SharpBrains

Quick update: 2 very interesting news, 2 excellent blog carnivals.

1) Forget Brain Age: Researchers Develop Software That Makes You Smarter (Wired). Thanks Senia!

- "In a limited trial, he and his team were able to make 34 test subjects significantly better at answering IQ test questions after training them on a completely separate memory task" 

-"These are intriguing results," Geary said. However, Geary noted that to claim actual increases in fluid intelligence, the subjects would have to show the performance gains over a long-term period --- or even permanently.

-The Michigan researchers are now engaged in studying the long-term effects of training. They are also working to increase the amount of training that users undergo. In the experiment reported in PNAS, the researchers did not find the upper-limit for improvement, suggesting that more training could yield even better mental performance gains.

-"The improvement seems to be dosage dependent," Buschkuehl said. "We saw a linear increase in performance with increase in training time."

See paper published at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Comment: very interesting research study showing the benefits of computerized cognitive training, or "brain training", as a form of well-directed and intense mental exercise.

2) Now, Would you like to remember every day of your life (Orange County Register). Thanks Tom!

-"Most have called it a gift," she wrote to McGaugh. "But I call it a burden. I run my entire life through my head every day and it drives me crazy!"

Comment: believe it or not, we should be happy that our memories are not perfect...(still, some training is probably good for most of us who are not exactly there).

3) And 2 great blog carnivals:

Encephalon: best of neuroscience and psychology blog posts

Grand Rounds: best of health and medical blog posts