Standing at the front of the church delivering my father’s eulogy, I felt both exposed and empowered. The experience was larger than myself. The vulnerability I felt was not a defense mechanism but an expression of authenticity. Why do many of us only reveal our vulnerable side during life’s most extreme moments? Vulnerability strengthens relationships … Read more

Mindfulness Training Boosts Performance with Noninvasive Brain–Computer Interfaces Summary: Eight sessions of mindfulness-based attention training helped participants gain a clear advantage in controlling noninvasive brain–computer interfaces (BCIs), reducing the time needed to reach proficiency compared with participants who received no meditation training. Source: Carnegie Mellon University Overview: A brain–computer interface (BCI) lets a person control … Read more

Summary: A new study led by UCL shows that socioeconomic factors — including education, occupation and wealth — influence the risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia in later life, and also affect the likelihood of recovery. Following 8,442 adults aged 50 and over in England for 10 years, researchers report that people with higher … Read more

Summary: Neurons in mice lacking normal SETD1A function show shorter, stunted branches. Turning off the gene LSD1 reverses the harmful effects of SETD1A deficiency, restoring axon growth and improving working memory. Pharmacological inhibition of LSD1 corrected both the cellular defects and the behavioral memory deficits seen in this schizophrenia model. Source: Zuckerman Institute at Columbia … Read more

There is nothing more practical than a sound theory. That maxim is particularly true of positive psychology and its practical applications. Chris Peterson defined positive psychology as “the scientific study of what goes right in life” and of what makes “life most worth living” (2006, p.4). Focusing on what is already strong in people and … Read more

Case Western Reserve researcher presents findings that could free patients from ventilators, even years after injury. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a two-step treatment that restores function to the muscles that control breathing—even after those muscles have been paralyzed for more than a year. The work offers renewed hope that people with … Read more

Summary: Researchers at Harvard report that social recognition is regulated by oxytocin-sensitive neurons within a specific region of the hippocampus. Source: Harvard. How do we tell one person from another? How do we separate friend from foe or reward from threat? How does the brain parse subtle cues so we know that Susan is not … Read more

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced “act”) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that integrates cognitive-behavioral principles, humanistic values, and mindfulness-based practices. ACT focuses on increasing psychological flexibility—helping people accept difficult inner experiences while committing to actions that move them toward a meaningful life. Although formal training and supervised practice are the best ways to learn ACT, … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a blood test that analyzes gene activity to identify newborns who, after oxygen deprivation at birth, are at heightened risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Source: Imperial College London New early blood test may predict which infants affected by birth oxygen deprivation will develop serious neurodisabilities such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy. A … Read more

Summary: Low-level lead exposure during development does not by itself cause alcohol use disorder, but it changes brain circuits so that if addiction develops, it increases the likelihood of relapse and makes it harder to resist returning to alcohol use. Source: Indiana University New Indiana University research explains how low-level developmental lead exposure can reshape … Read more