Eleni Mitsea

National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos | ncsr · Insititute of Informatics and Telecommunications - Net Media Lab Mind & Brain R&D

Breathing is one of the most vital functions for being mentally and emotionally healthy. A growing number of studies confirm that breathing, although unconscious, can be under voluntary control. However, it requires systematic practice to acquire relevant experience and skillfulness to consciously utilize breathing as a tool for self-regulation. Af...

The holistic growth and psychological well-being of people with special needs and disabilities remain high on the priority agenda for sustainable and inclusive education. Digital well-being technologies and especially "smart technologies", are ready to revolutionize mental health interventions by meeting trainees' needs and providing them with more...

International psychiatry is facing major challenges due to the rapid increase in mental health issues. The forthcoming mental health crisis has opened the debate about the need to broaden the therapeutic horizons with the implementation of digitally assisted mindfulness practices within psychotherapeutic interventions. Mindfulness training is devel...

Inclusion, equality, and well-being for all, especially for people with special needs and disabilities, is globally recognized as a priority. At the same time, there is an urgent need to create digital training environments for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Virtual reality (VR) and gaming technologies have entered t...

Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are specialized systems that allow users to control computer applications using their brain waves.With thearrival of consumer-grade electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, brain-controlled systems began to find fertile ground in mental training.One particular area that is gradually gainingattention is thatof mindful...

Digital games are a ubiquitous part of almost all children’s and adolescents’ lives. At the same time gaming industry is ready to unlock new levels of growth in the coming years (Granik et al., 2014). A growing number of studies have already focused on the beneficial effects of digital games on various aspects of cognition and health. However, less...

The international organizations of education have already pointed out that the way students learn, what they learn, and the skills needed, will be radically transformed in the coming years. Smart technologies are ready to come into play, changing the conditions of learning, providing opportunities for transformative learning experiences, and promis...

Memory is one of the most vital cognitive functions, affecting almost all aspects of human life. Meta-memory is considered a special part of metacognition that enables humans to acquire mnemonic knowledge and meta-skills to take control of their memory functions. In the digital era, the use of mobile applications to improve memory is constantly gai...

Chronic stress, even at a young age, has become a major health concern with the harmful effects on cognition, mood, and well-being largely underestimated. Mindfulness interventions are well-recognized as effective strategies in stress management. However, we know less about the impact of mindfulness on physiological indicators such as hormones/neur...

The purpose of the current review study is to provide representative evidence regarding the effectiveness of mindfulness training strategies on the development of metacognitive skills for people with special education needs. In addition, we explore the role of virtual reality in the efficacy of mindfulness interventions among people with learning d...

The current research aims to investigate the effectiveness of brain-rewiring techniques applied in virtual reality environments as a pioneer intervention for people with learning disabilities and various disorders. In addition, we examine whether these VR-assisted techniques can improve metacognitive skills. Specifically, we emphasize the advantage...

The purpose of the current review study is to shed light on the relationship between breathing and learning disabilities, to investigate the efficacy of breathwork as an intervention strategy, and finally, to identify the role of assistive technologies in breathing training interventions. The results of this study revealed a close relationship betw...

Traditionally, metacognition & higher mental abilities are thought to be exclusively linked to consciousness. However, a growing number of researchers support the idea that nonconscious processes may hold the keys to higher forms of intelligence. Subliminal messages expose individuals to visual or/and auditory stimuli below the threshold of conscio...

Low oxygen breathing has been the subject of considerable research in recent years. The present review aims to determine the physiological and neuropsychological benefits of low-oxygen training. Specifically, we explored the ways low oxygen affects hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors responsible for neuroplasticity, higher cognition and...

Extensive research has been conducted regarding socio-emotional skills training in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latest autism research is now beginning to recognize the role of metacognitive deficits in ASD as well as the importance of metacognitive skills training in autism intervention. The purpose of the current review study is to shed li...

The purpose of the current review study is to shed light on the relationship between respiration and attention. Specifically, we examined whether and how respiration can provoke alterations in attentional states. Secondly, we investigated the benefits of breath-control training techniques in attention. Furthermore, we explored the effectiveness of...

Breathing, although unconscious and often overlooked, is a central aspect of our whole being and one of our most vital functions. This review paper aims at investigating the physiological as well as the neuropsychological benefits of breathing training techniques. In addition, we examine the effectiveness of mobile breathing applications in upgradi...

Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Aldous Huxley, Sergei Rachmanicoff, Chopin, Goethe. What do these people have in common? They all used hypnosis to explore and expand the boundaries of their intelligence. The aim of the current review is to investigate the impact of clinical hypnosis on Metacognition, Consciousness and Intelligence bas...

Education in the 21st century is called upon to prepare students with disabilities to enter a high-consciousness society where people can learn, think and react fast. The current review paper aims at investigating the role of fast learning in special education. We trace the essential indicators of speed learning with a special focus on those factor...

In the era of rapid change, special education is in the quest to ‘drive up standards’ with alternative intervention strategies ensuring optimal outcomes for parents, teachers and learners. Automatic thoughts, negative beliefs and implicit bias demotivate, disrupt students’ behavior, and lower the quality of learning outcomes. Neuro-linguistic progr...

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) has already achieved great popularity as a method for personal development and excellence. It is already used by successful educators, managers, trainers, salespeople, market researchers, counselors, consultants, medics, top athletes and lawyers. However, there is a lack of understanding about the secrets behind t...

Clinical hypnosis is becoming increasingly recognized as a valuable clinical intervention for a wide range of psychological and medical problems. The current review paper seeks to determine the role of clinical hypnosis in learning difficulties, emotional or behavioral problems and physical disabilities. In addition, we co-examine the effectiveness...

Metacognition is one of the foremost cardinal factors of achievement in the 21st century. Despite extensive research, there is still the need to build a unique model based on multidisciplinary research illuminating questions as regards the real nature of metacognition and the methods to develop metacognitive abilities. The current study presents a...

education in the 21st century is facing major challenges as well as unique opportunities. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder belongs to them, as it affects a significant percentage of students. At the same time, the advancements in information technology and neuroscience provide valuable knowledge and tools about the ways human can consciousl...

In the present paper we investigate soft skills in the light of met-acognition. We seek the essential soft skills in the 21st century including green skills and look into their cognitive and metacognitive background. Enlightening the soft skills' dependence on metacognition, we conclude on a metacognition-based approach and suggest useful tools and...

This paper examines the interaction between metacognition and stress response. Specifically, the main purpose of this study is to trace the interaction between metacognition, sympathetic-parasympathetic nervous system and the basic stress-related hormones/neurotransmitters. To achieve this aim, the research seeks to address the following questions:...

Oxidative stress, mental and mood disorders, premature ageing, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities are just some of the emerging threats of the 21st century. The next generation of educators, students, business leaders, employees, therapists, and parents are required to adapt in an era of rapid change and climate change by developing new s...

Metacognition constitutes the dominant competence of the 21st century. Despite the indisputable scientific interest, there are various unan-swered questions concerning the identity of metacognition, its fundamental mechanisms and its limits. In this study, a holistic and multidisciplinary approach is attempted by collecting and utilizing data from...

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with multifactorial causes, characterized by major cognitive deficits in communication, socialization and emotion recognition and management. Children with autism face a memory mechanism malfunction, difficulty in the control processes (i.e atten-tional regulation and / or organizing their knowledge in order...

In the most challenging era in human history, the scientific community recognizes spirituality as a fundamental factor of human intelligence. Researchers from different fields such as Psychology, Medicine, Educational sciences, Economy and Business embrace the notion of Spiritual Intelligence. Nevertheless, it is considered as one of the most contr...

p>In the last few decades, there has been growing research interest in investigating the positive relationship between metacognitive strategies, conscious learning, and achievement. However, the lack of a uniform classification indicates a need to map the different approaches, so as to discover the cornerstone strategies that result in ascending th...