NHS Choices helps improve brain health and science literacy by reporting findings in context — as seen in this brain training & schizophrenia example

Conclusion offered by NHS Choices) This study showed some promising initial findings for a new way of managing auditory hallucinations in people with schizophrenia. It may be possible for people to be able to learn how to better control and cope with the sounds they hear by using a process of computer feedback. But this was only a pilot study and wasn’t designed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. To do this would require: A much larger number of participants to see whether the effects could be consistently detected and not down to chance. A control group. It may be helpful to compare the results with a sham fMRI scan-computer intervention to see whether this wasn’t just a placebo effect. It would then be helpful to move on to compare the findings with a control group of patients who received a more conventional range of support and treatment. Longer follow-up of the participants to see whether the effects of undertaking this training could be maintained over time. Whether the effects of the intervention make a meaningful difference to the person’s daily life and functioning. Whether the effects vary by the type of symptoms the person has – for example, whether it’s different in people who get other types of hallucinations, not just hearing voices. Making sure the intervention didn’t have any potential harms. This study is a good starting point for the researchers to continue their investigations. But it’s far too early to be able to tell whe...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology auditory auditory hallucinations Brain-Training fMRI fMRI neurofeedback literacy neurocognitive neuroimaging NHS NHS Choices schizophrenia video-game Source Type: blogs