It’s no secret that you can improve skills with practice. Reading, mathematics, playing the piano, or hitting a baseball are good examples. But what about cognitive abilities, such as improving attention span, empathy, visual perception, or even resistance to addictions? Can the brain be trained to do better?  Jake Stauch believes so and new research into neuroplasticity and neurofeedback demonstrate that when given live feedback on their brain activity, individuals are able to fundamentally change how their brain works. These advancements shake up long-held paradigms of self-improvement, cognitive disorders, ADHD, depression and anxiety.

The idea is to help children find focus and self-control through brain-sensing technology. This technology helps kids with ADHD improve the way their brains function through a neurofeedback game. A randomized, controlled, blinded study showed that software and training techniques are able to improve attention skills in children.

Jake Stauch is the founder of NeuroPlus, a company helping children find focus and self-control through gaming and brain-sensing technology that supports their ever growing, changing nervous systems. He formerly was a cognitive researcher at the Duke University Center for Cognitive Neuroscience.