Peak Performance
Harnessing mindfulness and virtual reality simulations to maximize sports performance
Athletes at the very highest level of their sport face the challenge of performing consistently under pressure amid many potential distractions, including performance anxiety, crowd behaviour, their own and others’ expectations, and the responses of their opponents. The performance of players in the 2023 Australian Open, for example, demonstrated the psychological factors needed to succeed…
Read MoreUC study finds near-transfer of cognitive training to be necessary (yet not sufficient) for far-transfer, broader benefits
Who benefits from brain training, and why? (UCI release): If you are skilled at playing puzzles on your smartphone or tablet, what does it say about how fast you learn new puzzles, or more broadly, how well can you focus in school or at work? In the language of psychologists, does “near transfer” predict “far…
Read MoreTrend: Esports teams harness cognitive tests to better match player to task and to identify training opportunities
I Took An Esports Brain Test. I’m Not Even Close to Being a Pro Gamer (CNET): NeurOlympics is a deceptively simple test. The 60-minute assessment guides people through four uncomplicated video games. One involves remembering disappearing icons. Another is an exercise in rapid reaction time. A person’s performance on the test is then run through an…
Read MoreFrom forest bathing to urban parks: How nature helps protect our well-being during a pandemic
Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on people’s mental health and well-being. Restricted movement, loss, and isolation have led to increases in depression, anxiety disorders, stress, sleep disorders, and more. The effects have been even harsher for teens. How can we help protect our well-being during this particularly difficult time? Though a…
Read MoreOn physical activity, neuroplasticity, depression, screen time, neuromodulation and more
Welcome to a new edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring this time eight scientific reports and industry resources plus a few fun brain teasers. #1. Study finds ultimate hack to protect teen brains from harmful screen time: Exercise (and good role-modeling): “Girls who spent less than an hour on screens and boys who spent less than…
Read MoreAI-powered Woebot raises $90M to scale up digital self-therapy platform
‘Digital therapist’ Woebot perks up with $90M for AI-powered mental health platform (FierceBiotech): In news sure to excite even the most melancholy of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, mental health platform Woebot has closed its series B funding round with a whopping $90 million.
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