Escrever com a mente

Leitor de mente envia mensagens pelo Twitter

Um estudante americano criou um aparelho que permite mandar mensagens através de ondas cerebrais que são convertidas em letras e publicadas no Twitter em forma de texto. O equipamento é ligado a um programa de computador traduz os caracteres do texto que o internauta pretende divulgar na rede social, internet.

Tudo o que o estudante de engenharia biomédica da Universidade de Wisconsin-Madison, Adam Wilson, faz com a touca com eletrodos que ele veste em sua cabeça é pensar no que quer dizer para ver a mensagem sendo digitada eletronicamente no seu PC.

A invenção foi desenvolvida no início deste mês, quando Adam conseguiu publicar um texto de 23 caracteres sem utilizar o teclado para digitá-los e enviá-los ao Twitter. O leitor automático funciona com um sensor que "lê" letras mostradas na tela do computador, piscando-as alternadamente e passando cada uma das vogais e consoantes do alfabeto para a escolha do internauta.

Quando o usuário pensa em uma letra, as ondas cerebrais enviam um sinal para que o computador reconheça e selecione a letra desejada, formando assim a palavra da mensagem que pretende mandar. "Ei, escolha esta letra", pensa Adam, concentrando-se na letra que quer selecionar, e assim a mesangem é redigida sem qualquer toque nos teclados. Embora o processo seja lento, ele garante que funciona e é indicado para enviar mensagens curtas.

As informações são do site Live Science.

Reabilitação com música

Movimento para a música => pessoas incapacitadas por acidentes ou com uma doença tal como Parkinson podem aprender a andar novamente ? Para alguns ritmos de música cuidadosamente escolhidos pela SCIENCE WATCH o movimento para a música é uma das novas pesquisas da neurociência, revelando as ligações entre as percepção rítmicas e as áreas motoras do cérebro! Estas pesquisas podem ajudar a explicar por que razão a terapia com música funciona tão bem.

A Educação Condutiva têm em suas rotinas todos os movimentos musicados, seja para levantar, sentar, segurar na barra, andar, etc. Em dois anos do Projeto Educação Condutiva Com Amor, criamos mais de 35 músicas para serem cantadas junto com as crianças, sempre respeitando a intenção rítmica de cada um.

Aqui copio o artigo completo, em inglês.

SCIENCE WATCH - Move to the music
By Lea Winerman, a writer in Washington, D.C.

New research is uncovering links between beat perception and the motor areas of the brain? and may help explain why music therapy works so well.

In her 30 years as a music therapist, Connie Tomaino has seen hundreds of people incapacitated by stroke, Parkinson's disease or accidents learn to walk again?to the cadences of carefully chosen music.

Tomaino is the senior vice president for music therapy at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, a residential and community-based health center in New York. She was a college trumpet player and pre-med student three decades ago when she realized that she could combine her two passions in the relatively new field of music therapy.

"Even before I came here in 1980, there was an understanding that, for patients with Parkinson's disease or brain injury, music could help them spontaneously move in a way that they couldn't move on their own," she says. "Clinically we knew that this worked, and we've been able to perfect how it's used therapeutically over the years."

What they didn't know was precisely why it worked, Tomaino says. Now, using such brain imaging techniques as fMRI and MEG, researchers are beginning to answer that question. They're finding evidence that music and motion are neurologically intertwined, and that motor areas of the brain may be key to our ability to perceive music's beat.

"What science is telling us now is what the mechanisms behind [music therapy] are," Tomaino says.

Where in the brain?

One of the scientists behind that finding is Jessica Grahn, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, England. Grahn is also a musician?a pianist?and she's particularly interested in how people extract a steady "beat" from many different rhythms.

A beat is what makes you want to tap your foot to a song at a steady pace, but it's not at all clear how the brain finds that regular beat among a song's complicated rhythms. Now, Grahn's research suggests that motor areas may be involved.

In a study published last year in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (Vol. 19, No. 5), Grahn used fMRI to scan people's brain activity as they listened to different types of rhythms. Those rhythms were simply strings of different-length computer-generated beeps: "Doooo Doo Doo, Doooo Doo Dooo Doo."

Only some of the rhythms produced a perception of a beat?the ones where the beep lengths were all integer multiples, such as one, two, three or four. To produce a beat, the researchers also had to arrange the beeps in groups where beep lengths added up to four (2-1-1 | 3-1 | 4).

That's because most Western music is in 4/4 time, Grahn says, and she wanted to use rhythms that she knew would produce a beat experience for her participants. People from other cultures, whose music is structured differently, might experience beat and rhythm differently.

"If you took a tribe from South America, would they feel these particular rhythms as having a beat? I don't know," she says. "But we wanted to test people with rhythms they were used to moving to."

Grahn found that when people listened to the beat-generating rhythms, their basal ganglia and supplementary motor areas lit up. When they listened to the non-beat-generating rhythms, those areas stayed dark. That suggests that we may use the areas?both of which are involved in motor control and coordinating movement?in detecting beats as well.

When in the brain?

John Iversen, PhD, a neurobiologist at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, is using a different imaging technique to study a similar topic: magnetoencephelography (MEG). This technique measures magnetic fields produced by neurons' electrical activity to examine the brain's activity as it listens to rhythms and beats.

MEG doesn't pinpoint the location of brain activity as precisely as fMRI, but it works on a much finer time scale. With MEG, Iversen can examine the brain's response to each note in a rhythm, second by second.

"When you play a sound, the brain responds with oscillations over a wide range of frequencies, like a bell ringing," he says.

In one study, recently accepted in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Iversen and his colleagues asked participants to listen to a very simple rhythm?two 45-millisecond tones followed by a 200-millisecond rest.

This is called an ambiguous rhythm because listeners can choose to hear the beat on either the first tone (DA-dum, DA-dum, DA-dum) or the second (da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM). In different trials, Iversen and his colleagues asked participants to hear the beat on either the first or second tone (all of the participants were trained musicians to ensure that they understood the concept of beat).

The researchers found that when people listened to the tone they imagined to be the beat, their brain activity at the upper end of the beta range?between 20 to 30 Hz?increased by an average of 60 percent. That end of the beta range is active in motor processing, and also active when distant areas of the cortex communicate?areas such as the motor and auditory systems, Iversen notes.

Edward Large, PhD, a neuroscientist at Florida Atlantic University, seconds the idea that the auditory and motor systems communicate via the beta band?and that this communication is the key to beat perception.

"I think there's a distributed system responsible for beat perception," he says. "It's happening in the basal ganglia and SMA [supplementary motor areas] but also in the auditory pathway."

In a study published in 2005 in Cognitive Brain Research (Vol. 24, No. 1), he used electroencephalography to image participants' brain activity as they listened to different rhythms. All of the rhythms had a regular beat, but occasionally the "beat-note" would be missing, with silence in its place.

Large found bursts of beta activity that spiked around the beat. The activity even spiked when the beat-note was missing, suggesting that just the anticipation of a beat could trigger it.

That beta band activity, he explains, could reflect the link between the auditory and motor processing areas.

The research neuroscientists and psychologists are conducting will inform music therapy, and eventually make it even more effective, says Tomaino, who co-founded the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham in 1995 to bring researchers together with practicing music therapists. For example, recent research that suggests that simply imagining a beat and hearing it in one's head can activate motor areas in a similar way as actually hearing it. That suggests it might be helpful to teach patients to sing or imagine rhythms on their own, without an external source, Tomaino says. "There was a gap between neuropsychologists and clinical music therapists, who usually don't sit in the same room," she says. "I wanted to encourage them to come together, so we can get to better treatment."

Tecnologia em reabilitação

Quando procuro novas iniciativas em reabilitação, ou ainda em tecnologias de reabilitação, o que encontro são uma lista de jogos educativos com entretenimento, que buscam recuperar lesados cerebrais ou ainda desenvolver métodos para prevenção, buscando longevidade e saúde. Leio:
"Dentro de tal perspectiva o que se pode esperar para os anos vindouros, com tantas campos da ciência diretamente relacionados a Fisioterapia se fortalecendo diariamente a passo largos, unindo Cinesiologia/Biomecânica, Biofísica, Eletrotermoterapia, Fisiologia, etc. e proporcionando um maior fluxo de materiais bem como a reconstrução intelectual de forma diária." (Fisioweb)

Se busco tecnologias da educação, vejo uma preocupação mais abrangente, com inclusão social para todos os grupos. Leio:
"A Tecnologia na Educação requer um olhar mais abrangente, envolvendo novas formas de ensinar e de aprender condizentes com o paradigma da sociedade do conhecimento, o qual se caracteriza pelos princípios da diversidade, da integração e da complexidade." (TveBrasil)

A Educação Condutiva é a mais avançada forma de tecnologia em educação e reabilitação. Ela desenvolve a maturidade do indivíduo, provocando o aprimoramento de suas habilidades, desenvolvendo raciocínio, percepção corporal, consciência e auto-conhecimento.

Trata-se de um sistema educacional que impulsiona o desenvolvimento motor sem se desconectar das emoções do indivíduo. Integra uma ação física, com um relacionamento social e uma motivação cognitiva, preservando o lado emocional.

Em minha experiência com meus filhos, vejo o método bastante intenso, tanto no lado físico, como mental. Percebo meus filhos recebendo explicações detalhadas para a realização ativa de um movimento simples, que organiza o corpo dele através da ordem musicada e estimula o cérebro a repetir a ordem correta com entusiasmo. É tecnologia do movimento, buscando aprimorar aquele indivíduo para que suas ações sejam dia a dia mais adequadas ao seu convívio social.

Conheça Florianópolis - Santa Catarina

For you, who wants to know where we are. I introduce you my homeplace. Santa Catarina.

Para aqueles que não conhecem o nosso estado, Santa Catarina, aqui um excelente vídeo produzido por uma agência de publicidade local para o evento Mundial de Turismo realizado na semana passada em Florianópolis.

Curso de Férias - Julho 2009

Estamos há dois meses do início de nosso Curso de Férias de Educação Condutiva. Finalizamos nosso planejamento e temos a certeza que será mais uma vez uma ótima oportunidade de aprendizado e movimento para nossas crianças. Ainda temos 2 vagas!

As rotinas ocorrerão todos os dias da semana, de segunda a sexta das 10:30h as 17:00h.

No entanto faremos nosso dia de Boas Vindas no dia 13 de julho, segunda-feira as 10:00h (meia hora mais cedo). Os pais ficarão conosco das 10:00h até as 11:00h e as crianças continuam as atividades até as 17:00h.

O término será no dia 31 de julho, sexta-feira as 16:00h, após o atendimento individual dos pais com a condutora e nosso almoço de encerramento.

Os encontros com os pais serão as quintas-feiras, dias 16 e 23 de julho, para trocarmos experiências e conhecermos vídeos e informações sobre o método. Agendem-se para a apresentação de teatro das crianças na última quinta-feira dia 30 de julho! As visitas a sala serão nos dias 27, 28 e 29 de julho, com agendas organizadas anteriormente.

Neste ano estamos contemplando 97 horas de atividades durante as três semanas de julho. Pela terceira vez desde o início do Projeto Com Amor no Brasil, que temos um grupo para atender as atividades de educação condutiva em um ambiente agradável e com muitas oportunidades de vivência da vida diária com independência.

A condutora será mais uma vez a inglesa Becky Featherstone, que vem de forma primorosa conduzindo as rotinas no Grupo Com Amor.

Informações em relação a hospedagem, por favor fique livre para me questionar! Mais uma vez encaminho este site como referência:
http://www.guiafloripa.com.br/

Agradeço mais uma vez a oportunidade e tenho certeza que vivenciaremos excelentes semanas de aprendizado juntos!

Aos pais que tenham interesse, entrem em contato para mais informações, questionamentos e dúvidas.

Um abraço com amor,
Leticia Kuerten
(48) 9167-6105

Educação Condutiva Com Amor
Florianópolis-SC
http://educacaocondutiva.blogspot.com/

Around the world

Lendo notícias do mundo todo vemos os grupos de educação condutiva se organizando para as férias de julho com os seus Camps / Cursos de Verão (hemisfério norte).

Austrália
Conductive Education is a multidisciplinary systematic and holistic approach which enhances the child’s physical, cognitive and social skills and emotional well-being. Basically, it is learning how to learn using a variety of techniques and activities.

“Conductive Education is one of the main reasons why my little girl can now walk.”

Conductive Education is not just an exercise, it is "learning to learn" by intensive and repetitive practice, and, the application of various activities necessary for progress. This applies to motor skills, balance, sensory and perceptual functions, emotional development, language and cognitive functions.

It is not a therapy, but a multidisciplinary system that enhances the child's physical, cognitive, social skills and emotional well being.


Estados Unidos
Conductive Education seeks, through a holistic approach, to develop spontaneous and innovative problem-solving skills in people with physical disabilities to assist their maximum integration into society. Central to the understanding of Conductive Education is the concept of "orthofunctioning," which refers to the learning process of achieving an active, independent, motivated approach to the problems of everyday life. The individuals are developing a positive approach to learning: they will have expectation that they can achieve their aims (intentions) with persistence and a knowledge of their own potential.

The individuals learn to learn to find their own solutions.

Conductive Education, often described as rehabilitation through learning, was founded by Dr. Andras Peto in Budapest, Hungary, in 1948. Peto devised this unique, intensive group method of special education, which expects and demands active learning and participation by the child in attempting to overcome his/her motor disability (i.e. cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, cerebral vascular accidents, etc.).

Conductive Education focuses on the whole person, recognizing physical, social, intellectual, and emotional aspects of learning.

Nova Zelândia
Conductive Education approaches physical disabilities from an educational rather than a medical or paramedical perspective. People who have motor disorders have a problem of learning, which requires education as opposed to a medical condition, which requires treatment.

Conductive Education is a learning process.


Hungria
Conductive education is a unique system of teaching and learning for children with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida. It is designed to improve motor skills and increase independence of many aspects of common living. It is not a cure, but a method of exercises and education which are broken down into basic functional movements.

The exercises are performed intensively (5 hours per day, 5 days per week) in small groups which promotes interactivity and fun.


Reino Unido
To inspire children with cerebral palsy from across the London region to develop independence, confidence and self-esteem and in so doing, achieve their full potential.

The Centre provides Conductive Education for young children with cerebral palsy up to the age of 11 years.

Conductive Education (CE) teaches children and adults with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, stroke and head injury how to overcome their movement difficulties.

Foundation for Conductive Education.

Espanha
La educación conductiva o método peto es un sistema de rehabilitación integral, intenso y activo, con un enfoque multidimensional sustentado en el principio de la plasticidad neuronal. Se concibe el trastorno motor y las afecciones asociadas como susceptibles de mejora a través del establecimiento de nuevas conexiones neuronales y, por tanto, de una reorganización de funciones neuronales.

El principal objetivo que persigue este método es posibilitar que las personas con disfunción desarrollen al máximo sus capacidades motoras, cognitivas y afectivas para llegar a ser miembros activos de la sociedad.

Andràs Petö entiende que las funciones alteradas o no desarrolladas, si bien no siempre es posible “recuperarlas”, gracias a la plasticidad neuronal, pueden reestructurarse y reorganizarse, y esto se realiza a través del aprendizaje.

E mais:
Áustria, Bélgica, Canadá, Dinamarca, França, Alemanha, Holanda, Israel, Irlanda, Itália, Japão, Kuwait, México, Noruega, Polônia, Suécia, Suíça...