Center for Neurotechnology Studies Director Prof. James Giordano, PhD, says neurofeedback "brain games" can be lots of fun - but warns they're not for everybody.  As Dr. Giordano points out, the market has seen an explosion of products that claim to harness the power of the brain for a variety of purposes.  Neurofeedback uses sensors which, when placed in contact with the head, are able to pick up electrical output caused by brain activity. The signals may be input to a computer that translates them into a display, or - in games and toys - another device that uses them to power simple actions such as moving a ball.  Dr. Giordano says neurofeedback is safe and valuable when used in a clinical setting. But when used as a toy, he says the potential for harm is not fully known. He warns the devices should not be used by people with psychological or emotional disorders or conditions, and may not be ideal for children, either.  Click below to hear comments by Dr. Giordano on the "brain games" craze.

{flv}Giordano Brain Games{/flv}                   

Prof. James Giordano, PhD, is the director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' Center for Neurotechnology Studies and an expert in the field of pain research.  In a recent issue of Practical Pain Management, he writes about health care reform, its advocacy of evidence-based medicine, and whether that approach can be applied to pain care. Dr. Giordano writes that addressing pain care within the context of health care reform is a vital task that is also "arduous" and "laden with conflicts." Click below to read his article in full.     

Potomac Institute Senior Fellow David J. Smith will speak at the 73rd Rose-Roth Seminar sponsored by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.  This seminar, Regional Developments in the South Caucasus, will take place March 11-13 in Yerevan, Armenia, in cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.  Smith will speak about Russia’s August 2008 invasion of Georgia, based on his contribution to the book The Guns of August 2008, edited by Svante E. Cornell and S. Frederick Starr.  Rose-Roth Seminars bring together parliamentarians of the 28 NATO countries, associated countries and other interparliamentary groups.

Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Senior Fellow David Smith has been raising the alarm for months about the risks of a French-Russian ship deal.  In a news report on its website, the US Naval Institute quotes former ambassador Smith on France's decision to sell a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship to Russia. Smith calls the decision a "major adverse geopolitical development." Click here to read the article in full.