Whether sharp and stabbing or dull and throbbing, a headache can ruin your day. But your brain doesn’t actually feel pain. So what is going on when it feels like your head is in a vise or about to explode? I am a child neurologist – that is, a doctor who specializes in diseases of…
Read MoreMillions of Kids Are on ADHD Pills. For Many, It’s the Start of a Drug Cascade. (The Wall Street Journal): Powerful psychotropic drugs are often the next step, even though their combined effects in young children haven’t been studied closely. ‘I was living in a body hijacked by the medication.’ Danielle Gansky was 7 years…
Read MoreHundreds of randomized-controlled trials clearly show that well-conducted ADHD medication treatment significantly reduces the core ADHD symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity for most diagnosed individuals. Evidence that medication similarly reduces negative real-world outcomes over an extended period is more limited, however, in part because such studies are very difficult to conduct and because a…
Read MoreReinvention is now more important than ever. Life after retirement is often envisioned as a time for joy with grandchildren, travel, leisure, and hobbies. Yet, after many of us retire, we discover that the job of “being retired” is not enough. Our children are busy with their own lives, so the grandkids are not always available,…
Read MoreIt started with a high school typing course. Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior. Her supervisor “sat me down and put me on a machine called a word…
Read MoreIs it an achievable goal to remain mentally sharp while aging, or is it a pipe dream? It is entirely possible if you cultivate habits throughout your life that are beneficial to brain function. As a researcher in cognitive neuroscience and the neuropsychology of aging processes, I aim to shed light on the ways we can…
Read MoreWelcome to the October edition of SharpBrains’ e‑newsletter, featuring some timely thinking, tips and news from around the world. #1. Does Tech, including AI, erode our cognitive abilities … or can we harness it to enhance our cognition and our lives? Our core cognitive abilities, such as attention, working memory and IQ, are shaped partly by genetics and…
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