Cogmed Working-Memory Brain Training: Overview & Cost

Cogmed is more than a video game. This brain-training software program promises to reduce inattention and hyperactivity, and improve memory in ... FooterLogo ADHDMedication&Treatment NaturalRemediesforADHD BrainTraining WhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutCogmed©Working-MemoryTraining Cogmedismorethanavideogame.Thisbrain-trainingsoftwareprogrampromisestoreduceinattentionandhyperactivity,andimprovememoryinpeoplewithADHD.Whatyouneedtoknowtoassessit. ByADDitudeEditors Verified UpdatedonMarch30,2022 Email Save Save Print Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Oneoft-heardcomplaintaboutcomplementarytherapiesusedtotreatattentiondeficitdisorder(ADHD)isadearthofcontrolledstudiestosupporttheirclaims.Notso,itseemed,withtheworking-memorytrainingdevelopedbyCogmed©inconjunctionwiththeKarolinskaInstitute,amedicaluniversitybasedinStockholm. In2002,Cogmedco-founderTorkelKlingbergpublishedtheresultsofastudythatsuggestedstudentsengagedinworking-memorytrainingcouldimprovetheirscoresonstandardizedtestsafterroughlyfiveweeksofuse.Asimilarstudypublishedin2008wentastepfurther,suggestingthatapersoncouldboostherIQbyafullpointwitheachhourofworking-memorytraining.Since2002,morethan25additionalstudieshavesupportedtheefficacyoftheCogmed©WorkingMemoryTrainingprogramonimprovingADHDsymptoms. Oneofthem,astudypublishedinthejournalPsychologyin2016said,“OurresultssuggestthatCogmed©WMtrainingcouldbeaneffectivetrainingprogramforchildrenwithneurodevelopmentalproblems,withthebestresultsforchildrenwithADHDorlearningproblems.Thesefindingsaddtotheaccumulatingevidencethat[Cogmed©WorkingMemory]trainingmayindeedreduceattentionandmemoryproblems,learningdifficultiesandacademicachievementproblems,andsuggestplasticityofthebraininchildrenwithneurodevelopmentalproblemsacrossawideagerange.” [BoostYourBrainWaves:6BrainTrainingTherapiesforADHD] Thereisjustoneproblem:Accordingto“BrainGamesAreBogus”byTheNewYorker,“ApairofscientistsinEuroperecentlygatheredallofthebestresearch—twenty-threeinvestigationsofmemorytrainingbyteamsaroundtheworld—andemployedastandardstatisticaltechnique(calledmeta-analysis)tosettlethiscontroversialissue.The conclusion:thegamesmayyieldimprovementsinthenarrowtaskbeingtrained,butthisdoesnottransfertobroaderskillsliketheabilitytoreadordoarithmetic,ortoothermeasuresofintelligence.Playingthegamesmakesyoubetteratthegames,inotherwords,butnotatanythinganyonemightcareaboutinreallife.” Otherscientists,arguingthatpreviousresearchlackedcarefulcontrolsandrigorouscognitive-skillstests,haveattemptedtoreproducetheresultsofthe2008studywiththoseenhancementsinplace.Indoingso,teamsfromGeorgiaTechandCaseWesternReserveUniversitybothfoundinsufficientscientificevidencetosupporttheclaimthatworking-memorytrainingimprovesintelligence. Cogmed©standsbyitspromisesandpastresearch,howeverconsumersofthisalternativetherapyshouldknowthatthescientificcommunityisnotunanimousinitssupportofworking-memorytraining. “[Brain-trainingcompanies]claimtogrowthebraincomparedtodoingnothing,buttheydon’tshowthatbraintrainingisbetterthanjustdoinghealthythings,”saysJoelNiggPh.D.,aclinicalpsychologistandaprofessorinthedepartmentsofpsychiatryandbehavioralsciencesat OHSU.“Areyoubetteroffspendinghalfanhourdoingbraintraining,orareyoubetteroffspendingahalfhourtakingawalk?” [10BestBrainTrainingProgramsforChildrenwithADHD] ADDitudetalkedwithBradleyGibson,Ph.D.,leadauthoroftheuncontrolledstudy,publishedin2007bytheUniversityofNotreDame,andBarbaraIngersoll,Ph.D.,aclinicalassociateprofessorinWestVirginiaUniversity’sdepartmentofbehavioralmedicineandpsychiatryandaCogmed©trainer,tolearnhowtheprogramworksfromtwoofitsproponents.Hereiswhattheysaid: Whatisworkingmemory? It’stheabilitytoholdontoinformationlongenoughtoaccomplishaspecificgoal.Youholdaphonenumberinyourmindasyoudialit,oryouholdataskinmind—organizingyourroom,say—asyouworkonit.Weuseworkingmemorythroughoutthecourseofaday. HowdoesimprovingworkingmemoryhelpsomeonewithADHDbecomemorefocused? Whenyouimproveworkingmemory,youimprovefluidIQ—theabilitytosolveproblemsoradapttosituationsastheyoccur.Mostpeoplewhocompletememorytrainingbecomemorealerttotheirsurroundings.Theyarealsomoreawareofsocialcues.(Learnabouttheage-by-ageworking-memory“milestones”here.) Parentssometimesreportthattheirkidsbecomemore“mature.”Theytakechargeoftheirhygieneanddochoreswithoutbeingnagged.Theyremembertobringbooksandmaterialstoandfromschool. HowdoesCogmed©working-memorytrainingwork? Apatientlogsontotheworking-memoryprogram,whichisdownloadedonhishomecomputer.Hecompleteseightexercises,eachcomprising15trials.Theexercisesareinavideo-gameformat—withcolorfulgraphicsandcrispsound. [ADDitudeeBook:‘TheADHDGuidetoMobileApps&DigitalTools’] Inoneexercise,thechildshootsdownfloatingasteroids;inanother,herecallsnumbersinthereverseorderinwhichtheyaregiven;inanother,heremembersthesequenceinwhichrowsoflightsturnon.Thepatientuseshiscomputermousetosubmittheanswers—andearnspointsalongtheway. Theprogramstaysastepaheadoftheperson’sability,makingexercisesincreasinglydifficult.Ifit’sachildwithADHD,atrainercallsonceaweektotalkwiththeparents,troubleshoot,andencouragethechild. AtwhatagecanCogmed© trainingbegin? Thetrainingisrigorous,sofewchildrenundersevencanstickwithit. Howlongisthetraining,andhowmuchdoesitcost? Trainingsessionsrunfiveweeks,fivedaysaweek,foranhoureachday.ThefeeforCogmed©WorkingMemoryTrainingissetbyeachindividualCogmed©QualifiedPracticeandvariesbylocation. Pricesbeginatroughly$1,500persession;braintrainingisnotcoveredbymostmedicalinsuranceplans. Inyourstudies,whatpercentageofpatientsshowimprovementafterthetraining? Childrenhavebeenstudiedmostextensively,andabout75to80percentofkidsshowimprovement—thatis,inattentionandhyperactivityarereduced.KarolinskaInstituteresearchersdidfunctionalMRIsofthechildrentheystudied.TheMRIsshowedphysicalchangesinthebrain’spre-frontalandparietalregionsaftercompletingthetraining.Atsix-monthandone-yearfollow-ups,about80percentofsubjectsmaintainedtheirworking-memorygainsorimprovedonthem.(Editors’note:Cogmedco-founderTorkelKlingberg,M.D.,Ph.D.,isaprofessorofcognitiveneuroscienceatKarolinkaInstituteandisbehindmuchoftheresearchreferencedabove.) Arethereanysideeffects? Therehavebeennoobservedsideeffects.Itdoesn’taffectothertherapies.MostpeoplewhoparticipateintheprogramareonADHDmedication. Isworking-memorytrainingasubstituteformedication? Theprogramdoesnotclaimtoreplacemedication.WhilemanyindividualswithADHDgetgoodresultsonADHDmedication,drugsdon’tusuallymanageallsymptoms.Improvingworkingmemorycanaddressthoselingeringproblems.   Save Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest PreviousArticle NextArticle Advertisement JumptoComments MoreArticlesRecommendedForYou BuildYourMuscles,BuildYourBrain TheADHD-EatingDisordersLink ForgettheLotusPosition:HowtoMeditate—ADHDStyle TheADHDCoach:APersonalTrainerForYourBrain YourBrain’sGPSIsGlitchy:WhyWorkingMemoryFailsandHowtoBolsterIt HorsePower:EquineTherapyforADHD AftertheShame:HowtoRe-CenterYourBruisedEmotions WhatIsIntegrativeMedicineforADHD?AHolisticHealth&WellnessGuide 1Comments&Reviews LeaveaReplyCancelreplyYoumustbeloggedintopostacomment. FreeNewsletter TreatingADHD Foodandnutrition,medication,supplements,naturaltherapies,andmore. EmailAddress SignUp Advertisement ReadTheseNext HowtoSharpenExecutiveFunctions:ActivitiestoHoneBrainSkills AreEverydayToxinsCausingADHD? 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