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July 28, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi

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Is It Possible To Decrease Phantom Limb Pain By Training The Brain?

July 28, 2020 08:00 by Patricia Tomasi  [About the Author]

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A new study published in the American Academy Journal of Neurology aimed to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of brain-computer interface (BCI) training in the treatment of phantom limb pain. "Previously, phantom limb pain had been treated by mirror therapy which uses a mirror to create an illusion of the phantom hand," study author Takufumi Yanagisawa told us. Yanagisawa is a Professor at the Institute for Advanced Co-creation Studies at Osaka University. [More]

July 20, 2020
by Amy Rollo

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The Polyvagal Theory

July 20, 2020 16:21 by Amy Rollo  [About the Author]

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Looking back at the start of the pandemic, I witnessed two things. Shutting down- disengaging and stopping normal activities. Alternatively, doing too much- hoarding toilet paper, fighting people over cleaning wipes, and stocking up on food. Reading the news, it looked like everyone was losing their minds… me included. Understanding the polyvagal theory is helpful in understanding why people function the way they do in times of stress, and also why we as a society, have had a hard time regulating our emotions and behaviors again. [More]

April 28, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi

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Just How Different Are We From Chimpanzees, Gorillas And Orangutans?

April 28, 2020 08:00 by Patricia Tomasi  [About the Author]

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How different are our brains from our primate ancestors? This is the question researchers in Germany attempted to answer in a new study published in the Journal of Science Advances. The study looked at brain asymmetry in humans and great apes as seen from endocasts, casts of the inner bony brain case that approximate the size and shape of the brain. Brain asymmetry is imperative to cognition and brain function in humans and has been linked to language and the use of tools. [More]

April 20, 2020
by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW

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That Last Breath

April 20, 2020 11:27 by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW  [About the Author]

dying alone
Across cultures it is accepted that it is a terrible thing to die alone. During the present covid-19 epidemic the televised vision of refrigerated trucks filled with the dead has been especially disturbing. Why is that? Of course it is tragic when large numbers of people die. It is also frightening. Part of what appears to be at play here is that the fear of being unknown and alone is projected on to what an individual,who is a witness, has conjured up in his/her mind as a picture of lives uncelebrated and discarded. [More]

March 5, 2020
by Amy Rollo

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How to Talk to Your Child About COVID-19

March 5, 2020 08:47 by Amy Rollo  [About the Author]

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While the COVID-19 virus will not have the same impact as the plague, there are things we can learn from the nursery rhyme. Many children are listening to the news, they are hearing people talk about the “scary Corona virus” and maybe even hearing that we can die from it. These things can increase anxiety for children (and adults). Parents need to initiate the conversation with their children and be direct in order to reduce the anxiety and fear. [More]