We’re excited to announce that the United States Department of Defense has awarded Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI) a $2 million grant to determine the extent to which Posit Science training exercises can improve cognition in returning war veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). These veterans deserve effective, affordable, accessible treatment—and we are thrilled that the Department of Defense sees our training software as a possible solution. We’ll keep you posted over the next two years as the study progresses. For more information, read the press release.

Warm regards,

Jeff Zimman, Chairman

"Feeling" with Prosthetic Limbs
At the University of Chicago, researchers are building what once only existed in the realm of science fiction: prosthetic limbs with a sense of touch. A “feeling” prosthesis would work by transmitting electrical signals to the brain that mimic what a natural limb would send about an object, like texture, shape, and weight. Such an invention could be an incredible aid for injured veterans and others with missing limbs. But is there a potential downside, too? Learn more.

New Hope for Insomniacs
About 10% of adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic insomnia, often lasting for many months or years. Insomnia can adversely affect health and quality of life, and there’s no surefire cure. Most people seem to believe there’s not much to do about it: only about 5% of people with insomnia seek medical health, and even sleeping pills have just a 25% approval rating. But there may be new hope on the horizon. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have seen promising results with a “cooling cap” that keeps the brain cold through the night. How does it work? Find out.

Living in the “Stroke Belt”
You may have heard of the “Rust Belt” and the “Sun Belt,” but what about the “Stroke Belt”? The Stroke Belt states include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and Tennessee—a region in which people are at a significantly higher risk for stroke than in the rest of the U.S. A new study shows that people in those states are also at a higher risk for cognitive decline. Learn more.

Bilingualism Delays Alzheimer’s Onset
Neuroscientist Ellen Bialystok recently won the prestigious Killam Prize for over forty years of groundbreaking work on the brain benefits of bilingualism. Among other things, Bialystok has found significant differences in the thought processes of monolingual and bilingual children. Her most exciting finding? Aging bilingual adults display Alzheimer’s symptoms up to six years later than their monolingual counterparts. Read an interview with Dr. Bialystok.

Does Your Brain Need a Vacation?
A recent body of research has looked at the positive brain benefits of vacations and traveling, and gives some insight as to what types of vacations may be best for mental health. Posit Science co-founder Michael Merzenich recently weighed in on this hot topic, discussing the neuroscience of vacations in an article for CLO Magazine. Read the article.

Recreational Hallucinogen Shows Promise for Depression
Recent research has shown that low doses of ketamine—an anesthetic that’s taken recreationally under the name “Special K”—shows promise for ameliorating the symptoms of depression within just a few hours of application. Ketamine appears to block background noise in the brain, suggesting a previously unknown link between depression and background noise and opening the path for a potential new treatment strategy for depression. Learn more.

Brain Scans Predict Pop Hits Better Than Ratings
A new study in teenagers showed that brain scans may be better at predicting popular music hits than what the teens outwardly say about a song. When researchers compared brain scan data and written ratings with music sales, they found a significantly stronger correlation with the scans than with the ratings. The songs that activated the teens’ “reward centers” in their brains turned out to be the biggest commercial successes. Learn more.

Book of the Month
The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good (2011)
David J. Linden
What do generosity, learning, and exercise have in common with liquor, drugs, cheesecake, and gambling? According to David J. Linden, they all activate our “pleasure center” and can become addictive to us. In The Compass of Pleasure, Linden examines brain research and evolutionary science findings to determine what kinds of things our brains find pleasurable, and why we get such a rush from them. Linden’s writing style is witty and conversational, making The Compass of Pleasure a fun and intriguing summer read. Buy from Amazon >>