[lorisinto]

I saw a special on PBS recently called “The Brain Fitness Program,” it’s been airing through December’s pledge drives. It talked a lot about how our brains change over time and how they specialize for particular functions during the formative years -- an amazing process. One example they gave was the spoon: holding a spoon, and using it to eat, seems fairly rudimentary, when really there are a number of muscles that have to memorize their positions and movements in order to pull it off. And of course, the scientific developments described in the special suggest that our brains retain this plasticity throughout life, so that in a way we can reverse the effects of trauma, and of what has become the “natural” aging process. PBS was offering a Posit Science brain fitness program as a pledge gift, too, suggesting that science has developed some programs for utilizing brain plasticity. Has anyone maybe used one of these programs (or even seen the special I’m talking about)?

[Perna]

Yes, I saw it several times :-) I love it (the program, haven't tried their stuff -- I'm hoping for "Brain Age" and "Brain Age 2" games for my Nintendo for Christmas :-)

Here's their website:

http://www.positscience.com/programs/tour.php

[January]

Hello,

I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI. I died twice that night. A very dedicated team of doctors and nurses wouldn't give up on me and of course, miracles were bestowed upon me that night or I wouldn't be here.

I had to relearn a lot of things and do a lot of healing. It's been almost two years now, and if I get scared or upset I still stutter and my spelling gets really bad. Now I am one of the most clumsy people you'll ever see. I regularly trip, walk into doorways, furniture, people, etc. Yet, that's a small price to pay.

I had to retrain my brain. I spent countless hours coloring complicated patterns. I played computer games that made me match patterns, shapes, etc. I had to relearn how to keep a checking account and count money. I made myself do word puzzles, play card games, and anything else I could think of that made me think.

Can you tell me if the television special mentioned if people with TBIs have to work even harder to keep from losing skills as they age?

Thanks,

Jan

[Perna]

Hey, Jan, they had examples of a couple Veterans with brain injuries and retraining, etc.

But no; no one has to lose skills. They had an elderly New York University professor who had a stroke, couldn't talk, nothing. His son worked with him and he had to learn to crawl again, etc. and was almost 100% "fixed" from a stroke in a part of the brain that they had thought doesn't fix at all! Anyway, he went back to teaching his classes. When he died, his sons wanted an autopsy and the guy who did that showed his neurologist son slides of his brain and the stroke was there to be seen, in the part of the brain that they thought cannot recover and his brain had totally rewired itself! It had totally gone around the "bad" area.

The message was that if you work hard enough (and keep working), the brain can keep up with the body and doesn't have to age any worse than any other part. It can grow and create new connections; has a literal use-it-or-lose-it philosophy, just like the rest of your body's muscles and systems.