Americans have been barraged in the past couple of weeks by a series of major news events – some of them unsettling. President Trump’s trip to Europe left many unsettled about the future of the decades-old U.S. relations with Europe, and a summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin left many uneasy when Trump did not forcefully...
Category: <span>Brain Training</span>
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Attention network plays key role in restoring vision after brain damage
About one-third of patients who have suffered a stroke end up with impaired vision, losing up to half of their visual field. This partial blindness was long considered irreversible, but recent studies have shown that vision training after optic nerve and brain damage can restore or improve vision. A new study published in the journal...
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Great minds may think alike, but all minds look alike
Though humans differ widely in their congenital abilities, a newly-discovered brain learning mechanism has led researchers to reveal an origin of the identical spectrum of strong and weak links that compose all brains The brain is a complex network containing many billions of neurons. Each neuron is connected to thousands of others via links (synapses)...
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The Digest: VR Treatment, Even Without a Therapist, Helps People Overcome Fear of Heights
OVERCOMING ACROPHOBIA. Afraid of heights? You’re not alone. In fact, acrophobia is one of the most common fears in the world. Now, a team of European researchers has found a new way to help people overcome their fear, no need to climb on any ledges or even talk to a therapist. The researchers enlisted 100 volunteers for their...
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Mindfulness is key to tinnitus relief
A leading UK study has found that a new mindfulness-based approach to tinnitus could transform the treatment of the condition. The BTA estimates tinnitus affects approximately six million people in the UK. Credit: University of Bath Published in the journals Ear and Hearing and Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, the research, led by Dr. Liz Marks from...
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Better connectivity of brain regions with training
Researchers at the Leibniz-Institutes für Wissensmedien (IWM) and of the Graduate School and Research Network LEAD at the University of Tübingen now found out: Short and intensive arithmetic training strengthens the neuronal connections between brain regions in adults. This neuronal plasticity through numerical learning was already detectable after only five training sessions. Results of the...
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Mapping the brain with data science
Patients with dementia and other neural diseases show physical symptoms such as stumbling and confusion, but identifying the problem isn’t as simple as taking an X-ray. A group of researchers at Purdue University are designing data-driven tools that will help clinicians better understand the progression of neurodegenerative diseases by identifying and tracking changes in the brain. A...
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Serotonin enhances learning, not just mood
The neurotransmitter serotonin is linked to the control of mood, though it also helps to regulate various other functions, such as sleep and sexual desire. New research has uncovered another role played by serotonin: boosting learning speed. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is key to the regulation of emotions, also plays a role in learning processes....
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Mild problem-solving task improves brain function after a concussion, new study suggests
June 19, 2018 by Margaret Allen, Southern Methodist University A simple cognitive task as early as four days after a brain injury activates the region that improves memory function, and may guard against developing depression or anxiety. Concussed athletes performed a mild problem-solving task a few days after concussion. Credit: Purkayastha, SMU Concern is growing about...
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Spatial memory patterns mapped
Researchers at Cardiff University have mapped out how we store long-term spatial memory, shedding light on how our brains remember where things are within our surroundings. Professor Frank Sengpiel, from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences, said: “Until now, how the brain stores information about our environment over long periods of time has been a mystery....