A Large-Scale, Cross-Sectional Investigation Into the Efficacy of Brain Training.

Brain training is a large and expanding industry, and yet there is a recurrent and ongoing debate concerning its scientific basis or evidence for efficacy. Much of evidence for the efficacy of brain training within this debate is from small-scale studies that do not assess the type of "brain training," the specificity of transfer effects, or the length of training required to achieve a generalized effect. To explore these factors, we analyze cross-sectional data from two large Internet-cohort studies (total = 60,222) to determine whether cognition differs at the population level for individuals who report that they brain train on different devices, and across different timeframes, with programs in common use circa 2010-2013.

Chaos in homeostatically regulated neural systems.

Low-dimensional yet rich dynamics often emerge in the brain. Examples include oscillations and chaotic dynamics during sleep, epilepsy, and voluntary movement. However, a general mechanism for the emergence of low dimensional dynamics remains elusive.

From homeostasis to behavior: Balanced activity in an exploration of embodied dynamic environmental-neural interaction.

In recent years, there have been many computational simulations of spontaneous neural dynamics. Here, we describe a simple model of spontaneous neural dynamics that controls an agent moving in a simple virtual environment. These dynamics generate interesting brain-environment feedback interactions that rapidly destabilize neural and behavioral dynamics demonstrating the need for homeostatic mechanisms.