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If you've been using my https://webmention.io service, you'll notice a few changes today.
Everything should be transparent from a user and API perspective, all your webmention endpoints and API queries should still be working. Please let me know if you run in to any problems!
I replaced the aging Ruby codebase so that I can more easily fix bugs and make it more secure going forward. Stay tuned for some much-needed UX improvements in the near future as well. -
If you've been using my https://webmention.io service, you'll notice a few changes today.
Everything should be transparent from a user and API perspective, all your webmention endpoints and API queries should still be working. Please let me know if you run in to any problems!
I replaced the aging Ruby codebase so that I can more easily fix bugs and make it more secure going forward. Stay tuned for some much-needed UX improvements in the near future as well. -
If you've been using my https://webmention.io service, you'll notice a few changes today.
Everything should be transparent from a user and API perspective, all your webmention endpoints and API queries should still be working. Please let me know if you run in to any problems!
I replaced the aging Ruby codebase so that I can more easily fix bugs and make it more secure going forward. Stay tuned for some much-needed UX improvements in the near future as well. -
If you've been using my https://webmention.io service, you'll notice a few changes today.
Everything should be transparent from a user and API perspective, all your webmention endpoints and API queries should still be working. Please let me know if you run in to any problems!
I replaced the aging Ruby codebase so that I can more easily fix bugs and make it more secure going forward. Stay tuned for some much-needed UX improvements in the near future as well. -
If you've been using my https://webmention.io service, you'll notice a few changes today.
Everything should be transparent from a user and API perspective, all your webmention endpoints and API queries should still be working. Please let me know if you run in to any problems!
I replaced the aging Ruby codebase so that I can more easily fix bugs and make it more secure going forward. Stay tuned for some much-needed UX improvements in the near future as well. -
DATE: September 13, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How virtual reality is changing brain-training technology
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
Integrating virtual reality into brain-training therapies can make the experience more enjoyable and engaging for users. A recent review published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback examined how immersive digital environments influence a person’s ability to control their own brain activity. The findings suggest that virtual reality holds promise for improving these therapies, but researchers still need better study designs to confirm the exact benefits.
Neurofeedback is a technique where individuals learn to alter their brain waves by watching them in real time. During a typical session, sensors are placed on a person’s scalp to record electrical activity in the brain. This method is known as electroencephalography, or EEG. The system processes these electrical signals instantly and provides visual or auditory cues to the user.
Specific brain wave patterns correspond to different mental states. For example, a relaxed yet focused state produces a specific frequency rhythm in the brain. If a person’s goal is to increase their focus, the software will reward them when their brain waves hit that target frequency. In traditional setups, this reward is often a simple two-dimensional graphic on a computer monitor, like a bar graph that grows taller or a moving line.
In recent years, software developers have begun replacing these simple graphics with virtual reality environments. Instead of watching a bar graph, a user wearing a headset might make a virtual flower bloom or a digital spaceship accelerate simply by changing their mental state. Psychologists Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger at the University of Graz in Austria conducted a comprehensive review to evaluate how these immersive environments compare to standard methods.
The researchers searched academic databases for studies that combined EEG-based neurofeedback with virtual reality. After filtering out papers that lacked sufficient experimental details, they identified 31 relevant studies to analyze. The selected research varied wildly in methodology, with participant numbers ranging from single case studies to 100 individuals. Many of the reviewed papers relied on small study samples of fewer than 50 participants.
The applications tested in these studies covered a wide range of scenarios and populations. Some studies involved healthy individuals, while others focused on clinical patients treating chronic pain, migraines, or the aftermath of a stroke. The virtual feedback scenarios were equally diverse. Participants in various studies were asked to navigate a ball through a forest, interact with virtual animals, or change the lighting in a digital auditorium using only their brain waves.
By analyzing these 31 papers, the research team found that users generally preferred virtual reality feedback over traditional two-dimensional screens. Participants often reported higher levels of enjoyment, interest, and perceived competence when interacting with three-dimensional virtual worlds. For therapeutic regimens that require dozens of sessions over several months, this boost in motivation could help keep patients engaged with their treatment.
However, when looking at whether virtual reality actually improved a person’s ability to control their brain waves, the results were mixed. Some studies found that users reached their target brain wave states faster in virtual reality. Other studies found no difference in brain wave control between the immersive and traditional formats.
Beyond basic training, virtual reality might help users apply their new mental skills in daily life. A major goal of neurofeedback is for patients, like children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to learn how to focus without needing a computer screen to guide them. Virtual reality allows developers to build realistic simulations, such as a busy virtual classroom, where users can practice regulating their brain activity in a distracting environment.
Despite these potential benefits, the review highlighted several factors that complicate the use of virtual reality. Headsets often differ from computer screens in brightness, field of view, and visual complexity. Changes in screen brightness alone can alter specific brain wave frequencies, making it difficult to tell if a user is successfully relaxing or just reacting to the light emitting from the lenses.
The researchers also noted that virtual environments can be too visually stimulating. While a visually rich, multi-sensory virtual world is entertaining, it can cause cognitive overload. If a virtual environment demands too much attention, the user might become distracted from the primary goal of regulating their mental state, causing their performance to drop.
The transition to virtual reality introduces physical side effects that do not typically occur with traditional computer monitors. Cybersickness, a type of motion sickness caused by virtual environments, can induce nausea, dizziness, and eye strain. The review indicated that women tend to experience these symptoms more frequently and severely than men, which could negatively affect their neurofeedback performance.
Age also plays a role in how users respond to immersive technology. Older individuals, who may be less familiar with virtual reality interfaces, sometimes reported higher levels of fear and anxiety during the sessions. The authors emphasized that virtual reality feedback may not be suitable for everyone, particularly individuals prone to motion sickness or those easily overwhelmed by sensory input.
A major limitation across the reviewed literature is the lack of proper control groups. Many studies only tested a single virtual reality condition without comparing it to a traditional screen or a fake feedback scenario. Without these baseline comparisons, it is hard to isolate the specific effects of the brain training from the sheer excitement of using a novel technology.
The rapid commercialization of both headsets and brain-reading devices raises additional ethical concerns. The authors warn about “neuroenchantment,” a phenomenon where people blindly trust the capabilities of neurotechnology simply because it seems futuristic. This blind trust can make consumers vulnerable to misleading advertising from companies selling home-based brain training systems for self-improvement or entertainment.
As private companies develop consumer-friendly devices capable of recording neural activity, users face new risks regarding data privacy. Over half of the consumer neurotechnology companies recently assessed in a separate industry report allow the sharing of brain data with third parties. As brain-computer interfaces become more accessible, the authors advise that future research must pair rigorous experimental design with strict data protection standards.
The study, “Controlling Virtual Reality With Brain Signals: State of the Art of Using VR-Based Feedback in Neurofeedback Applications,” was authored by Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #VirtualRealityNeurofeedback #BrainTrainingTech #EEGNeurofeedback #VRInTherapy #NeurofeedbackResearch #ImmersiveFeedback #MindTrainingVR #Cyberhealth #NeurotechEthics #BrainWaveControl
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DATE: September 13, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How virtual reality is changing brain-training technology
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
Integrating virtual reality into brain-training therapies can make the experience more enjoyable and engaging for users. A recent review published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback examined how immersive digital environments influence a person’s ability to control their own brain activity. The findings suggest that virtual reality holds promise for improving these therapies, but researchers still need better study designs to confirm the exact benefits.
Neurofeedback is a technique where individuals learn to alter their brain waves by watching them in real time. During a typical session, sensors are placed on a person’s scalp to record electrical activity in the brain. This method is known as electroencephalography, or EEG. The system processes these electrical signals instantly and provides visual or auditory cues to the user.
Specific brain wave patterns correspond to different mental states. For example, a relaxed yet focused state produces a specific frequency rhythm in the brain. If a person’s goal is to increase their focus, the software will reward them when their brain waves hit that target frequency. In traditional setups, this reward is often a simple two-dimensional graphic on a computer monitor, like a bar graph that grows taller or a moving line.
In recent years, software developers have begun replacing these simple graphics with virtual reality environments. Instead of watching a bar graph, a user wearing a headset might make a virtual flower bloom or a digital spaceship accelerate simply by changing their mental state. Psychologists Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger at the University of Graz in Austria conducted a comprehensive review to evaluate how these immersive environments compare to standard methods.
The researchers searched academic databases for studies that combined EEG-based neurofeedback with virtual reality. After filtering out papers that lacked sufficient experimental details, they identified 31 relevant studies to analyze. The selected research varied wildly in methodology, with participant numbers ranging from single case studies to 100 individuals. Many of the reviewed papers relied on small study samples of fewer than 50 participants.
The applications tested in these studies covered a wide range of scenarios and populations. Some studies involved healthy individuals, while others focused on clinical patients treating chronic pain, migraines, or the aftermath of a stroke. The virtual feedback scenarios were equally diverse. Participants in various studies were asked to navigate a ball through a forest, interact with virtual animals, or change the lighting in a digital auditorium using only their brain waves.
By analyzing these 31 papers, the research team found that users generally preferred virtual reality feedback over traditional two-dimensional screens. Participants often reported higher levels of enjoyment, interest, and perceived competence when interacting with three-dimensional virtual worlds. For therapeutic regimens that require dozens of sessions over several months, this boost in motivation could help keep patients engaged with their treatment.
However, when looking at whether virtual reality actually improved a person’s ability to control their brain waves, the results were mixed. Some studies found that users reached their target brain wave states faster in virtual reality. Other studies found no difference in brain wave control between the immersive and traditional formats.
Beyond basic training, virtual reality might help users apply their new mental skills in daily life. A major goal of neurofeedback is for patients, like children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to learn how to focus without needing a computer screen to guide them. Virtual reality allows developers to build realistic simulations, such as a busy virtual classroom, where users can practice regulating their brain activity in a distracting environment.
Despite these potential benefits, the review highlighted several factors that complicate the use of virtual reality. Headsets often differ from computer screens in brightness, field of view, and visual complexity. Changes in screen brightness alone can alter specific brain wave frequencies, making it difficult to tell if a user is successfully relaxing or just reacting to the light emitting from the lenses.
The researchers also noted that virtual environments can be too visually stimulating. While a visually rich, multi-sensory virtual world is entertaining, it can cause cognitive overload. If a virtual environment demands too much attention, the user might become distracted from the primary goal of regulating their mental state, causing their performance to drop.
The transition to virtual reality introduces physical side effects that do not typically occur with traditional computer monitors. Cybersickness, a type of motion sickness caused by virtual environments, can induce nausea, dizziness, and eye strain. The review indicated that women tend to experience these symptoms more frequently and severely than men, which could negatively affect their neurofeedback performance.
Age also plays a role in how users respond to immersive technology. Older individuals, who may be less familiar with virtual reality interfaces, sometimes reported higher levels of fear and anxiety during the sessions. The authors emphasized that virtual reality feedback may not be suitable for everyone, particularly individuals prone to motion sickness or those easily overwhelmed by sensory input.
A major limitation across the reviewed literature is the lack of proper control groups. Many studies only tested a single virtual reality condition without comparing it to a traditional screen or a fake feedback scenario. Without these baseline comparisons, it is hard to isolate the specific effects of the brain training from the sheer excitement of using a novel technology.
The rapid commercialization of both headsets and brain-reading devices raises additional ethical concerns. The authors warn about “neuroenchantment,” a phenomenon where people blindly trust the capabilities of neurotechnology simply because it seems futuristic. This blind trust can make consumers vulnerable to misleading advertising from companies selling home-based brain training systems for self-improvement or entertainment.
As private companies develop consumer-friendly devices capable of recording neural activity, users face new risks regarding data privacy. Over half of the consumer neurotechnology companies recently assessed in a separate industry report allow the sharing of brain data with third parties. As brain-computer interfaces become more accessible, the authors advise that future research must pair rigorous experimental design with strict data protection standards.
The study, “Controlling Virtual Reality With Brain Signals: State of the Art of Using VR-Based Feedback in Neurofeedback Applications,” was authored by Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #VirtualRealityNeurofeedback #BrainTrainingTech #EEGNeurofeedback #VRInTherapy #NeurofeedbackResearch #ImmersiveFeedback #MindTrainingVR #Cyberhealth #NeurotechEthics #BrainWaveControl
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DATE: September 13, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How virtual reality is changing brain-training technology
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
Integrating virtual reality into brain-training therapies can make the experience more enjoyable and engaging for users. A recent review published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback examined how immersive digital environments influence a person’s ability to control their own brain activity. The findings suggest that virtual reality holds promise for improving these therapies, but researchers still need better study designs to confirm the exact benefits.
Neurofeedback is a technique where individuals learn to alter their brain waves by watching them in real time. During a typical session, sensors are placed on a person’s scalp to record electrical activity in the brain. This method is known as electroencephalography, or EEG. The system processes these electrical signals instantly and provides visual or auditory cues to the user.
Specific brain wave patterns correspond to different mental states. For example, a relaxed yet focused state produces a specific frequency rhythm in the brain. If a person’s goal is to increase their focus, the software will reward them when their brain waves hit that target frequency. In traditional setups, this reward is often a simple two-dimensional graphic on a computer monitor, like a bar graph that grows taller or a moving line.
In recent years, software developers have begun replacing these simple graphics with virtual reality environments. Instead of watching a bar graph, a user wearing a headset might make a virtual flower bloom or a digital spaceship accelerate simply by changing their mental state. Psychologists Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger at the University of Graz in Austria conducted a comprehensive review to evaluate how these immersive environments compare to standard methods.
The researchers searched academic databases for studies that combined EEG-based neurofeedback with virtual reality. After filtering out papers that lacked sufficient experimental details, they identified 31 relevant studies to analyze. The selected research varied wildly in methodology, with participant numbers ranging from single case studies to 100 individuals. Many of the reviewed papers relied on small study samples of fewer than 50 participants.
The applications tested in these studies covered a wide range of scenarios and populations. Some studies involved healthy individuals, while others focused on clinical patients treating chronic pain, migraines, or the aftermath of a stroke. The virtual feedback scenarios were equally diverse. Participants in various studies were asked to navigate a ball through a forest, interact with virtual animals, or change the lighting in a digital auditorium using only their brain waves.
By analyzing these 31 papers, the research team found that users generally preferred virtual reality feedback over traditional two-dimensional screens. Participants often reported higher levels of enjoyment, interest, and perceived competence when interacting with three-dimensional virtual worlds. For therapeutic regimens that require dozens of sessions over several months, this boost in motivation could help keep patients engaged with their treatment.
However, when looking at whether virtual reality actually improved a person’s ability to control their brain waves, the results were mixed. Some studies found that users reached their target brain wave states faster in virtual reality. Other studies found no difference in brain wave control between the immersive and traditional formats.
Beyond basic training, virtual reality might help users apply their new mental skills in daily life. A major goal of neurofeedback is for patients, like children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to learn how to focus without needing a computer screen to guide them. Virtual reality allows developers to build realistic simulations, such as a busy virtual classroom, where users can practice regulating their brain activity in a distracting environment.
Despite these potential benefits, the review highlighted several factors that complicate the use of virtual reality. Headsets often differ from computer screens in brightness, field of view, and visual complexity. Changes in screen brightness alone can alter specific brain wave frequencies, making it difficult to tell if a user is successfully relaxing or just reacting to the light emitting from the lenses.
The researchers also noted that virtual environments can be too visually stimulating. While a visually rich, multi-sensory virtual world is entertaining, it can cause cognitive overload. If a virtual environment demands too much attention, the user might become distracted from the primary goal of regulating their mental state, causing their performance to drop.
The transition to virtual reality introduces physical side effects that do not typically occur with traditional computer monitors. Cybersickness, a type of motion sickness caused by virtual environments, can induce nausea, dizziness, and eye strain. The review indicated that women tend to experience these symptoms more frequently and severely than men, which could negatively affect their neurofeedback performance.
Age also plays a role in how users respond to immersive technology. Older individuals, who may be less familiar with virtual reality interfaces, sometimes reported higher levels of fear and anxiety during the sessions. The authors emphasized that virtual reality feedback may not be suitable for everyone, particularly individuals prone to motion sickness or those easily overwhelmed by sensory input.
A major limitation across the reviewed literature is the lack of proper control groups. Many studies only tested a single virtual reality condition without comparing it to a traditional screen or a fake feedback scenario. Without these baseline comparisons, it is hard to isolate the specific effects of the brain training from the sheer excitement of using a novel technology.
The rapid commercialization of both headsets and brain-reading devices raises additional ethical concerns. The authors warn about “neuroenchantment,” a phenomenon where people blindly trust the capabilities of neurotechnology simply because it seems futuristic. This blind trust can make consumers vulnerable to misleading advertising from companies selling home-based brain training systems for self-improvement or entertainment.
As private companies develop consumer-friendly devices capable of recording neural activity, users face new risks regarding data privacy. Over half of the consumer neurotechnology companies recently assessed in a separate industry report allow the sharing of brain data with third parties. As brain-computer interfaces become more accessible, the authors advise that future research must pair rigorous experimental design with strict data protection standards.
The study, “Controlling Virtual Reality With Brain Signals: State of the Art of Using VR-Based Feedback in Neurofeedback Applications,” was authored by Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #VirtualRealityNeurofeedback #BrainTrainingTech #EEGNeurofeedback #VRInTherapy #NeurofeedbackResearch #ImmersiveFeedback #MindTrainingVR #Cyberhealth #NeurotechEthics #BrainWaveControl
-
DATE: September 13, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How virtual reality is changing brain-training technology
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
Integrating virtual reality into brain-training therapies can make the experience more enjoyable and engaging for users. A recent review published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback examined how immersive digital environments influence a person’s ability to control their own brain activity. The findings suggest that virtual reality holds promise for improving these therapies, but researchers still need better study designs to confirm the exact benefits.
Neurofeedback is a technique where individuals learn to alter their brain waves by watching them in real time. During a typical session, sensors are placed on a person’s scalp to record electrical activity in the brain. This method is known as electroencephalography, or EEG. The system processes these electrical signals instantly and provides visual or auditory cues to the user.
Specific brain wave patterns correspond to different mental states. For example, a relaxed yet focused state produces a specific frequency rhythm in the brain. If a person’s goal is to increase their focus, the software will reward them when their brain waves hit that target frequency. In traditional setups, this reward is often a simple two-dimensional graphic on a computer monitor, like a bar graph that grows taller or a moving line.
In recent years, software developers have begun replacing these simple graphics with virtual reality environments. Instead of watching a bar graph, a user wearing a headset might make a virtual flower bloom or a digital spaceship accelerate simply by changing their mental state. Psychologists Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger at the University of Graz in Austria conducted a comprehensive review to evaluate how these immersive environments compare to standard methods.
The researchers searched academic databases for studies that combined EEG-based neurofeedback with virtual reality. After filtering out papers that lacked sufficient experimental details, they identified 31 relevant studies to analyze. The selected research varied wildly in methodology, with participant numbers ranging from single case studies to 100 individuals. Many of the reviewed papers relied on small study samples of fewer than 50 participants.
The applications tested in these studies covered a wide range of scenarios and populations. Some studies involved healthy individuals, while others focused on clinical patients treating chronic pain, migraines, or the aftermath of a stroke. The virtual feedback scenarios were equally diverse. Participants in various studies were asked to navigate a ball through a forest, interact with virtual animals, or change the lighting in a digital auditorium using only their brain waves.
By analyzing these 31 papers, the research team found that users generally preferred virtual reality feedback over traditional two-dimensional screens. Participants often reported higher levels of enjoyment, interest, and perceived competence when interacting with three-dimensional virtual worlds. For therapeutic regimens that require dozens of sessions over several months, this boost in motivation could help keep patients engaged with their treatment.
However, when looking at whether virtual reality actually improved a person’s ability to control their brain waves, the results were mixed. Some studies found that users reached their target brain wave states faster in virtual reality. Other studies found no difference in brain wave control between the immersive and traditional formats.
Beyond basic training, virtual reality might help users apply their new mental skills in daily life. A major goal of neurofeedback is for patients, like children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to learn how to focus without needing a computer screen to guide them. Virtual reality allows developers to build realistic simulations, such as a busy virtual classroom, where users can practice regulating their brain activity in a distracting environment.
Despite these potential benefits, the review highlighted several factors that complicate the use of virtual reality. Headsets often differ from computer screens in brightness, field of view, and visual complexity. Changes in screen brightness alone can alter specific brain wave frequencies, making it difficult to tell if a user is successfully relaxing or just reacting to the light emitting from the lenses.
The researchers also noted that virtual environments can be too visually stimulating. While a visually rich, multi-sensory virtual world is entertaining, it can cause cognitive overload. If a virtual environment demands too much attention, the user might become distracted from the primary goal of regulating their mental state, causing their performance to drop.
The transition to virtual reality introduces physical side effects that do not typically occur with traditional computer monitors. Cybersickness, a type of motion sickness caused by virtual environments, can induce nausea, dizziness, and eye strain. The review indicated that women tend to experience these symptoms more frequently and severely than men, which could negatively affect their neurofeedback performance.
Age also plays a role in how users respond to immersive technology. Older individuals, who may be less familiar with virtual reality interfaces, sometimes reported higher levels of fear and anxiety during the sessions. The authors emphasized that virtual reality feedback may not be suitable for everyone, particularly individuals prone to motion sickness or those easily overwhelmed by sensory input.
A major limitation across the reviewed literature is the lack of proper control groups. Many studies only tested a single virtual reality condition without comparing it to a traditional screen or a fake feedback scenario. Without these baseline comparisons, it is hard to isolate the specific effects of the brain training from the sheer excitement of using a novel technology.
The rapid commercialization of both headsets and brain-reading devices raises additional ethical concerns. The authors warn about “neuroenchantment,” a phenomenon where people blindly trust the capabilities of neurotechnology simply because it seems futuristic. This blind trust can make consumers vulnerable to misleading advertising from companies selling home-based brain training systems for self-improvement or entertainment.
As private companies develop consumer-friendly devices capable of recording neural activity, users face new risks regarding data privacy. Over half of the consumer neurotechnology companies recently assessed in a separate industry report allow the sharing of brain data with third parties. As brain-computer interfaces become more accessible, the authors advise that future research must pair rigorous experimental design with strict data protection standards.
The study, “Controlling Virtual Reality With Brain Signals: State of the Art of Using VR-Based Feedback in Neurofeedback Applications,” was authored by Silvia Erika Kober, Guilherme Wood, and Lisa Maria Berger.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-brain-training-technology/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #VirtualRealityNeurofeedback #BrainTrainingTech #EEGNeurofeedback #VRInTherapy #NeurofeedbackResearch #ImmersiveFeedback #MindTrainingVR #Cyberhealth #NeurotechEthics #BrainWaveControl
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DATE: September 12, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Tracking brain waves reveals a surprising twist in how different generations form social bonds
Getting to know someone across multiple encounters can ease feelings of loneliness, and new research indicates that these budding relationships physically synchronize brain activity in unexpected ways. A new study, published in PLOS Biology, suggests that when younger and older adults regularly participate in creative activities together, their brains coordinate differently over time compared to pairs of the same age. Over six weeks of collaborative drawing, people of different generations showed decreasing neural synchronization, while same-age peers showed increasing synchronization, even as both groups reported feeling closer to their partners.
People of all ages experience perceived social isolation, and community programs that mix generations are a popular way to combat these feelings of loneliness. These programs rely on the idea that repeated interactions foster meaningful social bonds. However, the physical brain changes that happen as these relationships form are mostly unknown to scientists.
“As the global population ages, and with social isolation acknowledged as a global health risk, it is critical to understand how social bonds form between people from the same and different generations,” Ryssa Moffat, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich’s Social Brain Sciences Lab, told PsyPost. “My motivation to study social interactions between seniors and young adults grew from positive experiences getting to know seniors around the world. The idea for this project really gained momentum when I read statistics about the growing proportion of older adults globally and learned about the risks of loneliness and social isolation.”
To study these physical changes in real time, scientists use a technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This involves participants wearing a flexible cap embedded with sensors that shine safe levels of light through the scalp to measure changes in blood flow in specific brain areas. This tool allows researchers to track interpersonal neural synchrony, which is the extent to which two people’s brain activity aligns in time while they interact.
Researchers pay special attention to two specific brain regions during social tasks. The first is the temporoparietal junction, an area near the ears that helps people process social information and understand others’ perspectives. The second is the inferior frontal gyrus, an area near the temples involved in paying attention to the same thing as a partner.
A progression of recent research provides evidence that social bonds shift brain-to-brain dynamics as relationships unfold. For instance, a 2022 meta-analysis found that working together on a cooperative task consistently synchronizes the frontal and temporoparietal brain regions. This aligns with research covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that brain synchronization between humans and dogs increases as they become more familiar with each other over several days.
In human relationships, a 2024 experiment indicated that brain synchrony between two people naturally shifts over the course of a conversation depending on whether they are friends or strangers. Building on this evidence, the authors of a 2024 review proposed that using mobile brain scanning to track neural alignment across repeated sessions is essential for understanding how social bonds develop across generations. The new research, led by Moffat and Emily S. Cross, put this concept into practice.
The researchers recruited 61 pairs of strangers from the community. They formed 31 intergenerational pairs, consisting of one younger adult and one adult aged 69 or older, and 30 same-generation pairs made up of two younger adults. The pairs met once a week for six weeks to complete a creative drawing program.
At the start of each session, the participants filled out surveys measuring their current feelings of loneliness, their sense of closeness to their drawing partner, and their attitudes toward people of different age groups. After completing the surveys, researchers fitted the participants with the sensor caps.
The pairs then completed three separate drawing tasks using oil pastels, lasting five minutes each. They were instructed not to talk during the drawing portion. For the first drawing, they worked independently, separated by a visual divider. For the next two drawings, the divider was removed and the pair worked together on a single piece of paper. The sessions concluded with a short puzzle or game.
“It is very exciting to have mapped how synchrony emerges among younger and older adults for the first time,” Moffat said. She noted that they were able “to show how patterns of synchrony change across repeated encounters with information from each encounter, instead of just the first and the last encounter.”
Over the six weeks, feelings of loneliness dropped by about 1 percent per session for both groups. Feelings of social closeness increased by about 4 percent per session, indicating that the program successfully fostered social bonds. “These small but robust changes were observed for same-generation pairs and intergenerational pairs alike,” Moffat noted. The intergenerational pairs generally reported feeling less lonely than the same-generation pairs, and they held more positive attitudes toward other generations.
When analyzing the brain data from all the sessions combined, the researchers found that interpersonal neural synchrony was greater when the pairs drew together compared to when they drew alone. This brain alignment was especially high in the temporoparietal junction and inferior frontal gyrus.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier in 2026, which found that engaging in shared activities together produces greater interpersonal neural synchrony than doing them alone, though that study measured brain alignment during shared music listening among friends rather than interactive drawing across different generations.
Tracking the brain alignment across the six weeks presented an unexpected pattern. For the same-generation pairs, neural synchrony in the right temporoparietal junction increased as the weeks went on. For the intergenerational pairs, neural synchrony in this same area actually decreased over the six weeks.
“I was initially surprised to see synchrony levels decrease for intergenerational dyads,” Moffat explained. “My assumption that we would see increases in synchrony was based on the existing studies comparing strangers, friends, and romantic partners who attend a single session. In these studies, the closer people are to one another, the more synchrony they tend to show.”
The authors suggest that this divergence might reflect how different age pairs integrate social information. “The main takeaway from our study is that the way in which people’s brains synchronize during cooperation depends on who they’re interacting with and the common ground shared by the interacting people,” Moffat said. Because synchrony is believed to reflect how fluently people can predict each other, it is amplified when prediction is less fluent.
Younger pairs might monitor each other’s attention more closely as they become familiar, leading to higher synchrony. As Moffat noted, “they may engage in unpredictable behaviors to keep the interactions interesting and engaging.” In contrast, mixed-generation pairs might require less active monitoring of their partner’s attention once they establish a comfortable routine. “As older and younger people become better acquainted and form more common ground, they can predict each other more fluently and we see reductions in synchrony between brains in certain brain regions,” she added.
The researchers also noticed relationships between the physical brain data and the survey responses. Across all the pairs, reporting higher social closeness predicted an increase in synchrony between the inferior frontal gyrus and the temporoparietal junction. Pairs with more similar levels of loneliness showed greater synchrony in the inferior frontal gyrus when drawing together, which might indicate that sharing a similar social mindset shapes how easily two people coordinate their attention.
One common misconception to avoid is the assumption that more synchrony is always better. “If we start from the standpoint that synchrony increases when predicting another person’s actions is more challenging, it’s probable that excessively high levels of synchrony indicate excessive challenge and that very low levels may indicate a lack of engagement,” Moffat explained. Instead, a “happy medium might be optimal,” where navigating different levels of predictability keeps people socially fit.
There are a few other things to keep in mind about this study. The brain scans targeted specific areas associated with social processing and attention, so the results do not capture activity across the entire brain. The experiment also specifically restricted verbal communication during the drawing tasks, meaning brain alignment might look different if the pairs were talking freely.
Additionally, the study only compared mixed-generation pairs to young-adult pairs. The researchers did not include a group of two older adults, which means some of the differences observed between the groups might relate to general age-related brain changes rather than the specific dynamic of mixing generations. Technical issues also caused a few sensors to fail during the experiment, slightly reducing the amount of data available for the right side of the brain.
Future studies could explore whether other types of common ground, such as shared cultural backgrounds or long-term hobbies, shape brain synchronization over time. Expanding this research into larger group settings could also provide a better understanding of how community arts programs physically benefit participants.
Moffat and her colleagues plan to expand on these findings by analyzing the other behavioral data they collected. “Alongside the recordings of brain activity, we also recorded a multitude of other signals including motion capture of body movements, performance on collaborative games and puzzles, the actual drawings that the participants co-created, as well as participants’ subjective experiences,” she said. “Our next steps are to analyze the other signals and to bring them together to understand how social connections form from a holistic perspective.”
The study, “Social interactions between people of same and different generations shape longitudinal changes in interpersonal neural synchrony, loneliness, and social connection,” was authored by Ryssa Moffat, Guillaume Dumas, and Emily S. Cross.
-------------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #IntergenerationalBonds #BrainSynchrony #SocialNeuroscience #LonelinessReduction #GenerationalBridge #Neuroimaging #InterpersonalNeuralSynchrony #CreativeCollaboration #DTMBrainResearch #PLOSBiology
-
DATE: September 12, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Tracking brain waves reveals a surprising twist in how different generations form social bonds
Getting to know someone across multiple encounters can ease feelings of loneliness, and new research indicates that these budding relationships physically synchronize brain activity in unexpected ways. A new study, published in PLOS Biology, suggests that when younger and older adults regularly participate in creative activities together, their brains coordinate differently over time compared to pairs of the same age. Over six weeks of collaborative drawing, people of different generations showed decreasing neural synchronization, while same-age peers showed increasing synchronization, even as both groups reported feeling closer to their partners.
People of all ages experience perceived social isolation, and community programs that mix generations are a popular way to combat these feelings of loneliness. These programs rely on the idea that repeated interactions foster meaningful social bonds. However, the physical brain changes that happen as these relationships form are mostly unknown to scientists.
“As the global population ages, and with social isolation acknowledged as a global health risk, it is critical to understand how social bonds form between people from the same and different generations,” Ryssa Moffat, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich’s Social Brain Sciences Lab, told PsyPost. “My motivation to study social interactions between seniors and young adults grew from positive experiences getting to know seniors around the world. The idea for this project really gained momentum when I read statistics about the growing proportion of older adults globally and learned about the risks of loneliness and social isolation.”
To study these physical changes in real time, scientists use a technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This involves participants wearing a flexible cap embedded with sensors that shine safe levels of light through the scalp to measure changes in blood flow in specific brain areas. This tool allows researchers to track interpersonal neural synchrony, which is the extent to which two people’s brain activity aligns in time while they interact.
Researchers pay special attention to two specific brain regions during social tasks. The first is the temporoparietal junction, an area near the ears that helps people process social information and understand others’ perspectives. The second is the inferior frontal gyrus, an area near the temples involved in paying attention to the same thing as a partner.
A progression of recent research provides evidence that social bonds shift brain-to-brain dynamics as relationships unfold. For instance, a 2022 meta-analysis found that working together on a cooperative task consistently synchronizes the frontal and temporoparietal brain regions. This aligns with research covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that brain synchronization between humans and dogs increases as they become more familiar with each other over several days.
In human relationships, a 2024 experiment indicated that brain synchrony between two people naturally shifts over the course of a conversation depending on whether they are friends or strangers. Building on this evidence, the authors of a 2024 review proposed that using mobile brain scanning to track neural alignment across repeated sessions is essential for understanding how social bonds develop across generations. The new research, led by Moffat and Emily S. Cross, put this concept into practice.
The researchers recruited 61 pairs of strangers from the community. They formed 31 intergenerational pairs, consisting of one younger adult and one adult aged 69 or older, and 30 same-generation pairs made up of two younger adults. The pairs met once a week for six weeks to complete a creative drawing program.
At the start of each session, the participants filled out surveys measuring their current feelings of loneliness, their sense of closeness to their drawing partner, and their attitudes toward people of different age groups. After completing the surveys, researchers fitted the participants with the sensor caps.
The pairs then completed three separate drawing tasks using oil pastels, lasting five minutes each. They were instructed not to talk during the drawing portion. For the first drawing, they worked independently, separated by a visual divider. For the next two drawings, the divider was removed and the pair worked together on a single piece of paper. The sessions concluded with a short puzzle or game.
“It is very exciting to have mapped how synchrony emerges among younger and older adults for the first time,” Moffat said. She noted that they were able “to show how patterns of synchrony change across repeated encounters with information from each encounter, instead of just the first and the last encounter.”
Over the six weeks, feelings of loneliness dropped by about 1 percent per session for both groups. Feelings of social closeness increased by about 4 percent per session, indicating that the program successfully fostered social bonds. “These small but robust changes were observed for same-generation pairs and intergenerational pairs alike,” Moffat noted. The intergenerational pairs generally reported feeling less lonely than the same-generation pairs, and they held more positive attitudes toward other generations.
When analyzing the brain data from all the sessions combined, the researchers found that interpersonal neural synchrony was greater when the pairs drew together compared to when they drew alone. This brain alignment was especially high in the temporoparietal junction and inferior frontal gyrus.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier in 2026, which found that engaging in shared activities together produces greater interpersonal neural synchrony than doing them alone, though that study measured brain alignment during shared music listening among friends rather than interactive drawing across different generations.
Tracking the brain alignment across the six weeks presented an unexpected pattern. For the same-generation pairs, neural synchrony in the right temporoparietal junction increased as the weeks went on. For the intergenerational pairs, neural synchrony in this same area actually decreased over the six weeks.
“I was initially surprised to see synchrony levels decrease for intergenerational dyads,” Moffat explained. “My assumption that we would see increases in synchrony was based on the existing studies comparing strangers, friends, and romantic partners who attend a single session. In these studies, the closer people are to one another, the more synchrony they tend to show.”
The authors suggest that this divergence might reflect how different age pairs integrate social information. “The main takeaway from our study is that the way in which people’s brains synchronize during cooperation depends on who they’re interacting with and the common ground shared by the interacting people,” Moffat said. Because synchrony is believed to reflect how fluently people can predict each other, it is amplified when prediction is less fluent.
Younger pairs might monitor each other’s attention more closely as they become familiar, leading to higher synchrony. As Moffat noted, “they may engage in unpredictable behaviors to keep the interactions interesting and engaging.” In contrast, mixed-generation pairs might require less active monitoring of their partner’s attention once they establish a comfortable routine. “As older and younger people become better acquainted and form more common ground, they can predict each other more fluently and we see reductions in synchrony between brains in certain brain regions,” she added.
The researchers also noticed relationships between the physical brain data and the survey responses. Across all the pairs, reporting higher social closeness predicted an increase in synchrony between the inferior frontal gyrus and the temporoparietal junction. Pairs with more similar levels of loneliness showed greater synchrony in the inferior frontal gyrus when drawing together, which might indicate that sharing a similar social mindset shapes how easily two people coordinate their attention.
One common misconception to avoid is the assumption that more synchrony is always better. “If we start from the standpoint that synchrony increases when predicting another person’s actions is more challenging, it’s probable that excessively high levels of synchrony indicate excessive challenge and that very low levels may indicate a lack of engagement,” Moffat explained. Instead, a “happy medium might be optimal,” where navigating different levels of predictability keeps people socially fit.
There are a few other things to keep in mind about this study. The brain scans targeted specific areas associated with social processing and attention, so the results do not capture activity across the entire brain. The experiment also specifically restricted verbal communication during the drawing tasks, meaning brain alignment might look different if the pairs were talking freely.
Additionally, the study only compared mixed-generation pairs to young-adult pairs. The researchers did not include a group of two older adults, which means some of the differences observed between the groups might relate to general age-related brain changes rather than the specific dynamic of mixing generations. Technical issues also caused a few sensors to fail during the experiment, slightly reducing the amount of data available for the right side of the brain.
Future studies could explore whether other types of common ground, such as shared cultural backgrounds or long-term hobbies, shape brain synchronization over time. Expanding this research into larger group settings could also provide a better understanding of how community arts programs physically benefit participants.
Moffat and her colleagues plan to expand on these findings by analyzing the other behavioral data they collected. “Alongside the recordings of brain activity, we also recorded a multitude of other signals including motion capture of body movements, performance on collaborative games and puzzles, the actual drawings that the participants co-created, as well as participants’ subjective experiences,” she said. “Our next steps are to analyze the other signals and to bring them together to understand how social connections form from a holistic perspective.”
The study, “Social interactions between people of same and different generations shape longitudinal changes in interpersonal neural synchrony, loneliness, and social connection,” was authored by Ryssa Moffat, Guillaume Dumas, and Emily S. Cross.
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #IntergenerationalBonds #BrainSynchrony #SocialNeuroscience #LonelinessReduction #GenerationalBridge #Neuroimaging #InterpersonalNeuralSynchrony #CreativeCollaboration #DTMBrainResearch #PLOSBiology
-
DATE: September 12, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Tracking brain waves reveals a surprising twist in how different generations form social bonds
Getting to know someone across multiple encounters can ease feelings of loneliness, and new research indicates that these budding relationships physically synchronize brain activity in unexpected ways. A new study, published in PLOS Biology, suggests that when younger and older adults regularly participate in creative activities together, their brains coordinate differently over time compared to pairs of the same age. Over six weeks of collaborative drawing, people of different generations showed decreasing neural synchronization, while same-age peers showed increasing synchronization, even as both groups reported feeling closer to their partners.
People of all ages experience perceived social isolation, and community programs that mix generations are a popular way to combat these feelings of loneliness. These programs rely on the idea that repeated interactions foster meaningful social bonds. However, the physical brain changes that happen as these relationships form are mostly unknown to scientists.
“As the global population ages, and with social isolation acknowledged as a global health risk, it is critical to understand how social bonds form between people from the same and different generations,” Ryssa Moffat, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich’s Social Brain Sciences Lab, told PsyPost. “My motivation to study social interactions between seniors and young adults grew from positive experiences getting to know seniors around the world. The idea for this project really gained momentum when I read statistics about the growing proportion of older adults globally and learned about the risks of loneliness and social isolation.”
To study these physical changes in real time, scientists use a technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This involves participants wearing a flexible cap embedded with sensors that shine safe levels of light through the scalp to measure changes in blood flow in specific brain areas. This tool allows researchers to track interpersonal neural synchrony, which is the extent to which two people’s brain activity aligns in time while they interact.
Researchers pay special attention to two specific brain regions during social tasks. The first is the temporoparietal junction, an area near the ears that helps people process social information and understand others’ perspectives. The second is the inferior frontal gyrus, an area near the temples involved in paying attention to the same thing as a partner.
A progression of recent research provides evidence that social bonds shift brain-to-brain dynamics as relationships unfold. For instance, a 2022 meta-analysis found that working together on a cooperative task consistently synchronizes the frontal and temporoparietal brain regions. This aligns with research covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that brain synchronization between humans and dogs increases as they become more familiar with each other over several days.
In human relationships, a 2024 experiment indicated that brain synchrony between two people naturally shifts over the course of a conversation depending on whether they are friends or strangers. Building on this evidence, the authors of a 2024 review proposed that using mobile brain scanning to track neural alignment across repeated sessions is essential for understanding how social bonds develop across generations. The new research, led by Moffat and Emily S. Cross, put this concept into practice.
The researchers recruited 61 pairs of strangers from the community. They formed 31 intergenerational pairs, consisting of one younger adult and one adult aged 69 or older, and 30 same-generation pairs made up of two younger adults. The pairs met once a week for six weeks to complete a creative drawing program.
At the start of each session, the participants filled out surveys measuring their current feelings of loneliness, their sense of closeness to their drawing partner, and their attitudes toward people of different age groups. After completing the surveys, researchers fitted the participants with the sensor caps.
The pairs then completed three separate drawing tasks using oil pastels, lasting five minutes each. They were instructed not to talk during the drawing portion. For the first drawing, they worked independently, separated by a visual divider. For the next two drawings, the divider was removed and the pair worked together on a single piece of paper. The sessions concluded with a short puzzle or game.
“It is very exciting to have mapped how synchrony emerges among younger and older adults for the first time,” Moffat said. She noted that they were able “to show how patterns of synchrony change across repeated encounters with information from each encounter, instead of just the first and the last encounter.”
Over the six weeks, feelings of loneliness dropped by about 1 percent per session for both groups. Feelings of social closeness increased by about 4 percent per session, indicating that the program successfully fostered social bonds. “These small but robust changes were observed for same-generation pairs and intergenerational pairs alike,” Moffat noted. The intergenerational pairs generally reported feeling less lonely than the same-generation pairs, and they held more positive attitudes toward other generations.
When analyzing the brain data from all the sessions combined, the researchers found that interpersonal neural synchrony was greater when the pairs drew together compared to when they drew alone. This brain alignment was especially high in the temporoparietal junction and inferior frontal gyrus.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier in 2026, which found that engaging in shared activities together produces greater interpersonal neural synchrony than doing them alone, though that study measured brain alignment during shared music listening among friends rather than interactive drawing across different generations.
Tracking the brain alignment across the six weeks presented an unexpected pattern. For the same-generation pairs, neural synchrony in the right temporoparietal junction increased as the weeks went on. For the intergenerational pairs, neural synchrony in this same area actually decreased over the six weeks.
“I was initially surprised to see synchrony levels decrease for intergenerational dyads,” Moffat explained. “My assumption that we would see increases in synchrony was based on the existing studies comparing strangers, friends, and romantic partners who attend a single session. In these studies, the closer people are to one another, the more synchrony they tend to show.”
The authors suggest that this divergence might reflect how different age pairs integrate social information. “The main takeaway from our study is that the way in which people’s brains synchronize during cooperation depends on who they’re interacting with and the common ground shared by the interacting people,” Moffat said. Because synchrony is believed to reflect how fluently people can predict each other, it is amplified when prediction is less fluent.
Younger pairs might monitor each other’s attention more closely as they become familiar, leading to higher synchrony. As Moffat noted, “they may engage in unpredictable behaviors to keep the interactions interesting and engaging.” In contrast, mixed-generation pairs might require less active monitoring of their partner’s attention once they establish a comfortable routine. “As older and younger people become better acquainted and form more common ground, they can predict each other more fluently and we see reductions in synchrony between brains in certain brain regions,” she added.
The researchers also noticed relationships between the physical brain data and the survey responses. Across all the pairs, reporting higher social closeness predicted an increase in synchrony between the inferior frontal gyrus and the temporoparietal junction. Pairs with more similar levels of loneliness showed greater synchrony in the inferior frontal gyrus when drawing together, which might indicate that sharing a similar social mindset shapes how easily two people coordinate their attention.
One common misconception to avoid is the assumption that more synchrony is always better. “If we start from the standpoint that synchrony increases when predicting another person’s actions is more challenging, it’s probable that excessively high levels of synchrony indicate excessive challenge and that very low levels may indicate a lack of engagement,” Moffat explained. Instead, a “happy medium might be optimal,” where navigating different levels of predictability keeps people socially fit.
There are a few other things to keep in mind about this study. The brain scans targeted specific areas associated with social processing and attention, so the results do not capture activity across the entire brain. The experiment also specifically restricted verbal communication during the drawing tasks, meaning brain alignment might look different if the pairs were talking freely.
Additionally, the study only compared mixed-generation pairs to young-adult pairs. The researchers did not include a group of two older adults, which means some of the differences observed between the groups might relate to general age-related brain changes rather than the specific dynamic of mixing generations. Technical issues also caused a few sensors to fail during the experiment, slightly reducing the amount of data available for the right side of the brain.
Future studies could explore whether other types of common ground, such as shared cultural backgrounds or long-term hobbies, shape brain synchronization over time. Expanding this research into larger group settings could also provide a better understanding of how community arts programs physically benefit participants.
Moffat and her colleagues plan to expand on these findings by analyzing the other behavioral data they collected. “Alongside the recordings of brain activity, we also recorded a multitude of other signals including motion capture of body movements, performance on collaborative games and puzzles, the actual drawings that the participants co-created, as well as participants’ subjective experiences,” she said. “Our next steps are to analyze the other signals and to bring them together to understand how social connections form from a holistic perspective.”
The study, “Social interactions between people of same and different generations shape longitudinal changes in interpersonal neural synchrony, loneliness, and social connection,” was authored by Ryssa Moffat, Guillaume Dumas, and Emily S. Cross.
-------------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #IntergenerationalBonds #BrainSynchrony #SocialNeuroscience #LonelinessReduction #GenerationalBridge #Neuroimaging #InterpersonalNeuralSynchrony #CreativeCollaboration #DTMBrainResearch #PLOSBiology
-
DATE: September 11, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Escitalopram reduces anger and irritability in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, study finds
A study conducted in Sweden exploring the effects of escitalopram (20 mg per day) given during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle found that it is effective in reducing the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It was particularly effective in reducing irritability and anger. Aggressiveness also diminished moderately as a result of the treatment. The paper was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
The menstrual cycle is a recurring series of hormonal and physical changes that prepares the female reproductive system for a possible pregnancy. It is usually divided into four main phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. During these phases, changing levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone influence the ovaries, uterus, and many other systems in the body.
Many women notice physical or emotional changes in the days before menstruation, a group of symptoms commonly referred to as premenstrual symptoms. For some women, however, these symptoms are much more severe and can significantly interfere with everyday life, work, relationships, and general well-being. This more serious condition is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.
PMDD typically appears during the late luteal phase, in the week or two before menstruation. Symptoms usually improve shortly after bleeding begins. Common emotional symptoms include marked irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, mood swings, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Difficulties with concentration, motivation, and sleep can also occur. The disorder can come with physical symptoms as well. These can include fatigue, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and changes in appetite.
Study author Manon Dubol and her colleagues investigated the impact of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle on the symptoms of PMDD. They were particularly interested in reactive aggression, an impulsive, emotional response to a perceived threat or provocation. SSRIs are antidepressant medications that increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. They are a mainstream treatment for depression.
The study was conducted at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. Study participants were 62 women with regular menstrual cycles who met diagnostic criteria for PMDD. Their average age was 34 years. Most were married or cohabiting, employed, and well-educated. On average, they reported experiencing PMDD symptoms for 11 years. Over 75% of them reported being previously treated for PMDD.
Participating women were randomly divided into two groups (33 in one group, 29 in the other). One group was to receive 20 mg of escitalopram per day for up to 15 days in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. The other received a placebo during the same period. Escitalopram is a widely used SSRI. It was delivered in the form of tablets. Escitalopram and placebo tablets were identical and used the same packaging and labeling. Participants were not told which treatment they were receiving.
Participants used a smartphone application to complete the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, an assessment of PMDD symptoms. Participants were considered to suffer from PMDD if their symptoms recorded in this way increased at least by 50% in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, and if the symptoms were at least mild. The change in these symptoms was the primary outcome study authors observed. The secondary outcomes were specific groups of PMDD symptoms: depressed mood, anxiety, affective lability (mood swings, sensitivity, being easily hurt), and irritability and anger.
Study authors also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a technique that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, to capture participants’ neural reactions to aggression-related stimuli. To invoke aggression in participants, study authors used the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm. This task measures aggression by letting participants earn points or retaliate by subtracting points from a supposed opponent who periodically takes points from them (retaliation at one’s own expense is taken as an indicator of aggression). Participants also completed a self-report assessment of aggression before and after the treatment (the Revised Swedish Version of the Aggression Questionnaire).
Results showed that participants who received escitalopram treatment had lower PMDD symptom scores after treatment compared to the placebo group. Their depression, affective lability, and irritability or anger scores were also lower. The decrease was the strongest in irritability and anger. The escitalopram group also showed moderately diminished self-reported aggression after treatment, though behavioral aggression measured by the experimental point-subtraction task did not change.
Further analyses showed that reductions in irritability and anger might be partly mediating the observed decrease in self-reported aggression. Analysis of the neuroimaging data indicated that the escitalopram group showed lower reactivity to provocation (in the experimental task) in the anterior insula, a region of the brain involved in threat detection. The activation in this area was associated with irritability or anger.
“This randomized controlled trial provides timely confirmation of escitalopram as an effective treatment for PMDD within a contemporary clinical context and using prospective daily symptom ratings. Functional neuroimaging suggests that modulation of serotonergic function in PMDD is related to corticolimbic circuits involved in irritability or anger and interpersonal behavior,” study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about the effects of escitalopram for treating PMDD. However, study authors report that they found no association between the self-reported irritability/anger and aggression scores derived from the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, raising questions about the sensitivity and validity of this experimental task in this population.
The paper, “Escitalopram and brain reactivity to aggressive stimuli in premenstrual dysphoric disorder,” was authored by Manon Dubol, Maria Gröndal, Felix Schmidt, Patrick M. Fisher, Vibe Gedsoe Frokjaer, Johan Wikström, Elias Eriksson, Inger Sundstrøm, and Erika Comasco.
-------------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PMDD #Escitalopram #Irritability #AngerReduction #SSRIs #MenstrualHealth #PremenstrualDysphoricDisorder #BrainImaging #fMRI #MentalHealthResearch
-
DATE: September 11, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Escitalopram reduces anger and irritability in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, study finds
A study conducted in Sweden exploring the effects of escitalopram (20 mg per day) given during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle found that it is effective in reducing the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It was particularly effective in reducing irritability and anger. Aggressiveness also diminished moderately as a result of the treatment. The paper was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
The menstrual cycle is a recurring series of hormonal and physical changes that prepares the female reproductive system for a possible pregnancy. It is usually divided into four main phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. During these phases, changing levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone influence the ovaries, uterus, and many other systems in the body.
Many women notice physical or emotional changes in the days before menstruation, a group of symptoms commonly referred to as premenstrual symptoms. For some women, however, these symptoms are much more severe and can significantly interfere with everyday life, work, relationships, and general well-being. This more serious condition is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.
PMDD typically appears during the late luteal phase, in the week or two before menstruation. Symptoms usually improve shortly after bleeding begins. Common emotional symptoms include marked irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, mood swings, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Difficulties with concentration, motivation, and sleep can also occur. The disorder can come with physical symptoms as well. These can include fatigue, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and changes in appetite.
Study author Manon Dubol and her colleagues investigated the impact of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle on the symptoms of PMDD. They were particularly interested in reactive aggression, an impulsive, emotional response to a perceived threat or provocation. SSRIs are antidepressant medications that increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. They are a mainstream treatment for depression.
The study was conducted at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. Study participants were 62 women with regular menstrual cycles who met diagnostic criteria for PMDD. Their average age was 34 years. Most were married or cohabiting, employed, and well-educated. On average, they reported experiencing PMDD symptoms for 11 years. Over 75% of them reported being previously treated for PMDD.
Participating women were randomly divided into two groups (33 in one group, 29 in the other). One group was to receive 20 mg of escitalopram per day for up to 15 days in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. The other received a placebo during the same period. Escitalopram is a widely used SSRI. It was delivered in the form of tablets. Escitalopram and placebo tablets were identical and used the same packaging and labeling. Participants were not told which treatment they were receiving.
Participants used a smartphone application to complete the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, an assessment of PMDD symptoms. Participants were considered to suffer from PMDD if their symptoms recorded in this way increased at least by 50% in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, and if the symptoms were at least mild. The change in these symptoms was the primary outcome study authors observed. The secondary outcomes were specific groups of PMDD symptoms: depressed mood, anxiety, affective lability (mood swings, sensitivity, being easily hurt), and irritability and anger.
Study authors also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a technique that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, to capture participants’ neural reactions to aggression-related stimuli. To invoke aggression in participants, study authors used the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm. This task measures aggression by letting participants earn points or retaliate by subtracting points from a supposed opponent who periodically takes points from them (retaliation at one’s own expense is taken as an indicator of aggression). Participants also completed a self-report assessment of aggression before and after the treatment (the Revised Swedish Version of the Aggression Questionnaire).
Results showed that participants who received escitalopram treatment had lower PMDD symptom scores after treatment compared to the placebo group. Their depression, affective lability, and irritability or anger scores were also lower. The decrease was the strongest in irritability and anger. The escitalopram group also showed moderately diminished self-reported aggression after treatment, though behavioral aggression measured by the experimental point-subtraction task did not change.
Further analyses showed that reductions in irritability and anger might be partly mediating the observed decrease in self-reported aggression. Analysis of the neuroimaging data indicated that the escitalopram group showed lower reactivity to provocation (in the experimental task) in the anterior insula, a region of the brain involved in threat detection. The activation in this area was associated with irritability or anger.
“This randomized controlled trial provides timely confirmation of escitalopram as an effective treatment for PMDD within a contemporary clinical context and using prospective daily symptom ratings. Functional neuroimaging suggests that modulation of serotonergic function in PMDD is related to corticolimbic circuits involved in irritability or anger and interpersonal behavior,” study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about the effects of escitalopram for treating PMDD. However, study authors report that they found no association between the self-reported irritability/anger and aggression scores derived from the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, raising questions about the sensitivity and validity of this experimental task in this population.
The paper, “Escitalopram and brain reactivity to aggressive stimuli in premenstrual dysphoric disorder,” was authored by Manon Dubol, Maria Gröndal, Felix Schmidt, Patrick M. Fisher, Vibe Gedsoe Frokjaer, Johan Wikström, Elias Eriksson, Inger Sundstrøm, and Erika Comasco.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PMDD #Escitalopram #Irritability #AngerReduction #SSRIs #MenstrualHealth #PremenstrualDysphoricDisorder #BrainImaging #fMRI #MentalHealthResearch
-
DATE: September 11, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Escitalopram reduces anger and irritability in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, study finds
A study conducted in Sweden exploring the effects of escitalopram (20 mg per day) given during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle found that it is effective in reducing the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It was particularly effective in reducing irritability and anger. Aggressiveness also diminished moderately as a result of the treatment. The paper was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
The menstrual cycle is a recurring series of hormonal and physical changes that prepares the female reproductive system for a possible pregnancy. It is usually divided into four main phases: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase. During these phases, changing levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone influence the ovaries, uterus, and many other systems in the body.
Many women notice physical or emotional changes in the days before menstruation, a group of symptoms commonly referred to as premenstrual symptoms. For some women, however, these symptoms are much more severe and can significantly interfere with everyday life, work, relationships, and general well-being. This more serious condition is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.
PMDD typically appears during the late luteal phase, in the week or two before menstruation. Symptoms usually improve shortly after bleeding begins. Common emotional symptoms include marked irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, mood swings, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Difficulties with concentration, motivation, and sleep can also occur. The disorder can come with physical symptoms as well. These can include fatigue, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and changes in appetite.
Study author Manon Dubol and her colleagues investigated the impact of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle on the symptoms of PMDD. They were particularly interested in reactive aggression, an impulsive, emotional response to a perceived threat or provocation. SSRIs are antidepressant medications that increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. They are a mainstream treatment for depression.
The study was conducted at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden. Study participants were 62 women with regular menstrual cycles who met diagnostic criteria for PMDD. Their average age was 34 years. Most were married or cohabiting, employed, and well-educated. On average, they reported experiencing PMDD symptoms for 11 years. Over 75% of them reported being previously treated for PMDD.
Participating women were randomly divided into two groups (33 in one group, 29 in the other). One group was to receive 20 mg of escitalopram per day for up to 15 days in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. The other received a placebo during the same period. Escitalopram is a widely used SSRI. It was delivered in the form of tablets. Escitalopram and placebo tablets were identical and used the same packaging and labeling. Participants were not told which treatment they were receiving.
Participants used a smartphone application to complete the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, an assessment of PMDD symptoms. Participants were considered to suffer from PMDD if their symptoms recorded in this way increased at least by 50% in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, and if the symptoms were at least mild. The change in these symptoms was the primary outcome study authors observed. The secondary outcomes were specific groups of PMDD symptoms: depressed mood, anxiety, affective lability (mood swings, sensitivity, being easily hurt), and irritability and anger.
Study authors also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a technique that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, to capture participants’ neural reactions to aggression-related stimuli. To invoke aggression in participants, study authors used the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm. This task measures aggression by letting participants earn points or retaliate by subtracting points from a supposed opponent who periodically takes points from them (retaliation at one’s own expense is taken as an indicator of aggression). Participants also completed a self-report assessment of aggression before and after the treatment (the Revised Swedish Version of the Aggression Questionnaire).
Results showed that participants who received escitalopram treatment had lower PMDD symptom scores after treatment compared to the placebo group. Their depression, affective lability, and irritability or anger scores were also lower. The decrease was the strongest in irritability and anger. The escitalopram group also showed moderately diminished self-reported aggression after treatment, though behavioral aggression measured by the experimental point-subtraction task did not change.
Further analyses showed that reductions in irritability and anger might be partly mediating the observed decrease in self-reported aggression. Analysis of the neuroimaging data indicated that the escitalopram group showed lower reactivity to provocation (in the experimental task) in the anterior insula, a region of the brain involved in threat detection. The activation in this area was associated with irritability or anger.
“This randomized controlled trial provides timely confirmation of escitalopram as an effective treatment for PMDD within a contemporary clinical context and using prospective daily symptom ratings. Functional neuroimaging suggests that modulation of serotonergic function in PMDD is related to corticolimbic circuits involved in irritability or anger and interpersonal behavior,” study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about the effects of escitalopram for treating PMDD. However, study authors report that they found no association between the self-reported irritability/anger and aggression scores derived from the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, raising questions about the sensitivity and validity of this experimental task in this population.
The paper, “Escitalopram and brain reactivity to aggressive stimuli in premenstrual dysphoric disorder,” was authored by Manon Dubol, Maria Gröndal, Felix Schmidt, Patrick M. Fisher, Vibe Gedsoe Frokjaer, Johan Wikström, Elias Eriksson, Inger Sundstrøm, and Erika Comasco.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PMDD #Escitalopram #Irritability #AngerReduction #SSRIs #MenstrualHealth #PremenstrualDysphoricDisorder #BrainImaging #fMRI #MentalHealthResearch
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🆘🚨🆘🚨🆘🚨🆘🚨
Despite the crushing fatigue, the scorching heat, and her constant battle with a respiratory condition that ravages her chest with every breath, my mother stands firm every day.
With the strength of mountains and the boundless compassion of a mother who knows no impossibility, she bakes our bread using hands that tremble from illness yet overflow with tenderness and a determination to keep us from going hungry.
Every loaf she bakes is infused with her pain and labored breathing, yet she refuses to let us suffer want or complaint; it is as if she is fighting her illness through sheer willpower and her love for us.
The painful truth, however, is that her frail body can no longer endure this; her respiratory condition is worsening, requiring urgent treatment, medical intervention, and a steady supply of medication—costs that far exceed our meager financial means given the harsh circumstances we face. My mother is withering away before our eyes, relying on her exhausted breath to continue caring for us.
To every compassionate heart, to everyone who understands the meaning of "Mother" and the value of her presence in life:
We implore you—please help us treat my mother and secure the funds for her medication and oxygen. We have no recourse or strength save through God, followed by your support and assistance. Any contribution, however small—or even simply sharing this post—could be the key to relieving her suffering and allowing her to breathe easily and peacefully once more.
https://chuffed.org/project/161617
#Gaza #Humanity #mutualaid #MutualAidRequest #MutualAidBoost #MutualAidThread #FediforGaza #FediHelp #MutualAidRequest #Fediverse #Rent #HelpingHand #mutualaidspace #support #boostwelcome #givingtuesday
#Fediverse #FediForGaza #palestine -
#Aotearoa / #NewZealand - #RepairRiverlution
15 Sep 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
46A Vogel Street, #RichmondNZ, #Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
"It's time to revolt!
Revolt against throw-away culture. Let's reclaim the things we own and take pride in maintaining and repairing them.
Come join us on the third Tuesday of every month for the Repair Revolution at the #RiverlutionEcoHub.
Things you might have that need repair are torn or holey clothes, #StuckZippers, furniture, lamps, headphones and cables, sunglasses, appliances, electronics, phones, computers (software or hardware), ceramics and pottery, toys, shoes, jewellery, blunt knives (to sharpen) broken plastic objects or anything that you can easily transport here. Feel free to ask if you're unsure.
If your broken thing needs specific parts to fix it, please bring them along too.
Disclaimer:
We are a volunteer service with a broad range of skills and experience. We, therefore, need to reiterate that there is the potential that we may be unable to repair your thing and also that we could irreparably damage it.I hope guests joining these events are aware that this is not a financial endeavour but a community gathering focusing on repair.
Check out the @Ōtautahirepairrevolution group on Facebook.
Registration: No registration needed
Audience: Open to all
Accessibility: Public transport, Whānau friendly and Mobility accessible
Cost: Free entry (#Koha warmly welcomed)
Venue: #Riverlution #EcoHub - 46A Vogel Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013
Maximum Capacity: 50FMI:
https://www.repairnetworkaotearoa.org.nz/repair-festival-2026/repair-riverlution#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity
#RightToRepair #Repairmovement
#LibrariesRule #RepairCafesAotearoa
#RepairNetworkAotearoa #RepairReuseRestore #ZeroWaste #RepairFestival2026 #FixIt -
#Aotearoa / #NewZealand - #RepairRiverlution
15 Sep 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
46A Vogel Street, #RichmondNZ, #Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
"It's time to revolt!
Revolt against throw-away culture. Let's reclaim the things we own and take pride in maintaining and repairing them.
Come join us on the third Tuesday of every month for the Repair Revolution at the #RiverlutionEcoHub.
Things you might have that need repair are torn or holey clothes, #StuckZippers, furniture, lamps, headphones and cables, sunglasses, appliances, electronics, phones, computers (software or hardware), ceramics and pottery, toys, shoes, jewellery, blunt knives (to sharpen) broken plastic objects or anything that you can easily transport here. Feel free to ask if you're unsure.
If your broken thing needs specific parts to fix it, please bring them along too.
Disclaimer:
We are a volunteer service with a broad range of skills and experience. We, therefore, need to reiterate that there is the potential that we may be unable to repair your thing and also that we could irreparably damage it.I hope guests joining these events are aware that this is not a financial endeavour but a community gathering focusing on repair.
Check out the @Ōtautahirepairrevolution group on Facebook.
Registration: No registration needed
Audience: Open to all
Accessibility: Public transport, Whānau friendly and Mobility accessible
Cost: Free entry (#Koha warmly welcomed)
Venue: #Riverlution #EcoHub - 46A Vogel Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013
Maximum Capacity: 50FMI:
https://www.repairnetworkaotearoa.org.nz/repair-festival-2026/repair-riverlution#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity
#RightToRepair #Repairmovement
#LibrariesRule #RepairCafesAotearoa
#RepairNetworkAotearoa #RepairReuseRestore #ZeroWaste #RepairFestival2026 #FixIt -
#Aotearoa / #NewZealand - #RepairRiverlution
15 Sep 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
46A Vogel Street, #RichmondNZ, #Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
"It's time to revolt!
Revolt against throw-away culture. Let's reclaim the things we own and take pride in maintaining and repairing them.
Come join us on the third Tuesday of every month for the Repair Revolution at the #RiverlutionEcoHub.
Things you might have that need repair are torn or holey clothes, #StuckZippers, furniture, lamps, headphones and cables, sunglasses, appliances, electronics, phones, computers (software or hardware), ceramics and pottery, toys, shoes, jewellery, blunt knives (to sharpen) broken plastic objects or anything that you can easily transport here. Feel free to ask if you're unsure.
If your broken thing needs specific parts to fix it, please bring them along too.
Disclaimer:
We are a volunteer service with a broad range of skills and experience. We, therefore, need to reiterate that there is the potential that we may be unable to repair your thing and also that we could irreparably damage it.I hope guests joining these events are aware that this is not a financial endeavour but a community gathering focusing on repair.
Check out the @Ōtautahirepairrevolution group on Facebook.
Registration: No registration needed
Audience: Open to all
Accessibility: Public transport, Whānau friendly and Mobility accessible
Cost: Free entry (#Koha warmly welcomed)
Venue: #Riverlution #EcoHub - 46A Vogel Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013
Maximum Capacity: 50FMI:
https://www.repairnetworkaotearoa.org.nz/repair-festival-2026/repair-riverlution#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity
#RightToRepair #Repairmovement
#LibrariesRule #RepairCafesAotearoa
#RepairNetworkAotearoa #RepairReuseRestore #ZeroWaste #RepairFestival2026 #FixIt -
#Aotearoa / #NewZealand - #RepairRiverlution
15 Sep 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
46A Vogel Street, #RichmondNZ, #Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
"It's time to revolt!
Revolt against throw-away culture. Let's reclaim the things we own and take pride in maintaining and repairing them.
Come join us on the third Tuesday of every month for the Repair Revolution at the #RiverlutionEcoHub.
Things you might have that need repair are torn or holey clothes, #StuckZippers, furniture, lamps, headphones and cables, sunglasses, appliances, electronics, phones, computers (software or hardware), ceramics and pottery, toys, shoes, jewellery, blunt knives (to sharpen) broken plastic objects or anything that you can easily transport here. Feel free to ask if you're unsure.
If your broken thing needs specific parts to fix it, please bring them along too.
Disclaimer:
We are a volunteer service with a broad range of skills and experience. We, therefore, need to reiterate that there is the potential that we may be unable to repair your thing and also that we could irreparably damage it.I hope guests joining these events are aware that this is not a financial endeavour but a community gathering focusing on repair.
Check out the @Ōtautahirepairrevolution group on Facebook.
Registration: No registration needed
Audience: Open to all
Accessibility: Public transport, Whānau friendly and Mobility accessible
Cost: Free entry (#Koha warmly welcomed)
Venue: #Riverlution #EcoHub - 46A Vogel Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013
Maximum Capacity: 50FMI:
https://www.repairnetworkaotearoa.org.nz/repair-festival-2026/repair-riverlution#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity
#RightToRepair #Repairmovement
#LibrariesRule #RepairCafesAotearoa
#RepairNetworkAotearoa #RepairReuseRestore #ZeroWaste #RepairFestival2026 #FixIt -
#Aotearoa / #NewZealand - #RepairRiverlution
15 Sep 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
46A Vogel Street, #RichmondNZ, #Christchurch 8013, New Zealand
"It's time to revolt!
Revolt against throw-away culture. Let's reclaim the things we own and take pride in maintaining and repairing them.
Come join us on the third Tuesday of every month for the Repair Revolution at the #RiverlutionEcoHub.
Things you might have that need repair are torn or holey clothes, #StuckZippers, furniture, lamps, headphones and cables, sunglasses, appliances, electronics, phones, computers (software or hardware), ceramics and pottery, toys, shoes, jewellery, blunt knives (to sharpen) broken plastic objects or anything that you can easily transport here. Feel free to ask if you're unsure.
If your broken thing needs specific parts to fix it, please bring them along too.
Disclaimer:
We are a volunteer service with a broad range of skills and experience. We, therefore, need to reiterate that there is the potential that we may be unable to repair your thing and also that we could irreparably damage it.I hope guests joining these events are aware that this is not a financial endeavour but a community gathering focusing on repair.
Check out the @Ōtautahirepairrevolution group on Facebook.
Registration: No registration needed
Audience: Open to all
Accessibility: Public transport, Whānau friendly and Mobility accessible
Cost: Free entry (#Koha warmly welcomed)
Venue: #Riverlution #EcoHub - 46A Vogel Street, Richmond, Christchurch 8013
Maximum Capacity: 50FMI:
https://www.repairnetworkaotearoa.org.nz/repair-festival-2026/repair-riverlution#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity
#RightToRepair #Repairmovement
#LibrariesRule #RepairCafesAotearoa
#RepairNetworkAotearoa #RepairReuseRestore #ZeroWaste #RepairFestival2026 #FixIt -
This Adobe InDesign Portfolio Template Plays by One Rule: Black, White, and Unforgiving
I downloaded this Adobe InDesign portfolio presentation template on a whim, right after finishing a review of a font family that shares the same grayscale, no-nonsense attitude. You’ve probably seen that pattern from me before. I test a typeface, get curious about the studio built around it, and end up three tabs deep in Adobe Stock at eleven at night. This time the rabbit hole led to a portfolio deck by contributor RedGiant, and I bought it mostly to prove myself wrong. I assumed it would be another recycled resume layout with a new coat of paint. It wasn’t.
What I opened in InDesign was a twelve-page, black-and-white portfolio presentation template built at 1920 by 1080 pixels, so it’s meant for screens first and print second, if at all. That ratio matters more than most buyers realize before checkout. A template built for A4 fights you the moment you try to present it on a monitor or through a projector. This one doesn’t fight you. It was clearly designed for the exact moment a creative director opens a laptop and says, “Walk me through it.”
Download the template from Adobe Stock.Please note that this template requires Adobe InDesign to be installed on your computer. Whether you use Mac or PC, the latest version is available on the Adobe Creative Cloud website—take a look here.
Adobe InDesign Portfolio Presentation Template by RedGiant Download the template from Adobe Stock.Does This Adobe InDesign Portfolio Presentation Template Actually Cut Your Setup Time?
Short answer: yes, but only if your material is already organized. This is not a template that writes your case studies for you. It’s a template that removes every layout decision so you can focus on the fourteen sentences of actual substance that matter.
I timed myself. Swapping placeholder images, updating the paragraph styles, and rewriting the cover for a fictional UI/UX designer took under forty minutes. That included testing both cover moods, since the template ships with a dark edition and a light edition toggle right on the intro spread. Most InDesign portfolio presentation templates make you choose one cover style and commit. This one lets you keep both versions in the file and pick per audience, which is a small detail that saves a real headache when you’re pitching two different types of clients in the same week.
What’s Actually Inside the Twelve Pages
Here’s the honest breakdown, page by page, because vague marketing copy is exactly what a hands-on review should replace.
- Two cover options (dark and light) with the same E/B monogram placeholder mark
- An introduction spread with a large-format photo block and a short statement area
- An “About Me” page built around a full-bleed portrait and a bio column
- An education page with a grade, university, and degree-title table structure
- Two experience pages using a repeatable brand, role, and location list format
- A skills page with horizontal percentage bars, four slots by default
- A portfolio index page showing a six-project thumbnail grid
- Three individual project spreads, each pairing a hero image with a description block
- A closing “thanks for watching” page with contact details
Every page keeps the same footer band running along the bottom edge. It lists the template name, a copyright year, a placeholder web address, and a one-line tagline. That’s not decoration. It’s functional, and it’s the detail that convinced me this designer actually presents portfolios for a living rather than just designing pages that look like they might work.
The Twelve-Page Discipline (why the fixed count is the whole point)
I want to name something I noticed, because it’s rare enough to deserve a label. Call it the Twelve-Page Discipline. It’s an editorial framework I use to describe portfolio templates that succeed specifically because they refuse to let you add pages endlessly. This is not an official industry term, just a pattern I track across template reviews.
Most designers self-sabotage their own portfolios by cramming in every project they’ve ever touched. A fixed twelve-page structure forces a choice. You get one skills page, not three. You get three project spreads, not nine. That constraint is doing curatorial work you’d otherwise have to do yourself, and in my experience, most people skip that step entirely when nobody forces them.
Grayscale Confidence: Why Every Photo Looks Considered
The whole system is locked to black, white, and warm off-white. No accent color anywhere. I’ll admit I was skeptical going in, because monochrome templates can read as lazy just as easily as they read as elegant.
Here, this works because the grayscale treatment does something sneaky. It flattens visual noise so viewers judge the composition of your photography rather than the color grading. I’m calling this pattern Grayscale Confidence, another one of my own editorial shorthand terms, not a recognized design category. In practice, it means a mediocre photo gets exposed fast. There’s nowhere to hide behind a trendy filter. You either have a strong shot, or the layout quietly tells on you.
One caution worth repeating clearly: the photography shown across the preview spreads is for display purposes only. None of those images ship in the downloaded file. You are buying the structure, the typography system, and the footer logic, not the pictures. Budget time to source or shoot your own black-and-white images, because the template’s whole grayscale confidence idea collapses fast with stock photos that don’t match its tonal range.
Kicker Bar Wayfinding: The Footer Does More Than Decorate
That recurring footer band deserves its own section, so here’s my third named framework: Kicker Bar Wayfinding. Again, my own term, used to describe a consistent info strip that orients a viewer across a long, unnumbered slide deck.
When you’re presenting twelve pages live, on a call or in a room, people lose track of where they are. This template’s kicker bar quietly solves that by repeating the template title, a date field, and a page reference on every single spread. Swap those placeholders for your actual name, your role, and today’s date, and suddenly the whole deck feels like it was built for a specific pitch instead of downloaded five minutes before the meeting.
Who This Adobe InDesign Portfolio Presentation Template Is Actually For
This template rewards a specific kind of user. If you’re a UI/UX designer, a photographer, an architect, or anyone whose work photographs well in black and white, this is close to plug-and-play. The layout logic already assumes big, confident imagery paired with restrained text blocks.
If your work is mostly typographic, illustrative, or built around bright color systems, you’ll spend more time fighting the monochrome default than benefiting from it. That’s not a flaw. It’s just a mismatch worth knowing before you spend an Adobe Stock credit.
Where It Falls Short
No review is complete without friction points, so here they are. The skills page ships with only four percentage-bar slots, and stretching that section to six or seven skills means rebuilding spacing by hand rather than just adding rows. The portfolio index page’s six-thumbnail grid also assumes exactly six featured projects, so five or seven throws the balance off until you adjust margins manually.
None of this is a dealbreaker. It’s the kind of friction you expect from any InDesign portfolio presentation template built around a tight, opinionated grid rather than a flexible one. Tight grids look better. They also ask more of you when your content doesn’t fit the mold exactly.
How to Customize It Without Wrecking the Grid
A few practical notes from actually testing this, not just skimming the preview:
- Update the paragraph styles panel first, before touching individual text frames, so your font changes cascade cleanly across all twelve pages
- Replace the E/B monogram on the master pages, not on each spread individually, or you’ll miss one and it’ll show up in your final export
- Keep new photography in true grayscale rather than desaturated color, since desaturation alone often leaves a muddy tint that clashes with the template’s pure black and white palette
- Export at the native 1920 by 1080 ratio for screen presentations, and only rebuild the artboard size if you specifically need a print version
Adobe InDesign Portfolio Presentation Template: Quick Reference
DetailWhat I FoundPage count12 fully customizable pagesDimensions1920 x 1080 px, built for screen presentationColor systemBlack, white, and warm off-white onlyCover optionsDark edition and light edition, both includedIncluded photographyNone. Preview images are for display onlyBest suited forUI/UX designers, photographers, architects, visual portfoliosSoftware requiredAdobe InDesignDesignerRedGiant, Adobe Stock contributorThe Verdict
This is one of the more disciplined InDesign portfolio presentation templates I’ve tested this year, mostly because it trusts constraint over choice. Twelve pages, one palette, one grid logic. That restraint is exactly why it works as a minimalist portfolio template for InDesign rather than another bloated multi-purpose kit nobody finishes customizing.
Buy it if your photography can carry a grayscale treatment and you’re willing to spend an evening actually curating your project list down to three strong pieces. Skip it if you need color, flexible skill counts, or a portfolio layout built for a nine-project showcase instead of three.
Download the template from Adobe Stock.Frequently Asked Questions
Does this Adobe InDesign portfolio presentation template include stock photography?
No. The photos shown across the preview spreads are for display purposes only and are not included in the downloaded file. You’ll need to supply your own grayscale imagery.
What dimensions is this InDesign portfolio template built for?
It’s built at 1920 by 1080 pixels, which makes it suited for screen presentations rather than standard print formats like A4.
Can I change the color palette from black and white?
You can, since it’s a fully editable InDesign file, but the layout and type hierarchy were clearly built around a monochrome system. Adding color means rebuilding the visual balance yourself.
Is this template good for a UI/UX design portfolio?
Yes. The image-forward layout and restrained text blocks suit UI/UX, photography, and architecture portfolios especially well, since those fields already lean on strong imagery over dense copy.
How many projects can I showcase with this template?
The default structure fits three detailed project spreads and a six-thumbnail portfolio index. You can add more, but it requires manual grid adjustments rather than simply duplicating a page.
Don’t hesitate to find other trending graphic design templates here at WE AND THE COLOR.
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#AdobeInDesign #branding #design #graphicDesign #InDesignTemplate #portfolio #template -
Peaceful early morning in Slovenia. Everyone asleep. I get a quiet tea and my thoughts.
#EasilyPleased
#SilentSunday -
Peaceful early morning in Slovenia. Everyone asleep. I get a quiet tea and my thoughts.
#EasilyPleased
#SilentSunday -
Peaceful early morning in Slovenia. Everyone asleep. I get a quiet tea and my thoughts.
#EasilyPleased
#SilentSunday -
Walmart’s Highest-Rated Boxed Cake Mix Easily Outshines Duncan Hines And Pillsbury
Towfiqu Ahamed/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A walk through the cake mix aisle is a fun yet somewhat overwhelming journey with countless flavors and brands to choose from. Every…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #CookingTopics
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2812857/walmarts-highest-rated-boxed-cake-mix-easily-outshines-duncan-hines-and-pillsbury/ -
Walmart’s Highest-Rated Boxed Cake Mix Easily Outshines Duncan Hines And Pillsbury
Towfiqu Ahamed/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A walk through the cake mix aisle is a fun yet somewhat overwhelming journey with countless flavors and brands to choose from. Every…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #CookingTopics
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2812857/walmarts-highest-rated-boxed-cake-mix-easily-outshines-duncan-hines-and-pillsbury/ -
Walmart’s Highest-Rated Boxed Cake Mix Easily Outshines Duncan Hines And Pillsbury
Towfiqu Ahamed/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A walk through the cake mix aisle is a fun yet somewhat overwhelming journey with countless flavors and brands to choose from. Every…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #CookingTopics
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2812857/walmarts-highest-rated-boxed-cake-mix-easily-outshines-duncan-hines-and-pillsbury/ -
Walmart’s Highest-Rated Boxed Cake Mix Easily Outshines Duncan Hines And Pillsbury
Towfiqu Ahamed/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A walk through the cake mix aisle is a fun yet somewhat overwhelming journey with countless flavors and brands to choose from. Every…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Cooking #CookingTopics
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2812857/walmarts-highest-rated-boxed-cake-mix-easily-outshines-duncan-hines-and-pillsbury/ -
Polesian wolves have extremely long tails so their caretakers can easily pull them out of bogs.