Positive Technology Journal

Via Gizmodo

"Viennese computer scientist Daniel Wagner has figured out a way to show a virtual character on an i-mate SP5 cellphone, and when you move around with the cellphone, it appears that you're floating around this virtual character in 3D. Other people with cellphones can also see this character from their points of view."

A preliminary report on the use of virtual reality technology to elicit craving and cue reactivity in cocaine dependent individuals.

Addict Behav. 2006 Mar 1;

Authors: Saladin ME, Brady KT, Graap K, Rothbaum BO

In the present feasibility study, we developed a 3-dimensional virtual "crack" cocaine environment and evaluated the environment's ability to elicit subjective craving and cue reactivity (i.e., subjective emotional responding, heart rate and skin conductance) in 11 crack cocaine dependent individuals. Each of the seven 3-D crack cocaine scenes in the cocaine environment depicted actors engaging in a range of using-related behaviors (i.e., smoking crack) whereas the neutral environment contained scenes depicted 3-D aquariums with active aquatic life (baseline measures were obtained following immersion in the neutral environment). Results indicated that craving was significantly elevated during the cocaine-related scenes as compared to baseline. Craving varied by scene content, with scenes depicting active cocaine use eliciting the highest levels of craving. Heart rate was significantly higher in four of the scenes with drug use content and positive affect (i.e., happiness) ratings were significantly lower during cocaine scenes as compared to baseline. Overall, the results suggest that a standardized and stimulus rich virtual reality environment effectively elicits craving and physiologic reactivity. Such technology has potential utility in the development and refinement of exposure-based behavioral and pharmacological interventions for substance use disorders.

Unilateral cerebellar stroke disrupts movement preparation and motor imagery.

Clin Neurophysiol. 2006 Mar 2;

Authors: Battaglia F, Quartarone A, Ghilardi MF, Dattola R, Bagnato S, Rizzo V, Morgante L, Girlanda P

OBJECTIVE: To assess motor cortex excitability, motor preparation and imagery in patients with unilateral cerebellar stroke with damage of the dentate nucleus by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). METHOD: Eight patients with unilateral cerebellar lesions due to tromboembolic stroke and 10 age matched healthy subjects were enrolled. Resting (RMT) and active (AMT) motor threshold, cortical and peripheral silent period, evaluation of motor imagery, reaction time and premovement facilitation of motor evoked potential (MEP) were tested bilaterally using TMS. RESULTS: The RMT and AMT were found to be increased contra lateral to the affected cerebellar hemisphere while the cortical silent period was prolonged. In addition the amount of MEP facilitation during motor imagery and the pre-movement facilitation were reduced in the motor cortex contra lateral to the affected cerebellar hemisphere. The reaction time, performed with the symptomatic hand, was slower. CONCLUSIONS: On the whole, our data confirm a role for the cerebellum in maintaining the excitability of primary motor area. Furthermore, patients with unilateral cerebellar stroke exhibit lateralized deficit of motor preparation and motor imagery. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results add to evidence that cerebellum contributes to specific aspects of motor preparation and motor imagery.

Effects of Biofeedback in Phonatory Disorders and Phonatory Performance: A Systematic Literature Review.

Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2006 Mar 3;

Authors: Maryn Y, De Bodt M, Van Cauwenberge P

Improving the accuracy of the diagnosis of schizophrenia by means of virtual reality.

Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Mar;163(3):512-20

Authors: Sorkin A, Weinshall D, Modai I, Peled A

Medial profrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the generation of alpha activity induced by transcendental meditation: a magnetoencephalographic study.

Acta Med Okayama. 2006 Feb;60(1):51-8

Authors: Yamamoto S, Kitamura Y, Yamada N, Nakashima Y, Kuroda S

Previous EEG studies have shown that transcendental meditation (TM) increases frontal and central alpha activity. The present study was aimed at identifying the source of this alpha activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) simultaneously on eight TM practitioners before, during, and after TM. The magnetic field potentials corresponding to TM-induced alpha activities on EEG recordings were extracted, and we attempted to localize the dipole sources using the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, equivalent current dipole source analysis, and the multiple spatio-temporal dipole model. Since the dipoles were mapped to both the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), it is suggested that the mPFC and ACC play an important role in brain activity induced by TM.

Via Networked performance (from the original posting by Jim Downing on Smart Mobs]

Brain activity before an event predicts later recollection

Leun J Otten, Angela H Quayle, Sarah Akram, Thomas A Ditewig & Michael D Rugg

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 26 February 2006

Via Textually.org 

Motorola is patenting a mobile phone that allows users to play a "virtual guitar neck" displayed on the screen by using its keypad; the produced sound can be played through the device's speaker or communicated at distance