Friday, December 16, 2011

Not so fast, padawan.

In studies, people aren't able to control the Force like Anakin Skywalker, his teacher Yoda, or even Luke Skywalker - this goes for animal studies too.  Nevertheless, training one's attention has payoffs - especially when done at an early age.  In a recently released study, impulse control was found to be affected in rats when they were taught to delay gratification and squash impulsiveness prior to a certain conditional stimulus.

Though attention problems and cognitive deficits are real testable (or qualitative) phenomena, there may be a way out as this study suggests.  Brain training, as in meditation and other techniques, can thicken parts of the brain responsible for certain tasks, effectively changing the way the brain operates.   Another study even showed a huge benefit to people with one of the most debilitating neurological illnesses ever discovered - schizophrenia.

So, if you have ever received a diagnosis of a mental illness with deficits in cognition, be it ADHD, depression, or something worse - take a minute for a deep breath.  Don't jump the gun and make assumptions, instead stay on the starting block.  Look into brain training as a way to get back on the track - and to win the race.

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