As regular readers of this newsletter know, Posit Science remains passionately committed to independent, publishable studies of the efficacy of the exerciseswe make available to the public. At present, there are about 46 published journal articles on the benefits of our exercises for healthy aging and about 15 more for clinical conditions. There are another 13 completed studies ontheir way to publication and 38 others that are underway.

While virtually all of these are independent, randomized controlled trials, we alsohear from time-to-time about case studies conducted by research teams around the globe. As noted below, myco-founder, Dr. Mike Merzenich recently visited with some tinnitus patients who were pleased with preliminary research being done in St Louis.

We remain committed to exploring all the ways this powerful technology can help people improve their lives.If there are areas you think we should explore, please share them on our Support Community .

Best regards,

Jeff Zimman, Chairman

Mom Loves Brain Fitness
Mother's Day is fast approaching. Now through May 1, buy any of our brain fitness programs for her and get a free brain fitness program for yourself! Just use coupon code BUY1GET2 during checkout. You are welcome to pass this offer on to your friends and family, too! Shop now >>

Tinnitus? Listen Up!
Dr. Mike Merzenich recently visited the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, where an innovative pilot program with tinnitus sufferers is in progress. The results? People with mild and severe levels of tinnitus reported significant improvements in their symptoms after training with the Brain Fitness Program. If you'd like to read more about this study, check out Dr. Merzenich's blog post about it.

Embarrassment in the Brain
Do you embarrass easily? If so, you might wish you could shrink your pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, the thumb-sized region of the brain that makes us feel embarrassment. If you have a big, healthy, active one, you likely get embarrassed quite a bit. A shrunken one—like those in dementia patients—probably means you're hard to embarrass, even if you're doing something most people would consider, well, embarrassing. Learn how this research could help diagnose dementia earlier.

Cellphone Radiation Alters Your Brain
A new study has found that the radiation in your cellphone alters your brain—but researchers still aren't sure whether the effect is positive, negative, or neutral. The amount of radiation emitted varies depending on which type of phone you have. But there are some easy ways to cut down on the radiation getting to your brain. Learn more.

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is Brain Therapy for Gabrielle Giffords
After surviving a bullet to the head, US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is undergoing a heavy regimen of different types of therapy—including neurologic music therapy. Members of her medical team stress that music therapy can help with physical and mental aspects of recovery, like language, memory, and cognition. Learn more.

Parkinson's Linked to Prostate Cancer
Parkinson's has previously been linked to increased risk of melanoma, but a new study shows it's also linked with an increased risk of prostate cancer. It may be because certain cancers and Parkinson's share common disease-causing mechanisms. Learn more.

Newborn Brain Cells Boost an Aging Brain
Scientists recently engineered mice that were better at making decisions—by adding newborn brain cells to a brain structure called the hippocampus. The mice with the new cells were better at remembering and discriminating between things. Could this be a future therapy for aging humans? Learn more.

Epilepsy Took Down Knut the Polar Bear
Animal neurologists have established that world-famous polar bear Knut, who was just 4 years old when he died suddenly, suffered an epileptic seizure just before his sudden death. The bear hadn't previously shown any health problems, but an autopsy confirmed that an unidentified brain disorder triggered changes in his brain that led to a seizure. Learn more.

Last Month's Q&A Sessions
Last month, in honor of Brain Awareness Week, we hosted four informative Q&A sessions on Facebook. Due to popular demand, we have posted transcripts of all four sessions on our blog! Now you can easily reference questions and answers in these sessions:

• Music and the Brain with Kimberly Sena Moore
• Brain Foods with Karen Merzenich
• Movement, Exercise, and the Brain with M.A. Greenstein, aka Dr. G
• Changing our Brains for the Better with Dr. Michael Merzenich

Book of the Month
The Mind's Eye (2011)
In The Mind's Eye, Oliver Sacks's eleventh book, he delves into issues of perception, illustrating his points with a mix of case stories, personal experiences, and essays. As with his previous books, he examines a handful of rare and fascinating disorders, exploring how profoundly they affect the patients—and the creative ways in which they work to adapt to living with them. The book's focus is the relationship between visual perception and language, and in a departure from his previous writings, Sacks includes his own experience with ocular melanoma as one of the illuminating case studies. Read a review or buy on Amazon now.