Cogmed? or other brain-training software?

[Anonymous]

has anyone tried Cogmed? http://www.cogmed.com/

it seems to be a computer program that works out your brain to improve working memory.

i’m looking for ways to improve working memory because mine is completely shitty and it’s tripping up everything else.

I’m disappointed that this Cogmed thing isn’t a widely available piece of software that I can just download and practice on my computer. instead I have to find a local ‘cogmed’ practitioner, and there isn’t one in the major city in which I live. if this stuff is so great individuals should be able to do it on a web-app or buy the software from their website. I know they want you to have an assessment so you have a baseline, etc. etc., but really, it’s not helpful software if it’s not accessible! It shouldn’t be easier to get controlled-substance pills than to access brain-training software. /rant.

i’m going to keep looking for other computer software or exercises to improve working memory.

any other ideas?

brain exercises, meds, vitamins, fairy dust? i’ll try everything

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[JimC.]

Been discussed before. http://totallyadd.com/forum/topic.php?id=1068#post-8673

If I recall, most of the pro cogmed statements are anecdotal, and there is little actual objective research.

Jim

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[Anonymous]

I’m a lifetime member of Lumosity.com. They have some good science behind their games and a ADHD course. Most of the games are short and kind of fun however Dual N Back is pretty intense.

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[Grainy]

Around 2008, I purchased Brain Fitness (by Posit Science). It has both Mac and PC versions. It is meant for improving one’s auditory comprehension, processing and memory, which is what I thought my problem was. This was before I went down the path of ADHD assessment and now realize that it might not have been my auditory memory, but rather that I was zoning out and not hearing what people said in the first place!

Anyway, back in the day, I completed the whole Brain Fitness program (40 X 1 hr sessions, which should be done at the rate of at least 5 sessions per week). One day, about 4 weeks into the program, I noticed myself NOT procrastinating in my daily life — at least, not as much as usual! I now know that procrastination is one of the behaviours of ADHD.

So, my point to this long drawn-out story: You may find some benefit to using Brain Fitness. It can’t hurt, it is meant for home purchase/use, and is fairly affordable (I paid about $280 US back in 2008 for the newly minted Mac version. It’s now about $400. I inquired about CogMed this year, which is available in my city. It needs to be administered by someone + there’s a coach. Cost: about $1800, if I remember correctly. It has a different focus from Brain Fitness, but BF might fit the bill for you in some ways and isn’t such a financial risk. Also, for all that money, you never own CogMed. It’s only on your computer for the duration of the program.). Each one hr session consists of 4 fifteen-minute exercises. There are 6 different exercises in the program. The software chooses which 4 of the 6 you’ll do, and calibrates them to your ability, pushing your brain to be just challenged enough, and ratcheting back down when you seem to need a break. I found it made me sharper in general. (I was about 50 at the time of use.) Since it’s been a few years, I’ve just started re-doing the program, just to get “back into shape”.

Some people use this program to help with chemo brain, menopause fog, old geezer brain, etc. It’s kind of “large print”, so you know they’re expecting lots of seniors with their “moments” using this!

http://www.positscience.com/our-products/brain-fitness-program

http://www.positscience.com/our-products/brain-fitness-program/faq

Good luck.

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[caper]

@Jason: thanks for the reference to lumosity.com. I plan to check it out.

I’ve been using cognitivefun.net

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