On schools, mental health, digital surveillance, student privacy and parental input
Op-Ed: School surveillance on students’ laptops will not help solve the youth mental health crisis (Los Angeles Times):
In the past year, school districts in California and elsewhere have contracted with digital surveillance companies to spy on students at school and home, citing the need for mental health support during the pandemic.
Despite being a vigilant and involved parent, I found out only recently that my own kids, who attend high school in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, have been under constant digital surveillance for the past year.
Gaggle.net has a contract with Corona-Norco to monitor email account...
Source: SharpBrains - January 5, 2022 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation digital surveillance Gaggle mental health crisis Neuroethics Neurotechnology parental notification Source Type: blogs
Study: Education and lifestyle helped over a million older Americans avoid serious cognitive problems in 2017
Conclusion: Between 2008 and 2017, the prevalence of serious cognitive impairment among older Americans declined significantly, although these declines were partially attributable to generational differences in educational attainment.
News in Context:
Study: High Cognitive Reserve (CR) seen to significantly lower dementia risk even in the presence of high Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) neuropathology
Build Your Cognitive Reserve: An Interview with Dr. Yaakov Stern
How learning changes your brain
Complex occupations help protect our brains from aging-related cognitive decline
The post Study: Education and lifestyle help...
Source: SharpBrains - January 3, 2022 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health cognitive decline Cognitive-impairment dementia memory serious cognitive impairment Source Type: blogs
Update: Why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may become an FDA-approved treatment for PTSD within 2 years
Welcome to a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, sharing important brain/ mental health news plus a few fun optical illusions to tease and appreciate our unique human minds.
#1. Why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may become an FDA-approved treatment for PTSD within 2 years
“We are a pharmacist and physician team who investigate the benefits and harms associated with substances of abuse like bath salts, phenibut, cannabis and synthetic marijuana. Through this work we have become intrigued about the therapeutic potential for some psychedelic drugs in the treatment of myriad psychiatric disorders, from PTSD to major ...
Source: SharpBrains - December 30, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Education & Lifelong Learning Technology & Innovation brain folding brain health cognitive decline digital therapeutics eMindful Ginger MDMA-assisted psychotherapy meditation mental training app mindfulness P Source Type: blogs
On brain folding and fitting 86 billion neurons inside our 1400 cc crania
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
To learn more:
Understand your connectome, understand yourself
Understanding Brain Health via Cosmological Health, and vice versa
The post On brain folding and fitting 86 billion neurons inside our 1400 cc crania appeared first on SharpBrains. (Source: SharpBrains)
Source: SharpBrains - December 27, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: The Conversation Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Biomechanics brain disorders brain folding BRAIN Initiative brain-development Cerebral Cortex computer modeling human-brain Mechanical engineering neuroimaging Neurons neuroscience white-matter Source Type: blogs
Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, Happy & Healthy 2022!!
The post Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, Happy & Healthy 2022!! appeared first on SharpBrains. (Source: SharpBrains)
Source: SharpBrains - December 24, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Education & Lifelong Learning Christmas holidays Navidad Source Type: blogs
Why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may become an FDA-approved treatment for PTSD within 2 years
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
To Learn More:
Study: Psychedelics can promote neural plasticity in the prefrontal cortex and expand pathways for mental health
FDA-approved, Cybin-sponsored clinicial trial to measure ketamine’s impact on the brain via Kernel Flow neuroimaging helmet
The post Why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may become an FDA-approved treatment for PTSD within 2 years appeared first on SharpBrains. (Source: SharpBrains)
Source: SharpBrains - December 21, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: The Conversation Tags: Brain/ Mental Health antidepressants Cannabidiol cannabis CBD Ecstasy MDMA MDMA-assisted psychotherapy neural plasticity Physical assault post-traumatic-stress-disorder psilocybin PTSD Sexual assault street drugs substance-ab Source Type: blogs
Complex occupations help protect our brains from aging-related cognitive decline
Conclusions: This study highlights the role of working activity in protecting from cognitive decline across all fragile elderly groups and even more so the individuals who are at very high risk of decline.
The Study in Context:
Study: Work in adulthood seen to significantly delay memory decline after age 60
Study: High Cognitive Reserve (CR) seen to significantly lower dementia risk even in the presence of high Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) neuropathology
Build Your Cognitive Reserve: An Interview with Dr. Yaakov Stern
Systematic review finds ten lifestyle factors that clearly impact the probability of developing Alzheimer...
Source: SharpBrains - December 15, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Education & Lifelong Learning aging brain-aging cognition cognitive Cognitive Aging cognitive decline cognitive-performance neuropsychological-tests occupation protective factors working Source Type: blogs
Ten insights on human well-being and potential from two giants we sadly lost in 2021: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Ed Diener
Many of us suffered terrible losses in 2021. In the field of positive psychology, we lost two of our most influential scholars: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Ed Diener. In their honor, I’d like to remember and appreciate the contributions they made to the understanding of human flourishing.
Csikszentmihalyi was born in 1934 in what today is Hungary. He grew up curious and spirited, but his world changed with the outbreak of World War II and the instability that followed. After attending a lecture by Carl Jung as a young adult, he left for the United States and eventually landed at the University of Chicago, setting out to ...
Source: SharpBrains - December 13, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Greater Good Science Center Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Education & Lifelong Learning behavior happiness human behavior human potential Positive-Psychology Psychological Science well-being Source Type: blogs
Pear Therapeutics raises $175M and goes public via SPAC deal raising the profile of prescription digital therapeutics
Digital health firm Pear goes public, raising $175 million (pharmaforum):
Pear will make its debut on the exchange today after combining with Thimble Point – a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) – in a deal that sidestepped the conventional initial public offering (IPO) route and has propelled its valuation to around $1.6 billion … Pear specialises in prescription digital therapeutics (DTx) based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques that can delivered remotely to [patients via a digital device. It has three apps approved by the FDA, including reSET and reSET‑O for people living with substa...
Source: SharpBrains - December 8, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Uncategorized CBT cognitive behavioural therapy DTx Pear Therapeutics prescription digital therapeutics reSET-O Somryst SPAC Thimble Point Source Type: blogs
Solera Health includes Ginger and eMindful to expand digital mental healthcare platform
Solera expands mental health network with new partners Ginger and eMindful (Fierce Healthcare):
Solera Health, a platform that links people with a curated collection of health solutions, is adding mental health companies Ginger and eMindful to its network of partners.
Ginger, a provider of on-demand virtual mental health care, and eMindful, which offers evidence-based mindfulness programs, will join Solera’s mental and behavioral health network, where an algorithm will connect patients with the programs best suited to their needs.
Previously, Solera announced a partnership with meditation and mindfulness app Headspace in...
Source: SharpBrains - December 6, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation Behavioral Health digital mental health eMindful Ginger Headspace mindfulness Solera Health Source Type: blogs
Could I be wrong? Exploring cognitive bias, curiosity, intellectual humility, and lifelong learning
This study of ketamine’s psychedelic effects while wearing headgear equipped with sensors to record brain activity could open up new frontiers of understanding” — Dr. Alex Belser, Cybin’s Chief Clinical Officer
#7. Beacon Biosignals raises $27M to scale EEG, AI-based neurobiomarker discovery platform
“analyzing EEGs is labor intensive and interpretation of these tests can vary from one clinician to another..…Beacon Biosignals has assembled what it claims is one of the world’s largest clinical EEG databases. By applying its proprietary machine-learning algorithms to the database, the company says it has identi...
Source: SharpBrains - November 30, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Education & Lifelong Learning aducanumab Aduhelm Alzheimer's drug Beacon Biosignals Click Therapeutics Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Monitoring cognitive-bias cognitive-testing curiosity Cybin depression digit Source Type: blogs
Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) found in approximately 40% of patients taking “Alzheimer’s drug” Aduhelm
Study: Biogen’s Aduhelm Caused Brain Swelling in Over One-Third of Study Participants (BioSpace):
Attention is being focused on a side effect of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm (aducanumab). Even before its controversial approval on June 7, there were cases of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA‑E), or cerebral edema, observed in the trials.
On November 10, the company indicated it was investigating the death of a 75-year-old woman who died of ARIA while receiving Aduhelm. It has yet to be determined if the death was caused by the ARIA. Between July and September, three other cases of ARIA were submitted...
Source: SharpBrains - November 29, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health aducanumab Aduhelm adverse side effects Alzheimer's drug amyloid-related imaging abnormalities ARIA ARIA-E Biogen cerebral edema confusion dizziness early Alzheimer's disease headache nausea Source Type: blogs
Let ’s Thank our unique Human Brains and Minds with a few family-friendly riddles
Q: What is a sure way of sustaining a friendly and sociable feeling towards the whole world?
A: Consort only with strangers.
Q: What beats regretting what you said?
A: Treasuring what you DIDN’T say.
Q: What does, “you must come and visit us sometime!” actually mean?
A: Nothing at all. However, if you take it seriously, be ready for the what-are-you-doing-here welcome!
– Keith Perreur-Lloyd is an Anglo-French composer and musician currently living in Spain. You can learn more about his classical compositions here.
More fun ways to challenge our brains and minds:
25 fun Brain Teasers an...
Source: SharpBrains - November 25, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Keith Perreur-Lloyd Tags: Brain Teasers family-friendly riddles Thanksgiving Source Type: blogs
FDA-approved, Cybin-sponsored clinicial trial to measure ketamine ’s impact on the brain via Kernel Flow neuroimaging helmet
This study of ketamine’s psychedelic effects while wearing headgear equipped with sensors to record brain activity could open up new frontiers of understanding,” said Dr. Alex Belser, Cybin’s Chief Clinical Officer…
“Quantitatively measuring the brain within the context of a psychedelic experience is a promising frontier,” said Bryan Johnson, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kernel. “With Kernel Flow, Cybin’s researchers can start putting numbers and quantification to subjective states of mind, including altered ones.”
Kernel Flow uses pulsed light instead of continuous wave light to increase measur...
Source: SharpBrains - November 22, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation Brain-Imaging Cerebral Cortex Clinical-Trial Consciousness Cybin drug development FDA human cognition Kernel ketamine neuroimaging neuroimaging helmet neurological activity placebo Source Type: blogs
Beacon Biosignals raises $27M to scale EEG, AI-based neurobiomarker discovery platform
Neurotech startup Beacon Biosignals scores $27M to bring AI to EEG analysis (MedCity News):
Electroencephalography is a decades-old technique for capturing brain activity, data that are used to evaluate brain disorders. Beacon Biosignals is applying artificial intelligence to these tests, and the neurotechnology startup has found a ready market in pharmaceutical companies interested in assessing how their experimental brain therapies are working. Now Beacon Biosignals has something else: $27 million in financing.
During an electroencephalogram (EEG) procedure, electrodes are affixed to the patient’s scalp. Over a period ...
Source: SharpBrains - November 17, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation artificial intelligence Beacon Biosignals brain disorders brain signatures brain-activity Cumulus Neuroscience EEG EEG brain signatures electroencephalography Kernel machine-learning n Source Type: blogs
