Brain training exercises more effective at improving cognitive function than crossword puzzles, study says

A new study shows that doing brain training exercises is more effective at improving cognitive function than performing knowledge games, like crossword puzzles. This is the preliminary analysis of the results from Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study (IHAMS) presented last week at Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 64th Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston.

The study will be completed in January and its interim results were published this week in BMJ Open. It found that 10 hours of using brain training software improved cognitive function on several standard neuropsychological tests. This is the case whether used in a supervised clinical setting, or self-administered at home. This study included younger (ages 50-64) and older (ages 65-87) participants, and the brain training software worked equally well for both groups.  

IHAMS is a follow up to Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH). In past medical journal articles the ACTIVE study showed brain plasticity software improved visual processing speed, among other factors. IHAMS was designed to overcome limitations in the ACTIVE study by including younger participants.

Early results are that participants who used brain training software significantly improved their cognitive capabilities on several standard neuropsychological tests of cognitive functioning than did participants who trained on crossword puzzles. The improvements in cognitive function were the same whether the brain exercises were done in the monitored clinical setting or in the participant's home. These positive changes were observed within 8 weeks, and were sustained over 12 months. The improvements for younger participants were just as large as those for the older participants, indicating benefits to beginning brain training early.

"There's been debate in the scientific community regarding how well brain training works versus other recreational mental activities, such as learning a new language or doing crossword puzzles," said Dr. Fred Wolinsky, John W. Colloton Chair in Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa. "This study clearly demonstrates that specially constructed exercises for brain fitness – such as the speed-of-processing core of DriveSharp and InSight – work, and are more effective at improving cognitive function than games or recreational activities."

The Road Tour brain training exercise used in IHAMS is one of five exercises in Posit Science InSight brain fitness software, and part of DriveSharp, a shorter cognitive training program focused around driving safety.  

More information: Paper online: http://bmjopen.bmj … e000225.full

 

Provided by Posit Science

"Brain training exercises more effective at improving cognitive function than crossword puzzles, study says." November 30th, 2011.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-brain-effective-cognitive-function-crossword.html

 

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Robert Karl Stonjek

New research distinguishes roles of conscious and subconscious awareness

What distinguishes information processing with conscious awareness from processing occurring without awareness? And, is there any role for conscious awareness in information processing, or is it just a byproduct, like the steam from the chimney of a train engine, which is significant, but has no functional role?

These questions - which have long puzzled psychologists, philosophers, and neurobiologists - were recently addressed in a study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers and published by the journal Psychological Science.

The study was headed by Prof. Leon Deouell from the Hebrew University's Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and Department of Psychology and Prof. Dominique Lamy from the Department of Psychology at Tel Aviv University, and conducted by research student Liad Mudirk of Tel Aviv University with collaboration of research student Assaf Breska from the Hebrew University.

We are not consciously aware of most of the input that hits upon our sensory systems. Yet subjectively, conscious awareness dominates our mental activity. "One of the dominant theories in cognitive sciences and psychology posits that parts of the information perceived without awareness may be processed to a certain extent," says Prof. Deouell. "Yet to bind the different parts of a complex input into something meaningful and coherent requires conscious awareness.

To test this theory, the research team ran a study in which they presented participants with pictures of natural scenes including some human action, like a picture of basketball players jumping to reach a ball.

In other tests, the same scenes were presented -- except that the central object was replaced by another, unlikely object. For example, the basketball was replaced by a watermelon.

The participants viewed the pictures through a mirror stereoscope, a simple device that allowed the research team to present the pictures to only one eye. At the same time, the other eye viewed rapidly flickering patterns of colors which drew the subjects' attention, so that the participants were not aware for many seconds that anything was presented to their other eye. This allowed the researchers to measure how long it takes normal and unusual scenes to "win the competition" against the flickering pattern and break into awareness.

"We found that participants became aware of the unusual scenes earlier than to the usual scenes," commented Deouell. "The conclusion was that even before the participants were aware of the existence of the picture, the semantic relationships between parts of the scene were interpreted."

The study shows that, counter to previous theories, integration is not the prerogative of conscious awareness but is achieved even without awareness. When and why then do we need conscious awareness?

The findings of this research suggest that when the results of the integration between parts of the input are incompatible with expectations or prior knowledge, awareness is required in order to account for the conundrum. Thus, the study expands the realm of unaware processes, yet shows that conscious awareness is not a meaningful luxury - it allows us to deal with novel and unexpected situations.

Provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem

"New research distinguishes roles of conscious and subconscious awareness." November 30th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-distinguishes-roles-conscious-subconscious-awareness.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

New research proves color is not a black and white issue

Scientists at the University of Hull have found that some people have the ability to hallucinate colours at will – even without the help of hypnosis.

The study, published this week in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, was carried out in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull. It focused on a group of people that had shown themselves to be 'highly suggestible' in hypnosis.

The subjects were asked to look at a series of monochrome patterns and to see colour in them. They were tested under hypnosis and without hypnosis and both times reported that they were able to see colours.

Individuals' reactions to the patterns were also captured using an MRI scanner, which enabled the researchers to monitor differences in brain activity between the suggestible and non-suggestible subjects. The results of the research, showed significant changes in brain activity in areas of the brain responsible for visual perception among the suggestible subjects only.

Professor Giuliana Mazzoni, lead researcher on the project says: "These are very talented people. They can change their perception and experience of the world in ways that the rest of us cannot."

The ability to change experience at will can be very useful. Research has shown that hypnotic suggestions can be used to block pain and increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

It has always been assumed that hypnosis was needed for these effects to occur, but the new study suggests that this is not true. Although hypnosis does seem to heighten the subjects' ability to see colour, the suggestible subjects were also able to see colours and change their brain activity even without the help of hypnosis.

The MRI scans also showed clearly that although it was not necessary for the subjects to be under hypnosis to be able to perceive colours in the tests, it was evident that hypnosis increased the ability of the subjects to experience these effects.

Dr William McGeown, who also contributed to the study, says: "Many people are afraid of hypnosis, although it appears to be very effective in helping with certain medical interventions, particularly pain control. The work we have been doing shows that certain people may benefit from suggestion without the need for hypnosis."

The study, which was partially funded by the BBC, used a control group formed of less suggestible people, or people less likely to respond to hypnosis. It was found that this group of people were not able to hallucinate colour and, again, these reported results were supported by MRI scans.

Provided by University of Hull

"New research proves color is not a black and white issue." November 30th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-black-white-issue.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek