BRAIN AWARENESS ACTIVITY IN NEUROSCIENCES City Date Time Hall Rhodes 16 March 2012 7.00 pm Cultural Events Hall Aktaion TITLE: BRIDGE, COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT AND BRAIN PLASTICITY: HOW TO KEEP BRAIN FIT 1 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 2 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 3 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 3 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ PROGRAM Brain disorders related to cognitive dysfunctions. Diagnosis and prognosis Vasilis Karagiannis, Neurologist Brain, cognitive enhancement and plasticity: how to maintain your brain s efficiency Maria Mavrikaki, PhD in Psychology (University of Crete), Postdoctoral Researcher in Neurosciences Cognitive Enhancement: Interventions by Arsinoi Day Care Center for patients with dementia Theodosia Velegraki, Psychologist, Supervisor of Arsinoi Day Care Center for patients with dementia «An update about Bridge and invitation to participate in competitive Bridge» Dimitris Papaemmanouil, Chairman of Competitive Bridge Club of Rhodes 1
Presenter Activity Bridge Competition: Let s stimulate our brain! (participation) Organizers: Hellenic Society for Neurosciences Arsinoi Day Care Center for patients with dementia Competitive Bridge Club of Rhodes Responsible members of the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences E-mails Telephones Maria Mavrikaki mmavrikaki@psy.soc.uoc.gr 2831077546 Summary of the presentation-description of the activity The event took place on Friday 16/03/12 at Aktaion Cultural Events Hall in Rhodes. The present event aimed to increase public awareness about the brain, neuronal plasticity and Neurosciences and how to maintain our brain s efficiency. This event constituted an active approach of how brain training can enhance cognitive functions. Vasilis Karagiannis referred to cognitive functions and brain disorders which are related to cognitive dysfunctions. He focused on the diagnosis and the prognosis of those disorders. Maria Mavrikaki introduced Neurosciences and the basic anatomy of the CNS. She presented the neuroanatomical basis of cognitive functions and the related underlying 2
neuronal plasticity and referred to factors that contribute to enhancement of brain s efficiency. As an example of mental activity training that requires cognitive functions, she correlated Bridge with neuroplasticity and cognitive enhancement. The presentation was intellectual with several projective tasks that required participation of the audience. Theodosia Velegraki referred to interventions provided by Arsinoi Day Care Center for patients with dementia. She reviewed psychosocial interventions that contribute to cognitive enhancement and the prevention of dementia. She also invited everyone to the memory clinic to test their memory s capacity. Dimitris Papaemmanouil introduced Competitive Bridge. He referred to the main concept of this strategy game which requires months of training and learning the rules before start playing. He invited the audience to attend Bridge games and the members of Competitive Bridge Club of Rhodes to participate in the following session. Bridge Competition: Let s stimulate our brain! The members of Competitive Bridge Club of Rhodes participate in Bridge games and the audience had the chance to attend those games. The logo of the poster of the event 3
Photographs Vasilis Karagiannis presenting brain disorders related to cognitive dysfunctions Maria Mavrikaki presents different levels of neuronal plasticity. 4
Video considering neuronal plasticity Neuropsychological memory task. The words brain, change, long-term and potentiation were given to the audience at the beginning of the lecture. At the end, the audience was requested to recall those words and end up that those who managed to recall the words used brain s ability to change and the mechanism that was utilized to store those memories is Long-Term Potentiation! 5
Theodosia Velegraki presents interventions provided by Arsinoi Day Care Center for patients with dementia. Dimitris Papaemmanouil introduces Competitive Bridge. 6
View of the audience. Competitive Bridge: two competing partnerships (North and South play against East and West) 7
Competitive Bridge as mental training that potentially increases brain plasticity. Sponsors of the event 8