Trend: Growing interest in (and questions around) brain training centers for kids with special needs
___
Parents pay thousands for ‘brain training’ to help kids with ADHD and autism. But does it work? (NBC News):
“…As the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and autism surges in the U.S., according to federal data, and as parents become exasperated with treatments that don’t work or involve medications that carry the risk of side effects, neurotechnology industry analysts predict the demand for programs like these will only grow…
Much of the growth in brain training is in apps and games that people use at home or in school, said Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, a research firm that tracks the neurotechn...
Source: SharpBrains - January 13, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Technology adhd autism Brain Balance brain training brain training centers BrainRx Direct-to-Consumer LearningRx Neurotechnology Source Type: blogs
Easy Goals Even Old Coots Can Achieve
Sometimes the best goals are soft and squishy like an eggnog filled belly.It’s either very late or very early, depending on your point of view. Either way, I’m sitting here thinking deep, New Year’s-like thoughts. In the other room sleeps a friend who almost wasn’t my friend anymore until we patched things last week. Upstairs sleeps my third daughter whose heart is in need of mending as her marriage comes to an end. Hanging out with dad and his friend on New Year’s Eve was either a low point for her or just exactly what she needed.My thoughts are a warm blend of nostalgia and regret with a sub...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - January 1, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Family Goodreads Journaling Source Type: blogs
Medgadget ’s Best Medical Technologies of 2019
Wrapping up this year and looking back on the particularly interesting developments in medical technology, we at Medgadget are impressed and very excited about the future. We’re lucky to cover one of the most innovative fields of research and one that improves and saves lives. Having a constant eye on what’s new in medtech, we present what we believe are the most novel, smart, and medically important technologies we encountered in this passing year. As in years past, a few trends have emerged.
Opiod Overdose Treatment
Opioid addiction, and accompanying overdoses, have become disturbingly common lately. A ...
Source: Medgadget - December 30, 2019 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Exclusive Source Type: blogs
Top 25 Psychiatric Medications for 2018
Psychiatric medications are an important part of treatment for many people with mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and others. They play an important role in helping to alleviate the most serious symptoms, allowing people to better focus on their lives and on other treatment types, such as psychotherapy. Psychiatric medications are an important part of many people’s treatment plans for obtaining the most effective treatment for a mental health concern or mental illness.
It’s good to know what drugs are being prescribed most often for mental disorders in the U.S...
Source: World of Psychology - December 15, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: General Medications Psychiatry psychiatric meds psychiatric prescriptions Source Type: blogs
One Step Forward …
I picked up particular respirator masks so that I can go outdoors again. I ’ve apparently developed asthma due to the pollution in Salt Lake Valley and the California forest fires. It’s why I’ve been so horribly sick since September. I’ve been a near complete shut-in. Alas, I overdid things yesterday. I looked like a dork in my mask, but I happily ran errands all over town. I also worked out on my treadmill, exercise bike, and did twenty minutes of aerobic activity. Unfortunately, I forgot to use both my inhaler& nebulizer. My lungs are burning again, and the cough has returned. 🙄 I feel so feeble. I ki...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 14, 2019 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs
One Step Forward …
I picked up particulate respirator masks so that I can go outdoors again. I ’ve apparently developed asthma due to the pollution in Salt Lake Valley and the California forest fires. It’s why I’ve been so horribly sick since September. I’ve been a near complete shut-in. Alas, I overdid things yesterday. I looked like a dork in my mask, but I happily ran errands all over town. I also worked out on my treadmill, exercise bike, and did twenty minutes of aerobic activity. Unfortunately, I forgot to use both my inhaler& nebulizer. My lungs are burning again, and the cough has returned. 🙄 I feel so feeble. I k...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 13, 2019 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs
Neural Feedback Technique to Improve Attention
Many people suffer from an inability to focus on tasks that require a great deal of attention. Drugs such as Ritalin are available to help mitigate symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related conditions, but these medications come with a number of side effects, including long term dependence.
Now, researchers at MIT have developed a neural feedback technique that may be effective in helping people to generate the types of brainwaves that are beneficial for maximizing attention. The technology used in the study is non-invasive and doesn’t in itself affect the brain in any way. Rather, in...
Source: Medgadget - December 9, 2019 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Neurology Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: December 7, 2019
This week’s Psychology Around the Net takes a look at what to do if you think your child is at risk for mental illness, why self-regulation is so important for people with ADHD, the symptoms of problematic smartphone use, and the mental and physical fatigue that often accompanies chronic illness, and more.
Does Mental Illness Run in Families?: What should you do if you suspect your child is at risk of developing a mental disorder — especially when mental illness runs in your family? According to psychologist Scott Bea PsyD, an important first step is helping your child build resilience, a personality...
Source: World of Psychology - December 7, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Traci Pedersen Tags: ADHD and ADD Anxiety and Panic Autism Children and Teens Depression Disorders Family General Health-related Mental Health and Wellness Parenting Psychiatry Psychology Psychology Around the Net Research Asd Bipolar Disorder Source Type: blogs
Growing debate about the ethics and regulation of direct-to-consumer transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
___
According to the advertising hype, you too can enjoy incredible neural and psychological benefits in the comfort of your own home by using a simple electrical device that offers transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). For instance, three different models of tDCS devices sold online claim to improve mood, increase creativity, enhance memory, accelerate learning, and combat pain and depression. For the low, low price of between $99 and $189.95, you get a compact handheld device with easy-to-use controls and two electrical leads that end in small sponges. These sponges are dipped into saline solution to make them ...
Source: SharpBrains - December 6, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness Technology Direct-to-Consumer electrodes forehead smarter tDCS Transcranial-direct-current-stimulation Source Type: blogs
The Common Painkiller Linked To Autism And ADHD (M)
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that affects behaviour, social interaction and learning.
→ Support PsyBlog for just $4 per month. Enables access to articles marked (M) and removes ads.
→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:
Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - December 2, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Autism subscribers-only Source Type: blogs
When Every ADHD-Friendly Organizing Tool and Trick You ’ve Tried Hasn’t Worked
You feel like you’ve tried every technique, tool, and trick to get organized. But nothing seems to work. Tasks still go unfinished, and you still find yourself frustrated and stressed out.
The problem?
Maybe your systems have simply lost their spark. “The ADHD brain likes novelty,” according to Barb Hubbard, M. Ed, AAC, an ADHD specialist and life strategies coach. “So, when you find a system that works, expect the newness to wear off after a while. Know that it’s OK to change systems often or make small changes that allow you to feel like it’s new again.”
Maybe you’re fixated on perfection. “When you set...
Source: World of Psychology - November 30, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Tags: ADHD and ADD Disorders General Industrial and Workplace Self-Help Success & Achievement Adult Attention Deficit Meditation routine Source Type: blogs
Using Fidget Spinners May Actually Impede Learning
By Emily Reynolds
Though fidget spinners have been around since the early 1990s, it was 2017 when they really started to make a stir, becoming a seemingly overnight sensation and starting to appear in offices, classrooms, public transport and pretty much anywhere else they were permitted. The actual provenance of the design has been debated, but many companies market the toys as a tool for concentration, particularly for those who have anxiety, ADHD or autism.
Calming — and fun — they may be, but do they actually work when it comes to keeping attention? Julia S. Soares & Benjamin C. Storm from the University of Ca...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - November 25, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Educational Memory Source Type: blogs
Debate: What are the ethics of discouraging much-needed innovation given potential privacy concerns?
CNN’s Ana Maria Montero interviews Ned Sahin. The discussion about the impact of EU privacy laws starts in minute 10.
Story description (CNN Money): Ned Sahin is founder and CEO of neurotechnology start-up Brain Power, whose tool “Empower Me” uses smart glasses like Google Glass to coach those with autism. It helps schoolchildren learn social and cognitive skills and can even guide adults through an interview process. Brain Power’s product is sold to many schools in the U.S. but may never make it to market in Switzerland thanks to strict data privacy laws.
To watch the interview, click HERE. The discussion about th...
Source: SharpBrains - November 22, 2019 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology augmented reality autism brain health brain-power cognitive-skills ethics GDPR Google Glass innovation Neuroethics Neurotechnology privacy so Source Type: blogs
This Supplement Treats ADHD Better Than Drugs (M)
The common supplement reduces symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
→ Support PsyBlog for just $4 per month. Enables access to articles marked (M) and removes ads.
→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:
Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - November 21, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: ADHD subscribers-only Source Type: blogs
Concerning Findings About Cannabis Use
While recreational marijuana is legal in 11 states as of November 2019, more states gravitating toward legalizing the recreational use of the substance, and 33 states allowing medical marijuana, there’s apparently no stopping this trend. Cannabis, in the form of marijuana, hemp, and cannabidiol (CBD) is being used for pain relief, to alleviate stress, cope with anxiety, and a number of other mental health disorders and addictions.
Yet, there’s a dearth of clinical studies that have been conducted on the overall effects on a user’s health. Clearly, as Crain’s Detroit Business points out, more research on marijuan...
Source: World of Psychology - November 16, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: Medications Substance Abuse Cannabis Marijuana Source Type: blogs
