New Brain-Training App Helps People to Change Eating Habits and Lose Weight

AHA Publisher — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 07:00:54 +0000

University of Exeter via News-Medical – Using a brain-training app helps people eat less junk food and lose weight, new research suggests. The Food Trainer (FoodT app) trains people to tap on images of healthy foods – but to stop when they see unhealthy snacks, creating an association between these foods and stopping. The new study, by the universities of Exeter and Helsinki, found that playing the game about once a day for a month led to an average one-point reduction of junk food consumption on an eight-point scale (the scale ranges from four or more items per day, to one or zero items per month). Overall, people who used the app more also reported larger changes in their food intake. About half of the study’s 1,234 participants followed the recommendation and played the game at least 10 times. Across all participants, an average weight loss of half a kilogram (just over a pound) and a small increase in healthy food eaten was seen. “As an example, someone who ate each junk food two to four times a week reduced this to once a week after using the app regularly for a month,” said Professor Natalia Lawrence, of the University of Exeter. “Overall, the findings are really encouraging. The app is free and it only takes about four minutes per day – so it’s something people realistically can do – and our results suggest it is effective. “There’s some evidence that the benefits were stronger for people who were more overweight. “We would expect to see this, because the app targets mechanisms that lead people to become overweight, such as the strong urges to approach and consume tempting junk foods.” “For anyone with unhealthy eating habits – perhaps developed during lockdown – FoodT might be helpful.” Dr Matthias Aulbach, University of Helsinki The study used FoodT usage data, and the app also periodically asks questions about how often users eat certain foods, along with other information such as their age and weight. The findings suggest that using the app regularly was linked with bigger changes in eating habits. “If you’re trying to teach the brain something new, it’s a good idea to space out the learning over multiple sessions,” said Dr Aulbach. “It may be helpful to do the training in different contexts – not just at home but at work and elsewhere, so the associations you learn don’t just relate to one location. “From our results it seems important that you do the training regularly and don’t just stop. So keep it interesting and relevant for yourself so you won’t get bored with it: personalize the app as far as possible and pick the foods that you find really hard to resist.” The researchers stress that their findings should be interpreted cautiously, because there was no control (comparison) group and other factors (such as the possibility that people who did more training were also separately more motivated to lose weight) could play a part in the results. Leaving a review on Google Play, one app user wrote: “Really useful. Seems to work on different levels whether it’s the green/red circle association of stop/go which psychologically makes you more aware, I’m not sure – but my cravings have reduced dramatically and I no longer eat in the evening mindlessly.” Development of the app was made possible by donations to a crowdfunding campaign, and app users who consent for their data to be used – anonymously – have enabled this research and app improvements to be made. To read the original article click here.

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“Brain Training” May Be an Effective Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

AHA Publisher — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 08:00:41 +0000

Lawson Health Research via EurekAlert – LONDON, ON – Neurofeedback, also called ‘brain training,’ consists of exercises where individuals regulate their own brain activity. In a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, researchers have found that neurofeedback may be an effective treatment for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Published in NeuroImage: Clinical, the clinical trial found that neurofeedback was effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. “Brain connectivity involves different parts of the brain communicating with each other and helps to regulate states of consciousness, thought, mood and emotion,” explains Dr. Ruth Lanius, scientist at Lawson, professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and psychiatrist at London Health Sciences Centre. “Individuals with PTSD tend to have disrupted patterns of brain connectivity, but our research suggests they can exercise their brains to restore patterns to a healthy balance.” Neurofeedback uses a system called a neurofeedback loop in which a person’s brain activity is measured through sensors placed on the scalp and displayed back to them using a computer interface. This allows the individual to complete exercises and visually see the results. The trial tested neurofeedback with a total of 72 participants, including 36 participants with PTSD and 36 healthy control participants. Of those with PTSD, 18 were randomized to participate in neurofeedback treatment while the other 18 acted as a comparison group. The study found that the severity of PTSD symptoms decreased in participants randomized to receive neurofeedback treatment. After treatment, 61.1 per cent of participants no longer met the definition for PTSD. This remission rate is comparable to gold standard therapies like trauma-focused psychotherapy. The research team also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at St. Joseph’s Health Care London to capture brain scans of participants both before and after participation in the trial. They found that individuals with PTSD experienced positive changes in brain connectivity in the salience network and the default mode network following neurofeedback treatment. “The salience network is involved in detecting threat as part of the ‘fight or flight’ response. It is normally hyperactive in individuals with PTSD. Meanwhile, the default mode network is activated during rest and is involved in autobiographical memory. We often see that this network is less active during rest and functionally disrupted among individuals with PTSD,” says Dr. Andrew Nicholson, affiliated scientist at Lawson. “Neurofeedback helped restore the functional connectivity of both networks to healthier levels.” Dr. Nicholson is an assistant professor at McMaster University and was formerly a post-doctoral fellow at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. The study involved weekly sessions of neurofeedback over 20 weeks. Participants were asked to reduce the intensity of the brain’s dominant brain wave – the alpha rhythm. Brain activity was visualized as either a still cartoon or a distorted picture. If the alpha rhythm was successfully reduced, the cartoon started playing or the picture started becoming clearer. “Participants were not instructed on how to reduce the alpha rhythm. Rather, each individual figured out their own way to do so,” notes Dr. Lanius. “For example, individuals reported letting their mind wander, thinking about positive things or concentrating their attention.” The team notes the treatment could have a number of clinical implications following further validation. “Neurofeedback could offer an accessible and effective treatment option for individuals with PTSD,” says Dr. Lanius. “The treatment is easily scalable for implementation in rural areas and even at home.” To read the original article click here.

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New Brain-Training App Helps People to Change Eating Habits and Lose Weight

“Brain Training” May Be an Effective Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder