One Brain's journey » programs

Music Can Make You Smarter…Or At Least Less Skeptical?

Brian Rogers — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:46:12 +0000

Recently, I came cross a reference to the Mozart effect and, although the term sounded vaguely familiar, I really didn’t know what it meant and had to read a definition. That was illuminating as it lead back to a reference to a physician named Alfred A. Tomatis and his work with children with learning disorders and some other crippling neurological problems by improving listening skills. I was quite familiar with Tomatis. But first to back to the Mozart effect which says that listening to Mozart’s music will increase intelligence by eight to nine points–even if just temporarily. This caused quite a stir in the educational community when it was first revealed some years ago. One State Governor in the U.S. even had each pubic school student in his state supplied with a CD containing classical music. Okay, you run into claims like this on the general topic of education almost every day. However, when I found out much of the original research (actually clinical experience) was performed by Alfred Tomatis who was an ear, nose and throat specialist and used listening therapies (some involved listening to Mozart) to improve learning disabilities in children I became quite intrigued. Some 15 or so years ago when I was working as a management consultant, my firm was contacted by The Listening Centre in Toronto to request some pro bono consulting. I was chosen and went for an initial meeting with the two people who ran the centre. I have forgotten what services they required but I do remember how impressed I was with them as people and the passion they had about their mission to treat children with learning disorders using methods developed by Tomatis. Soon after I left the firm and performed the work for them as an independent consultant waiving any fees. Some time later, a friend came to visit, a man I had shared a flat with many years previous in London. He had become quite a famous actor (instantly recognizable in Dublin if not Toronto or New York) and had actually been passing through Toronto on his way from Vancouver back home to Dublin. Ray suffered from Tinnitus and I knew this was one of the disorders The Listening Centre claimed to be able to treat so I called them and asked if they would see Ray. They agreed to do the assessment for free but since Ray did not live in Toronto and there were no Tomatis practitioners in Dublin they could only recommend alternative treatment to the “electronic ear” that was at the heart of their regular program. Well to cut to the point it worked. Ray went home to Dublin, did the things they recommended (most of which I don’t remember save some things about diet) and got relief from a disorder that had been plaguing him for years.

Now, I know that there are a lot of treatments out there they looked like quackery even a few decades ago that utilize neuroplasticity to effect cures, or at least relief, for ailments that were thought to be permanent. Why am I writing about this in this post on this blog? The Mozart effect did not really go anywhere and I’m sure that almost no one now remembers Alfred Tomatis. The Listening Centre in Toronto fell on hard times, could not pay their rent and closed. One of the practitioners took up another career while the other followed some interest in the method to Mexico where there was a supportive clientele. But these days I read daily about miracles involving neuroplasticity. There are people blinded by strokes who can see again, Alzheimer’s patients that have no neurological symptoms, schizophrenics who improve their working memory and become symptom free. We are on the frontier of many great discoveries but to get there we might have to put away our skepticism and allow ourselves to experience awe and wonder without the dash of skepticism so many of us have developed as adults to prevent disappointment in chasing down blind channels or after miraculous cures. I say us and I mean me and if I write it hear perhaps I will be a little more likely to follow the advice of Herbert Spencer who wrote: “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance–that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

Don’t Give Up Too Early On New Year’s Resolutions

Brian Rogers — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:03:16 +0000

By now, two weeks into the new year, some of you may already have made and broken at least one New Year’s resolution. Don’t despair. If your resolution involved forming a new habit, like going to the gym at least twice a week, it may take just a little longer than two weeks to become fully formed. Neuroplasticity research indicates that new habits can rake three to four weeks to become part of your daily life. I have written about the dark side of neuroplasticity in previous posts but the lessons are these for breaking old habits and forming new ones:
1. You can do it but it will take time and effort and, most importantly, planning
2. You will have to go about it very deliberately
3. You will have to persist–three or four weeks or longer
4. If you revert to an old habit, just try again…persist

For myself, I am renewing a resolution I and a friend made last year. We had done our grading for first degree black belts in karate two years previously, and were going to go for our second degree. We didn’t make it. His health had worked against him and as for me…well the teachers who were guiding us didn’t think I was ready. So this New Year’s resolution is the same. Just last week I ran into another black belt that went for the grading as my friend and I and he told me he did the second degree grading last June. I was dismayed and amongst the many thoughts that ran through my head was one about dropping out of karate altogether. That one saddens me since I took up the martial art in the first place to improve my cognitive functioning. I didn’t entertain that thought for long and have now recommitted.

Arrowsmith To Be Restored in Toronto’s Catholic Schools

Brian Rogers — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:39:06 +0000

The controversy over the Arrowsmith Program in the Toronto Catholic District School Board is pretty well over. Richard Allway, the newly appointed supervisor of the board is overturning the decision to cut the Arrowsmith program from schools ending a lawsuit brought by parents against the board and Ontario’s Education Minister.

In a letter to parents Mr.Allway stated that after careful review and in consultation with the board’s director of education, the program would be continued for students already enrolled until 2012. He also stated that he was sure that the rationale to cut it in the first place was at the time in keeping with the best of human and fiscal resources.

Arrowsmith was one of the first programs designed to improve performance in children with learning disorders that exploited the concept of neuroplasticity. The program arose from techniques developed by Barbara Arrowsmith Young to address her own learning problems. Her aim was not to compensate for her weaknesses but to strengthen the cognitive capacities underlying them.

More On Arrowsmith

Brian Rogers — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:52:48 +0000

The Toronto Sun reported today that the Scarborough-North York trustee for the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), John Del Grande, has called for an emergecy meeting to reopen the TCDSB’s decision to drop the Arrowsmith Program, for reasons of cost, just two days before the school year end last June. This latest move happened just hours after some parents of chidren who had been in the program filed a lawsuit naming the Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne and the province’s supervision team as well as the TCDSB. The notice of application for judicial review asks for the immediate reinstatement of the Arrowsmith program and that the court review the decision to cancel it. Lawyers acting for the parents claim the supervision team headed by Norbert Hartman was acting outside of its jurisdiction when they cancelled the special education program. John Del Grande said that the move goes against the decision of the Board’s special education advisory committee which had recommended keeping the program until at least 2011. One of the parents involved in the suit said, “All we want is a fair shake for the kids.”

Arrowsmith In The News Again

Brian Rogers — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:52:04 +0000

A month or so back I wrote that one of the first neuroplasticity programs, Arrowsmith, was about to be dropped by the Toronto Catholic District School Board fo reasons of cost. It’s a little more complicated than that. The Board had asked Arrowsmith to waive their fees over the next two years while the Board conducted a study to see specifically if the program made a difference to subjects in the classroom. There is a similar program using Cogmed Working Memory Training currently running at Sick Children’s’ Hospital in Toronto under the auspices of Rosemary Tannock. Arrowsmith refused and the Board dropped it. Well now it seems that the parents of the children who were enrolled in the program, there are about 70 of them, are taking the Board to court to get them to reverse the decision saying, according to an article in the Toronto Sun, that “the children enrolled in the program will be irreparably harmed.” Named in the suit are: Education Minister’s provincial supervisor Norbert Hartmann, associate supervisor Norm Forma and the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Michael Watson, a partner at Gowling, Lafleur, Henderson LLP, speaking on behalf of the parents said, the case, which has yet to be proven in court, isn’t about money, it’s about helping those children. ” Parents can disagree with decisions of the board … what’s really different about this case is we say this decision was made completely unlawfully and contrary to various provisions of the regulations under the Education Act and beyond the jurisdiction of the supervision team,” Mr Watson says that this team has interfered with and meddled in a very important special education program of the board under the guise of a budget matter. He went on to say that the parents fundamentally believe in the Arrowsmith Program and that it has achieved results.

Cogmed Training Works Even Better With Stimulants

Brian Rogers — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:50:31 +0000

A new study, that will be published in the August edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology, conducted at the University of York in the U.K. shows that stimulant medication significantly increases visuo-spatial working memory but that Cogmed Working Memory Training leads to significant improvements in all four critical measures of working memory: verbal and visuo-spatial short-term and visuo-spatial working memory. In addition the training effects were still in place when the subjects were retested six months later.

The subjects were 25 children with ADHD. The study is the latest from the team of Joni Holmes Ph.D and Susan Gathercole Ph.D who have been performing independent research examining the impact of Cogmed training on subjects with ADHD and working memory problems.

Toronto School Board Considering A Number Of Neuroplasticity Programs

Brian Rogers — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:47:12 +0000

Simultaneously with the Toronto Catholic District School Board axing the Arrowsmith Program, four other neuroplasticity programs are being considered for adoption by the non-sectarian Toronto District School Board. The four are Arrowsmith, Cogmed Working Memory Training, Fast ForWord and Wasdell SMaRts. Two of the programs, Cogmed and Fast ForWord are being used in Toronto schools now. Arrowsmith has been employed in the Catholic Board for the last ten years and had previously participated in a number of studies of effectiveness although none of these studies measured changes in the actual classroom.

Another study assessing Cogmed is scheduled to start this fall under the supervision of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children researcher Rosemary Tannock. This study in Ontario’s demonstration school will track 120 students who are severely learning disabled. According to Tannock, “The big question is not just whether Cogmed can improve working memory but will it really improve classroom performance.” A further study using Cogmed is set to begin with students at the University of Toronto.

Why Cogmed?

Brian Rogers — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:45:24 +0000

I have mentioned several times in past posts that I do marketing work for Cogmed in Canada but this simple description does not really do the relationship justice and I thought it timely to revisit the topic. I chose Cogmed. I went looking for them. That journey began when my most skeptical friend who works for Psychological Services for one of the largest school boards in the country first told me about Cogmed with an enthusiasm he rarely displays and I thought we might together acquire a license. From my first contact with their head office in Stockholm, to my first visit with a practice in Canada I was impressed with their professionalism and integrity.

We didn’t meet Cogmed’s fairly strict requirements for a license and so I decided to offer my services to build their brand in Canada and to further public understanding of the concept of neuroplasticity, which is necessary to understand how Cogmed works or that it should work at all. That is one of the reasons I started this blog. The blog though, as anyone who has been reading it will understand, is very much a personal view. Am I biased towards Cogmed? Yes, is the short answer. I am biased because I know their working memory training does what they say it’s supposed to to. I have a bias towards Cogmed because of their professional and thorough approach to the commercialization of research conducted by the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and I am biased towards them because I know their product is backed by solid, ongoing and peer-reviewed, validation studies.

I do work for Cogmed because they pay me to do it but also because I have an intense and personal fascination with the concept of neuroplasticity and the role of working memory in so many mental health issues. For some time I was quite depressed about how my own life had been shaped by what has turned out to be problems with working memory and I was determined that somehow this could be have some meaning if I could make others aware of the role of working memory in mental health disorders and the fact that it can be improved.

Only you the reader can decide whether I have made a dent in that objective. I hope you will post a comment or two on this blog, from time to time, and let me know if you, or someone you know, has problems such as those discussed in the blog and if what is published here has been helpful.

I also hope your journey can be as interesting and exciting as mine has been and continues to be.

Pioneer Program For LD Students May Get Axed

Brian Rogers — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:42:00 +0000

On June 30th, The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) will decide whether to renew its contract with the Arrowsmith Program. The TCDSB had invited Arrowsmith to waive its fees for two years while the Board conducted a review of the effectiveness of, Arrowsmith, as well as other programs designed to improve cognitive functioning in learning disabled students. Arrowsmith declined in a letter to the Board dated May 27th, 2009.

The Arrowsmith Program was developed at the Arrowsmith School in Toronto and has been available in the TCDSB for about a decade. The goal of the Arrowsmith Program, according to Arrowsmith: “is to help students strengthen the weak cognitive capacities underlying their learning dysfunctions. The Arrowsmith Program deals with the root causes of the learning disability rather than managing its symptoms.” It was one of the first programs for learning disabled students to apply the principles of neuroplasticity.

A memo from the Director of Education for the TCDSB to the Committee of the Whole for the Board indicated that the cost of delivery of the Arrowsmith Program to each student is roughly $14,000. Costs of delivery include yearly salaries for one full time teacher and one assistant at each school. The site license fee from Arrowsmith for the seven schools delivering the program is $174,000. For the TCDSB the issue if both program effectiveness and cost.

Currently, there are 70 students in the TCDSB enrolled in the program.

Changing The Brain But How?

Brian Rogers — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:25:55 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, Cogmed, the people I do some work for, released results of study that show that Cogmed Working Memory Training changes the density of dopamine (D1 to be specific) receptors in the brain.

I was quite encouraged by this study, for a number of reasons, for one it would appear that the changes brought about by Cogmed Working Memory Training are probably longer lasting than what might be accomplished by medication. It would also seem to indicate that the process is quite complex and, although this was already more or less established by the researchers at Cogmed, the changes have some permanency.

In an interview on a podcast about the study on the Science site*, Torkel Klingberg, the developer of Cogmed, explained that either too much or too little dopamine is not good. He went on to explain that in many of the subjects the number of dopamine receptors was decreased and in a lesser number there was actually a small increase in the number.

It seems to me that what the training accomplishes is an adjustment in dopamine receptor density, the end result of which is an improvement in working memory. I know from my own reading that dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is made more available by stimulant medication. I take Ritalin to accomplish this. Why Cogmed training would decrease the number of dopamine receptors and end up making things work better is a mystery to me, as it would seem that this would make less dopamine available in the brain.

I do realize though that this thinking is just my response of trying to simplify something that is much more complicated than my self-education allows me to understand.

I will write again as the meaning of this study becomes clearer…

*http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;323/5915/800/DC2