Restoring Our Brain Function by Training Our Brain Waves

 

Research done in Canada is showing that the training of a specific type of brainwave may be used to restore the brain function in individuals with mental disorders. The technique allows the training of the brain’s alpha rhythm cause the brain network that is responsible for cognitive control to be enhanced. Another study has also found that within a 30-minute session of neural-based training, noninvasive, there are function changes that occur within a key brain network area. Previous studies that have been done have led experts to believe that the dysfunction of this network can be implicated in some disorders such as ADHD, Schizophrenia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. During this neurofeedback, training of the brain waves, the individuals are able to learn to control their own brain activity with the help of this brain-computer interface. In some cases the computer will record brainwaves through an EEG and then the system can process and represent the individuals’ real-time brain activity. It is then displayed from moment to moment during a training game that is on the computer. This is known as a neurofeedback loop because the information is always fed back to the user to allow a reflection of the level of brain control. It allows the individual to reproduce a normal brain state. The reason this type of change is possible is because of neuroplasticity which is the natural property of the brain that allows it to reorganize itself after training. What the studies have shown is that the changes were able to be observed up to 30 minutes after neurofeedback allowing them to compare brain waves and behavioral measures more closely. In other words past activity may be able to condition the future state of processing of the brain. Researchers are hoping this study will lead other experts to believe that EEG neurofeedback can be a viable and revolutionary approach to treating brain disorders.

The Future of the Human Condition: Bright or Bleak?

Twenty years ago, the world and the people in it were vastly different than today. To have a relationship, or an interpersonal bond with another, we had to actually walk up and have a conversation face-to-face. Sure we could pick up and dial the phone, but cellular devices consisted of a huge plastic brick. To communicate with massive amounts of people, we had to stand up on a podium and send our voices through cable lines and satellite arrays. Since then, technical innovation has accelerated to breakneck speeds and today, the average person can't travel without tapping away on their smartphone, in an instant sending and receiving information with hundreds if not thousands through networks like Facebook or Twitter. But as amazing as it is, try to imagine what twenty years into the future will look like at the current rate of advances. Will we be even more connected, albeit with less intimacy? As humans become more and more networked, there's a chance the traits that make us human may start to lose relevance. Things like strong emotion, companionship, and the survival instinct could be tossed to the wayside as we increasingly live digitally. On the other hand, some believe we will soon have the capacity to communicate without saying a word or even touching a single device. Information would spread effortlessly, requiring no physical medium and little to no time lapse. As microchips and circuit boards get smaller and smaller into the nanoscale, smartphones will soon seem like relics of a simpler past. However, does this mean we will eventually discard our humanity in favor of ones and zeros? How could modalities for treatment and therapy develop to take full advantage of a rapidly changing lifestyle?

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Dr. Gurfein on Channel 7 News, regarding predatory activities in NJ

Tips on staying safe:

- Always walk in groups

- Know safe places along the way

- Plan your route in advance

- Don't take shortcuts through the woods or alleys