Journal

Just 9 minutes of viewing a fast-paced television cartoon had immediate negative effects on 4-year-olds’ executive function. Parents should be aware that fast-paced television shows could at least temporarily impair young children’s executive function:

The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children’s Executive Function

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention,” as talked about here.

Fashionable of late have been the many promises held out by brain health research.  Marketers have grabbed hold of some scientific evidence that shows that keeping an active mind as we age may help to ward off cognitive decline.  Everything from computer games to crossword puzzles are advertised with “good for your brain” slogans, like packaged foods at the store which promise to be “good for your heart.”  But doing crossword puzzles only makes you better at doing crossword puzzles, it does not ward off dementia.  The types of activities those studies are referring to include living in a foreign country for awhile, learning a new language, learning to play the piano, learning ballroom dancing.  The common denominator here is rigorous.

A recent study which captured my attention because of its remarkable scope and depth (over 800 pages) comes from our own local Duke University.  Funded by the NIH, it is an exhaustive compendium and analysis of every major study undertaken on cognitive decline. It covers diet, exercise, supplements, cognitive training, social support systems and so on.  Of all the serious published scientific studies ever undertaken in this field, only one activity has any solid evidence that it can slow mental decline as we age – cognitive training.  After researching this for a bit I discovered that the reality falls short of the promise when it comes to solid scientific data on which types of training actually offer benefit.  One did rise to the surface, it is called “Dual N-Back.”  Dual N-Back is a computer program which challenges your memory in a continuous, repetitive fashion.  Research has shown that those who engage in this for 20 minutes a day for 30 days actually do what was previously thought impossible – they increase their IQ.  Even more fascinating, this rise in IQ lasts for some time after training finishes.  It does decline, however, prompting the researches to say “as with physical exercise, no pain, no gain.”  It has to be maintained.

There are free versions of this program.  I decided to give it a go for 22 days, choosing later in the evening to do my training.  Here is my result:

Dual N-Back

There are several things to note here. First, I noticed each significant surge forward (days 9 & 17) had a correction back to the average the day after. I have read that after so many gains are had, the brain needs to consolidate. This drop back is seen at days 10 and 18.  At first I was discouraged but then I realized my brain is learning, resting and preparing for more growth.  During the training period I was away with my dad for six days and missed each day. My return can be seen on day 11. I quickly recovered my losses the day after, however. The highest “N-Back” level I attained was 6, which I found remarkable. This occurred on day 17 (the graph shows the average level attained during each session), though I suspect some luck was involved.  I’m currently able to easily remain on level 4, though with some errors, and move a few times into level 5.  What is fascinating about this program is that your brain wants to try to memorize the square positions and spoken letters as they are presented, but a passive, intuitive approach is generally required for the higher levels.  Then it becomes a matter of moving into your right hemisphere, as occurs with art.  I am interested in when that line will begin to level off. I suspect it will be soon.

Finally, it may be coincidence but it is an impressive one if so: for every day I have done this training I have had the most vivid dreams since my youth.

This interesting article in a Dec 26, 2009 Wall Street Journal talks about the very real limits of the prefrontal cortex, which controls things like willpower, resolutions, and the ability to focus ones attention. The metaphor used is that of “willpower-as-muscle,” and the cortex can easily be asked to do too many things, much as a muscle can be asked to lift too much, or be strained for too long.  The article talks about the very real necessity of energy (food). Skipping meals makes it significantly harder to, say, quit cigarettes. Distraction can play an important role to control willpower. Since the mind can only focus on so many things at once, those who are able to replace temptations with other thoughts fare significantly better at resisting them. Finally, the cortex can be strengthened just like a real muscle. Students asked to improve their posture for two weeks showed a marked improvement on subsequent measures of self-control. This suggests that practicing mental discipline in one area enhances abilities in other areas.  I would like to study this entire area in greater depth, particularly since one of my interests for 2010 is to stay within my limits more, and do more things, or do them better through greater attention, by maintaining boundaries and respecting limitations.