Brain Resource Center

Our team is a big fan of teas and we always have a warm cup of tea ready for you when you come into our office! Tea isn’t a cure-all but it’s a simple and delicious drink that you can easily incorporate into your day and boost your brain health. There’s a variety of teas offering a wide range of benefits so there’s something for everyone! Let us know in the comments below what’s your favorite kind of tea

You don’t have to choose between self-care and productivity. Taking care of yourself IS productive. Self-care isn’t the reward you get after you accomplish everything on your to-do list. It’s your fuel. Want to hear some benefits of self-care? Reduced stress, improved cognitive functions, better focus and concentration, increased creativity all of which can boost your productivity, happiness and overall health. ... Self-care looks different for everyone. Find what works for you and build your tool box of self-care practices so you can have these readily available when you need it. *Self-care isn’t an indulgence, it’s a necessity* Let’s invest in ourselves by prioritizing our wellbeing and allowing our minds & bodies to recharge.

Before you continue reading, try to tickle yourself. Impossible, right? Why can other people tickle us but we can’t tickle ourselves? The answer lies in your cerebellum, the part of your brain that receives sensory input and coordinates/regulates motor movement. A tickle is essentially an alert telling you something is touching your body. Tickles are ticklish because of the element of surprise. ... When you try to tickle yourself, your cerebellum is able to predict the tickle. Your brain tells the muscles in one arm to do the tickling and tells your other muscles/senses that a tickle is coming. Thus, the tickle is no longer a surprise and other brain regions cancel their response to the tickle (no uncontrollable laughter and discomfort!) since our brain knows the source of the tickle is coming from you.

Don’t fall into the trap of Black Friday sales! Here’s a look at how our brain works when we shop and why we’re so drawn to big sales, especially during the holiday season. Understanding how your brain works can help you identify the tricks retailers use to get you to overspend! Share this post with someone and help them save some money

Some fun facts about our brain! Which one surprised you the most?

Happy thanksgiving! Here’s a fun brain teaser to exercise your brain today. Try not to Google so you can maximize your brain workout! Comment below your answers We’ll update our caption with the correct answer soon so be sure to check back with us and see if you got it right. Share this with your family & friends and see if they can solve it too

If you work/learn from home, you know how exhausting Zoom calls can be. Zoom fatigue is a REAL phenomenon describing the mental fatigue we experience after video calls. In theory, video calls should be easier than in-person meetings: just throw on a top, turn on your laptop and you’re good to go! So why is it so exhausting in reality? Face-to-face interactions allow us to pick up social cues and nonverbal body language. We can read people’s faces and sense their emotions..., both of which provides us important information. On Zoom calls, however, we miss out on a lot of nonverbal communication. Think about it, how many times have you accidentally interrupted someone or how many times has there been an awkward silence because you didn’t know who was going to speak next? Our brains have to work a lot harder to focus and decipher the verbal information, without the help of nonverbal cues. Zoom calls are also draining because there’s so many distractions. We’re hyper-aware of how we look, how we sound, how our background looks, etc. We’re also not used to seeing ourselves on screen and numerous framed faces staring back at us. Not to mention, technical issues and lack of eye contact make the conversation feel even less natural. These factors can cause us to feel like we’re on stage and we have to perform a certain way (which requires more brain energy). Essentially, we feel fatigued after Zoom calls because our brains are multi-tasking and using more cognitive energy than usual. See more

We’re not gonna sugarcoat it: online learning is hard! Here’s a tip for online learning you might not have heard of: neurofeedback training We love and recommend neurofeedback training for students because it is safe and non-intrusive. Not to mention, it is a MEDICATION-FREE approach to helping students improve focus/attention, memory, cognitive function and academic performance. Comment down below how online learning has been for you guys! Students, parents, teachersany other tips on how to navigate the world of online learning?

So we all know not to consume caffeine or sugar before bedtime but what are some foods that’ll help us sleep? Here are some of our top picks for better sleep! These foods contain a variety of nutrientsincluding antioxidants, tryptophan and melatoninthat can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer, resulting in more restorative deep sleep. If you’re having more serious difficulty with your sleep, reach out to us!! We can help you figure out the root of your sleep issues and tackle it together.

We love this quote that beautifully sums up the concept of neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity is the science behind self affirmations. When you first say your affirmation, you might not believe it. But with time and repetition, you are rewiring your brain to be more receptive to this new thought and to reinforce this positive thinking to be the dominant pathway in your subconscious mind Let us all be more gentle and kind to ourselves! What are some of your daily self-affirmations?

Did you know these celebrities were diagnosed with dyslexia? Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities yet it is often undiagnosed. Why? Its symptoms can be overlooked or it can be misdiagnosed as something else. We offer the most comprehensive brain mapping assessments in order to identify dyslexia and distinguish it from other learning disabilities. Early intervention is crucial to preventing/minimizing long-term academic and psychological harm.

Sister Mary was a nun, who had remarkably high cognitive function even at the age of 101. But when researchers examined her brain after her death, they found the classic lesions of Alzheimer’s disease. For decades, researchers have been studying this phenomenon: people who maintain their cognitive function and show no signs of brain disease until a brain autopsy is performed. One explanation for this is high cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is your brain’s resilience to ...damage/disease. Your brain can cope with the damage by finding alternate mechanisms to optimize cognitive performance. Think of your cognitive reserve as a rainy day fund for your brain. The higher your cognitive reserve, the better you can offset the damage. Building your cognitive reserve takes time and there are many contributing factors. See the second picture for things you can do to build your cognitive reserve!

Have you seen this recent article in the NYT? Some shocking finds from this study! Altered mental function (or encephalopathy) is a broad term meaning something is wrong with the brain and there’s a change in brain function. As we learn more about COVID-19, we’re seeing that neurological symptoms are common and can be long-lasting. If you’re recovering from COVID-19, keep a close eye on your mental function! Brain health is always important but now more so than ever.

Check out this recent article on neurofeedback for kids with ADHD! It talks about how neurofeedback is engaging and kid-friendly way to train the brain to produce the "right" kind of brain waves. Doing this will help the brain switch from an inattentive state to an attentive state when it needs to. Neurofeedback has been shown to be an effective and long-lasting treatment for ADHD with no long-term adverse effects. 50 to 75% of children who received neurofeedback for their ADHD showed significant improvement! https://www.additudemag.com/basics-neurofeedback-for-adhd/

YOU can change your brain! Neuroplasticity is our brain’s impressive ability to change & adapt in response to environmental changes and psychological experiences. Our brains are changing DAILY, forming new synapses and neural connections. Neurons that are used frequently will develop stronger connections and neurons that are used less often will die (don’t worry, this is our brain’s way of being more efficient!) This is why we are good at the things we do often and we lo...se certain skills when they aren’t used as often. Neuroplasticity is also the reason why our brains can recover from disorders and injuries. Our brains change rapidly when we’re young but our neuroplasticity decreases as we age and the rate of change is no longer as rapid. Swipe to the second pic for some fun exercises you can do to increase & improve your neuroplasticity! Which ones are you going to try? Leave us a comment, we’d love to know! @ New York, New York

Back-to-school season is going to look a lot different this fall for both in-person and remote learning. Students are facing unique challenges right now and one of our biggest concerns is the pandemic’s impact on their mental health. Children who were already struggling with their mental health before the pandemic are at a higher risk of experiencing more severe symptoms and emotional distress right now. COVID-related stress and anxiety coupled with school-related stress ...is a lot on a child’s plate and can be very overwhelming. We need to keep an eye on their mental health and be proactive about getting them the help they need. Neurofeedback is an EFFECTIVE AND MEDICATION-FREE treatment for anxiety, depression, stress, and disorders like ADD/ADHD. It can improve your children’s ability to focus and do well in school. Parents, we know how difficult it must be having to balance the needs of your children with your own work and responsibilities. We imagine the pandemic has only added more stressors into your life. While you’re looking out for the well-being of your children, family, and friends, it is important to take care of your own mental health as well. Children pick up emotional cues and nonverbal body language from the adults in their lives; taking care of your mental health will benefit you and your children. If you and/or your children are struggling with mental health, please reach out to us so we can help you and your children feel ready and confident about going back to school. We’re here to help you all thrive and succeed this upcoming school year. 212-877-2130

COVID Insomnia Yes, it’s a real thing Have your sleeping habits changed during this pandemic? It’s not a surprise that many people are experiencing sleep problems right now. With new guidelines to social distance, work from home, attend school remotely, and quarantine ourselves, our day-to-day lives were severely disrupted along with our circadian rhythms. Our sleep-wake cycle (a type of circadian rhythm) is essentially a 24-hour internal clock that regulates when we wake ...up and when we sleep. Here are some tips to fix/improve your circadian rhythm: SET A WAKE-UP TIME AND BEDTIME we know it can be tempting to stay up a little later at night or sleep in a little more in the morning, especially if you no longer have to wake up at a certain time anymore for work/school. BUT, fixing your circadian rhythm requires consistency and doing so can also establish a sense of normalcy during these abnormal times. SEEK OUT SUN Staying at home means that we’re exposed to lower levels of natural light, which sends our body signals that generate alertness. Open your curtains/windows when you wake up and spend some time outside (while social distancing of course). Not only will you be more alert and productive throughout the day but you’ll sleep better at night too. BED = SLEEP ONLY Reserving your bed for sleep will help create and strengthen the mental association between your bed and sleep/rest. For those working/studying from home, avoid your bed! REDUCE SCREEN TIME Try to disconnect from your devices about an hour before bedtime. Using these devices will further stimulate your brain and their blue light suppresses your natural production of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep. CALL BRAIN RESOURCE CENTER If you’re practicing good sleep hygiene and still experiencing sleep problems, give us a call! We can help treat your sleep problems as well as any underlying issues that may be disrupting your sleep. 212-877-2130

Neurofeedback is a medication-free and pain-free approach to reducing a range of cognitive issues. Call us at 212-877-2130 or visit us at our Upper West Side location to schedule a session.

Do you feel better after talking out your problems with someone? There’s a scientific reason behind it! When we’re experiencing intense feelings or stress, our amygdala activates our fight-or-flight response. However, putting our feelings into words can reduce the activation/reactivity of the amygdala. Verbalization of our feelings will instead activate the areas of the brain that are associated with language and meaning. Harboring your thoughts and emotions is stressful an...d it can be incredibly taxing on your brain and body because you’re actively working to repress them. Relieve yourself of that stress and give us a call. We’re always here to listen! 212-877-2130 See more

For months now, many of us have been cooped up at home. Experts have warned that this could trigger/exacerbate agoraphobia in some individuals. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by a fear or avoidance of certain places/situations that are deemed unsafe and difficult to escape. If you or someone you know is experiencing agoraphobia, reach out to us so we can help treat it during these difficult times. We also offer telehealth services, allowing you to access them from the comfort of your home. 212-877-2130