Sunday, April 18, 2010

Researchers discover first direct evidence of neuroplastic changes following brainwave training

A pioneering collaboration between two laboratories from the University of London has provided the first evidence of neuroplastic changes occurring directly after brainwave training. Researchers from Goldsmiths and the Institute of Neurology have demonstrated that half an hour of voluntary control of brain rhythms is sufficient to induce a lasting shift in cortical excitability and intracortical function. Remarkably, these after-effects are comparable in magnitude to those observed following interventions with artificial forms of brain stimulation involving magnetic or electrical pulses.

The novel finding may have important implications for future non-pharmacological therapies of the brain and calls for a serious re-examination and stronger backing of research on neurofeedback, a technique which may be promising tool to modulate cerebral plasticity in a safe, painless, and natural way.



“Endogenous control of waking brain rhythms induces neuroplasticity in humans”
Tomas Ros, et al., European Journal of Neuroscience, February 2010

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123280227/abstract