I played with marbles as a kid. Did you? Now I’m wondering if those little round stones can have an impact on memory and emotions. According to a new study published in Cognition, simple motor functioning like playing with marbles may trigger memories. Daniel Casasanto, PhD (Donders Center for Brain, Cognition, & Behavior, Nijmegen, […]
A Pain-Resistant Patch? Sign Me Up
I know that most people are not lovers of physical pain. If someone invented a patch to keep the wearer from feeling pain, this inventor would become an instant billionaire. But it appears that there already is something better than a patch: Zen meditation. In an earlier study, Montreal University researchers from the lab of […]
Your Teenager’s Brain IS Different
Many of us look back at our teenage years and realize that while often turbulent, these years laid the groundwork for who we are today. We learned incredible amounts of information, not just in terms of academics but also in terms of who we were as individuals. But why were these years so turbulent? At […]
Ritalin and Brain Growth – Guest Blog with Bill O’Hanlon
Hi, this is Bill O’Hanlon, guest blogging while Ruth travels to some conferences. Ruth recently interviewed me as part of NICABM’s Brain Plasticity series on brain plasticity and depression. There I discussed a new hypothesis relating depression, movement, brain growth and anti-depressants. Well, now comes news that Ritalin, like anti-depressants, appears to encourage not just […]
Is Your Brain Feeling Brilliant Today?
I love those days when my brain can do no wrong. I remember the names of people whom I haven’t seen in decades. I am able to focus on my work and get projects done in record time. My brain is on as if it’s in turbo-charge. But then there are those other days when […]