Exploring the human brain and how it responds to stress (1/3)
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Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.
— Erma Bombeck
The brain is the control center for all of our thoughts, actions, attitudes, and emotions. It’s the pilothouse on the riverboat of our lives. It’s Mission Control for all of our flights into space or time. It’s the air traffic controller that helps us navigate and reroute our paths based on incoming and outgoing information and how we’re feeling about it at the time. It’s the John Williams of our personal symphony. It’s the Mother Ship to our Starfleet; it’s … (Uh, sorry, I got carried away there, but I...
Source: SharpBrains - April 6, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Dr. Jerome Schultz Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness human-brain neurological neuropsychologist Stress Stress Response Source Type: blogs
Is it safe to see the pediatrician for vaccines and medical visits?
We’re tackling a few urgent questions from parents in this time of coronavirus and COVID-19. Are you wondering if babies and children should continue to have vaccines on schedule? Thinking about how to manage regular medical appointments, and which situations require in-person visits to a pediatric practice? Read on.
Should parents take babies for initial vaccines right now? What about toddlers and older children who are due for vaccines?
The answer to this question is going to depend on many factors, including what your doctor’s office is offering. As with all health care decisions, it comes down to weighing risks and...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - March 31, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Health care Parenting Vaccines Source Type: blogs
Will these five NeuroRights help harness emerging neurotechnologies for the common good?
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Data for Good: Biological Scientist, DSI Member Rafael Yuste on the Ethical Development of Neurotechnology (Columbia University release):
“Brain-computer interfaces may soon have the power to decode people’s thoughts and interfere with their mental activity. Even now the interfaces, or BCIs, which link brains directly to digital networks, are helping brain-impaired patients and amputees perform simple motor tasks such as moving a cursor, controlling a motorized wheelchair, or directing a robotic arm. And noninvasive BCI’s that can understand words we want to type and place them onto screens are being developed.
Bu...
Source: SharpBrains - March 31, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology Algorithmic Bias Brain-Computer Interfaces free-will Mental Augmentation mental privacy neurorights neurotechnologies Neurotechnology oath Personal Identity Rafael Yuste techn Source Type: blogs
Update: Four tips to practice good mental hygiene during the coronavirus outbreak
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Time for a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring this time 14 timely news and resources for mental health and brain health innovation.
First of all, let’s remain safe, healthy, and centered during the current health crisis by following these tips provided by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley:
1. Stay calm and focused
2. Pay attention to those doing the right thing
3. Show gratitude
4. Remember our common bonds
1) “Of course, all of these guidelines don’t supplant the importance of practicing good hygiene. We need to continue to frequently wash our hands and avoid touching our fa...
Source: SharpBrains - March 25, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology adhd brain brain health Brain Teasers brain-functions chronic pain coronavirus outbreak cross-train the brain dementia innovation LivaNova Medt Source Type: blogs
Max Lugavere ’ s new book: Genius Life
Journalist and filmmaker Max Lugavere has committed his life to exploring and understanding brain health, prompted by the loss of his mom to dementia that began at the unusually young age of 58. His newest book, Genius Life: Heal Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Become Extraordinary, has just been released. Written with genuine heartfelt passion and attention to detail, Max has crafted a wonderful book for anyone interested in understanding how to preserve brain health and bolster brain performance.
Here is an excerpt from the especially well-crafted chapter he calls “The Vigor Trigger”:
Ice, Ice, Baby
Prio...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - March 21, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Open avoid cognitive decline brain health can Alzheimers be prevented can dementia be prevented cognition lugavere preserve cognition prevent Alzheimers prevent dementia Source Type: blogs
ADHD And Love (Or Lack There Of) Explain Adult ADHD
Part of #ExplainAdultADHD. A campaign to reduce the ignorance, misinformation, and stigma against adults with ADHD.
ADHD And Love (Or Lack There Of) Explain Adult ADHD
“I am a 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago. They said I was a “classic case” of a young girl who struggled in school and life not really knowing why, only to be diagnosed as an adult.
Everything that I have since learned about ADHD and how it affects my life and mind has been overwhelming, comforting, heartbreaking and liberating all at once.
Particularly how it has affected my heart. Over the years I wasn’t able...
Source: Adult ADD Strengths - March 13, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Pete Quily Tags: Explain Adult ADHD To Non-ADHD Adults Source Type: blogs
Will better neurotech regulations be enough to address privacy, effectiveness and potential harm concerns?
How to address privacy, ethical and regulatory issues: Examples in cognitive enhancement, depression and ADHD from SharpBrains
See above the fascinating presentations by Dr. Anna Wexler, Dr. Karen Rommelfanger and Jacqueline Studer on privacy and ethics during the 2019 SharpBrains Virtual Summit.
We still lack clear standards and taxonomies for neurotechnology but several initiatives are underway to anticipate and address the challenges. One important take-away is that it is important to be aspirational and pragmatic rather than “legalistic” — by considering diverse policy and industry perspectives, striving for the ...
Source: SharpBrains - March 12, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Alvaro Fernandez Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology effectiveness Neuroethics neurotech neurotech regulation Neurotechnology privacy Source Type: blogs
Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 9 March, 2020.
Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.General Comment-----It is really being a very quiet new period – overwhelmed by COVID-19 I guess?Just a few fun things to browse.-----http://medicalrepublic.com.au/digital-therapy-may-be-effective-for-adhd/255482 March 2020Digital therapy may be effective for ADHDMental Health Paediatrics Posted by Dr Linda Calabresi It seems like the perfect solut...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - March 8, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
Study: A brief sleep intervention can bring measurable and sustained benefits to children with ADHD
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Sleep problems are common in children with ADHD, are more persistent than in the general population, and often exacerbate difficulties associated with ADHD. For example, poor sleep can enhance difficulties with attention and concentration that most youth with ADHD experience.
Research has shown that brief sleep interventions can improve sleep in youth without ADHD who experience sleep difficulties. However, until recently, there have been no randomized controlled trials on the impact of brief sleep interventions in youth with both ADHD and sleep difficulties.
A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2015, and...
Source: SharpBrains - March 4, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Dr. David Rabiner Tags: Attention and ADD/ADHD Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness concentration poor sleep randomized controlled trials sleep intervention sleep problems Source Type: blogs
Let ’s anticipate the potential misuse of neurological data to minimize the risks–and maximize the benefits
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The perils of opening the mind (Boston Globe):
“Forget the joystick. Today you can use your mind alone to navigate virtual environments or fly real-world drones. You can buy sleek headbands that read your brain signals and help you meditate or stay focused. Or you can get them for your kids to make sure they’re working, not daydreaming…
WHAT COULD BE done with information derived from the brain? Large stores of data at the population level could advance neurological research. Long-term information about your brain activity could help you make lifestyle choices — like identifying the best methods of reducing stre...
Source: SharpBrains - February 27, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology aggression brain signals brain-activity impulsivity mind Neuroethics neurological neurological data neurological problems perils Source Type: blogs
Latest brain research, tools and teasers to think outside the mental health status quo box
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Time for a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring a range of research findings, resources, brain teasers and riddles to help translate emerging neuroscience into real-world applications and improve our collective brain & mental health.
New thinking:
Neuroscience tips about gratitude, aging, pain and the brain: An interview with Dr. Daniel Levitin
What’s normal? When it comes to the brain, it’s hard to say, and that’s why we need to study global neurodiversity
Will self-driving vehicles lead to a surge of brain training?
How to remember what you read: Eight tips to improve reading speed ...
Source: SharpBrains - February 26, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain Teasers Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology adhd aging Akili brain health brain signatures brain training brain-research cognitive-ability digital therapeutic europe Headspa Source Type: blogs
Large study finds positive yet mixed results from Akili ’s digital therapeutic for kids with ADHD
This study aimed to assess whether AKL-T01 improved attentional performance in paediatric patients with ADHD.
Findings: Between July 15, 2016, and Nov 30, 2017, 857 patients were evaluated and 348 were randomly assigned to receive AKL-T01 or control. Among patients who received AKL-T01 (n=180 [52%]; mean [SD] age, 9·7 [1·3] years) or control (n=168 [48%]; mean [SD] age, 9·6 [1·3] years), the non-parametric estimate of the population median change from baseline TOVA API was 0·88 (95% CI 0·24–1·49; p=0·0060). The mean (SD) change from baseline on the TOVA API was 0·93 (3·15) in the AKL-T01 group and 0·03 (3·16)...
Source: SharpBrains - February 25, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Attention and ADD/ADHD Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology ADHD-medication Akili Akili Interactive Akili Interactive Labs AKL-T01 behavioral digital health digital therapeutics pediatric ADHD Project EVO TOVA AP Source Type: blogs
Handheld Eye Scanner to Detect Autism Spectrum Disorder
Researchers at Flinders University in Australia have developed a handheld eye scanner that could help to identify children with autism spectrum disorder. The device allows clinicians to obtain light-adapted electroretinograms, which involves detecting electrical signals in the retina. The device could help in diagnosing children with autism much earlier, meaning that they can get appropriate support as soon as possible. Parents who have had one autistic child have a higher chance of having a second, and early diagnosis would be very valuable for such families.
One of the researchers behind the device, Dr. Paul Constabl...
Source: Medgadget - February 24, 2020 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Ophthalmology Pediatrics Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
The Body Map Of Health Trackers: Infographic
The health tracking market is booming. What with smart bracelets, smart beds and smart chest straps, the tracking industry has penetrated the lives of old and young from the time they wake up in the morning to the time they hit the bed at night (and beyond). It’s no wonder that user penetration is projected to reach 25% of the adult population by 2022 in the US alone and that these devices are being adopted by over 30% of individuals across all age groups.
Naturally, I count among those adopters. I call myself a data geek, using the data accumulated from myriads of health trackers to help me make more informed health ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - February 20, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Prans Tags: Health Sensors & Trackers digital health digital technology health data digital health sensors Source Type: blogs
Early Impressions of Star Trek: Picard
After seeing the first 4 episodes of the new series Star Trek: Picard, I think it’s just okay so far. It seems to be setting up a potentially interesting story arc, but in other ways I find it disappointing.
The acting feels a bit off, as if Picard has consumed a few too many cups of Earl Grey and is overly caffeinated. It feels more like the dorky movie version of Picard while I was hoping for more of the chill version of his character from The Next Generation. It doesn’t feel like a believable future version of Picard, at least not yet.
I also remind myself that Star Trek: The Next Generation took a whi...
Source: Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog - February 14, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Steve Pavlina Tags: Lifestyle Source Type: blogs
