medicare Readmissions Summit in DC a few weeks ago, and at the Games for Heath Conference last week. Q: How many soldiers in the US Army have gone through computerized cognitive testing before being deployed, and why? A: Over 150,000, in order to establish an objective starting baseline and identify potential PTSD and TBI problems upon their return Q: How big is the ongoing investment by OptumHealth, a division of UnitedHealth Group (UNH), in developing computerized cognitive assessments to inform cli... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511976 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:07:33 +0100 2511976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2034174&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F481793752%2F Crisp CNN article: Boom times for brain training games Including my final quote "[Brain fitness] is not just some fad. The market is much deeper than Nintendo." The "brain fitness center" financed by Ontario is Baycrest. Companies mentioned: Mindfit, Posit Science, Nintendo, Allstate, BrainBuilder, MyBrainTrainer. The reporter and I also discussed in depth the need for better consumer education and professional development, so people can make informed decisions, and for cognitive assessments to serve as independent baseline, help identify priorities and measure results. Please note that our market estimates do include revenues of computerized cognitive assessments, today mostly used in clinical trials, and wthin the military and sports teams. Allstate, Baycrest, Bra... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2034174 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:34:54 +0100 2034174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2006971&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F472517560%2F We have just announced an upcoming webinar to provide a market update:  Top 10 Cognitive Fitness Events of 2008 - A Market Update. When: Thursday December 11th, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm Pacific Time. The same webinar will be repeated on Thursday December 18th, from 9:00 to 10:00 pm Pacific Time. The Top 10 Cognitive Fitness Events that will be discussed include: 1) February: Dakim secures a $10.6m investment from Galen Partners. Jack LaLanne becomes spokesperson. 2) April: The Government of Ontario, Canada, invests $10m in Baycrest to develop and commercialize cognitive fitness technologies. 3) April: University of Michigan researchers reveal in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences how computerized working memory training can generalize and improve fluid intelligence in heal... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006971 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:36:23 +0100 2006971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985548&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F462979024%2F Like all psychiatric disorders, ADHD is diagnosed based on the presence of particular behavioral symptoms that are judged to cause significant impairment in an individual's functioning, and not on the results of a specific test. In fact, recently published ADHD evaluation guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explicitly state that no particular diagnostic test should be routinely used when evaluating a child for ADHD. While most ADHD experts would agree that no single test could or should be used in isolation to diagnose ADHD, there are several important reasons why the availability of an accurate objective test would be useful. First, many children do not receive a careful and comprehensive assessment for ADHD but are instead diagnosed with based on evaluation procedure... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985548 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:11:23 +0100 1985548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947960&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F447995271%2F My apologies for not writing in a few days...the Global Agenda Summit in Dubai has required all my attention - I will summarize the great experience when I land back in San Francisco tomorrow night. The concepts of night and day do become challenging when working for a few days in a place with a 12-hour time difference with one's home base. Sleep is indeed very important to maintain top cognitive shape...which leads me to a fascinating news announcement: Health insurance firms offering online cognitive therapy for insomnia (Los Angeles Times) - "helping consumers get a good night's sleep has become a priority for most of the top-tier U.S. health insurance companies, including WellPoint, Aetna, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and several Blue Cross plans. Their new programs don't involve slee... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947960 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:52:44 +0100 1947960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1914597&cid=t_190092_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F10%2F28%2Fvirtual-therapy-in-space%2F I’ve been reluctant to blog about the computerized therapy program being touted by NASA in the news to help their astronauts deal with depression and other mental health concerns while in space. Computerized therapy has been available to anyone who wants it since the 1990s. In fact, there’s a good body of research supporting these programs and their effectiveness in the treatment of the most common mental disorders, such as depression. So in more than one way, this is not “news.” The only two examples the article mentions is of issues with two astronauts on two separate missions. While one of the examples might be depression (hard to say, as it could’ve been symptomatic of a dozen different possible concerns), the other example is one of interpersonal confli... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914597 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:25:07 +0100 1914597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892347&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F427061680%2F Just saw a very interesting press release regarding computer-based neurocognitive assessments - a critical part of the brain fitness puzzle. How long will it take before consumers can have access to a reliable and credible annual "mental check-up"/ cognitive baseline? HeadMinder Cognitive Stability Index: Computerized Neurocognitive ... (Press release) - "The HeadMinder web-based Cognitive Stability Index (CSI) has proven more useful for blast-concussion detection than the ANAM computerized test battery the DoD currently employs. The CSI provides an immediate solution to clear the backlog of 400,000 IED-exposed service members in less than two years." - "The CSI is a 30-minute, Internet-based, computerized test that provides automated, objective measures of attenti... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892347 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:39:12 +0100 1892347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1880647&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F420552891%2F Have you ever wondered how we can maintain SharpBrains website, blog and newsletter without selling any product and with only limited advertising? People often ask us that question, especially once we explain that we don't sell products (selling products would present a conflict of interest given our mission to "provide individuals, companies and institutions with high-quality, research-based, information and guidance to navigate the growing cognitive and brain fitness market".) The answer is, we offer proprietary market research and advisory services to organizations such as these. They want to fully understand emerging Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health trends, opportunities and challenges, in order to make better-informed decisions. Examples: - leading healthcare providers eva... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880647 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:38 +0100 1880647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1746060&cid=t_190092_115_f&fid=34678&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.catscanman.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fcore-mac-apps%2F This post is my contribution to the series of posts that a bunch of us agreed to post following a conversation on twitter (relevant tweets here, here & here). The theme: core Mac/iPhone applications for doctors / healthcare professionals. DrCris’s post is here. symtym’s is here. Walter’s is here. Theresa’s is here. I was a bit apprehensive about posting after Tim’s masterpiece of Mac-geekery. But I decided to go ahead and post a list similar to the ones posted by Cris, Walter and Theresa. I’ll start with a short introduction about me and the kind of work that I do. I am a radiologist practising in a small city in India. In spite of what my twitter friends may believe, I am not a Mac geek of any standing. If pushed, I would classify myself as an educa... scan man's notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1746060 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:24:32 +0100 1746060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563868&cid=t_190092_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F02%2Fcomputerized-therapy-the-new-therapists%2F With the question of how to pay for good psychotherapy (nevermind how to find or get “good” psychotherapy in the first place) not far from many people’s minds, researchers are spending more time looking at alternatives to traditional but expensive face-to-face psychotherapy. While some therapists are exploring alternative realities, researchers are still focused on far more accessible, some might even say “mundane,” approaches. CBT4CBT is one such approach. It stands for computer-based training (CBT) for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) (get it?). It basically teaches the components of cognitive behavioral therapy sans therapist using an approach “based on elementary-level computer learning games, and the presentation of material was done in a range ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563868 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:51:56 +0100 1563868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513554&cid=t_190092_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2FxI6LJK6EAuM%2Fchapel-hill-tubal-reversal-center-mission-statement.html Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only medical facility specifically for tubal ligation reversal surgery. We provide the most detailed and accurate information about tubal reversal available from any doctor, hospital, or medical institution. Providing facts rather than offering misleading or speculative statements about tubal reversal success is one mission of our practice. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513554 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:10:43 +0100 2513554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454724&cid=t_190092_85_f&fid=36195&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealth.tesstermulo.com%2F%3Fp%3D459 In a mailing list I’m subscribed to, I learned that a Filipino doctor, Dr. Richard Mata, has created a software called Dr. Eyes, for use in making “computerized” prescriptions. He is part of ClinicTech, a Philippine-based Clinic Programming Company and is advocating a “Philippines to Computerize Prescriptions Movement” or PCPM. His vision is to make the Philippines to be the first in Asia to be using computerized prescriptions. And in effort to spread this advocacy, he’s providing the prescription software free for download at Rxngbayan.com. Many admired his noble intentions. But every advocacy do receive its fair amount of criticisms. Some pointed out that the software is just misplaced priority and a waste of resources. Quoting Ian Yanson (excerpt from... Prudence, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454724 Tue, 20 May 2008 16:51:55 +0100 1454724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1443507&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F289934859%2F We reported our results in two unpublished dissertations, but this is the first time it has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Could you please explain the training involved in this particular study? We recruited 70 students aged around 26 years and set half of them on a challenging computer-based cognitive training regimen, based on the so-called "n-back task." This is a very complex working memory task that involves the simultaneous presentation of visual and auditory stimuli. The experimental group watched a series of screens on their computers, where a blue square appeared in various positions on a black background. Each screen appeared for half a second, with a 2.5 second gap before the next one appeared. While this happened, the trainees also heard a series of lett... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1443507 Wed, 14 May 2008 05:54:27 +0100 1443507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1392664&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F275885238%2F A very promising cognitive training study was presented last week by Helena Westerberg at the annual meeting of the CNS: Cognitive Neuroscience Society held in San Francisco, and Dr. David Rabiner brings us the highlights. --------------------- The study was conducted with a general adult population, rather than adults diagnosed with ADHD, as was the case in previous published working memory training studies, The study was a randomized, controlled trial of working memory training conducted with 55 younger (20-30 years old) and 45 older (60-70 years old) adults. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 5 weeks of active Cogmed Working Memory Training or a placebo training intervention. In the active training group, the difficulty of the working memory training tasks continually adju... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1392664 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:19:23 +0100 1392664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344975&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F262431171%2F Salon.com published yesterday a thought-provoking article focused on Posit Science's Brain Fitness Program, titled Buff Up Your Brain, that combined a) some pretty good analysis and great points about that specific program and justifiable (to a point) criticism of the commercial tone of a recent PBS Special, with b) the error of confusing a tree with the forest, that led the author to make several unwarranted claims regarding the field. Computerized cognitive training has been around since way before Posit Science, and will be here way beyond Posit Science (and SharpBrains, and Salon.com), and their auditory processing product-featured in the PBS Special- is not, in our view, the most particularly impressive example. Well-directed cognitive exercise can enhance mental skills and transfer... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344975 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:51:39 +0100 1344975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1336453&cid=t_190092_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F260444543%2F Driving as Next Brain Fitness Application?  Last month, at the MIT/ SmartSilvers event where we presented our Brain Fitness Market Report, we discussed what specific applications, beyond the current emphasis on healthy aging, might take computerized cognitive training to a new level.   Assessing and improving driving skills would be a top candidate, given both the well-defined nature of the need and the appearance of programs with growing evidence (both scientific and real-world) behind. The New York Times Asks...  Along these lines, the New York Times just published this article: Are You a Good Driver? Here’s How to Find Out. A few quotes: - "COULD a video game make you a better driver? More important, could computer software prevent teenagers from making fatal mistakes or e... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1336453 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:13:24 +0100 1336453