By: SharpBrains

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Some brain-boosting supplements contain an unapproved drug that could harm users, study warns (STAT news):
“Promising to lift brain fog or improve memory, brain-boosting supplements have joined sexual-enhancement and weight-loss remedies in the lightly regulated world of dietary supplements. These products may be sold legally with broad-brush come-ons like these, as long as they don’t make specific claims about treating a disease — or contain actual drugs.
New research led by Dr. Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School documents five supplement brands for sale in the U.S. that contain various amounts of piracetam Read the rest of this entry »
By: SharpBrains
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The all-too-understandable urge to buy a better brain (Vox):
“… unfortunately, Bradley Cooper is partly to blame for the boom of the edible brain-improvement industry.
In 2011, he starred in Limitless, a movie about a man who takes a special pill and becomes smarter and more capable than anyone else on Earth. I’m joking about the cultural significance of this movie, but I’m also not. It was a wild card and an unexpected hit, and it mainstreamed an idea that had already been taking hold among Silicon Valley biohackers and human optimization zealots. Read the rest of this entry »
By: SharpBrains
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Time for SharpBrains’ eNewsletter, bringing you latest news around medication, brain training, supplements, mind-wandering, digital therapeutics, wearables, and more — and also a few quick brain teasers to wrap-up.
New research:
New thinking:
New tools:
Finally, we have a couple of fun, quick brain teasers for you, and also a selection of articles to celebrate Brain Awareness Week 2018.
Have a great spring,
The SharpBrains Team
By: SharpBrains
How will the Clinicians, Patients and Consumers of the Future ensure appropriate use of brain enhancement methods encompassing lifestyle, supplements, brain training, meditation, bio/ neurofeedback, tDCS and more? (recording requires registration; view slidedeck above or Here)
- Dr. Eddie Martucci, Co-Founder and CEO of Akili Interactive Labs
- Dr. Anna Wexler, science writer, filmmaker and postdoc fellow at the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at UPenn’s Perelman School of Medicine
- Dr. Olivier Oullier, President of EMOTIV
- Dr. Peter Reiner, Co-Founder of the National Core for Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia
- Chaired by: Dr. Alison Fenney, Executive Director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO)
Slidedeck above supported session held during the 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: Brain Health & Enhancement in the Digital Age (December 5–7th).
By: SharpBrains
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– Dr. David Rabiner, Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University and founder of the Attention Research Update.
Given the ongoing changes and controversies surrounding ADHD diagnosis and treatment, let us highlight 5 key articles written by Duke University’s Dr. David Rabiner to summarize recent scientific findings and their implications, plus a very relevant online course to help parents and professionals help children with ADHD.
1. Study finds large gaps between research and practice in ADHD diagnosis and treatment
- Key insight: Evidence-based guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics on the evaluation and treatment of ADHD are frequently not followed. Many children are diagnosed with ADHD in the absence of clearly meeting DSM diagnostic criteria, and behavioral treatment is rarely recommended.
- Key data point: Pediatricians prescribed ADHD medication to roughly 93% of youth diagnosed with ADHD. Documentation that behavioral treatment was recommended, however, was present in only 13% of the charts.
Read the rest of this entry »