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How Your Brain is Like a City

Aaron — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:09:08 +0000

Image credit: Van Wedeen, M.D., Martinos Center and Dept. of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Medical School

The link between the two isn’t metaphorical in this case- according to a new study, the connective foundations of our brain look as though they were designed by a grid-focused city planner.

Researchers used cutting-edge imaging technology to look at places where the fibers that carry messages from one part of the brain to another intersect. And they found a remarkably organized three-dimensional grid, according to Van Wedeen of Harvard Medical School, the study’s lead author.

The grid is a bit like Manhattan, Wedeen says, “with streets running in two dimensions and then the elevators in the buildings in the third dimension.”

Obviously this brain-city would not fit on a single plane- the human brain has many folds and curves. So, Wedeen says, “you have to imagine Manhattan bent into some odd shapes. But the underlying grid doesn’t change. The streets intersect at 90-degree angles and the buildings rise vertically.”

It sounds to me like that brain is less like Manhattan, and more like the city pictured during this famous scene from Inception:

This city-like grid represents a significant shift from the traditional model of the brain’s wiring. Wedeen explains that in the old view, “the brain looked somewhat like a plate of spaghetti or perhaps like one of those old antique telephone switchboards with a million wires running more or less at random.”

This new model for understanding the internal structure of the brain may help to explain how a relatively small number of genes contain the blueprint for something as complex as the human brain- a question that has stumped geneticists for years.

The answer may be that in a highly organized grid system with consistent rules, a genetic blueprint doesn’t have to describe every detail of the final product, Wedeen says. “The grid system would allow a species to gradually add new functions to its brain much the way an architect adds extra floors to a building or a city planner adds new streets.”

There remains some uncertainty regarding whether the entire brain is actually laid out in this way. Weeden was only able to resolve the grid for about a quarter of the human brain, mostly in the deepest parts. Some researchers have expressed the opinion that their model is oversimplified, or that while the grid may exist, it is combined with other, crisscrossing connections as well.

The debate may be resolved within 5 years- that is the timetable for the US National Institute of Health’s Human Connectome Project, which aims to map all the brain’s wiring and demonstrate its connection to mental health over the next half-decade.

Sources: Research abstract: “The Geometric Structure of the Brain Fiber Pathways” - Science Magazine

Press release: “Brain Wiring a No-Brainer?”

The Human Connectome Project

Theta Wave Activity Linked to Improved Memory Recall

Aaron — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:35:40 +0000

If you think about it, you probably feel as though you have both good and bad memory days- maybe even hours. I like to think that my memory is pretty strong as a general rule, but there are periods of time where I’m just drawing blanks. There’s a whole host of reasons for these variations. After all, it’s not as though every person is born with a “memory score” that permenantly determines their ability to recall information. Like everything related to our minds, it’s far more intricate than that.

New findings from a prestigious center of neuroscience are demonstrating the significant relationship between levels of theta brain wave activity and our ability to remember at that moment in time. A paper describing this work, from scientists at UC Davis, was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

To prove their case, professors and graduate students measured theta wave oscillations in the brains of volunteers during a memory test. Volunteers were asked to memorize a series of words. They later had to recall whether they had seen the word previously, and the context in which the word was seen. Volunteers who were experiencing higher levels of theta wave activity right before they were asked to remember an item were more likely to remember correctly.

Memory recall improved only when volunteers had high theta activity before they heard the cues. If it had been the case that theta activity had increased only after the cues were given, this study would instead suggest that theta waves were stimulated by the cues themselves—perhaps an indicator that the brain was processing a new challenge. But that was not the outcome here. Subjects whose brains were in a high-theta state were essentially “primed” to do better on the memory test once it started.

Of course, this should not be taken to mean that high levels of theta activity are the only factor behind successful memory recollection, but the study does lend support to the idea that everyday memory ability is just as much as a reflection of what’s going on inside the mind as the context outside of it.

“The work goes against the assumption that the brain is waiting to react to the external world. In fact, most of the brain is busy with internal activity that is not related to the outside world — and when external stimuli come in, they interact with these spontaneous patterns of activity.”

- Charan Ranganath, Professor, UC Davis Center for Neuroscience

In this study, the researchers did not actually attempt to stimulate theta activity- they were merely measuring it and recording results. Their hope is that research could lead to treatments for memory loss. Ideally, audio visual stimulation methods to increase theta activity will be part of the dialogue as this research moves forward.

Source: University of California

Neuroplasticity Protocol

jverona — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:19:12 +0000

Inspired by the work of Dr. Len Ochs and Dr. Ruth Olmstead, I came up with this protocol for increasing plasticity in the brain. It is a three part protocol, increasing brainwave frequency for one session, and decreasing for another, similar to the research by Dr. Olmstead for treatment of ADHD/ADD http://www.avstim.com/manuals/olmstead_dissertation.pdf. I further enhanced the sessions by starting at delta and using Dr. Len Och’s technique of stimulating ½ HZ above or below the most dominant brainwave for each of the brainwave groups. These sessions are to be done once a week, not on consecutive days. The third session is a maintenance session based on Dr. Och’s protocol of alternatively stimulating a fraction of a HZ above or below your dominant frequency in 2 minute intervals between a 3- 30 HZ range. A video of him describing this technique and its overwhelming success can be seen at MindPlace’s YouTube site. http://www.youtube.com/themindplace#p/u/17/RMcoB98xKts . This session can be done on the days you aren’t doing the Inhibit/ Excite sessions.

The idea is to push and pull at your brainwave patterns, breaking stuck patterns, and to increase neuronal activation resulting in dendritic growth. I believe it will be beneficial for a wide range of conditions as well as general mental health and wellbeing.

You will need the Emotiv Epoc and Mind Workstation Professional or Enterprise for these sessions as they are advanced EEG driven sessions. I have created similar sessions that can be used with Neuro Programmer and Mind Workstation Regular. For those users, the effectiveness of these sessions will be greatly enhanced if the Biooptimization feature is used.

These sessions can be downloaded for free at Transparent Corp’s Community forum http://www.transparentcorp.com/community/forum/ or by contacting Transparent Support.

Neuro-Programmer 3 Video Overview

Aaron — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:17:10 +0000

Today we’re releasing a video overview of Neuro-Programmer 3 designed to quickly introduce both the basics of brainwave entrainment, and how to get started with NP3. For those of you who already know the basics: more videos are coming soon, but we hope you’ll check this video out anyway and let us know what you think! For anyone new to this technology and software, this video is a great place to start learning!

The Science Behind Getting “Chills” From Music

Aaron — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:00:12 +0000

Your favorite operatic concerto reaches its peak and you feel goosebumps, or the “chills”- maybe your hair even stands on end. But why?

There’s actually a scientific name for this phenomenon: “musically evoked frisson” – and some recent scholarship on the subject is making new rounds on the web, giving us a good chance to think and talk about other ways that sound can induce physiological and psychological reactions.

Maybe opera music is unlikely to have this effect for you, but I mentioned it at the outset because a recent study by musicologist David Huron specifically notes that opera is a good candidate to evoke frisson because “opera singers produce the bulk of their sound energy in the 3- to 4-kilohertz range. Humans are quite sensitive to this range, probably because it is also the range of a human scream.”

In the full version of the study (source) Huron establishes in greater detail the biological reasons for this reaction. Logically, it became a biological imperative that humans developed a particular sensitivity to screaming- in fact, we’re able to hear a human scream from further away than any other type of sound. The cry of a baby is in nearly the same kilohertz range, and (no surpises here) is exceptionally easy to detect as well, with similarly jarring effects on the mind. We’re wired to experience a powerful response to these tones. Makes sense- but why then is frisson such an enjoyable and sought after sensation, when it is essentially a reaction to a fearful or alarming event? Well:

The brain, Huron said, has two competing goals. One, the unconscious “fast path,” is to “react as fast as possible, especially to danger.” The other, the “slow, conscious path,” is to “react as accurately as possible.” When a listener experiences a frisson, Huron believes that he first reacts with fear toward the stimulus, then comes to enjoy it by consciously recognizing that the stimulus is actually harmless.

So “musically evoked frisson” is enjoyable for the same reason that some people are able to enjoy horror movies- on a neurological level, it “excites” the brain and the body when a fear response is triggered. And there’s an inherent pleasure in overcoming danger- one that is certainly much easier to feel if the danger was never real. The sound events that evoke frisson do tend to share similarities with the types of events that frighten us in horror movies- it all comes down to the unexpected. Sudden and drastic changes in volume, tempo, or pitch are cited by Huron as marks of the moment in a musical piece that is most likely to evoke frisson.

Statistically speaking, there’s actually a good chance that you’ve never even experienced this sensation. According to the article I cited above:

47% of participants in the study reported never having experienced a music-induced “chill.”
Female participants were more likely than males to experience frisson (this was the result in multiple studies, in fact)
Participants were much more likely to experience frisson when given the opportunity to select their own music. A clear correlation was shown between familiarity and musically evoked frisson.

Of course, “musically-evoked frisson” and the “frequency following response” of brainwave entrainment are two very different phenomena, but there are some interesting principals of neurology that carry over. Perhaps most obvious is the fact that no two people are alike, and this extends all the way down to cognitive reactions based on sound activity. What is to one person an absolutely stunning and goosebump-inducing piece of music may leave another listener entirely unmoved. And an entraining tone that can lead one person to an incredibly focused state of mind might have no noticeable effect on someone else. In either case- just because you never have, doesn’t mean you never will. I wonder how many people out of the 53% who claim they have never experienced frisson simply have not yet heard a piece of music that they can really connect with.

Emotiv Epoc and Transparent

jverona — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:39:34 +0000

The advent of affordable EEG devices and its subsequent incorporation into Transparent’s software has been the biggest improvement in brainwave entrainment technology in a decade. Now, for the first time, you can add EEG technology to your practice for what you would spend for a light and sound machine!

The devices, Mind Wave Neurosky, a single channel unit that retails for $99, and the Emotiv Epoc , which retails for $299, are both solid units that each have their pluses and minuses. The Neurosky has the advantage of being extremely affordable and simple to use, but it is only a one channel unit, and the data you can collect from it is limited. The Epoc is a 14 channel unit and can provide EEG data to drive brainwave entrainment sessions, but costs more and requires a bit more setup each time you use it. Both units were originally designed and marketed to be game controllers.

For the serious user, the Emotiv Epoc will deliver far more accurate information, and can drive brainwave entrainment sessions, adjusting the frequency of a session to the most dominant brainwave within a set range instantly in real time. Research has found that the brain will entrain to the most dominant brainwave frequency and to those adjacent to it. With the Mind Workstation software, and the Epoc, you can experience the power of audio and visual stimulation attuned to these dominant frequencies. The results are nothing short of amazing, as it takes all the guesswork out of designing sessions.

Upon receiving your Epoc, the first thing you’ll need to do is to plug it in and charge its battery. The device is wireless, connecting to your computer with a dongle. Use this time to download the software and look over the instructions on how to set the unit up. You can download the Brain Activity Map for under $10, but the 3-D brain map software is well worth the additional investment. It will allow you not only to view your brainwave activity in real-time, it also allows you to record your brain activity during a session and then go back and see just what kind of affect your session is having. Both versions can be run simultaneously with either Neuroprogrammer or Mind Workstation.

Next you will have to install the felt sensor heads onto the headset. This can be quite frustrating, you may want to do an alpha session before attempting! You will receive a hydrator pack with 14 felt pads and their sockets. You give the heads a good soaking with saline solution, a small bottle is provided. Emotiv recommends using contact lens saline, as it contains a preservative. I have found that just regular table salt and water works just fine. A drop or two of iodine or bleach will provide antibacterial benefits if you wish. Next, remove the pads with the sockets, and attach them to each of the sensor arms of the headset. The sockets will lock in place with a quarter turn. Unfortunately, I discovered this when I installed my last sensor. While doing this, you will undoubtedly find yourself on your hands and knees chasing these little felt pads around. If you have a cat, lock it out of the room during this process. Emotiv does not provide you with any spares. No matter how careful you are, eventually you will end up losing one of these dots. Just recently, I watched in slow motion as one magically popped off the sensor arm, and went down the garbage disposal as I was rehydrating the sensors. Replacement pads are ridiculously expensive for what they are. You can make your own out of felt, but I found a small bit of cotton stuffed in the sensor socket works just as well if not better, and is disposable. Emotiv recommends taking the sensor heads out and storing in the hydrator pack each time you use it. If this was the case, I would be getting better sensor readings because I would have no hair left! Leave the pads in and rehydrate with a dropper bottle. Just don’t do it over an open drain! After a couple weeks of use, take sensor heads out and clean the gold contacts. Hopefully this whole ordeal will be spared when Emotiv comes out with their dry polymer sensors. This will be a retrofit, and they are hoping to have them out before Christmas. After that it’s just a matter plugging in the dongle, and positioning the unit on your head.

The traditional position of the headset on your head will work okay, but will have some challenges. Remember this unit was designed primarily as a joystick, picking up facial movements. I found wearing the headset backwards will put more sensors on the crown of the head, which is where entrainment is traditionally measured. This configuration will also allow you to lie down or recline, which is desirable to most for relaxation sessions. Just remember that the sensor map will be backwards. Experiment around to find which position works best for you. You should get an alpha spike when you close your eyes. Regardless of what position you are wearing, over the ear headphones will be impossible. You may be able to get on the ear phones to work, but it will be difficult. I have a set of Koss sport headphones that clip on the ear, and a pair of Klipsh noise limiting in the ear headphones that work great. Light goggles can be worn without too much difficulty.

Neuroprogrammer is limited to BioOptimization and will configure with a wizard just as you would a GSR device such as the Thoughtstream or the IOM. Optimization will be determined on EEG “scores” for meditation, focus, excitement, or frustration. These “scores” are algorithms based on research, and are surprisingly accurate.

You will need Mind Workstation to do EEG driven and neurofeedback sessions. While a number of the sessions are included in the Regular version, the Professional or Enterprise version with its timer and graphing engines will give you the most for your investment. You will also need the Enterprise version to export EEG sessions in real time. The timer function will allow advanced construction of sessions using multiple frequency ranges. As an example, you can entrain in the alpha range for a period of time and then ramp down to theta for the remainder of the session. A number of these advanced sessions are included in a separate download for Professional and Enterprise users. Using these sessions as a template, it is surprisingly easy to construct your own EEG driven sessions. It is even possible to specify which sensors will control which tracks, enabling construction of asymmetrical sessions. With the graphing engine you can record all the variables available from the Epoc, such as the EEG “scores”, and dominant brainwave frequency. Together with the 3-D brain map, the data is simply astounding for what you can do with a home unit.

When trying EEG driven sessions for the first couple times, don’t be surprised if you get that mild vascular headache. Even after years of entrainment, I got a headache couple of times. To me that was proof that the EEG driving is much more powerful, producing more blood flow to the brain. With the stimulus constantly changing with your EEG patterns, habituation is not an issue.

With this unit you will discover things about yourself and brainwave entrainment that just wasn’t possible without a hefty investment of time and money. I encourage anyone doing entrainment to join the 21st century and try one of these units out. Makes you wonder what is next, home MRI’s?

Emotiv EPOC, NeuroSky and more now supported by Mind WorkStation and Neuro-Programmer 3!

Aaron — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:55:15 +0000

A number of very exciting connections between top EEG devices and Transparent software are now possible thanks to just-released updates for MindWork Station and Neuro-Programmer 3. Here’s an excerpt from the news story that just went up at TransparentCorp.com:

Today we’re releasing Mind WorkStation Version 1.3 and Neuro-Programmer Version 3.1. Along with bug fixes and general performance improvements, the main attraction in both updates is new compatibility with even more of the most advanced and popular EEG devices available. 4 new devices, representing developers that are true leaders in neuro-technology innovation, can now be utilized in both NP3 and MindWS:

Emotiv EPOC EEG

NeuroSky EEG

ThoughtStream USB

Mind-Reflection

Read the full news article here!

I’d personally suggest checking out the websites of the developers listed there as well. They’re involved in some of the most fascinating developments in the realm of EEG technology, so this certainly won’t be the last time these names come up on this blog.

Updating Mind Update

Aaron — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:58:25 +0000

Welcome to another edition of Mind Update!

Things may have appeared a little quiet around these parts lately, but I’m pleased to say that is about to change. I’m very honored to have gotten the chance recently to join the staff over at Transparent Corp, and just one great aspect of this opportunity is that I’ll get to write regular posts for this blog. I’m truly looking forward to continuing the Mind Update tradition of providing sharp commentary on developments in neuro-technology and audio-visual stimulation, plus discussions and links related to the world of neuroscience at large.

A bunch of great reads are already part of the Mind Update archives. For those of you dropping by for the first time, I’d encourage you to use our category menu to browse through the posts on any topic you’re interested in. Or, start from this selection of some of my favorite posts from the Mind Update archives to see what we’ve done in the past, and the kinds of info and insight you can come back for in the future!

New Study on Brainwave Entrainment by Dr. Tina Huang

Music and the Brain

Brainwave Entrainment and Depression

Thoughts on Mind Gaming

The Guardian Response

Alpha Wave Stimulation and Memory Improvement

Brain Art

Neuro-Programmer 3 release!

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:41:02 +0000

We are proud to introduce the long-awaited Neuro-Programmer 3!

In the last five years since the release of version 2, we have invested heavily into research to improve the neural stimulation and overall effectiveness of the program. We have also been collecting input from our customers on how to increase usability and enhance the user experience.

This release adds an array of new and exciting features, making Neuro-Programmer more powerful, usable and more effective than ever before.

Here are a few of the new features available in NP3:

- Improved sessions and neural stimulation methods

- Biofeedback-optimized neural stimulation

- Export to MP3 or OGG

- Reverberation / Echo effects

- Pitch / tempo effects

- Volume normalization

- Visual plugins and enhanced screen flashing

- ALL sessions are now editable

- Improved recording and hypnosis scripting tools

- New layout, wizards and overall enhanced user experience

Try it out for yourself today! Explore the website for more information:

What’s new

Purchase

Screenshots

Video Tutorials

Upgrade from version 2

Enjoy!

Neuroplastic changes found following brainwave training

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:56:17 +0000

A user just sent me a link to an exciting new study outlined in Science Daily about brainwave training resulting in changes in brain plasticity (or the ability of the brain to adapt to change):

Significant changes in brain plasticity have been observed following alpha brainwave training.

A pioneering collaboration between two laboratories from the University of London has provided the first evidence of neuroplastic changes occurring directly after natural brainwave training. Researchers from Goldsmiths and the Institute of Neurology have demonstrated that half an hour of voluntary control of brain rhythms is sufficient to induce a lasting shift in cortical excitability and intracortical function.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310114936.htm