Saturday, February 7, 2009

Published online 5 February 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.79

News

What causes schizophrenia?
Findings from a 'brain training' study challenge theory.

Alison Abbott


Tests designed to stretch working memory had surprising effects on dopamine receptors.PunchstockResearchers in Sweden have revealed a surprising change in brain biochemistry that occurs during the training of working memory, a buffer that stores information for the few second required to solve problems or even to understand what we are reading. The discovery may have implications for understanding disorders in which working memory is deficient — such as schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Working memory depends on the transmission of signals in certain parts of the brain by the chemical dopamine and one of its receptors, the D1 receptor, particularly in the parietal and frontal regions of the cortex.
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1 comment:

Martin Walker said...

This was a very exciting study. The first, I think, to indicate a direct link between working memory training and neurogenesis.

If anyone is interested in very effective working memory training Susanne Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl's study on Improving Fluid Intelligence by Training Working Memory (PNAS April 2008) recorded increases in working memory of as much as 80% with just 19 days of focused brain training.

I was so impressed that I contacted the research team and developed a software program using the same method so that anyone can achieve these improvements.
Mind Sparke Brain Fitness Pro

Martin
www.mindsparke.com
Effective, Affordable Brain Training Software

February 9, 2009 at 2:30 PM

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