sparkmygenius.com

• 31Dec

  Does Brain Training Help?

  ADHD, ADD, Alzheimer's, Brain Optimization, Cognitive Restructuring, Neuro-Education, cognitive decline, mTBI, memory, neuroplasticity 2 Comments
  

  Brains and Bodies work together!

  By Amy Price PhD

  Your brain care how your body lives. Maybe it is time to redecorate from the inside out!

  New research on cognition that shows transfer of training and increase in quality of life  can be very successful when individual differences are professionally assessed and programs targeted to individuals.  This is why one size fits all ‘brain training’ shows limited success. The brain requires novelty and positively graded accomplishment to reach full potential. [1-4].  

  Brain age related deficits are noticed primarily in the prefrontal and parietal cortical regions  which tend to shrink as individuals age with men exhibiting more extensive shrinkage than women [5]. These areas are crucial for planning and for connecting input from other brain areas. The areas of shrinkage initially demonstrate increased regional activation. This may be a time sensitive window where neuroplasticity growth factors can be leveraged to best advantage. Combining several strands of behavioral and neuro-imaging evidence, the argument can be made that functional plasticity has the capacity to alter the course of cognitive aging. Losses in regional brain integrity may drive functional reorganization through changes in processing strategies and domain specific cognitive training.

  These same deficits can be present in brain injured persons but the route to successful training would take a different though just as effective path.

  Factors such as cognitive training, regular exercise, nutrition enrichment and  positive relationships can increase Cortical thickness . These findings were first published on animal studies but are also noted in human studies [5-10].  A combination targeted personalized brain and physical training produces specific volume changes in white and grey matter [9]

  Physical exercise boosts the brain’s rate of neurogenesis throughout life, while mental exercise increases the rate at which those new brain cells survive and make functional connections into existing neural networks.[7-10] Both physical exercise and the challenge from mental exercise increase the secretion of nerve growth factor, which helps neurons grow and stay healthy.[8-10] This makes sense if we think of how exercise helps to clean out the sludge and provide oxygen so the body can make more effective use of tissues needed for regeneration and repair.  In fact scientists are now finding compounds that can increase our stem cells within the body and even then are finding that targeted solutions are needed for optimum stem cell growth health and production [14]

  Nyberg found that although older brains exhibit less plasticity than do young brains overall, the benefits of training—particularly domain-specific training—can be substantial and durable [13]. Studies are showing these gains to be of 5 years + More- over, the training benefits were found to be similar to the amount of decline anticipated over 7–14 years [3, 12, and 13].

  References

  1.            Posner, M., & Rothbart M. Educating the human brain. Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association.; 2007:189-208. doi:10.1037/11519-009

  2.            Jaeggi SM, Buschkuehl M, Jonides J, Perrig WJ. Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2008;105(19):6829-33. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18443283

  3.            Willis SL, Tennstedt SL, Marsiske M, et al. Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;296(23):2805-14. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17179457

  4.            Gordon E, Arns M, Paul RH. Research Report THE INTEGRATE MODEL OF EMOTION, THINKING AND SELF REGULATION: AN APPLICATION TO THE “PARADOX OF AGING”. Thinking. 2008;7(3):367-404.

  5.         Greenwood PM. Functional plasticity in cognitive aging: review and hypothesis. Neuropsychology. 2007;21(6):657-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17983277

  6.            Joseph J, Cole G, Head E, Ingram D. Mark P. Mattson, Sic L. Chan and Wenzhen Duan. Physiological Reviews. 2009:637-672.

  7.            Kramer AF, Bherer L, Colcombe SJ, Dong W, Greenough WT. Environmental influences on cognitive and brain plasticity during aging. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2004;59(9):M940-57.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15472160.

  8.            Kramer, AF; Erickson KI, Colcombe SJ (2006). “Exercise, cognition, and the aging brain”. J Appl Physiol 101 (4): 1237–42. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00500.2006.

  9.             Valenzuela MJ, Sachdev P, Wen W, Chen X, Brodaty H. Lifespan mental activity predicts diminished rate of hippocampal atrophy. PloS one. 2008;3(7):e2598. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18612379.

  10.          Ernst C, Olson AK, Pinel JP, Lam RW, Christie BR. Antidepressant effects of exercise: evidence for an adult-neurogenesis hypothesis? Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN. 2006;31(2):84-92. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16575423

  11.          Ball K, Edwards JD, Ross La. The impact of speed of processing training on cognitive and everyday functions. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. 2007;62 Spec No(I):19-31.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17565162.

  12.          Willis, SL; SL Tennstedt, M Marsiske, et al. (2006). “Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults”. JAMA 296: 2805–14. doi:10.1001/jama.296.23.2805.

  13.          Nyberg, L. (2005). Cognitive training in healthy aging: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. In R. Cabeza, L. Nyberg, & D. Park (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of aging: Linking cognitive and cerebral aging. New York: Oxford University Press.

   14.         New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16383-drugs-unlock-the-bodys-own-stem-cell-cabinet.html}

  Tags: Brain Art, Brain development, Brain Optimization, Dementia, Older Workers, Sparks of Genius

• 26Oct

  What do you do when you suspect Alzheimer’s: A guide for Employers

  Alzheimer's, Brain Optimization, Sparks of Genius, cognitive decline, memory 1 Comment

  By Ninah Kessler, LCSW

  

  Successful Older Worker

  As the population ages, especially if their portfolios don’t go up, we will see more Alzheimer’s disease in the workplace.  Because an employee with Alzheimer’s is likely to have poor judgment, it is not likely that they will ask for help. They may not realize there is a problem and may be afraid and embarrassed. The employer needs to respect the employee’s dignity and privacy, especially because they have to live with cognitive challenges.  You would not want to put a stumbling block before a blind person.

  Dealing with Alzheimer’s on an individual level is best handled at regularly scheduled performance reviews where specific incidents that hinder the employee’s work can be reviewed.  The employer can then adopt a supportive stance and the suggestion that the employee might want to further explore things with their physician or EAP, keeping in mind that psychological stress, other health conditions, lack of adequate sleep or even poor nutrition can mimic Alzheimer’s.

  If the employee offers to share his diagnosis, it is important for the employer to remember that a diagnosis of dementia does not wipe out the worker’s skills and experience.

  Often employees with early stages of dementia can still be gainfully employed, possibly in a supportive work environment. They can still be dedicated, loyal and effective workers and their jobs can keep them effectively engaged which might act to slow the progression of dementia. While they are gainfully employed they can be strengthening the company, paying their taxes and contributing to the family income.

  At Sparks of Genius Brain Optimization Center in Boca Raton we offer professional cognitive training strategies for workers with dementia. Many clients diagnosed with beginning stages of Alzheimer’s can to continue to be productive at work. Examples include:

  ¨      An accountant who still did the books with his wife quietly reviewing accounts before submission.

  ¨      A therapist who did supportive work in assisted living facilities with her husband handling the driving duties.

  ¨      A top notch event planner in a family owned business.

  Of course we didn’t work with the country’s accomplished employee with dementia, President Ronald Reagan.  Because he had the support of trusted advisors orchestrated by his wife Nancy, he was possibly one of our most successful and definitely one of our most popular presidents.

  Employees with dementia can be taught compensatory skills like writing down notes and appointments in an IPhone or personal organizer, making sure that there is a place for everything and not writing notes on scrapes of paper which can be misplaced.

  On the macro level, employers need to take a look at cognitive fitness and brain optimization.  Just like the corporate world acknowledges physical wellness, cognitive wellness needs to be on the agenda.  And the two are not unrelated.

  Physical exercise, a heart healthy diet, cognitive training, stress management, lifelong learning and pharmaceutical interventions have all been shown to have some effect on slowing the progression of dementia. Even rotating employees through different positions can sharpen their brains.

  Employees need the help of corporations and corporations need to learn how they can benefit from employees who may have dementia.

  Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Brain Optimization, Dementia, Older Workers

• 21Oct

  How to Tell if Your Employee has Alzheimer’s

  Alzheimer's, Brain Optimization, Sparks of Genius, cognitive decline, memory, social skills, stress 1 Comment

  By Ninah Kessler LCSW

  

  Senior in the work place

  Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is progressive and degenerative. As we age the risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases.  While one person in eight has Alzheimer’s at age 65, almost half of those over 85 are affected.) With the graying of the American work force we will see an increase in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Additionally 200,000 Americans with Alzheimer’s who are younger than 65.

   Alzheimer’s disease has reached epidemic proportions in the country and the problem will only grow as we live longer.  According to the Alzheimer’s association, 5.3 million people in the US have the disease and “the direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year.”

  Memory loss is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s. The general rule is that if you are concerned about memory loss, you probably don’t have it. You don’t have to worry if you lose your car keys, but watch out if you don’t know what your car keys are for. Employees can forget things for many reasons besides dementia including psychological stress, grief reactions, physical illness, sleep problems and dehydration. Some of these problems are easily correctible. An employer cannot tell if an employee has dementia, but certain things may heighten their suspicion.

   Here are some things an employer might want to look for:

   

  1.   A consistent pattern of forgetting that cannot be explained by other causes. 

  Short-term information is one of the first things to go in dementia.     Employees don’t remember things because it’s forgotten almost as soon as it’s said.  When an employee doesn’t show up for a meeting and you question him, he says, “What meeting?”

   2. Trouble with self-expression

  The employee cannot find the right word, saying “the cold box in the kitchen” instead of the refrigerator

   3. Difficulties with orientation

  The employee is late for out of the office meetings because he got lost on the way to a familiar location.  A sales rep will forget what shopping center he needs to go to.

  4. Unpredictable mood changes

  An outgoing employee becomes quieter and more moody. An employee becomes angry for no apparent reason.  Often people with dementia slip into their own worlds because the outside world is too challenging.  They respond from that world and it confuses others.  Mood changes can also be cause by depressions and anxiety, which can also accompany dementia.

  5.   Difficulty learning new technologies or new procedures

  As we age we have more trouble multitasking and learning new things but we make up for it with wisdom and resilience.  Seniors and those with dementia can learn new things but it takes them longer and they do better with spaced retrieval and errorless learning.  They have a better chance when things are explained one at a time with opportunities for practice. 

  6.   Poor Judgment and difficulty with decision making. 

  The employee may have difficulty making decisions or makes poor decisions. The cause of these poor decisions may be hard to pinpoint. Among other causes difficulty with decision making has been linked to “disproportionate, age-related decline in specific neural systems crucial for complex decision-making.” (Brain Anomalies and Poor Decision-making in Older Adults  http://dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=23106)

   The symptoms of Alzheimer’s can vary from person to person, but there is likely to be a distinct change from what the person previously was like.

• 24Oct

  Tips for Improving Your Memory

  Alzheimer's, cognitive decline, mTBI, neuroplasticity No Comments

  There was an interesting study by Michael Marsiske, Ph.D, a professor of clinical health and psychology at the University of Florida, which tested whether mental stimulation could improve cognitive functioning in adults age 65 – 94. (Link here.)

  This study included training in 4 techniques to improve memory: meaningfulness, organization, visualization and association. You can use these techniques to boost your memory now.

  Meaningfulness

  We tend to remember things that have some importance to us. It doesn’t have to be very important, like remembering the code to a secret document which will save our lives, but if there is some significance, we tend to remember. I ordinarily forget phone numbers, but 2 days after my mother moved to an assisted living, I memorized her new phone number. Interestingly, after two years I still don’t remember the number of the nursing station, but I do remember where I wrote it down.

  Another example is if I asked you where you were during 9-11 or when Kennedy was shot or even when they bombed Pearl Harbor, you probably can remember.
  Interestingly a certain amount of emotional involvement helps remembering. That’s why we remember 9-11. But too much can have the opposite effect. Ask someone in an office building nearby, and they may have memory lapses associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  So the trick is to create meaning. For example, if you are going to the grocery store and you want to remember to buy spaghetti sauce, you might think about a trip to Italy or to your favorite Italian restaurant or even about a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western that you enjoyed watching. If it’s not just a forgettable can of sauce, it’s more likely to make its way into your shopping cart.

  Organization

  You are more likely to remember things when you put them in a category. For example, you are off to get your hair cut and you need to get gas and stop off at the store to pick up some fish for dinner. Before you leave the house, think about getting food for yourself and food for your car. That way you are more likely to have remembered these things when you get home.

  Often memory training includes remembering lists of objects, and the more that you do it, the more neuronal connections you can build up in your brain. Let’s say your list is: fish, chair, potatoes, hammer, sofa, screw driver, pliers, bed and apples. As an experiment I invite you to close your eyes and to try to remember this list. I think it’s a pretty overwhelming task.
  Now think about furniture, food, and tools. Think about the fish, apples, and potatoes as food, the bed, sofa and chair as furniture and the screw driver, hammer and pliers as tools. Now close your eyes and see if you can remember more of the list. If you did better, it may be because of organization.

  Organization is actually a way of chunking information. Instead of remembering nine distinct objects, you are remembering 3 categories with 3 pieces of information in each one.
  This can work with numbers too. Instead of 358902, think of three hundred and fifty eight and nine hundred and two. I often use this when I am giving out my phone number. It makes it much easier for the listener to write down the correct digits.

  Visualization

  Visualization is really a way of making information more meaningful to you. For example, if you wanted that spaghetti sauce, you could do more than just remembering your favorite Italian restaurant. Visualize yourself inside the restaurant, see Luigi the star waiter bringing you a steaming plate of spaghetti covered with your favorite marinara sauce, smell the garlic and tomatoes, imagine the taste of the pasta. The more different senses you can use, the more effective the visualization will be, and the more likely you are to remember to pick up spaghetti sauce.

  Let’s say you have a doctor’s appointment on Thursday morning at 10 am. Imagine yourself getting up and having breakfast. See yourself looking at the calendar and seeing that it is Thursday. Imagine getting into your car and traveling on the route that you normally take. Hear yourself listening to your favorite song on the radio. Feel yourself sitting in your car seat. See yourself pulling into the parking lot and going into your doctor’s office. As you enter the door, see the clock saying 10 am.

  Association

  When something is associated with something else, we are more likely to remember it. This is why random facts like proper names or telephone numbers are so hard to remember, because they are not connected to anything else. If you can make the connection, you are more likely to remember.

  For example, if you want to remember Henry’s name, think of Henry the VIII, O’Henry candy bars, Henry Fonda or any other Henry that you know. I just met a Lori the other day, and she was so excited because she had another friend named Ninah. Lori happens to be my middle name, so it was very easy to remember her name.

  The hardest names are the kind that you have never heard of before, the ones where you don’t have direct associations or even name recognition. In these instances you have to be more imaginative. For example, let’s say that you meet Sharika. You may remember the Shari by thinking about Shari Lewis or by associating it with sharing. Think of the “ka” as being the ending of Topeka or Eureka.

  If you have that list of words with hammer, potato and couch, make a story about these objects. For example, think about putting the potato on the sofa and smashing it with the hammer. I guess I though of this aggressive image because I’m tired of senior moments and wish they would go away without me having to work on them. But I wish I had the same metabolism that I had at 20, and neither of these things are going to happen.

  How Computer Programs Can Help

  We have reviewed some easy things that you can do at home involving meaningfulness, categorization, visualization and association which will boost your memory IQ. But there are also specific computer “games” which will improve these abilities, particularly categorization and association, and they also help with things like processing speed, auditory processing and visual processing as well. For example, you may have to click on the object which is not an animal or click on the computer mouse when the object is not the same color at the outline. These games can get more challenging when there are distracters on the screen, time limits or even games where you have to figure out the rules. There are also computer games that that help with attention and with stress reduction. These are just some of the games that we use at the Sparks of Genius Brain Fitness Center, and in addition to games that are personalized for you, you have a coach for support and encouragement.

  So whether you want to use these tips to help improve your memory at home or whether you want to check things out the Sparks of Genius Brain Fitness Center, the important thing to know is that there is a lot that you can do to strengthen your memory and your memories and to enhance your mental fitness.

  I’ll leave you with a final quote from Dr. Marsiske:

  If you have any concerns that you cannot learn new things later in life, put those away. If people put effort into learning new and challenging things after age 65, they can grow in performance. And they can maintain those gains.

  By Ninah Kessler
  Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Life Coach

• 08Oct

  Video Biographies for Alzheimer’s Patients

  Alzheimer's, cognitive decline No Comments

  Gene D. Cohen has created a new way to work with mid-stage Alzheimer’s patients – the one who get confused about who is who in the family. The person with Alzheimer’s can get very frustrated when he can’t figure out who’s on first. And it’s not a warm fuzzy experience for family members when mom can’t remember her daughter’s name.

  Family photos are put on video tape with a family member narrating. Then family members watch the video with the patient. It is an interactive experience, with the family member often stopping to ask the patient questions or to note,” my you look beautiful there.” The patient can also watch the video when family members are not visiting.

  While this treatment does not restore memory, it does wonders for to combat the feelings of helplessness and depression that so often accompany Alzheimer’s. This approach was written up in The Washington Post.

  I have often used photo-therapy with my mom. (Yup, I’m the one whose name she forgot.) I use a low tech approach, taking the family photos from shoe boxes and putting them into albums together. When we look at the albums together it gives us something to talk about when it’s too hard for her to make conversation without some kind of stimulus. It improves her mood, makes the visit more enjoyable for both of us, and I learn snippets of family history. (I never knew my grandmother lived on the lower east side.)

  An allied approach is used by my friend Cantor Jerry Cohn. He goes into nursing homes and assisted living facilities and plays Yiddish songs. People go from nearly dead to fully delighted.

  Just because there is no cure for Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean that there is no treatment. How we interact with people with this disease can make a tremendous difference in their quality of life. These are just a few high and low tech examples of how anyone can make a positive difference.

  By Ninah Kessler, LCSW
  Life Coach

• 26Sep

  Treating Alzheimer’s Through the Nose: A Potential Breakthrough?

  Alzheimer's, cognitive decline No Comments

  If the title seems like science fiction, listen to this. Beka Solomon, a professor at Tel Aviv University, has found in mouse trials that filamentous phages, a harmless bacterial virus found almost everywhere from the depths of the ocean to the lining of the stomach, can be an effective treatment against Alzheimer’s disease when carried to the brain through the nose. Link here.

  Solomon, working in this field for13 years after years of research in immunotherapy, figured if it isn’t possible to send drugs to the brain to treat Alzheimer’s disease the normal way because the blood-brain barrier prevents drugs from moving into the brain, then send them through the nose.

  In mouse trials she found that filamentous phages, a harmless bacterial virus found almost everywhere from the depths of the ocean to the lining of the stomach, can be an effective treatment against Alzheimer’s disease when carried to the brain through the nose.

  The cause of Alzheimer’s is believed to be plaque formation, which causes inflammation in the brain. Professor Solomon administered small doses of these phages through the nasal passages, which have a direct and rapid route to the brain. “There they lock onto the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s and dissolve them, reducing inflammation in the brain without any side effects. The body then gets rid of the waste naturally.”

  Professor Solomon and her research team treated 150 mice with the phage for 12 months and “found the mice that had exhibited the symptoms of Alzheimer’s regained their sense of smell and also showed memory and cognitive improvement. After one year of treatment, they had 80 percent fewer plaques than untreated mice. The phages were eliminated from the brain and secreted from the body in urine and feces. The researchers saw no adverse effects in the peripheral organs – the kidneys, liver, lungs, and spleen biology were all normal. The mice showed very nice recovery of their cognitive function.”

  The researcher presented her findings at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Canada and believes further research is necessary but there is potential for a breakthrough.

  A commercial department of Tel Aviv University is planning to commercialize this research and has licensed the technology to a startup company.

  Just thought you’d like to know.
  –Dr. Rohn Kessler

• 07Sep

  Can Exercises Help Us Hold On To Our Memories?

  Alzheimer's, memory No Comments

  On Labor Day, National Public Radio aired “Can Exercises Help Us Hold On To Our Memories?” (Link here).

  This interview with Dr. Art Kramer (professor of Science and Psychology at the University of Illinois) and Dr. Gary Small (UCLA Center on Aging) was about the efficacy of computer games like Mind Fit and Brain Age. The good news is that you can improve memory, cognitive speed, attention, visual-spatial skills and decision making capabilities. These skills can be retained but the jury is out as to whether they can translate to other skills or can be transferred to the “real world.”

  While these games are promising, they do not take the place of the more comprehensive personal training programs that we have at Sparks of Genius www.sparksofgenius.com. We use a high tech/high touch approach with a specialized computerized program designed for you. In addition to this training, we use a multiple intelligence approach to identify your sparks of genius. We measure your success on the computer and we help you to transfer what you learn to the “real world.”

  The games discussed on NPR work with minor to mild memory related concerns. Used in conjunction with diet, exercise and social interactions, they can enhance memory and cognitive functioning. Dr Kramer mused that one day we could go to our health club, do the memory and speed training skills recommended by our neurologist, do our physical work out and then go to our book club meeting.

  In fact, brain fitness centers like Sparks of Genius are already in existence. At Brain Training Summer Boot Camp for 7-12 year olds, we recently integrated exercises which improve physical and mental strength, stamina, balance and flexibility. Computer games to improve memory and attention were a critical part of the program. Personal Trainers made sure each child had a sense of accomplishment.

  We like and agree with what Jeffrey W. Elias, Ph. D. at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the Editor of Experimental Aging Research had to say on the NPR blog of Can Exercises Help Us Hold On To Our Memories?

  “I believe, and research supports the notion, that activity fostering social or cognitive engagement, while at the same time providing a sense of reward and accomplishment, is good for the soul and the brain. It is not just the activity itself that is important, but the sense of accomplishment and reward often leading to greater willingness to engage in the activities of life. This feeling of increased “self-efficacy” can occur even when the specific effects of training are minimal.”

  So can exercises help us to hold on to our memories? Our answer is yes. And yes, a sense of accomplishment is essential to ongoing success. That’s what Sparks of Genius is all about.

  –Ninah Kessler, LCSW and Rohn Kessler, Ed. D.

• 03Sep

  Memory Care 101

  Alzheimer's, cognitive decline, mTBI, memory, neuroplasticity No Comments

  Why should I even want to take care of my brain? Don’t I have enough to do? Most people are busy enough with their spouse, their parents, their children, their grandchildren, their jobs, their homes, the laundry, paying the bills, their friends and the list goes on.

  The simple answer to this question is that the brain is like a muscle, an extremely complicated muscle. You have a choice about this muscle – you use it or you lose it. So if you want to take care of your brain, one of the things that you need to do to is use it, preferably in new and novel situations.

  For some people, keeping your brain healthy is very natural and you don’t even have to think about it. An example is Bob Woodruff, former anchor for ABC news. When he was young he learned Mandarin Chinese and got a law degree. He wanted to be on top of his game, so he learned about any area that he was reporting on. He liked tennis and other athletic activities so there was lots of rich red blood bringing oxygen to his brain. Oxygen is one of a brain’s favorite things, and it takes most of the body’s oxygen. So Bob Woodruff was blessed with a very healthy brain, which was a good thing because he had a head injury with brain damage in Iraq. He might not have a good recovery if his brain not so healthy to begin with. This is one reason why you might want to take care of your brain. A healthy brain is like shutters in Florida. They may not prevent a hurricane, but they’re more likely to keep your home safe.

  This probably wouldn’t be my first reason to keep my brain healthy. I would just as soon avoid Iraq. I want my brain to be healthy it can support me in interacting optimally in the world. If my brain wasn’t working, I would forget the beginning of this article by the time I got to the middle. If I were a stock broker, I wouldn’t be able to pick the right stocks. If I were a politician, I wouldn’t be able to make decisions that would be good for the country. If I were an orthopedic surgeon, I wouldn’t be able to successfully complete the operation. As the world we live in gets more and more complete, it is more and more important to have a well functioning brain.

  Now some people have a history of satisfaction with their brain. They managed their jobs and their personal relationships, they got from place to place, they ran their houses and they booked their cruises. Then they noticed that their memory was failing. They began to forget names, birthdays, anniversaries. Once they finally found their keys they forget how to get to the restaurant. They started to call everyone “honey” because it was easier than remembering their name. Sometimes they wouldn’t even realize that their memory had changed, but a spouse or a child would notice mental decline. Those who want to prevent, stabilize or possibly reverse memory loss now have options if they start taking care of their brain.

  Keeping the Brain Healthy

  There are many things that we want our brain to do. We want it to focus and pay attention. We want it to be able to do things in a reasonable time. We want it to have mental flexibility and we want it to be able to remember things.

  There are many different levels of keeping the brain functioning optimally, just as there are many different levels of athletic ability, and there is an optimal level for every person. If I want to play tennis, I need to practice my strokes but I’ll never be a Chris Evert. Likewise, if you are a high powered professional who wants to stay on top of your game, working out your brain could help you to keep your edge. But if you’re a senior who is concerned about memory loss, you may never be an Einstein but you can make small changes that could have a significant impact on the way that you live.

  Slowing mental decline is very important, and even if you can prevent further decline for a few years, you are ahead of the game. It could make the difference between living independently and living in a nursing home or in an assisted living.

  If you’re concerned about your brain, you can go to our Sparks of Genius website and take the 39 point learning assessment, which will give you some ideas about what you can do for memory optimization. There are some other excellent web sites, like Cognitive Labs from Stamford University (www.cognitivelabs.com) which even has brain tests and brain games which can optimize cognitive functioning. If you do these two things, you can greatly enhance how your brain is working. But if this is all that you do, you had better be very motivated. You will need to keep playing these games at least a few times a week to see any progress.

  I had a good friend who started working with some of the games that we use in our cognitive playground at Sparks of Genius. She came to the office a few times a month and she was making progress. She leased a cognitive training program and was working out at home. But she and her husband decided that he would coach her at home. So they left our program, stopped training at home and her memory continued to decline. My friend was only 65 when this happened and both her parents lived to be in their nineties. So she has maybe 35 years of impaired quality of life because she didn’t properly care for her brain.

  How Coaching Works

  We have all know the physical fitness model of taking care of ourselves. You eat right and exercise and to improve your health will be better. Your brain health will be better too, because there are nutrients in food that enhances mental functioning. Physical activity is essential because it boost the amount of oxygen in your brain.

  So let’s take the physical fitness model and apply it to brain fitness. Now some people work out from their homes. They run on their treadmill, use weights, bands and a stability ball. They are able to do this on a regular basis and maintain their motivation. I am not one of these people. The main exercise I get at home is walking to and from the refrigerator. My physical health would be a disaster if this was the only way that I took care myself.

  The mental equivalent of this would be someone who uses Berlitz tapes to learn French, does crossword puzzles and brain teasers, read books about Einstein’s equations, has lots of interactions with other people and travels extensively. In other words, they are able to structure their lives so that their brain experiences new and novel situations. It could also be someone who has a stimulating but not overly stressful career. While some stress actually helps to keep you on your toes, too much stress is pretty much bad for everything, including your brain. For example, puzzle master Will Shortz, the crossword editor of the NY Times probably has a very healthy brain. This approach works for a select few but not for most people.

  Then there are people who go to a gym. Some people sign up for a gym every January 1 and maybe they go for a few months. Others are more motivated. They use the machines, the weight training stations, maybe take a class. They stay in pretty decent shape, nothing exceptional, but it’s better than nothing. This is the equivalent of playing games in Cognitive Labs. These games keep your brain functioning if you continue to do them on a regular basis. But it’s easy to get sidetracked one day, and then the next, until you are not doing them anymore.

  Most gyms have personal trainers or coaches and I love to watch them. They help their clients reach their training objectives – whether they want to be “cut” or strengthen their rotator cuffs or be in shape for a triathlon. They teach proper form so that their clients make good use of their time. They have safety tips so their clients are less likely to be injured. They know many different ways of working any particular muscle group and they mix things up so their trainees don’t get bored. Trainers provide information about diet and life style changes. They make appointments for next time so it is more likely to that their clients will return to the gym. In short, those who really want to improve their physical health are much better off with trainers.

  The mental equivalent of this would be to come to our Sparks of Genius playground and work out with your own personal trainer. There you get a program that is customized to meet your brain’s needs.

  Just like bodies, every brain is a little different and there is an optimal blend of brain exercises that will be best for your brain. Just like you can strengthen different muscles in your body, there are different competencies that you can train for your brain – endurance, flexibility, speed, executive functioning, auditory memory, auditory discrimination, visual memory and visual discrimination, to name just a few. Your personal trainer will program different brain exercises for different times and mix it up so that you don’t get bored. Your coach knows what’s good for your brain and can give you other tips about diet and lifestyle changes that can help improve cognitive functioning. Your coach will review the training that you’ve done between sessions as well as assessing how you’re doing at the sessions to make sure that you’re making the best use of your time.

  Remember I told you that the brain was like a very complicated muscle. Why would you want to entrust it to someone who wasn’t an expert?

  For several years we have been working with people for 6 months or a year leasing brain training software, but we are currently developing a new memory tune up program with a shorter time commitment. We look forward to developing a program designed for you. Remember, if your brain isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

  -Ninah Kessler,
  Life Coach

• 26Jul

  Fight Old-Timers, Tooth and Claw!

  Alzheimer's, cognitive decline, memory No Comments

  It is nice to see that Alzheimer’s is getting more and more media attention. Here’s one way that seniors are keeping their Mental Momentum going.

  Each week, she tests wits with a group of people like her who’ve received a diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s. They come to the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation to work puzzles, play word games and compare memories of current events. The hope is that this mental activity will help short-circuit the disease and keep brain wiring intact as long as possible.

  Blais and her classmates, whose ages range from the mid-50s to the 90s, listen to clues and questions and then vie to be the first with the right answer. And those answers come in rapid fire. Surrounded by others with fading memories, no one feels self-conscious.

  -From MSNBC.com

  Will it really work?

  Can these activities really fend off dementia and reduce the frequency of Senior Moments? The evidence is not entirely conclusive, but is strongly suggestive that it works. One thing is certain: sitting on the couch and watching bland TV programs won’t help!

  Good luck,
  Allen Dobkin

• 24Jul

  Brain Training Video Games in the News

  ADHD, ADD, Alzheimer's, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, auditory, cognitive decline, learning disability, mTBI, memory, music, parenting, spatial intelligence, teacher 1 Comment

  There’s good news out there for folks who are looking to increase memory, stave off dementia, reduce the frequency of their “Senior Moments” and have fun doing it. What about training Attention (for Attention Deficit Disorder – ADD)?

  In recent weeks, three new brain training games have arrived on store shelves, each one promising to give us neural networks of steel. There’s “Hot Brain” and “Practical Intelligence Quotient 2,” both playable on Sony’s handheld PSP. And then there’s “Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree” for Nintendo’s new Wii console.

  Full article here.

  But do these games really work?

  Like most things in life, the answer is both yes and no. New and stimulating activities, including these video and puzzle games, can help you “use it” in lieu of “losing it.” So in that regard, yes they can help.

  But once you’ve played a particular game enough times so that the activity is no longer novel, it loses some of its potency. In part this is addressed by offering a variety of games and puzzles. Ultimately, though, these games are not much better than the typical fare you can play online, often for free, at least as far as brain-training is concerned.

  Don’t neglect your 9 IQs

  We all have those 9 IQs: spatial, verbal, math, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinesthetic, naturalist and spiritual. These types of games typically offer spatial, verbal and math style puzzles. That leaves two-thirds of your intelligence untapped.

  If you really want to help “train your brain”, learn to play a new instrument!

  Make new friends, write an article or life story, take up bird-watching, solve an old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle (or a new-fashioned 3D puzzle), play a sport, read something complicated. To train your brain, you sometimes have to STRAIN your brain. Just like a muscle, you’ve got to push your brain beyond its comfort zone and it will respond by making new connections and strengthening existing neural networks. That’s why most video games, television shows and pulp reading don’t help. Their too easy.

  To train your brain, you sometimes have to STRAIN your brain.

  Training executive function and attention, two vital higher-order skills, is a different story, and the Nintendo Wii doesn’t have anything to genuinely fit the bill. There are some games that we use here at Sparks of Genius in our Electronic Playground that you can use at home. You’ll find them on this page.

  So work your brain hard…and if you’re a teacher or parent, then work your kids’ brains hard, too. They’ll thank you for it later (if they don’t forget)!

  Good luck!
  Allen Dobkin

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