In this article, from Brainhacking to Brainjogging, our partner Dr.Caroline Böttiger, neuroscientist and psychotherapist, will give us an overview of some scientific methods that help us improve the health of the human brain!
We know that the human brain is one of the most complex organs that exist and we are far from really understanding its functions. However, science has developed various techniques to measure, analyse and dissect it. Particularly we now know in which area of our brain we speak, feel, hear or see. In addition, we also found out what keeps us concentrated and how the brain puts us to sleep. In parallel, we started to use these insights to cure multiple brain diseases, but we can also use them to preventively train our brain to concentrate better (by literally taking our brain to the gym).
How does the fitness studio for the human brain look like?
The activation states of our brain are defined by wavelengths. There is a pacemaker deep within our brain that defines how awake and concentrated we are. This pacemaker stimulates different types of neurons, each of them being responsible for different frequencies. Slow frequencies put the brain asleep and high frequencies cause alertness.
Therefore, if you want to increase your focus and concentration, you need to stimulate the neurons in the corresponding frequency range. Of course, the brain fitness studio does, look a little bit different than a gym where you train your muscles: it uses amplifiers, electrodes and a computer. However, there is a big similarity: what you stimulate over a certain amount of time will start to grow. This brainjogging method is called “Neurofeedback”.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is a revolutionary technique that uses EEG recordings to assess and bolster human brain activity – empowering individuals with improved mental performance. By placing electrodes on the scalp, specialists are able to capture electrical signals from various parts of the brain and translate them into an electroencephalogram (EEG) – a unique assessment providing valuable insight. Patients themselves do not feel anything from the EEG recording. The EEG measures all relevant brain waves and forwards them to a computer. A special computer program divides the brain waves into frequency ranges. All important data is measured in real time. Video feedback on brain activity is shown to the patient.
Optimal human brain waves can be differentiated from stressful ones. As soon the patient reacts with stressful brain activity, the video stops until the brain activity goes back to the more efficient frequencies. Therefore, this stimulates the growth of neurons specialized in the optimal brain waves. With ongoing training, you will increase your ability to concentrate and pay attention.
How much do we need to train our brains?
In order to have a long lasting effect, you need to train your brain:
- 20-40 times
- 1-2 times a week.
Moreover, this is not too much when you think about the fact that the effect on better concentration will improve your brain for the rest of your life!
We hope that you found this article useful and it helped you better understand how to train your brain’s abilities. If you want to find out more information about Dr. Caroline Böttiger’s services, do not hesitate to check out her contact details here. And remember: mens sana, in corpore sano!
