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The New York Times’ recent article “Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete” is a great review to create awareness of innovations in performance training. For the last seven years, our company has successfully worked on validating neuroscience innovations in many industries and it all starts with information. It’s clear, however, that the arena of human performance innovation attracts both skeptics and supporters; a dissonance that is explored in depth in the article.

Adopting Innovations in Human Performance

At one end of the spectrum, there are early adopters and an interest in the potential. At the other end, there is limited knowledge and doubt concerning its overall effectiveness. Such skepticism could perhaps be the result of “brain training” companies making claims that are not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence.

In contrast to these companies, we have always strived to validate the relevance of NeuroTracker training and expand the strength of our supporting science. As a result, we readily welcomed a critical dialogue with Zach Schonbrun, the New York Times journalist.

Understanding the Benefits of New Technologies

Forward thinkers, particularly in sports, appear to be the most open-minded when it comes to understanding the benefits of new technologies. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of inertia and even resistance to innovation.

New ideas are not easy to implement without changing existing attitudes. In an early 1970s hockey series, the Russian national hockey team surprised Canadians with multiple wins. The Russians trained in the gym, while the Canadians only trained on the ice. The Canadians mocked the Russians with comments such as, “you don’t play hockey in sneakers.”

As much as strength and conditioning was novel in those days, so is cognitive enhancement today! With increased speeds of the game today, elite sports teams need a new form of training to gain a competitive edge. One that is able to enhance their awareness and decision-making abilities in high-pressure games.

NeuroTracker and Unpredictability

With today’s heightened level of competition, an elite competitor has to learn to respond to rapidly dynamic, changing scenes. Unpredictability plays a crucial role in sports. NeuroTracker trains fundamental cognitive systems which improve the ability to deal with chaos and unpredictability. It does so by increasing one’s processing speed when reading a play and anticipating how it will evolve.

We appreciate the traditional notion that structured, expertise training is fundamental to learning the essentials of a sport. One of NeuroTracker’s key augmentations, tactical awareness, was initially developed while working with the Atlanta Falcons. It synthesizes NeuroTracking with visual cue recognition and decision-making tests of tactical play scenes and video sequences. A key advantage is that we place the athlete under controlled cognitive stress during decision-making, which is paramount when performing under pressure.

NeuroTracker and Transferability

Last but not least, the New York Times article brought up the 64-million-dollar question of transferability. Unequivocally, the cognitive training industry still has a long way to go to directly correlate to on field performance. Proving transfer to real world performance is a surprisingly difficult thing to achieve due to the many concurrent influences on human performance.

For example, although there is general acceptance of the importance of strength and conditioning, there is still negligible science to show that this training actually changes the outcomes of competitive performance.

To establish a convincing case, a large body of high quality research needs to be conducted over several years.  It’s in this sense that NeuroTracker is uniquely positioned to spearhead the challenge.

In the summer of 2011, we held a NeuroTracker Summit in Boston with sports scientists, doctors and performance directors of leading NFL, NHL, and EPL teams.  We shared insights from ongoing research and encouraged the teams to participate in upcoming studies. This led to a seminal study in 2013 that was featured on Nature Research Journal’s homepage. It became an approach that paved the way to scientific collaborations around the globe and inspired us to setup a non-profit Applied Research Centre.

Future of NeuroTracker

Currently, we are supporting over 40 major research projects validating real life applications. Previously published NeuroTracker studies have drawn lots of independent researchers to NeuroTracker, but there is much more to come and it will continue to be a fascinating new movement in neuroscience.

While our technology may still be ahead of the curve, times are adapting quickly. We are confident that NeuroTracker’s approach will become a new standard in performance training in the very near future.

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Are you still recovering from a New Year’s Eve party? Have you given any thought to your new year’s resolutions? Popular resolutions often involve eating healthier or exercising more, essentially any activities that numb a guilty conscious after overindulging during the holidays.

Whether your resolution is to learn a new language or finally start that home project, you’re going to need a lot more help than just good intentions. Here’s how to trick your brain into keeping all of your new year’s resolutions.

Prompting Behavioral Change

Studies reveal that good intentions only prompt a change in behavior 20% to 30% of the time. Surprisingly, the more positive we are about our good intentions, the less likely we’ll be able to stick to our resolutions.

In fact, the best predictor of what you do in 2017, will be what you did in 2016. Fortunately, there is a magic solution that can bridge the gap between goal intentions and goal accomplishment. No, the solution isn’t writing them all down on a fancy list. It involves what behavioral psychologists call “implementation intentions.”

Implementation Intentions

Although a lot of research exists on “implementation intentions,” in one groundbreaking study, researchers pooled subjects who intended to start exercising and assigned them to three groups. The Control Group received no input from the researchers. The Experiment Group 1 received educational materials correlating exercise and good cardio-vascular health. And the Experiment Group 2 stated its “implementation intentions” by filling out this form:

“During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on (day or days) ____ at ____ (time of day) at/in (place) ____.”

Resolution Study Outcomes

Which group do you think had the greatest success at sticking to their resolution? If you guessed Group 2, you’re right! In fact, 91% of Group 2 members ended up exercising. It appears that actually thinking about their goal and writing down the details of their exercise plan proved beneficial. This was more than double the other two groups, where the results were only 39% for Group 1 and 20% for the Control Group.

Behavioral psychologists hypothesize that the individuals who did not make implementation intentions, may not have recognized the opportunities to act, and consequently did not get around to realizing their intentions to exercise. Interestingly enough, writing down what you hope to accomplish is not sufficient. The importance of implementation intentions lies in “if-then” statements. For instance, “If it’s 7am on Tuesday, then I will go to the gym to exercise” is far more effective than simply writing “At 7am on Tuesday, I will go to the gym and exercise.”

Sticking to Your Resolutions

When writing your new year’s resolutions, you should be writing: “If situation Y is encountered, then I will perform the goal-directed response Z.” Our brains effectively get tricked into automatically and subconsciously responding to if/then statements. As a result, you will do what you said you were going to do unconsciously, similar to a habit.

So essentially, if you want to follow through with those resolutions, consider using implementation intentions. They essentially help us fool ourselves into doing something – you consciously formulate a plan and then unconsciously execute it. Wishing you the best of luck!

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The winter season can be a truly magical time. Cold weather prompts us to get cozy indoors, the holidays encourage us to spend quality time with loved ones and we get to indulge in festive treats. At the same time, it can stir up feelings of stress, anxiety and sadness. Similar to animals, humans react to the changing seasons with changes in mood and behaviour.

For instance, with less sunlight and shorter days, a lot of people tend to eat and sleep slightly more in wintertime. If you’re someone who gets a case of the winter blues, have no fear! Here are 3 ways you can boost your mood and banish those winter blues:

1. Engage in Creative Projects

In today’s modern working world, flexing your creative brain cells is increasingly valuable. New research reveals that doing creative work also makes you feel good too! The connection between creative tasks and happiness is an idea that hadn’t really been proven before now.

Researchers from New Zealand and the United States found that when individuals engaged in small bouts of creative work, they felt higher activated positive affect and flourishing, the following days after completing that creative activity.

In the study, positive affect included self-descriptors such as: energetic, enthusiastic, excited (high activation), happy, cheerful, pleasant (medium activation), calm, content, relaxed (low activation). Flourishing was described as “optimal function accompanied by feelings of meaning, engagement, and purpose in life.”

Creative work should not sound like another chore. It can involve anything from creative writing, to painting and drawing, composing or playing music, photography and dance, to cooking and baking, knitting or sewing, gardening, etc.

2. Indulge in Hygge

Hygge, pronounced “hue-gah,” is a Danish tradition about achieving intimacy and happiness in everyday moments. While it has no direct translation, it can be most closely translated to “coziness.” It’s all about creating a warm atmosphere to prompt feelings of well-being, happiness, relaxation and enjoying the simple pleasures in life.

To practice some hygge, you can get snug in a woolly jumper, watch your favourite Netflix show, light plenty of candles, catch up with friends while sharing some mulled wine, etc. Studies have shown that as sunlight lessens, so do our levels of serotonin. Yet, Denmark is ranked in the world’s top three happiest countries despite being a country where the sun often sets before 4pm. Light lots of candles and help brighten things up to make the most of the dark nights.

3. Get Active

Keep moving through winter, don’t let the cold temperatures prevent you from staying active. Engaging in some exercise that you enjoy will help release endorphins. If possible, try to go to a sunny locale or plan a quick day trip. Studies suggest that even the simple act of planning a trip can deliver mind/body benefits comparable to actually taking the trip.

Make the most of your local ski-hill, go snow-shoeing, jogging, cycling, build a snowman, or take a hike through the snow. All of these activities are ideal for breaking out of the sedentary winter mindset. Remember that outdoor activities also burn up to 50% more calories than indoor ones.

Now you’re ready to banish those winter blues and start boosting your mood!

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If you look up from your smartphone, what do you see? Chances are, you’ll see other people engrossed in their smartphones. This happens on the bus, in the subway, in a lecture, and even at the dinner table! It’s clear that nowadays, a lot of us have an insatiable appetite for information and to stay connected.

As a result, we’re always checking our phones to stay up to date, being bombarded by notifications of new messages, social media posts, breaking news, app updates and more. In fact, more people reach for their smartphones first thing in the morning than reach for a toothbrush, coffee or even their partner lying in bed next to them.

Increased Distraction and Hyperactivity

A lot of people report that their smartphone addiction is making them increasingly hyperactive and distracted. Interestingly enough, these symptoms of digital stimulation also happen to characterize ADHD. Could our smartphones be afflicting us all, even non-ADHD sufferers, with the well-known neurodevelopmental disorder?

In a study conducted among millennials at the University of Colombia, it was revealed that more frequent phone interruptions made people less attentive and more hyperactive. Inattentiveness covered a wide range of issues, such as making careless mistakes, forgetting to pay a bill, having difficulty listening to others or sustaining attention. Hyperactivity involved fidgeting, feeling restless, excessive talking and interrupting others.

Heightened Dopamine Levels

At the same time, it does not suggest that smartphones cause ADHD. Nor does it suggest that reducing phone interruptions can treat ADHD. But is our obsession with our smartphones necessarily a negative thing? What about for people who have ADHD, does their smartphone worsen their symptoms?

Apparently, checking your smartphone can actually increase the dopamine levels in your brain. Receiving likes and comments on social media posts, for instance, can activate pleasure centers in your brain.

A similar reaction has been observed with Tinder, an online dating app. A neuroscience professor at UCLA, explained that if the frontal cortex of your brain decides having a Tinder response is pleasurable, it’s going to give you a shot of dopamine.

ADHD sufferers usually have lower dopamine levels than non-ADHD sufferers, which is why they’re drawn to activities that give instant gratification. If they are doing something they enjoy or find psychologically rewarding, they’ll tend to persist in this behavior.

Stimulating Learning Environment

Smartphone apps may also offer those afflicted with ADHD more than simply validation. Individuals who suffer with attention-deficit disorder, have a decreased ability to sustain attention and are often easily bored. Since social media and the internet are filled with constantly changing information, the learning environment is more stimulating. These platforms maintain a sense of novelty so it’s easier to keep the person engaged.

Relationship and Productivity Losses

Whether your smartphone functions as a conduit for an emotional boost or an opportunity for mental stimulation, it’s no wonder we all have a craving for it. Unfortunately, being afflicted with ADHD-like symptoms, however, comes with downsides. It costs tens of millions of people productivity, true closeness and time each year.

In addition, there are the practical considerations. To foster positive relationships, no one wants to ignore a loved one in the middle of a conversation or space out during a meeting. There’s also the danger of becoming addicted to the good feelings we get when we achieve positive interactions. Consequently, if you’re not receiving the positive feedback you were hoping for, this negatively impacts your feeling of self-worth.

Rethinking Smartphone Usage

So, should you get rid of your smartphone? Of course not! Do consider, however, silencing your phone, activating “do not disturb” settings or keeping it out of reach once in a while. Because sometimes, don’t our brains deserve a vacation from distractions?

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It’s always fascinated me just how much athletic skillsets vary dramatically from athlete to athlete, even at elite sports levels.  An example is Paul Scholes, one of the players I admired most throughout my time at Manchester United.  As the strength and conditioning coach, I can tell you his physical attributes gave him little advantage over his competitors. What he did have, however, was incredible mental abilities.  This is why Sir Alex Ferguson called him: ‘One of the greatest football brains Manchester United has ever had’.

The latest sports science studies show that when elite players are compared to sub-elite players, the differences in mental performance are huge.  Reading and responding to game flow, predicting opponents and ball trajectories, and responding rapidly under pressure are key areas where elite performers gain a critical edge in competitive play.  These factors are typically undertrained, yet the brain’s neuroplasticity allows rapid performance gains, with long-lasting effects.  The missing piece of the puzzle is utilizing the right techniques, which is where the latest training technologies like NeuroTracker come in.  As the first ever coach to use this, and other cutting-edge training tools, I’ve never looked back.  Here are three reasons why cognitive training tools like NeuroTracker can make a difference.

1. Attention is critical for decision-making

In order to excel on the field, awareness is fundamental. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining multi-focal attention on several moving targets at the same time. On the field this involves perceiving players moving around the athlete, identifying movement patterns in and out of vision, and predicting motion trajectories.

Rather than coaching athletes for specific plays or situations, ideally we want to sharpen a player’s cognitive abilities in a way that can be applied to any game situation. It’s a similar idea, for instance, to doing squats to improve sprinting and jumping power.  Attention-based training like NeuroTracker, benefits the all-important decision-making area of the brain.  This is because the speed and quality of action-response choices rely heavily on awareness and reading the scene fluidly.  The added factor here is that when a player’s capacity of attention is overwhelmed by information or psychological pressure, or even fatigue, mental focus breaks down. Momentary attentional lapses often result in critical errors during intense moments of big games.  For this reason, attention needs to be trained at very high levels, so that it becomes robust enough to withstand the pressures of competition.

2. Processing speed is Paramount

It’s pretty easy to follow action when there is little movement, but when motion speeds up, the demands on the brain increase dramatically.  Most sports demand following dynamic and rapidly moving scenes, with complex movement patterns.  Top athletes need to not only process this, but to do so at an incredible speed.  This is why training needs to condition mental focus at each athlete’s processing speed threshold, otherwise it’s going to be tough to keep on top of the action when it matters most.  NeuroTracker is great example of how this can be done, as it pushes each athlete’s speed processing limits every session.  The training effects show this actually speeds up brain waves, associated with greater alertness and mental focus.  More technologies should apply this conditioning principle.

3. Peripheral vision is Fundamental and Trainable

Vision dominates about 80% of the vast amount of sensory information we take in every second.  Mastering how to use vision is a skill which separates the good from the best in team sports.  The classic difference found between elites and amateurs, is that amateurs over scan for detail, darting their focus point around too much.  Why is this a problem?  It causes blurred vision in-between scan points, so if your eyes are constantly moving from point to point, most of the time the scene is blurred - compromising peripheral awareness.  Elite athletes tend to scan much less frequently, focusing only on pertinent details. This allows them to spread their visual attention mentally to draw in as much information as possible.

It’s not intuitive, so vision training is important, especially for younger athletes.  A technique known as a ‘visual pivot’ is something which you anchor your focus point to, while actually paying attention to action in the periphery.  With NeuroTracker it involves tracking multiple moving targets. The task forces the athlete to process complex information across a wide field of view while looking towards the center of the scene.

In summary, cognitive training technologies can be great tools for improving athletes’ skillsets in modern day sports. However, based on my experience, I’ve found that the tools that condition combined attention, processing speed, and visual awareness, are the most valuable.

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Blurred vision, light sensitivity and aching eyes are some visual problems associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The reality is, however, that visual issues resulting from concussions and other TBIs are often overlooked. This is problematic because hidden or neglected visual system disorders can have serious consequences, such as lengthening and impairing rehabilitation.

In addition, visual skills are vital for processing information efficiently. When processing visual information becomes difficult, the affected person may subconsciously strain their eyes. As a result, each task may seem difficult and require greater energy than usual.

In a previous blog post, we covered vision problems associated with brain injuries, such as double vision and reading difficulties. But, you may be wondering what visual skills are actually affected? Will a concussed individual have problems focusing on a particular object? As a follow-up to that post, read more about the 10 visuals skills affected by traumatic brain injuries:

1. Eye Tracking

This is the measurement of eye activity. In other words, it’s the ability of the eye to move smoothly across a printed page or follow a moving object. Eye tracking affects everything from where we look, to what we ignore, to when we blink and how our pupils react to different stimuli.

2. Focus Change (Accommodation)

Accommodation is the ability of the eye to adjust its focal length. This process is automatic and occurs almost instantaneously. It involves looking quickly from far to near, and back without a blur.

3. Maintaining Attention

This requires staying focused on a particular activity while interference, such as noise or motion, is present. Whether you’re taking an exam, or walking across a busy street, your ability to tune out irrelevant sights and sounds in the environment – or your openness to detecting potential dangers – is crucial for success and survival.

4. Vision Perception

Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding environment by processing information that is contained by visible light. In essence, it is understanding what you see.

5. Peripheral Vision

Commonly known as side vision, peripheral vision is what is seen on the side by the eye when looking straight ahead. It involves monitoring and interpreting what is happening in your surrounding field of vision.

6. Visualization

This is the ability to accurately picture images in the “mind’s eye.” Your visual system retains and stores images for future recall. While a visual skill, it’s also a cognitive tool accessing imagination to realize all aspects of an object, action or outcome.

7. Near vision acuity

Near vision acuity involves clearly seeing, inspecting, identifying and understanding objects viewed within an arm’s length.

8. Distance acuity

This visual acuity relates to clearly seeing, inspecting, identifying and understanding objects viewed at a distance.

9. Fixation

Fixation is the action of concentrating the eyes directly on something. In general, it requires quickly and accurately locating and inspecting a series of stationary objects, such as words while reading.

10. Depth perception

Depth perception is the visual ability to perceive the world in three dimensions, coupled with the ability to judge the relative distances of objects – how far or near they are.

As you can see, when you suffer from a brain injury, your visual skills can take a real blow! Vision care professionals, such as neuro-optometrists, can play an extremely important role in rehabilitating visual functions.

These individuals are specifically trained to work with TBI patients, using a wide array of vision therapies, such as cognitive training tools and specialized lenses, to facilitate recovery. Perceptual-cognitive training tools, in particular, are designed to improve attention and visual processing speed, skills affected by TBIs. So, if you’ve suffered from a TBI, it could be very beneficial to visit a highly specialized healthcare professional.

Recent studies show that 70% of parents of children with ADHD report that their children suffer from a sleeping problem. This is particularly the case when it comes to difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep. In the past, scientific studies that measured sleep quality using electrodes, failed to demonstrate a correlation between sleep quality and ADHD.

ADHD and Disturbed Sleep

A new Danish study, however, now reveals that children with ADHD actually do sleep worse than other children. These children, for instance, experience more disturbed sleep including less deep sleep. The children in the ADHD group slept for 45 minutes less than the children in the control group.

Two of the three children with ADHD, also had one or more additional psychiatric diagnoses, which may increase the risk of sleep disturbance. Nevertheless, there was still a significant difference between the sleep patterns of the control group and the ADHD group (with those only diagnosed with ADHD).

Opposite Daytime Sleep Patterns

The researchers also studied sleep patterns during the day, and were surprised by the findings. The children with ADHD, for example, tended to fall asleep faster during the day than the children in the control group. Given that ADHD is often associated with characteristics such as hyperactivity, you would assume the opposite. Hyperactivity, however, could result from sleep deprivation.

Sleep Deprivation and Hyperactivity

In this case, sleep deprivation may not be sleeping long enough, or not getting enough quality sleep. Evidence shows that sleep deprivation can cause hyperactivity and impulsivity in children. In addition, this hyperactivity could be compensatory behaviour for daytime sleepiness.

Inadequate sleep in children may negatively affect the way kids function, think and behave. It’s not uncommon for kids who have problems sleeping to be misdiagnosed with ADHD. This is because they may show symptoms, behaviours or impairments that are remarkably similar to those with ADHD. At the same time, diagnosis is often difficult. For instance, the use of psychostimulant medications to treat ADHD can cause sleep problems in some patients but can improve sleep in others.

Different Study Measures

The differences in the findings between this study and past studies could be due to different measuring methods. In the most recent study, children slept in familiar home surroundings, despite having electrodes attached to their heads at the hospital in the afternoon. In previous studies, children were admitted to specialist sleep centres at hospitals to measure their sleep. Furthermore, a lot of children with ADHD are given medicine to help them sleep. But, in this particular study, none of the children were medicated during its course.

Future of ADHD Sleep Problems

The overall findings are promising since it can serve as an important foundation for future studies. Anne Virring Sørensen, who is behind the PhD study, says the next step is to find out where the correlation between ADHD and poor sleep lies, to develop better treatment in the long-term.

There are many treatment plans available when it comes to aiding children with ADHD who have sleep difficulties. Nevertheless, special attention needs to be given to interventions that focus on improving sleep and bedtime behaviour. Fortunately, a restful sleep is not impossible to achieve!

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With so many myths surrounding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it’s often difficult to separate the facts from fiction. Can geniuses have ADHD? Can you have ADHD if you’re a calm person? The reality is, there are an estimated 6.4 million children diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. alone. In fact, this neurobehavioural disorder now seems to be as prevalent as the common cold! But, let’s get our facts straight and expose the 5 myths about ADHD.

Myth #1: Kids with ADHD are unable to pay attention

Fact: ADHD is a broad term, and the condition can vary from person to person. There are three main types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. In hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, the person has symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity but not inattention. Some of these symptoms may include excessive talking, interrupting others incessantly, inability waiting for their turn.

Myth #2: ADHD is simply a lack of willpower

Fact: People with ADHD are able to hyperfocus on things that interest them. As a result, there is a misconception that if they really wanted to, they could focus on other tasks. Unfortunately, ADHD is not a willpower problem; it’s a chemical problem affecting the management systems of the brain. Neuroscientists believe that hyperfocus results from abnormally low levels of dopamine. This dopamine deficiency makes it difficult to shift attention from one thing to another. If they are doing something they enjoy or find psychologically rewarding, they’ll tend to persist in this behavior. The brains of people with ADD are drawn to activities that give instant gratification.

Myth #3: Someone with ADHD, can’t also have depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric problems

Fact: ADHD usually overlaps with other disorders. New neuroscience studies have discovered direct neurobiological links between ADHD, OCD and autism. As many as 70% of all people with ADHD will suffer symptoms of depression and/or anxiety at some point in their lives. In addition, a person with ADHD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most other people. Sometimes these comorbid conditions arise independently of ADHD. They could also result, however, from the chronic stress and discouragement that comes from living with ADHD.

Myth #4: Anyone with adequate intelligence can overcome their ADHD symptoms

Fact: ADHD affects people of all levels of intelligence. In a study conducted among children with ADHD, all of them had IQ scores of 120 or more. This placed them in the top 9% of their age group on basic intelligence. The students in the study all had significant impairments in working memory and processing speed. One thing that was evident was their chronic inability to deploy their smarts in effective work and getting along with other people.

Myth #5: You can’t have ADHD as an adult

Fact: Many adults may struggle all their lives with unrecognized ADHD symptoms. Attention deficit disorder often looks quite different in adults than it does in children. Furthermore, symptoms are unique for each individual. Consequently, many adults do not receive the help they need. They assume that their chronic difficulties, such as depression or anxiety, are caused by other impairments that did not respond to the usual treatment.

Now, you know some of the facts about ADHD, and learning about it is the first step. From structured strategies to cognitive training tools for ADHD, people are finding meaningful ways to manage their symptoms. Fortunately, there are lots of ways individuals with the disorder can help themselves and get their symptoms under control.

If you're looking for more information on ADHD, then check out this excellent educational resource by the team at Edu Birdie.

In the aftermath of the U.S. election, many are shocked, while others are delighted and positive about the country’s future. Numerous articles wrongly predicted that democrat Hillary Clinton would be triumphant over republican Donald Trump. So you may be asking yourself, how could have the predictions been so inaccurate? Why did it turn sour for Hillary?

Disgust with the Status Quo

One theory is that the election results point to a revolt against the political establishment. Unfortunately, Hillary is perceived as the quintessential personification of that establishment. For some, she became the face of America’s broken politics. And, people were disgusted with the status quo and all its accouterments, which is severely unlucky for Hillary. Evidence suggests that the emotion of disgust influences our deeply held political intuitions and moral beliefs.

Why is this the case? In essence, basic human emotions are essential for our survival. They motivate us to do good things and keep us away from doing bad things. Fear, for instance, prevents us from engaging in extremely risky behavior. Similarly, disgust also offers us protective benefits, such as keeping us away from things that might poison us or make us ill.

An interesting feature of disgust is also how it works through association. For example, if one disgusting thing touches a clean thing, that clean thing becomes disgusting, not the other way around. Throughout history, this rhetoric has been used to convince somebody that an object or an individual or an entire social group is disgusting and should be avoided. Look no further than the genocides that occurred in Germany and Rwanda, and the Jim Crow laws in the United States.

Political Conservatism and Disgust Sensitivity

Interestingly, in past studies conducted by psychologists, it was revealed that more politically conservative people were easier to disgust. In addition, there also seemed to be a relationship between voting behavior and disgust sensitivity. For example, in regions where people reported high levels of disgust sensitivity, McCain got more votes. So it not only predicted self-reported political orientation, but actual voting behavior. It also showed that those who were more disgust-sensitive were also much more opposed to gay marriage, homosexuality and pretty much a lot of the socio-moral issues in the sexual domain.

It turns out, that when people are feeling disgust, their attitudes shift towards the right of the political spectrum, towards more moral conservatism as well. So, did the disgust towards the political institution seal Hillary’s fate? Donald Trump was able to persuade enough voters that he could fix America’s problems. As a businessman, and not a politician, he was seen as the ultimate outsider – a protest candidate.

Authenticity and Trust Issues

In truth, a lot of people never quite warmed to Hillary. For many, she did not inspire trust, and that was not simply among republicans. In addition, many perceived her to lack authenticity and sincerity; she was not relatable. Perhaps her biggest downfall was that in a year when so many Americans wanted change, she appeared to offer more of the same. So, maybe disgust did play a role in who people voted for. Or, maybe it didn’t. But, it’s always interesting to consider how emotions influence us to make decisions, even when that decision is supposed to be wholly rational.

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Around the globe, there appears to be a startling and rapid rise in ADHD diagnosis rates. ADHD is a neurobehavioural disorder that has somehow become an epidemic. For instance, more than one in ten kids have been diagnosed with the disorder in the U.S. alone. In addition, more than 3.5 million are taking drugs to curb symptoms, from lack of focus to hyperactivity. According to psychologist Enrico Gnaulati, ADHD is now as prevalent as the common cold. So, what’s with the rise? Has there been a change in our gene pool? Or, is something else going on?

School Accountability Laws

In the past few decades, incentives have been introduced for U.S. schools to turn out better graduation rates and test scores. As a result, these schools feel the pressure to compete for funding. Known as school accountability laws, schools are disciplined for missing targets and rewarded for exceeding them. Consequently, this has given some educational institutions a real incentive to get children diagnosed and treated.

“Brain Doping” Phenomenon

Across North America, “brain doping” is also now a well-known phenomenon among college and university students. Certain parents really want their child to get into Yale, Harvard or Berkeley, which requires perfect scores. With an ADHD diagnosis, students can seek special accommodations at school, such as more time on the SAT, a standardized college entrance exam.

Parents, students, and even schoolboards are recognizing the potential benefits that come with diagnosis. In addition, a lot of students do not perceive the stimulant as cheating. In a 2012 study, results revealed that male college students believe it’s far more unethical for an athlete to use steroids than for a student to abuse prescription stimulants to ace a test.

Sleep Deprivation and Routine Childhood Behavior

Another prominent cause for misdiagnosis is sleep deprivation. Surprisingly, sleep deprivation can cause hyperactivity and impulsivity in children. Furthermore, with added academic pressure and screens that populate almost each room, a lot of kids are simply not getting enough downtime. To a certain extent, almost each child is impulsive, distractible, disorganized, and has troubling following directions.

So sometimes, even “ordinary childhood behavior” will be mistaken for ADHD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), usually used as the gold standard to diagnose ADHD, lists nine symptoms of inattention and nine of hyperactivity or impulsivity. Symptoms of inattention include: making careless mistakes on homework, distractibility, trouble staying organized. Symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsivity include: interrupting others, climbing when it’s inappropriate and excessive talking. All of these symptoms, however, may sound familiar with those who’ve spent time around children. Consequently, it’s the combination and severity of these symptoms that are considered key in the diagnosis of ADHD.

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Without a doubt, the electoral race this year has been action-packed. With new accusations always emerging from both sides, it’s difficult to keep track of who did or said what. Nevertheless, newspapers and TV newscasts appear to be biased in one way more than any other: they focus on what is new. From Trump’s “locker room talk” scandal to Clinton coming under fire for her emails as Secretary of State, you’d think that nothing matters more than newness in this election.

Short Attention Span

At their best, commentators offer context and perspective about the news so that the newest information is synthesized with what is already known. Citizens are then able to draw more circumspect and sensible conclusions. With the election only a day away, this role will be especially vital. The public and its news media seem to have short attention spans. But letting the latest news cycles determine the U.S.A.’s future leader, does not appear to be the best idea.

Researchers have reported that many Americans may have chosen their preferred candidate months ago based on political platforms or core issues. As the election cycle has continued, however, voters have been presented with new information. Consequently, this new information has influenced some to change their perspectives on the candidates and, potentially, their votes. But, why does new information influence a person to change their mind?

New Information Influences Decisions

Well, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin can now map what happens neurologically when new information influences a person to change his or her mind. It’s a finding that offers more insight into the mechanics of learning. In the study, the researchers employed brain decoding techniques that allow deeper insight into the knowledge people have available to make decisions. They were able to measure when a person’s knowledge changes to reflect new goals or opinions.

According to researchers, the process involves two components of the brain. These components work together to update and “bias” conceptual knowledge with new information to form new ideas. The study’s lead author, Michael Mack, explained: “How we reconcile that new information with our prior knowledge is the essence of learning. And, understanding how that process happens in the brain is the key to solving the puzzle of why learning sometimes fails and how to put learning back on track.”

Selective Attention and Information Classification

In the study, researchers monitored neural activity while participants learned to classify a group of images in two different ways. First, the participants had to determine how the images were similar to each other based on similar features. Once the images were grouped together, the participants then had to switch to other features within the images. They then had to group them based on these similarities instead.

Rapidly updating visual representations is a process that occurs in the hippocampus (HPC). It’s located near the center of the brain and is responsible for recording experiences or episodic memory. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), the front part of the brain, orchestrates thoughts and actions. In the study, it served to tune in selective attention to relevant features and compare that information with the existing conceptual knowledge in the HPC.

As a result, it updates the organization of the items based on the new relevant features. So, items that were once conceptually similar, may become very different. And, features that were once relevant, become irrelevant.

Whether you’ve been completely loyal to one candidate in this election, or new information has swayed your vote, tomorrow promises to be quite the race. Will you be on the edge of your seat?

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When it comes to concussions, the National Football League (NFL) seems to attract almost all the attention from the media. Remember the incident with Case Keenum, the St. Louis Rams’ quarterback? He returned to the field after being slammed to the ground in the same game. As a result, some questioned the NFL’s enforcement of its protocols, which was featured prominently in the media.

The reality is, however, that fewer than 2,000 people are playing in the NFL. But, there’s actually about 2,000 kids playing for every NFL player, which averages to 3.5 million kids playing youth football in the U.S. With a group so large, it’s clear we still have too little information when it comes to concussions in youth players.

“Shake it Off” Law

In 2006, the state of Washington created a new law in the name of 13-year-old Zackery Lystedt, also known as the “shake it off” law. In a life-changing game, Lystedt’s head hit the ground as he rolled through a routine tackle. While Lystedt didn’t lose consciousness, he did lie on the ground for a moment after the play, clutching his helmet. His coach determined, however, that he could play the rest of the game after sitting out for three plays.

By the closing whistle, Lystedt collapsed and was rushed to the hospital for emergency neurosurgery to relieve pressure inside his skull. Today, Lystedt is learning to walk again. The “shake it off” law requires players who show signs of concussion to be cleared by a medical practitioner prior to re-entering a game. While a good first step, what about the kids who play football and don’t display outward symptoms of injury? What about the damage that might be short of a concussion?

TBI and Youth Football Players

An imaging study in the journal Radiology, revealed that football players who had no concussion symptoms still showed changes associated with traumatic brain injury. In the study, the “head impact data” was recorded in male football players between ages 8 to 13 over the course of a season. The “head impact data” was recorded using a Head Impact Telemetry System to measure force, which was correlated with video games and practices. Christopher Whitlow, chief of neuroradiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine, headed the study with his team.

The players also underwent elaborate brain imaging before and after the season. To identify tiny changes in the structure of white matter, diffusion tensor imaging, which is a type of MRI, was used. The image measures fractional anisotropy (FA) of the movement of water molecules along axons. In healthy white matter, the direction of water movement tends to be uniform.

In head trauma, however, usually the FA values decrease as movement becomes less ordered. And in this case, the images of the boys’ brains showed a significant relationship between head impact and decreased FA in white-matter tracts by the end of the season. There were even more changes among the boys who experienced more head impact. Similar changes in FA have been reported in the setting of mild traumatic brain injury.

Altered Brain Development

In addition, it was found in a study published last year, that NFL players who begun playing football before the age of 12, had a higher risk of altered brain development, in comparison to players who started later. As Ann McKee, director of the Boston University Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, explained: “Kids’ heads are a larger part of their body. Their necks are not as strong as adults’ necks. So, kids may be at a greater risk of head and brain injuries than adults.”

Does this mean that kids should stop playing football? No, not necessarily. But, it’s clear that more rules need to be constantly updated as the latest research emerges. Protocols about what’s safe and what’s not should be implemented. Maybe, then perhaps youth football will be a reasonable idea. At this time, however, there’s still some work to be done!

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With celebrations like Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it’s the ideal time to indulge in all things spooky, horrific and honour the dead. Halloween, in particular, is perfect if you are seeking that rush from a fear-inducing scare. Ghosts, goblins, scary movies, zombie costumes…it’s all part of the agenda! Perhaps you spent Halloween catching up on The Walking Dead or American Horror Story? Or maybe you ventured into a haunted house?

Fight-or-Flight

Whatever your tastes may be, when faced with spine-tingling situations, your brain enters into fight-or-flight mode. This mode is a primitive survival mechanism, in which your body undergoes a stress response to a perceived threat in your surrounding environment. Originally, this reaction emerged from years of ancestors attempting to circumvent predators and escape danger. Nowadays, however, it is more common for us to experience those feelings in response to mental threats. These threats are more likely to cause some psychological distress as opposed to harm us physically.

The Amygdala

The amygdala is what handles our fight-or-flight response. It’s the part of our brain involved in experiencing emotion and an integral part of fear processing. Nevertheless, it is unable to distinguish a physical threat from a mental one. So while sweaty palms and anxiety may make more sense when confronted by a hungry lion, they may also manifest in undesirable scenarios such as during job interviews or scary movies.

A lot of evidence supports the involvement of the amygdala with fear processing. For instance, in a particular study, this brain region was completely removed in rats. Consequently, these rats no longer displayed fearful or avoidance behaviors towards their number one enemy – the cat.

When you watch a horror movie, the sudden appearance of the grotesque villain acts a stimulus and will trigger a signal in your amygdala. In response to a perceived threat, it releases a brain chemical called glutamate. The chemical acts on two other regions of your brain. The first signal is sent deep down into the base of the brain, into an area called the mid-brain.

Adrenaline and Dopamine Rush

Unfortunately, we have little control over this area. It makes us involuntarily jump or freeze, which isn’t ideal if you’ve got a bowl of popcorn in your lap. The second signal is sent to the hypothalamus, a section of the brain responsible for producing hormones. The hypothalamus triggers our autonomic nervous system – which is how our fight or flight instinct starts to kick in. As a result, the blood pressure and heart rate go up and adrenaline and dopamine (the brain’s “reward hormone”) are pumped throughout the body. These hormones help our bodies prepare for the fight or run of our lives, which is why you feel such a rush whenever you’re scared.

Your Brain’s Chemical Makeup

Ever wondered, however, why some people seem to enjoy horror films more than others? Or maybe why some people gravitate towards extreme sports or risky activities? It appears that certain individuals enjoy these experiences of fear and the accompanying rush more than others. Why? Well, it could be due to underlying differences in the brain’s chemistry. At Vanderbilt University, for example, it was revealed that chemical responses differed in groups of people when faced with thrilling situations. While dopamine is released in response to scary or thrilling situations, in some individuals, their brain lacks a “brake” on the dopamine release and re-uptake in the brain.

As a result, they experience more reward and pleasure in spooky or risky situations and even higher levels of dopamine in the brain. This explains why some of us cower in fear at the mere mention of zombies, while others feel butterflies of excitement. So, still afraid of things that go bump in the night?

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Your brain is a true powerhouse of billions of neurons. These neurons are constantly firing electrical signals back and forth, telling you what to think, what to feel and what to do. But, did you know that we all have a second brain? And, it controls a lot more than you may realize. Any idea where it’s located? In your gut, of course!

Your Controlling Gut

In reality, the gut is an independent center of integrative neural activity. This means that it can work all on its own, without any input from the brain. For instance, it controls the movement and absorption of food through the intestines. No other organ can work independently of any control by the brain in your head.

In general, one of the main ways your brain communicates with the rest of your body is through the vagus nerve. It passes messages to the heart, lungs, digestive tract, and vocal chords. With your gut, it actually passes messages back to your brain.

The Enteric Nervous System

Ever had a gut-wrenching experience? Reached for the ice-cream when you’re stressed? Relied on your gut instincts to make an important decision? These are all prime examples of your gut sending messages to your brain.

Within the enteric nervous system (ENS), the extensive mesh-like network of neurons that controls your digestive tract, messages are being sent to your brain. In fact, 80% to 90% of nerve fibres in the enteric nervous system are going from the gut to the brain. The ENS contains an astonishing 100 million neurons, which is a lot fewer than your brain but more than the spinal cord.

Your ENS Influences Your Mood

You may be saying, okay, the gut sends messages to your brain, but that doesn’t mean it’s in control. Wrong! It turns out that our digestive system also influences our choices on a daily basis. Research has shown that our gut can manipulate food cravings and behaviour to ensure their own survival. In addition, colonies in our digestive system also affect our mood.

For instance, it sends signals north to the brain that directly affects feelings of sadness or stress, even influence memory, learning and decision-making. It manufactures more than 30 neurotransmitters. This includes serotonin that is identical to the one found in the brain.

Recent studies have also revealed that the second brain in our gut can also be a powerful tool for achieving major relief from depression. People with healthy and diverse microbiomes are less likely to be depressed or anxious. Research conducted on rats also shows that gut bacteria can change feelings and behaviour. For instance, rats inoculated with bacteria from depressed people started to develop signs of depression themselves.

The ENS and Autism

Even autism, studies suggest, may be wrapped in the neurobiology of the brain below your head. Researchers found that mice who grew up in sterile environments – where no bacteria colonized their gut – displayed social traits similar to humans on the autism spectrum. When these mice were fed probiotics, however, their symptoms were alleviated.

This kind of effect has also been seen in studies with humans too. Many scientists, therefore, now believe that one of the primary functions of gut bacteria is actually to promote social behaviours. This ensures survival of the species through sexual reproduction.

To a certain extent, it appears that our second brain is even more influential than our logical thoughts. So, the next time your gut sends you a message, it might be best to listen to it!

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A concussion is a brain injury that is plagued by so many unknowns and potential problems. Of course there are issues posed by the injury itself. But, there are also still too many problems and barriers that prevent society from dealing with these injuries appropriately.

At the Ultimate Concussion Conference that NeuroTracker recently attended, George Martin, a former NFL New York Giants player, stated that the long-term consequences of concussions are still widely underestimated. Martin was the keynote speaker at the conference which welcomed experts in the brain injury field. He said: “We need to take off the veil. I’ve attended far too many funerals lately for teammates and colleagues who have unfortunately succumbed to CTE.”

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It has been found in athletes and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including concussions. It was also featured prominently in Concussion, the 2015 movie starring Will Smith.

While there are lot of potentially dangerous negative implications from suffering a concussion, these can be reduced with early recognition and proper management. So why are there still problems when it comes to dealing with concussions in sports? Find out about the 5 critical concussion problems plaguing the sports world:

1. Lack of Communication

When it comes to concussions, there seems to be a lack of communication between coaches of different teams and healthcare providers. When an athlete has a concussion, or a suspected concussion, everyone involved should be made aware. For instance, with student athletes, their parents, coaches, teachers and healthcare providers should be informed.

Being on the same page will provide a more consistent management strategy in post-concussion treatment. Dr. Don Teig, a co-organizer of the conference, mentioned: “I always felt there was a lack of communication between disciplines. A lot of players are thrilled we’re doing this because the subject has been pushed aside and buried.”

2. Lack of Objective Measures

It’s 2016 and there’s still not even a consensus in the medical community on what a concussion is. As a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association mentioned, “No one talks in the medical community about how much we don’t know.”

Concussions cannot yet be seen on an MRI or CT scan and can’t even be diagnosed by a blood test. Medical professionals need a way to confirm when the brain has healed and is ready to return to sport in order to eliminate the “concussion problem.” Relying simply on symptoms is unrealistic. Right now, one of the best methods for dealing with concussions is via baseline testing. The issue with baseline testing, however, is that it requires people to take action before there is a problem in order to get their baseline scores. Regrettably, most people wait until it’s too late to get this done. This is where sports associations can step up and make a difference.

3. Lack of Training in Healthcare

Unfortunately, there’s an extremely high chance that your general practitioner has never learned about concussions. Most people assume that their doctor knows everything, but this is not always the case. A study conducted in 2012 found that concussion was not even on the curriculum of the majority of medical schools in Canada. In addition, recent studies also revealed that the majority of frontline family and ER physicians are very limited when it comes to concussion knowledge. This also includes the application of appropriate management guidelines.

Clearly, a lack of training in healthcare presents a huge problem. Perhaps the biggest of them all! Most sports associations state in their policy (if they have one), that a player needs a doctor’s note to return to play after sustaining a concussion. Concussion recovery is crucial to keeping your brain safe when you return to sport. The last thing you want is back-to-back concussions. The problem is that uneducated healthcare providers present a huge risk to a player’s overall health and well-being.

Proper concussion management and treatment is paramount in ensuring long-term brain health. Some practitioners are starting to use a technological tool for concussion treatment. For them, it’s important to not just ask the athlete how she or she feels but to truly look at the neurological change correlated by numerical change in data.

This is particularly useful for quantifying the intervention and correlating with subjective assessments. Let’s take a proactive approach to trying to solve critical concussion problems in sports!

It’s no secret, children have a tremendous capacity to learn! In fact, from the age of 3 to 9, the brain uses more energy than at any other time in life. It’s for that specific reason that scientists are investigating ways to regain youthful neural plasticity in adults.

Neural Plasticity in Children

Scientists describe children’s brains as “plastic,” meaning they have the incredible ability to change and actually do so. This process physically alters and directs the development of connections between different parts of the brain. Technically, the same process happens in adults too, but to nowhere near the same degree.

So, in children, the connections that get used most often will expand and strengthen. At the same time, other physical changes occur that allow messages in the brain to be transmitted more quickly and efficiently. As a result, a child’s actions require less thought, and thought itself becomes more rapid.

It’s no wonder, therefore, that in early childhood kids can pick up two languages as easily as they can learn one. Or that during the same time period musical training makes it easier to acquire the skill known as perfect or absolute pitch. Musical pitch is considered a pretty effective way to evaluate how plastic a brain is.

Loss of Neural Connections

Unfortunately, as we age, we lose much of that plasticity. Neural connections that are not being used begin to die off. This process is known as pruning. While it may sound shocking, pruning is actually natural and necessary. The human brain starts out with far more connections than any child (or adult) needs. For instance, some of these connections are what gives children the ability to make the sounds for every language on the planet.

But, a cluttered brain can’t function well, so unused connections have to be discarded. Although, with the demand to learn new skills quickly in the modern world, it’s natural to feel jealous of children’s abilities to learn.

Research to Regain Plasticity

A study published in 2013 examined if adults might be able to gain back youthful neural plasticity. In the experiment, “musically naïve” young men were given an antidepressant named Valproate.

The drug was chosen because it suppresses a protein that seems to act as a brake during the critical period when kids best learn musical pitch. The antidepressant significantly boosted the young adult men’s ability to learn to identify specific musical pitches in comparison to the men given a placebo.

It should be mentioned, however, that at this stage, the research is far from conclusive. The size of the test group was small and only included men of a certain age group. In addition, it’s not too surprising that drugs may transform the ways our minds operate. Drugs that have an effect on the brain, from antidepressants to psychedelics, may cause powerful long-lasting changes. Many of which we’re just starting to learn about.

Additional Research Needed

As time progresses, scientists are learning more about the brain’s ability to change. For instance, scientists have learned about the brain’s ability to generate new neurons via exercise. It seems that reopening plasticity is still in its very early stage of development. So while it’s far from being used for practical applications, its potential definitely seems promising.

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Unfortunately, when it comes to concussion treatment there is no master plan. As neuro-optometrist Dr. Charles Shidlofsky once mentioned: “When you’ve seen one brain injury, you’ve seen one brain injury.” Each patient is different, both from a psychological and biological standpoint. These differences are part of what makes concussion treatment such a challenge. The critical window of appropriate rest and appropriate return to physical activity has to be determined for each individual patient.

As Dr. Shidlofsky pointed out, when it comes to concussions: “there are often very different recovery trajectories from one person to another. For example, sometimes we have patients who’ve been hit in the head really hard and they come in for six sessions and they’ve actually recovered. But then you can have someone else who’s had a minor fender bender, and they have such debilitating symptoms that just a slight rotation of their chair triggers severe dizziness.”

Active Rehabilitation vs. Strict Rest

But, is there a best way to treat a concussion or brain injury? For decades, complete rest for an extended period has been the conventional treatment for concussions. In fact, it’s still what many emergency clinics and primary-care doctors recommend.

New studies, however, are finding that active rehabilitation after a concussion can enhance recovery. The active rehabilitation involves resuming normal activities shortly after the injury. Dr. Danny Thomas, an associate professor in emergency medicine in the Medicine College of Wisconsin explains: “After an operation, you don’t just sit in bed and expect to get better. You’re encouraged to get up and walk and do some light activity. With concussion, we’re moving towards active rehabilitation earlier.”

So, no more spending time for days or weeks at home in a dark room! Nevertheless, resuming to normal activities is only encouraged if the symptoms don’t worsen. The last thing you want is to stress a patient who is suffering from severe migraines, along with dizziness and nausea.

Rehabilitation and Targeted Therapies

Some concussion specialists are particularly looking at the treatment for the rehabilitation of these brain injuries through specific therapies. For instance, for symptoms such as blurry vision or balance problems, targeted therapies are increasingly being used. Patients with vision problems will undergo ocular therapy. A person with balance or vestibular problems will see a neurophysical or vestibular therapist.

Dr. Shidlofsky explains that about 40% of his neuro-vision practice is dedicated to mTBI (minor traumatic brain injury) treatment through a neuro-visual rehabilitation approach. He explains that the importance of taking on a very individualized approach utilizing the right combination of therapies for specific needs. In addition, he stresses that you need to start very slowly before progressing treatment.

The new research on concussions therefore suggests that active rehabilitation may improve symptoms more than strict rest. Clearly, some sports-medicine practices and concussion clinics have already embraced active rehabilitation techniques. With more studies being conducted, it will be interesting to see if new theories emerge on how to best treat concussions.

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Over the past two years, Dr. Armando Bertone and I have been collaborating with three schools in Quebec to train attention in students with learning difficulties. Each of these schools provide specialized services to children and adolescents with developmental challenges.

NeuroTracker and Attention

We wanted to see if NeuroTracker could improve attention in these children and adolescents after daily training sessions. NeuroTracker is based off a renowned psychometric tool called multiple object tracking (MOT) that taps into four main properties of attention and isolates them. These include: sustained attention, distributed attention, selective attention and dynamic attention.

Sustained attention is the ability to maintain focus for a period of time. Distributed attention allocates attention to multiple sources. Selective attention involves focusing on important information and ignoring irrelevant information. Finally, dynamic attention refers to concentrating on a continuous flow or movement.

MOT Training Task Study

Our team at the Perceptual Neuroscience Laboratory for Autism and Development (PNLab) believed that these four areas of attention are present every day in a classroom. In addition, these four areas are necessary in learning. We wanted to know if training on a task would teach the student to:

• Selectively focus and direct attention to relevant information
• Ignore distracting events
• Distribute attention among multiple stimuli
• Sustain this level of focus for a period of time

We hypothesized that training students on NeuroTracker would result in an improvement on a different validated measure of attention.

A baseline measure of attention was assessed for all participants prior to the start of the training program. The students were then randomly divided into three groups. A third of the students were trained on the multiple object tracking task (the experimental group). One third of students played the popular internet, strategy – math game, called 2048 (placebo group) and the rest of the students received no treatment (control group).

MOT Training Task Results

As expected, preliminary results revealed that training on the multiple object tracking (MOT) paradigm over a period of five weeks improved attention. This was measured by the clinically validated attention task. There was no improvement in either of the two groups: placebo group and control group.

Students were enthusiastic about training with NeuroTracker daily. I noticed that the simplicity of the task kept the students on-task at all times. They could not be deterred by any social stimuli or superfluous material that other attention training programs provide to enhance the task’s attractiveness. NeuroTracker was intuitive for the students.

We were surprised at how little instructions and explanations were required for students in this population to pick up the game and begin training. Throughout training, students often commented: ‘I can feel my attention at work’ and ‘my brain is working right now.’ This is how we knew the students were engaged, focused and incorporating new behavior and instilling good habits.

Another key aspect we felt attributed to the positive effect in transfer or improved performance of attention was the specific, task-related feedback student received after each trial. The students were presented with corrective feedback and notified if they got each attempt right or wrong. Task specific, such as that which is provided by training with NeuroTracker is invaluable to learning.

Future NeuroTracker Studies

In the current academic year, Dr. Bertone and I will continue to explore the benefits of training with NeuroTracker. Our goal is to improve attention and consequently, academic performance. We intend to further explore this possibility by rendering the task more accessible to students with lower levels of cognitive functioning as well as adapting the task, in terms of difficulty, to the user’s capability.

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When you suffer from a brain injury, your vision can take a real blow! If you’re lucky, symptoms of visual dysfunction may resolve in a short period of time. For others, symptoms may persist for weeks, or even months!

Visual problems resulting from concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), however, are often overlooked. This is particularly the case during initial treatment of the injury. Vision problems that are hidden and neglected can have serious consequences. For instance, they can lengthen and impair rehabilitation. Fortunately, most visual system disorders following head trauma are highly treatable if identified. The key is to schedule a visual examination.

For athletes who suffer from persistent concussion-related symptoms, it is recommended for them to undergo a vision screening. An examination will determine if a visual dysfunction is present. So without further ado, here are 7 common vision problems associated with brain injuries:

1. Blurred or Blurry Vision

Blurred vision refers to the loss or lack of sharpness of eyesight. As a result, you may have an inability to see fine detail. Objects appear to be out of focus or hazy. You may find yourself blinking, squinting or rubbing your eyes to gain a clearer view. Remember, though, sudden changes to your eyesight aren’t normal so don’t neglect your eye visit.

2. Sensitivity to Light

Sensory disorders are common among those with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), including vision anomalies. Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, is commonly reported among individuals who have sustained a brain injury. The affected usually have an intolerance to light. Sources such as sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light may all cause discomfort, along with a need to squint or close their eyes.

3. Double Vision

The ability to see a single image with two eyes involves a complex system of muscles, nerves and other eye parts. When two eyes correctly and accurately point and focus at the same time, we see only one image of the world. Double vision can happen when two eyes point and focus differently from each other. With a head injury, double vision often comes on suddenly.

4. Aching Eyes

A lot of people have experienced sore eyes at some point in their lives. When eye pain does not seem to get better, this could be a sign of something more serious. Aching eyes that result from a concussion, may not always cause pain or discomfort in your eye. You could also experience pain around them.

5. Headaches with Visual Tasks

Individuals who have sustained a concussion may be prone to frequent headaches when they read, watch television, spend time on the computer, etc. Good visual skills are fundamental for efficient information processing. When processing visual information is challenging, you may try harder to focus. As a result, you may be straining without even knowing it because the effort is subconscious.

6. Inability to Maintain Visual Contact/Focus

Our eyes have an automatic focusing system which adjusts the lens inside our eye to see clearly at all distances. If there is a problem in how easily or quickly your eyes focus, that visual problem relates to a condition known as accommodative dysfunction. You may have difficulty tracking objects, or shifting gaze quickly from one point to the other.

7. Reading Difficulties

Those who have sustained a head injury may have difficulty reading due to words that seem to move or change appearance. They may also experience decreased fluency, reading speed and challenges with comprehension.

As you can see, when the visual system is dysfunctional, every task can seem difficult. Consequently, you use more energy than usually required. From eye tracking, to fixation, to maintaining attention, a lot of visual skills are affected by a TBI. That’s why if you’ve suffered from a TBI, it could be beneficial to visit a strong vision care professional. These professionals also play an important role in your overall rehabilitation.

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Donald Trump made a strong statement this week when he referred to NFL concussions as a “ding on the head” at his campaign speech in Florida. His remarks added to his earlier criticism that “football has become soft” due to new NFL protocols, intended to reduce the number of head collisions in the game. It’s no surprise that Trump’s views have been seen as shocking by many in the professional sports realm. Even more so because of the attention the NFL has received in recent years about the seriousness of concussions. Head injuries in sport should never be taken lightly. Let’s take a look at the 5 reasons why Trump’s concussions remarks are absurd:

[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h2" looks_like="h5"]1. You don’t need to be hit hard to receive brain damage[/x_custom_headline]

A recent Ted talk presented evidence that even moderate rotational forces on the head can cause long-term damage. The brain has a Jell-O like composition and the area affected is the central part of the brain. When the head twists and turns, there could be tear between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. So what may look like ‘a little ding’ from afar may be no joke when a player is hit from the side.

[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h2" looks_like="h5"]2. Concussions can lead to increased risk of future concussions[/x_custom_headline]

A more commonly observed cognitive effect from Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs) is reduced processing speed.  With fast and dynamic play in sports, being a fraction of a second behind leaves an athlete more vulnerable.  In addition, processing the game more slowly leads to greater cognitive pressure. This results in narrowing of peripheral vision and reduced awareness of impact threats. Reduced awareness is something shown to increase the risk of being ‘blind-sided’ in the NHL - a major factor in concussion risk. So a single concussion is not the end story, it can leave a legacy of risk for the rest of each athlete’s career.

[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h2" looks_like="h5"]3. Repeat concussions can have accumulative effects[/x_custom_headline]

Studies suggest that athletes with a history of concussion may have more severe subsequent concussions, and take longer to recover. In addition, evidence suggests that repeat concussions lead to a greater number of symptoms (headaches, nausea, memory loss etc.), as well an increase in the severity of the symptoms. This may correlate with changes in white matter in the brain following concussion. As the effects of repeat concussions become more serious overtime, what may be a minor concussion in itself, could have major consequences.

[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h2" looks_like="h5"]4. Concussion symptoms can last for months[/x_custom_headline]

Trump mocked the idea of an NFL player taking the rest of the season off because of a ‘ding.’ The real life effects of concussion symptoms, however, can be completely debilitating. They can make day to day life a real challenge. In some cases, severe symptoms last for six months or longer. It’s still not understood why the recovery time can be so different from one person to another. The truth remains though, that little can be done when they persist.

[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h2" looks_like="h5"]5. The long-term effects of concussion can lead to mental health problems[/x_custom_headline]

Surveys of retired professional athletes show increased risk for depression. More disturbingly, there also seems to be a link between concussions and suicide. In fact, the long-term risk of suicide increases three-fold among adults who have had a concussion. Furthermore, concussions correlate to a build-up of disease-related plaques in the brain, which are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Trump criticized NFL protocols to make the game safer. His reasoning? A safer game means less ‘incredible tackles,’ which makes the game less entertaining. With the growing scientific evidence about the seriousness of concussions, however, it’s probably a topic that should stay out of political campaigns.

Featured Image: Vice Sports

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Have you ever wished that you could upload information to your brain? Perhaps you imagined inserting a data-filled USB key into an outlet on your wrist…and then poof! Suddenly, you’d have all the information you needed within seconds.

Well, you could be in luck! Scientists have developed a method of amplifying learning through the use of an electric scalp-cap. In other words, experts have found a way to ‘upload’ information to your brain through neurostimulation. Before you get too excited, you should know that this is just on a very small-scale. It’s not like the scene in The Matrix, where Neo has a set of Kung-Fu skills uploaded directly into his brain.

The Pilot Study

The revelation started in the HRL Information and System Sciences Laboratory in California. In the study, research scientists studied electrical signals in the brain of trained, experienced pilots. They wanted to see what their brains looked like when they performed a very specific training task. Their hopes were to modulate the brains of novice pilots who had never done this task before; to make novices’ brain states more similar to the experts’.

Afterwards, they fed that data into the novice pilots via an electric scalp-cap. The results proved to be positive since novices were able to learn the pilot-related task 33% better than the placebo group. They were able to take the novice pilots and train them to a similar level of the experts, compared to the placebo group. This was proven by their lower levels of skill variance and higher level of landing consistency.

Brain Simulation System

You may be wondering, how does this transfer work? Well, when you learn something, your brain physically changes. Connections are made and strengthened in a process called neuroplasticity. Certain functions of the brain, such as speech and memory, are located in very specific regions of the brain. The researchers’ brain simulation system was designed to target those changes to specific regions in the brain. Since each individual’s brain is different, the simulation is targeted and personalized to each different person. The method relies on physical contact with the scalp – a head-cap through conductive gel which is used to apply the current to the skin.

Brain Uploads Still Green

At this point, ‘uploading’ information is still in its infancy. More studies need to be conducted in relation to how long the effects last. In addition, the effects are still not instantaneous. The effects of the brain simulation system take days or weeks of practice to consolidate. So, while the future for individualized, information ‘uploads’ looks promising, it still has a long way to go!

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Concussions seem to be garnering more attention than ever before. Many are still campaigning for the consequences of brain injuries to be taken more seriously. Nevertheless, when it comes to concussions, there seems to be a wide array of misconceptions floating around. Will a helmet protect you against a concussion? Do you have to lose consciousness for your injury to be a concussion? Is it only caused by a direct blow to the head? Today, 5 myths about concussions are exposed. So let’s separate the facts from fiction!

Myth #1: A concussion requires a loss of consciousness (LOC)

Fact: A loss of consciousness is not the only indicator of a concussion. Approximately only 10% of concussions involve a loss of consciousness. As recently as 2007, 42% of youth coaches were under the false impression that a concussion only occurred when an athlete experienced a LOC. Fortunately, in 2009 other studies were published where 95% of parents were aware that a player did not have to be knocked out to be concussed.

Myth #2: You only get a concussion from a direct blow to the head

Fact: There are many ways to get a concussion. Concussion/mild traumatic brain injury can be caused by straight-on impact, rotation with impact, whiplash without impact and sideways impact. In addition, a concussion may be caused by a direct blow to the head, face, neck, or elsewhere on the body if the force of the impact is transmitted to the head.

Myth #3: Injury to the brain only occurs at the initial impact of the concussion

Fact: Traumatic brain injury is an evolving process at the microscopic level of the brain. For days, weeks or even months after impact, chemical and metabolic changes occur. That’s why it is fundamental to prevent any additional concussions during this time period. You want to avoid second impact syndrome at all costs.

Myth #4: Athletes will always acknowledge when they have sustained a concussion

Fact: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates in the U.S. that approximately 47% of concussed athletes do not self-report. Unfortunately, some players are hesitant to report injury because they want to stay active in the game. In a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, it was reported that 27% of athletes who identified as playing contact sports said they had hidden a concussion to stay in the game. In addition, 54% of contact athletes said they would be extremely unlikely or unlikely to report a concussion in a game situation.

Myth #5: Helmets and equipment prevent concussions

Fact: Unfortunately, there is no equipment that can completely protect individuals from a concussion. While certain helmets and mouthguards have been developed with concussion prevention in mind, they do not fully eliminate the risk of sustaining one. Helmets, mouthguards and other protective devices, however, can be helpful to trainers or doctors as some offer more information. For instance, some mouthguards contain accelerometers and gyroscopes which tell you how the skull moved and rotated during a collision. This is important because researchers are starting to believe that concussions are more likely to occur when the head rotates in a certain manner.

Now, you know some of the facts about concussions. To learn more about the latest in concussion research, consider following the Ultimate Concussion Conference this year. The event takes place on October 21st, 22nd and 23rd and features an all star faculty and expert panel discussion.

Featured Image: Johann Schwarz under CC BY 2.0

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The open-office concept was designed to build camaraderie between team members and ease communication. Open-office spaces, however, have also resulted in undesirable side effects: high noise levels, a lack of privacy and an abundance of both human and digital distractions. As a result, a lot of employees find refuge by listening to music with earbuds or headphones. To a certain extent, it gives them back a sense of control of their aural environment.

But, does listening to music while working hurt productivity? Does it distract you from the task at hand? Listening to music under certain conditions at work can actually help your performance thrive. In other situations, music makes it worse. Get a handle on your tunes to best enrich your professional life!

Learning

When you learn, your brain is required to analyze and recall instructions and facts. Unfortunately, music serves as a distraction from learning, since learning is a cognitively demanding task. Listening to music forces you to multitask, and as a result, your brain interprets information incorrectly. For instance, either it associates the facts in an odd way for causes you to make mistakes about what’s important enough to store. This is even more so the case if you’re trying to learn verbally or through reading and your music has lyrics. Consider turning the music off when absorbing and remembering new information!

Repetitive and Routine Tasks

Research has revealed that people who listen to music while performing repetitive tasks, work faster and make fewer errors. This also holds true to tasks that are complex, but that you have completed many times in the past. Playing music you like can lift your mood due to the release of feel-good neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters help trigger feelings of happiness and relaxation, which in turn help you focus better. In fact, surgeons routinely listen to music in the operating room and work more effectively when they do. Classical and instrumental music enhances mental performance more than music with lyrics.

New Music

You may experience feelings of surprise or novelty when you listen to music that’s new to you. Dopamine is released from your body as a response to this “newness” and you feel some degree of pleasure. Consequently, music quickly becomes more appealing than whatever task you’re trying to complete. You may even have a false sense that you are being more productive. So, it’s probably best not to listen to new music when you need to focus at work.

Now, you know a bit more about when it’s best to turn the music on and off. Happy listening (or not)!

If you'd like to learn more about the science and therapeutic benefits of music, then also checkout this Piano Report website.

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By Josh Freedland

Josh Freedland is a former collegiate football player and current National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer. He heads Brain & Body Performance, an enhanced neuroplasticity and performance training center, in the greater Boston area. He has a BA in psychology, with a concentration in Biology and Health, from Bates College.  

The Power of Cognitive Abilities

In sports, reaction and anticipation are core elements that separate legendary players from their peers. Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of his generation, noted that a truly great player skates to where the puck is going. A good one, will just skate to where it is. While some may think these abilities are innate, and due to pure talent, I disagree. Of course, many great athletes may be born and gifted with great cognitive abilities -- but recent scientific research and technology has finally provided hope for the rest of us!

Luckily, you are not stuck with what you were born with cognitively. In general, if you’re slow in a certain physical activity, you don’t quit. Instead, you work out and try to get faster. For instance, if you’re weak, you go to the gym and get stronger. It’s the same concept with your brain. You can train your cognitive abilities!

Improved Athletic Performance

At Brain & Body Performance, I use NeuroTracker to help athletes and others improve their brains – thereby leading to improved performance. I start my clients off with the standard session where they are required to track the targets while they sit down. Once the athlete gets used to tracking the objects while standing still, the real fun begins!

If my client is a hockey player, I might ask him or her to track the objects while stickhandling. In basketball, I might ask players to dribble one or two balls while doing so. Sometimes, players try to track the objects while standing on one foot or balancing on a board.

In competitive play, you’re required to see and recognize multiple things moving at once. The “drills” I give my clients are intended to simulate competition. In the heat of the game, athletes have to determine what the defense intends to do, even if their bodies may be doing something else. NeuroTracker helps these athletes make quick decisions, because they are able to see things faster. When you look at elite athletes, what sets them apart are their cognitive abilities. Training is not all physical, you also have to train your brain for a competitive edge.

Cognitive Training for Physical Injury Recovery

It’s also beneficial to train your brain if you’ve suffered from a sports injury. When you are injured, you may be out for months at a time. Athletes aren’t able to practice, play in games, or get any mental repetitions while out with an injury. Your body may be ready to play after resting and rehab, but your brain will not be up to “game speed” once you do return to play.

During my junior year at Bates College, this happened to me when I suffered a concussion. When I finally returned to the football field, it felt like I was playing in slow motion and all of my surroundings were moving 100 miles per hour. It took me longer to decide if a play was a run or a pass. Blockers I had recognized in the past seemed to get the best of me. While I was out with my injury, my brain did not seem to get the normal “reps” that are essential in competitive play. Physically, I was definitely ready to play, but my brain was not up to “game speed.”

Athletes can use NeuroTracker while they’re hurt. This allows them to keep their brains in shape even when they can’t physically train. I recently worked with a hockey and lacrosse athlete who came to me after she tore her ACL. She trained with me while recovering and experienced a superb senior year as a goalie for her high school lacrosse team. She helped them reach the state semifinals! It was important that I help her get her brain and body back up to “game speed.”

Keeping your Brain Ready

Ensuring that your brain is ready to process activity on the field is crucial. Research has shown, for instance, that players have a much higher chance of sustaining a lower body injury after suffering a concussion. Scientists believe that this could be because the brain is overloaded when an athlete returns to the field after a hiatus, and it struggles to perform certain actions that are supposedly simple. In sports, having a slower reaction time, even by a fraction of a second, could mean the difference between winning and losing. Having elite cognitive abilities are what separate the great players from the good players. When training, it is important to simulate the cognitive load that you’ll experience in a game so that when it’s game time, it’s second nature.

Core cognitive abilities like memory and processing speed can always be improved. It’s really rewarding to go beyond sports for some applications, such as working with people who have ADHD, autism, or even the elderly who are struggling with cognitive decline. Everyone has a brain so everyone can potentially benefit.

I’m excited to be at the forefront of cognitive training and see where it all goes. I think it’s definitely going to keep getting bigger. In the next few years, I can see cognitive training being incorporated into all athletic training regimens. People will soon begin to realize that training your brain is just as important as physically training...if not more important.

This article was inspired by Grey Matters, written by Matt Williams and published in The Salem News on September 20th, 2016.

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