Latest news with #fNIRS
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Scanned the Brains of Hardcore Gooners and Found Something Ominous
Watching a whole bunch of smut has some major side effects — and no, we're not just talking about stained bedsheets. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, researchers at the Chengdu Medical College in China found that people who watch a lot of pornography had lower cognitive performance and showed signs of neurological arousal akin to opioid addiction. It's new data in a swirling debate over whether watching porn — or how much — affects cognition, emotional regulation, and our relationships. The battle has raged on for years in academic journals, but has gained increasing prominence as a divisive political and social issue in recent years (complicating matters further, there's a broad medical consensus that masturbation is healthy.) The Chengdu researchers are squarely in the "porn sucks" category with this study. Using an experimental cohort of 21 heterosexual, mostly male college students — 16 who said in a survey they only watch adult content on occasion, and five who were described as having a "severe" internet porn addiction — the team used a brain imaging technique to measure how the habit was affecting cognition. Known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy or fNIRS, this imaging method looks at brain activity by shining a near-infrared light through the scalp and seeing how much of its light is absorbed by the hemoglobin in the brain. Using a fitted fNIRS cap and additional instruments that recorded facial expressions and vital signs, the researchers looked at the brain and body feedback coming from those 21 college students while they watched a 10-minute-long X-rated clip. Before and after the viewing session — in which the participants were asked to not masturbate, we should note — the students performed tests designed to measure cognitive function. The brain readings of the two groups turned out to be vastly different. The occasional porn watchers exhibited stronger neural connectivity in brain regions related to language, movement, and sensory processing. And the "gooners," to use cultural parlance for people who are seriously hooked on erotica, had heightened connectivity in regions related to executive function, addiction, and emotional regulation. The gooner squad also showed higher emotional and physiological arousal than their less-porn-watching counterparts, and their facial expressions when watching the clip showed a wide variety of emotions ranging from happiness to anger — though strangely, the study also found they appeared more "numb" than the lower-frequency group. In sum, the study suggests, the effects were similar to opioid users who experience intense calm, euphoria, and blurry perception. Physiologically, there were similarities between both groups during the viewing sessions — but the changes exhibited were often more dramatic in the gooners. Both groups had lowered heart rates during the session, but the effect was more pronounced in the more dedicated smut consumers. The same was true for the lowered cognitive performance both groups showed post-porn, which declined more steeply in the high-frequency porn watchers. These results aren't entirely surprising. A 2021 study found that problematic porn watchers suffer deficits in everything from working memory and decision-making to inhibition control and attention span; a 2014 paper found reductions in gray matter volume associated with consuming adult content. Though there will obviously need to be more and larger studies to figure out what's going on physically and neurologically with gooners, this research seems to demystify porn's effects on frequent watchers — not to mention an interesting new datapoint in the debate over the seriousness of porn addiction, too. More on porn: Government Website Caught Hosting "Gay Impregnation" Content
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
University of Waterloo researchers look into what keeps hockey fans hooked
Researchers at the University of Waterloo want to know what happens to the brain when fans watch hockey. CTV's Heather Senoran reports. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Researchers from the University of Waterloo are monitoring brain activity to find out what keeps hockey fans hooked on watching their favourite sport. While watching a game, the brains of die-hard hockey fans reacted differently compared to casual viewers, according to their study. The study involved 20 University of Waterloo students who watched the first period of a 2018 European Hockey League game while hooked up to a non-invasive device known as a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). 'We didn't want to show a Leaf's playoff game or anything like that because presumably even the more casual fans might already have preconceived notions,' said Luke Potwarka, a professor and co-author of the study. Researchers analyzed the brain activity of participants wearing the device. 'So based off of these different channels in the headband, we can see as people are say sitting watching a sport game, how blood flow is changing in different parts of the brain,' said Adrian Safati, PhD candidate the Department of Psychology. More blood flow usually means more excitement, even if there isn't much going on in the game. 'There was actually no scoring. And we carefully intentionally chose that game because presumably that key moment would have been the same to both,' said Potwarka. Researchers found that it wasn't scoring opportunities that caught their attention but the brain activity during offensive faceoffs. Researchers said those who were hockey fanatics were more engaged during those times compared to non-committed viewers of the game. 'They see something in the works in motion and they have this greater understanding of how that might be unfolding,' said Safati. This was the first study from the Spectator Experience and Technology Laboratory at the department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. The team said it won't be their last. 'We want to see how does it look in basketball, what are the key moments? What are the moments of active activity and engagement that us viewers might have and those different types of sports?' said Potwarka.
Global News
11-06-2025
- Science
- Global News
Ontario university study finds hockey fanatics get more excited for faceoffs
Researchers at the University of Waterloo conducted a study which found that hockey fanatics react differently during key moments in a hockey game versus how a more casual viewer takes things in. 'The broad aim of the study was to examine the extent to which brain activity, as captured by a brain imaging device, might differ between spectators who identify as being a highly-committed fan of a sport, compared to the more casual viewer,' professor Luke Potwarka told Global News. To conduct the study, the researchers found undergrads who were more committed or more casual fans and had them watch a period of a hockey game from Europe in 2018 with a brain imaging device strapped to their head. 'Once the participants were in our lab, they were fitted with a functional near infrared spectroscopy brain imaging,' Potwarka said. Story continues below advertisement 'It's a non-invasive headband that just goes right over the forehead. And what the device does is it uses infrared light to detect blood flow in the medial prefrontal cortex. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Then we then monitored and collected real-time data as participants watched the first period, the 20 minutes of this 2018 European Hockey League game between the Cardiff Devils and the Nottingham Panthers.' In a bit of a cruel twist, the lab rats were subjected to 20 minutes of scoreless hockey, but the researchers were not looking at goals but rather other portions of the game. 'Our research team really focused in on examining responses to two key moments during a previously recorded European hockey game: scoring chances and offensive faceoff opportunities,' Potwarka said. 'We found that more committed and passionate hockey fans had significantly more activation in the regions of the brain that are responsible for evaluating and judging social situations than more casual viewers. And surprisingly, this trend was not observed for scoring chances, so it was just the offensive faceoff.' Adrian Safati, A PhD candidate at the university, said it was also a chance to test out the Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). 'This is a more applied use of this neuroimaging technology. So in a way, it's a proof of concept that we are able to detect physiological changes in the brain in response to key events during something like a sporting match,' he explained. Story continues below advertisement 'And this could allow us to, in the future, try to understand different underlying mechanisms in attention and involvement in viewers watching the sport.' Potwarka noted that this is just proof of concept as they move forward in a journey which could lead to a better understanding of fan engagement. 'I think the payoff, practically speaking, is we may have a better sense of what might actually drive non-casual fans or what types of things we could narrate or broadcast or produce sports in ways that may be more engaging for both sets of audiences,' the Waterloo prof said. 'So we may (see) some insights about what's really happening here and what might people bring viewers in. Maybe there could be long-term implications for turning more casual fans into longer-term fans.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Muse's new wearable EEG knows how hard you're thinking
InteraXon, the makers of the Muse wearable EEG, believe it's made a big leap in scanning your brain's health. It is launching the Muse S Athena, it's fourth-generation device which adds a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) sensor. fNIRS is designed to track how much oxygen is in your brain, the levels of which vary depending on its activity. The company claims the sensor offers you the equivalent of a VO2 Max reading, but for your brain, aiding you on your journey to become mentally swole. If you're unfamiliar, Muse has produced three wearable electroencephalogram (EEG) devices over the last decade. Put it on your forehead, close your eyes and, for instance, you'll get audio feedback depending on what brainwaves your mind is pumping out. It's useful for people who are learning meditation, since you'll get the sound of birds chirping when your mental state is relaxed. The app offers targeted programs to help improve your relaxation, combat stress, improve focus and even keep an eye on how well you're sleeping. The Muse S Athena uses the same hardware-and-headband combination from the Muse S, which lets you wear it to sleep. Naturally, the biggest advancement here is the fNIRS sensor, paired with both the EEG and the company's AI-driven foundational brain model. With it, you'll get feedback on how much oxygen is flowing to your brain — a metric of how much mental effort you're making at any given time. During meditation and relaxation exercises, you want that figure quite low, and when you're trying to build up your focus and concentration, you want it to climb northward. Naturally, when worn to bed, you'll get a record of your sleep stages, including how deep your sleep is. The company also promises that, if you use their audio cues to trigger sleep, you'll also be able to use them to drift back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night. This is also the first Muse headband that can be used with the wearer's eyes open, opening the door to a number of brain-training exercises. It's hoped the hardware, combined with the skill games inside the app, will help improve people's mental resilience. Not to mention, of course, helping older adults stave off cognitive decline by offering a chance to strengthen focus. The Muse S Athena is available to order today from the Muse website, priced at $474.99 in the US and $574.99 in Canada.
Yahoo
07-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain monitoring may be the future of work – how it's used could improve employee performance or worsen discrimination
Despite all the attention on technologies that reduce the hands-on role of humans at work – such as self-driving vehicles, robot workers, artificial intelligence and so on – researchers in the field of neuroergonomics are using technology to improve how humans perform in their roles at work. Neuroergonomics is the study of human behavior while carrying out real-world activities, including in the workplace. It involves recording a person's brain activity in different situations or while completing certain tasks to optimize cognitive performance. For example, neuroergonomics could monitor employees as they learn new material to determine when they have mastered it. It could also help monitor fatigue in employees in roles that require optimum vigilance and determine when they need to be relieved. Until now, research in neuroergonomics could only be conducted in highly controlled clinical laboratory environments using invasive procedures. But engineering advances now make this work possible in real-world settings with noninvasive, wearable devices. The market for this neurotechnology – defined as any technology that interfaces with the nervous system – is predicted to grow to US$21 billion by 2026 and is poised to shape the daily life of workers for many industries in the years ahead. But this advance doesn't come without risk. In my work as a biomedical engineer and occupational medicine physician, I study how to improve the health, well-being and productivity of workers. Neurotechnology often focuses on how workers could use wearable brain monitoring technologies to improve brain function and performance during tasks. But neuroergonomics could also be used to better understand the human experience at work and adapt tasks and procedures to the person, not the other way around. The two most commonly used neuroergonomic wearable devices capture brain activity in different ways. Electroencephalography, or EEG, measures changes in electrical activity using electrodes attached to the scalp. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, measures changes in metabolic activity. It does this by passing infrared light through the skull to monitor blood flow. Both methods can monitor brain activity in real time as it responds to different situations, such as a high-pressure work assignment or difficult task. For example, a study using fNIRS to monitor the brain activity of people engaged in a 30-minute sustained attention task saw significant differences in reaction time between the beginning and the end of the task. This can be critical in security- and safety-related roles that require sustained attention, such as air traffic controllers and police officers. Neuroergonomics also studies how brain stimulation could be used to improve brain activity. These include neuromodulation technologies like transcranial electrical stimulation, or tES; transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS; or focused ultrasound stimulation, or FUS. For example, studies have shown that applying tES while learning a cognitive training task can lead to immediate improvements in performance that persist even on the following day. Another study found that tES may also help improve performance on tasks that involve motor skills, with potential applications in surgical skills training, military tasks and athletic performance. The use of neurotechnology in the workplace has global implications and high stakes. Advocates say neurotechnology can encourage economic growth and the betterment of society. Those against neurotechnology caution that it could fuel inequity and undermine democracy, among other possible unknown consequences. Ushering in a new era of individualized brain monitoring and enhancement poses many ethical questions. Answering those questions requires all stakeholders – workers, occupational health professionals, lawyers, government officials, scientists, ethicists and others – to address them. For example, how should an individual's brain activity data be protected? There is reason to suspect that brain activity data wouldn't be covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, because it isn't considered medical or health data. Additional privacy regulations may be needed. Additionally, do employers have the right to require workers to comply with the use of neuroergonomic devices? The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 prevents discrimination against workers based on their genetic data. Similar legislation could help protect workers who refuse to allow the collection of their brain information from being fired or denied insurance. The data neurotechnology collects could be used in ways that help or hurt the worker, and the potential for abuse is significant. Employers may be able to use neurotechnology to diagnose brain-related diseases that could lead to medical treatment but also discrimination. They may also monitor how individual workers respond to different situations, gathering insights on their behavior that could adversely affect their employment or insurance status. Just as computers and the internet have transformed life, neurotechnologies in the workplace could bring even more profound changes in the coming decades. These technologies may enable more seamless integration between workers' brains and their work environments, both enhancing productivity while also raising many neuroethical issues. Bringing all stakeholders into the conversation can help ensure everyone is protected and create safer work environments aimed at solving tomorrow's challenges. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Paul Brandt-Rauf, Drexel University Read more: Brain-computer interfaces could allow soldiers to control weapons with their thoughts and turn off their fear – but the ethics of neurotechnology lags behind the science From diagnosing brain disorders to cognitive enhancement, 100 years of EEG have transformed neuroscience Robots are everywhere – improving how they communicate with people could advance human-robot collaboration Paul Brandt-Rauf does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
