05 May

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Health, Medical Conditions, Neuroscience
Our brains are made of billions of cells. During development, stem cells receive signals from the outside environment that determine which kind of cell it will become within our brains. Sometimes, stem cells develop into neurons through a process called neurogenesis. In this blog post, we describe what neurogenesis is and elaborate on its role on brain development and health.

09 Apr

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Digital Tools, HappyNeuron Pro, Product Features, Therapy Tips, Tutorial
HappyNeuron Pro offers many digital cognitive therapy exercises for memory. Here are some of HappyNeuron Pro’s favorites for practicing memory skills. I Remember You! - Prosopagnosia is the inability to recognize faces. While pure prosopagnosia is rare, people living with Alzheimer’s disease or who have had a stroke may have difficulty remembering the faces and names of loved ones. It is a hard thing to experience and leaves many families broken-hearted. This exercise offers clients an opportunity to practice memorizing the names and faces of various individuals. Therapists can make the faces appear as similar or dissimilar in the exercise as they would like.

01 Mar

Posted at 16:35h in Areas of Cognition, Cognitive Therapy, Food, Medical Conditions, Psychology, Ted Talk, Video
Nutrition is one of the most underlooked factors contributing to mental health well-being. Researchers are beginning to understand the role of the mind-gut connection, and how the food we eat affects our behavior. Nutrition interventions offer promise for successful remediation of psychological disorders.

08 Feb

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Depression, Food, Psychology
Depression during the cold winter months is common for northern countries, particularly in the northern United States and Canada. Clinically, low vitamin D levels have been linked to depression. Researchers have found that vitamin D supplementation may ameliorate the symptoms of depression, particularly in young adults. Since many people nowadays spend more time inside and not enough time outside, getting enough vitamin D is getting harder to do. Here are some ways to get more vitamin D daily to either help with your patient’s depression or your own seasonal blues.

08 Jan

Posted at 08:00h in Adults, Article, Food, Health
In the US, millions of Americans struggle with maintaining a healthy weight. In young adults, impulsivity and inefficient inhibitory control are key risk factors for engaging in unhealthy and uncontrolled eating habits. Impulse and inhibitory control are part of executive functioning which occurs in the frontal lobes of the brain with connections to other key brain regions, such as the limbic system. Training executive functioning in addition to helping your clients adapt to other healthy lifestyle behaviors such as exercising regularly, practicing good sleep hygiene, and not purchasing processed foods may be effective in helping your client lose weight.

30 Dec

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Health
Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions such as: going to the gym, eating better, hanging out with family more, spending more time exploring new ideas, or learning a new skill. While 2021 will be a new year for sure, but it doesn’t mean that people cannot set goals to improve their lives. While many people focus on their bodies, they forget about their brains. Here are some cognitive goals you can help your client work on in 2021 either in person or through telehealth.

18 Dec

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Food, Healthy Aging, Therapy Tips
The holidays mean it's time for some delicious holiday meals. However, many holiday favorites are loaded with extra sugar, fat, and carbohydrates that can leave us feeling sluggish. While food quantity choices rely on satiation, thirst, and hunger levels, there are cognitive skills that you can teach your client to make wiser food decisions and stay healthy over the holidays. In this blog post, we discuss some cognitive strategies to help your client achieve those goals.

19 Oct

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Healthy Aging, Highlight
Many activity directors and nursing home staff seek ways to provide services for their elderly clients. One important service that needs to be offered for elderly people is cognitive training. Cognitive training has been researched for its potential benefits for improving cognitive, psychological, and physical health in elderly people. In this blog post, we show you 4 reasons why you should provide your elderly clients with cognitive training.