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 'frontal lobes'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:31:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389219&cid=t_157864_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F23%2F11-tips-to-help-manage-anxiety%2F If your mind were a diesel engine, anxiety would be the leaded gas that was accidentally poured in and responsible for all the burps and stutters. Even more so than depression, I think, anxiety is the big disabler in my life, with a capital D. That is why I try to nip my anxiety in its early symptoms. That doesn’t always happen, of course, but here are some techniques I try, and seem to work for me. Who knows, maybe they’ll work for you too! 1. Recognize the reptilian brain. My therapist friend Elvira Aletta gives a brilliant neuropsychology lesson in one of her posts where she explains the two parts of our brain: the primitive part containing the amygdala — which is responsible for generating and processing our fear and other primal emotions — and our frontal lobes... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389219 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:22:31 +0100 4389219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277884&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwoCX9w2aUm0%2F Ado­les­cence can be a chal­lenging time for both the ado­les­cents and the sig­nif­i­cant adults (parents, teachers) in their lives. Teenagers themselves do not always understand why they behave the way they do. Why is it difficult being a teenager or interacting with one? Why do teenagers have these typical behaviors: Risk-taking, strange sleeping habits, addiction, impulsivity, etc.? As looking at what is happening in a teenage brain can provide answers to these questions, we selected the Top 10 Resources to help you better understand the teenage brain. The major thread to navigate these resources is the concept of a brain still maturing. Indeed, an adolescent brain is not yet an adult brain. Major changes are still happening, principally in the frontal lobes (more specifically... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277884 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:11:20 +0100 4277884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249144&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FxAEgL8C2KQY%2F The frontal lobes of the brain (in gray here) have been compared to an orchestra conductor, ­influencing, directing, and moderating many other brain functions. Indeed, the frontal lobes support the so-called executive functions: decision-making, problem-solving, planning, inhibiting, as well as other high-level functions (social behavior, emotional control, working memory, etc.). Ready for an executive workout? The functions of the frontal lobes are crucial for work and life in general. How can we preserve and enhance these functions? Research tells us that cognitive or brain reserve (i.e., the brain’s resilience to pathology) can be increased by mental exercise. Mental exercise has to be challenging (to trigger the formation of new synapses and neurons) and repeated (a single teaser wi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249144 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:48:25 +0100 4249144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133995&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FgzrsphtRgQo%2F (Editor’s Note: What follows is an excerpt from Dr. Robert Sylwester’s new book, A Child’s Brain. The Need for Nurture (2010) Corwin. In this excerpt, Robert Sylwester synthesizes the first 20 years of development and shows how it can be viewed as a “rhythmic four-six-four-six-year developmental sequence”) . Chapter 4: Development and Growth. The First 20 years. To simplify a complex phenomenon, we can divide our 20-year developmental trajectory into two periods of approximately 10 years each. The developmental period from birth to about age 10 focuses on learning how to be a human being – learning to move, to communicate, and to master basic social skills. The developmental period from about 11 to 20 focuses on learning how to be a productive reproductive human being – plan... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133995 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:27:16 +0100 4133995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595667&cid=t_157864_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F25%2Fgender-differences-in-frontal-lobes%2F Frontal lobes is the shorthand for the prefrontal cortex. It’s an important part of the human brain, the conductor of the large orchestra called the brain. It’s the seat of our executive functioning. Executive function relates to abilities to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, determine good and bad, better and best, same and different, future consequences of current activities, working toward a defined goal, prediction of outcomes, expectation based on actions, and social “control” (the ability to suppress urges that, if not suppressed, could lead to socially-unacceptable outcomes). Before, I wrote about gender difference in empathy and other neurobiological subjects. Mark the word difference, not superior or inferior, not better of worse, just different. Re... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595667 Tue, 25 May 2010 06:01:40 +0100 3595667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768727&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FpsjwziqkGe0%2F The July/ August 2009 issue of The Journal on Active Aging includes my article Why We Need to Retool "Use It Or Lose It" An excerpt: "By now you have probably heard about brain plasticity, the lifelong capacity of the brain to change and rewire itself in response to the stimulation of learning and experience. The latest scientific research shows that specific lifestyles and actions can improve the health and level of functioning of our brains, no matter our age. Of particular importance to maintaining cognitive functioning through life are the hippocampus (deep inside the brain, part of what is called the limbic system), which plays a role in learning and memory; and the frontal lobes (behind your forehead), which are key to maintaining decision-making and autonomy. Is ther... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768727 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:06:41 +0100 2768727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757937&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=34755&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropsychological.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fpopular-neuroscience-books-for-long.html Looking for reading material for a longish train trip I am about to take, I decided to hit to bookshelves of my Square's Barnes & Noble to see what popular neuroscience titles might be a good diversion (as well as potential supplementary 'lighter' references, should I re-teach an introductory course to neuroscience sometime over the next year).I chose three.The first is by Elkhonon Goldberg, a revision of an earlier work, which is titled "The New Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes in a Complex World" and is available in paperback by Oxford University Press. I first met the author when I was a graduate student, so I am looking forward to reading up on what he's been up to.The second is about glial cells and is entitled, "The Root of Thought: Unlocking Glia" by Andrew Koob. Five years ago, if so... BrainBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757937 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:03:00 +0100 2757937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517305&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fneural-efficiency-executive-function.html I give up. I don't have the time, or maybe the neural efficiency, to read, digest, integrate, and summarize a wave of recent research articles dealing with the concept of neural efficiency (oscillations) and intelligence. That being said, I'm simply going to post the references and abstracts. Maybe an interested IQ's Corner blog reader would be interested in reading these articles and attempting to summarize (via a guest blog post)...something I had hoped to do. When less is more and when more is more: The mediating roles of capacity and speed in brain-behavior efficiency (Bart Rypma and Vivek Prabhakaran). Intelligence 37 (2009) 207–22.An enduring enterprise of experimental psychology has been to account for individual differences in human performance. Recent advances in neuroimaging ha... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517305 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:48:00 +0100 2517305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511970&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelligencetesting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fwcst-does-it-really-measure-frontal.html ConclusionsThe present interest in prefrontal cortex function has renewed the use of the WCST in clinical and experimental settings. However, much criticism has questioned the utility of this test as a marker of prefrontal function. A critical review of clinical studies suggests that the original WCST does not distinguish between frontal and non-frontal lesions. Likewise, functional neuroimaging studies confirm that delivery of negative feedback during WCST rule transitions activates a widespread network of frontal and non-frontal regions within a split-second time scale. New methodological and conceptual advances from theory-guided experimental designs, precise spatial and temporal sampling of brain activity, and modern integrative models of prefrontal function (Miller, 2000) combined wit... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511970 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:59:00 +0100 2511970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160941&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F531109481%2F This article was written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area. Brain games, brain teaser puzzles, France, frontal lobes, Greece, improve memory, logic puzzle, logical skills, memory, mind teasers, proverbs, South Africa, temporal lobes, usa (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2160941 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:08:18 +0100 2160941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1701780&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F363005439%2F Dr. Pascale Michelon recently shared with our readers which brain areas and cognitive functions are engaged as we solve the type of brain teaser known as Spot the Difference, where we have to find the differences between two versions of one image: "1) You have to identify the objects that you see: this involves your occipital lobes (in red). 2) You have to analyzed the spatial relationships between the objects that you see: this involves your occipital and parietal lobes (in green). 3) You have to remember what you see in one picture and compare it to what you see in the other picture, that is you have to use your short-term memory: this involves your frontal (in blue) and parietal lobes. 4) You have to mark down the locations where you see a difference: this involves mostly yo... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1701780 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:08:57 +0100 1701780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575896&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F326177263%2F What's the ultimate "brain training"? Learning. We at SharpBrains love to learn, and to see others learn. That's why we hope you enjoy this essay by educator Laurie Bartels as much as we do. --- 10 Brain Tips That Help Me Teach…and Learn -- By Laurie Bartels My natural rhythms are in cycle with the school calendar. January 1st takes a back seat to my new year, which gets ushered in with the month of September when there is crispness in the air that gradually shakes off the slower, more relaxed pace of summer. Conveniently, my career in teaching meshes with my natural cyclical year. And as this year draws to a close, I am reenergized by the pace of summer, knowing that anything may pop in to my mind as I engage in activities not directly related to school. But before that happen... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575896 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:53:43 +0100 1575896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512546&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F310139058%2F This article was written by Pascale Michelon, Ph. D., for SharpBrains.com. Dr. Michelon, Copyright 2008. Dr. Michelon has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and has worked as a Research Scientist at Washington University in Saint Louis, in the Psychology Department. She conducted several research projects to understand how the brain makes use of visual information and memorizes facts. She is now an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University, and teaches Memory Workshops in numerous retirement communities in the St Louis area. Brain exercises, Brain games, Brain teasers, cognitive, cognitive processes, cognitive psychology, frontal lobes, mind teasers, occipital lobes, parietal lobes, Pascale Michelon, short term memory, Spot the Difference, the brain (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512546 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:05:18 +0100 1512546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501538&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F307119481%2F I just read a very interesting article in Newsweek: Executive Functions: The School Skill That May Matter More Than IQ. A few quotes: - "But recent advances in psychology and brain science are now suggesting that a child's ability to inhibit distracting thoughts and stay focused may be a fundamental cognitive skill, one that plays a big part in academic success from preschool on. Indeed, this and closely related skills may be more important than traditional IQ in predicting a child's school performance." - "EF (executive functions) comprises not only effortful control and cognitive focus but also working memory and mental flexibility—the ability to adjust to change, to think outside the box." - "When the teacher holds up a circle they clap, with a triangle they ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501538 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:38:20 +0100 1501538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072585&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F195556995%2F This study shows that chimps can memorize at a glance the numerals presented on the screen, and that they can do so just as well - and even better - than humans can. Note that the superior performance came from a young chimp, and that the performance of older chimps on the same task was more similar to that of humans." - Watch video Impressive, isn't yet? Yet, a clear indication that memory is not all that matters. Please compare the "intelligence" (in any way you want to define it), the quality of thinking, displayed by those apes, with the one displayed in this recent interview with Bill Drayton at Good Magazine, founder of Ashoka and one of the parents of the social entrepreneurship movement. Quotes: - "Ashoka (and all of us in the GOOD community) are serving the mos... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072585 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:53:38 +0100 1072585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060299&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F192536184%2F (Dear reader: Here you have a little gift to continue the Thanksgiving spirit. Enjoy the interview, and thank you for visiting our site.) Prof. Robert Emmons studies gratitude for a living as Professor of Psychology at UC Davis and is Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology. He has just published Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, an interdisciplinary book that provides a research-based synthesis of the topic as well as practical suggestions. Alvaro Fernandez: Welcome. Prof. Emmons, could you please provide us an overview of the Positive Psychology field so we understand the context for your research? Robert Emmons: Sure. Martin Seligman and colleagues launched what was called “positive psychology” in the late 90s as an antidote to the tradi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060299 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:42:34 +0100 1060299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1049143&cid=t_157864_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F190389643%2F Who has not heard "Use It or Lose It". Now, what is "It"? Last week I gave a talk at the Italian Consulate in San Francisco, and one of the areas attendants seemed to enjoy the most was learning what our brains are and how they work, peaking into the "black box" of our minds. Without understanding at least the basics, how can we make good decisions about our own brain health and fitness? Let's review at a glance: The brain is composed of 3 "brains" or main sub-systems, each named after the evolutionary moment in which the sub-system is believed to have appeared. A) Neocortex, or Human Brain, is the most recent area, where we perform high-level thinking and complex integrative tasks. Other mammals do have this part too, but in smaller proportion of... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1049143 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:30:12 +0100 1049143