| We've all heard that drugs and alcohol can kill brain | | | | and overactivation in the front. And here's the kicker: |
| cells. But when we find our hair dryer in the | | | | when dyslexics underwent intense, effective training |
| refrigerator and misplace our car keys for the fifth | | | | in reading (called "cognitive skills therapy"), there was |
| time in a week, what we really want to know is, | | | | actually a transfer of brain activity to the more |
| "How do we make brain cells grow back?" | | | | efficient automatic processing centers naturally used |
| The truth is, it's not the brain cells you want to | | | | by good readers! The key was to increase the |
| increase, it's the connections between them. These | | | | connections in the part of the brain that is most |
| "synapses" carry information between brain cells, and | | | | effective at automatically decoding and deciphering |
| the more connections you have, the more processing | | | | based on stored and fully processed sound/word |
| power you have. That means faster thinking and | | | | meaning associations. |
| learning. And contrary to what you may have heard - | | | | So how exactly do you increase the number of |
| (such as "your IQ can't change") - enhancing your | | | | connections in your brain? Just like you work any |
| brain is possible through new, repetitive, high-intensity | | | | other muscle: repetitive exercises. Here are a few to |
| input. | | | | get your started: |
| "The root of learning - and brain stimulation - is about | | | | 1. ¿Habla español? Learning a new |
| improving your cognitive skills," explains Tanya | | | | language requires that you analyze new sounds, |
| Mitchell, Director of Training for LearningRx, a national | | | | which not only improves auditory processing skills, but |
| 'brain training' franchise. "Things like auditory and visual | | | | also memory. Most local libraries have foreign |
| processing, memory, processing speed, | | | | language CDs or videos that you can check out, or |
| comprehension, short- and long-term memory, logic | | | | you can sign up for a class at your local community |
| and reasoning, and attention are the underlying tools | | | | college. |
| that enable us to successfully focus, think, prioritize, | | | | 2. Count on it. The Sudoku has taken the world by |
| plan, understand, visualize, remember and create | | | | storm. You can't stand in line at the grocery store |
| useful associations, and solve problems. Part of the | | | | without seeing a pocket-size booklet. The numbers |
| reason that something like tutoring often doesn't | | | | (but not math) game can help increase your logic and |
| work on people with learning disabilities is because it | | | | reasoning skills, as well as memory. And because logic |
| doesn't do anything to improve their cognitive skills. | | | | and reasoning are skills that can (to a certain extent) |
| It's simple rehashing old material, not retraining their | | | | be taught, there are now strategy books for the |
| brains to make new connections." | | | | game. Look for Sudoku booklets that offer gradient |
| And retraining brains to make new connections, or | | | | difficulties (easy, medium and difficult) so you can |
| "brain training," is now taking the world by storm. A | | | | work your way up. |
| recent study published in the Journal of the American | | | | 3. Lose the list. Using mnemonics (triggers to aid |
| Medical Association proved that mental exercises | | | | memory using visual imagery or sounds, such as |
| improve the brain much like physical exercises | | | | rhyming) is a great way to boost your brain while |
| improve the body. The study only solidified what | | | | developing a system to remember things when you |
| many - especially Baby Boomers - already believed, | | | | just can't get to a piece of paper. Here's one |
| as is apparent by the recent surge of "brain training" | | | | example of a number system: |
| video game sales for aging adults. (The best news of | | | | 1=tree (think of the one trunk), 2=legs (think two |
| all? The AMA study was done using senior citizens. | | | | legs), 3=stool (three legs), 4=truck (4 tires) and |
| Now if your PARENTS can improve their brains with | | | | 5=glove (5 fingers). Link the items that you need to |
| mental exercises, there's certainly hope for you!) | | | | remember to your memory objects. If you're |
| Perhaps the most compelling example of how brain | | | | upstairs and realize you need to buy toilet paper, |
| training works was from a study done on the brains | | | | envision yourself wrapping a tree in toilet paper. While |
| of "good readers" vs. dyslexic readers. Using | | | | you're emptying your trash, you run out of bags, so |
| Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRIs) to | | | | you visualize yourself hopping around on two legs in |
| review the patterns of both groups, scientists found | | | | the garbage bag. You just ate the last of the yogurt, |
| that while good readers utilize pathways mostly | | | | so picture yourself pouring yogurt all over the stool. |
| located in the back of the brain with limited activity in | | | | When you get to the grocery store, just remember |
| the front, dyslexics show underactivation in the back | | | | your number system and what you linked to them. |