Stress is no joke. Aside from the sleepless nights and lots of tension, stress can also have a range of negative health effects. So how do you reduce stress? A team of researchers at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine started looking for answers. They gathered 18 patients who had received diagnoses of breast […]
Can empathy change the brain’s response to pain?
As a psychologist, empathy is obviously important. When people feel like they’re getting compassion and understanding, they are much more likely to make the changes that up until now have felt all too scary. But can empathy change our experience of pain? Does it have any impact upon how the brain responds to pain? Researchers […]
Changing the Brain in One Month Flat
We know meditation can change the brain, but can just one month of meditation really make a difference? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Yi-Yuan Tang, PhD and his research team from Texas Tech University looked at the impact that short-term meditation has on the brain’s white matter. White matter is fatty tissue that covers brain […]
Old Before Their Time: The Effect of PTSD on Children’s Telomeres
Stress and PTSD can take a toll on our bodies, minds, and spirits, resulting in damage that can age us before our time. That’s not an opinion − it’s been proven scientifically. It’s no secret that I love learning about telomeres, which are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that keep them from deteriorating. […]
How Do Video Games Change the Brain?
If you’re like me, you might think that video games are just for kids. But according to Richard Restak, MD, video games can improve the brain at any age. In fact, certain types of games have even been shown to increase IQ in older adults. Richard Restak is the Clinical Professor of Neurology at George […]