POSITSCIENCE PROGRAM

PRIMER Brain Plasticity

WHAT IS BRAIN PLASTICITY? Ability of brain to grow and

reorganize itself POSITIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY: Brain grows

in more efficient way NEGATIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY: Brain

grows or reorganizes in less efficient way

Negative brain plasticity results in cognitive decline, but is preventable with training!

FACTORS WHICH RESULT IN NEGATIVE PLASTICITY

Brain disuse Noisy processing Weakened neuromodulatory control

Negative learning

HOW THE PROGRAM HELPS Program reverses negative brain plasticity and improves auditory stimuli in the brain.

PROGRAM DRIVES POSITIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY

1. Engages brain to reverse brain disuse that drives negative plasticity.

Uses repetition, success and rewards

PROGRAM DRIVES POSITIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY (CONTINUED)

2. Increases ability of brain to extract meaningful information in a noisy environment.

Engages memory and cognitive systems to improve accuracy.

PROGRAM DRIVES POSITIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY (CONTINUED)

3. Strengthens neuromodulatory system to open gates to brain plasticity. Attention (acetycholine) Reward (dopamine) Novelty (norepinephrine)

PROGRAM DRIVES POSITIVE BRAIN PLASTICITY (CONTINUED)

4. Guides user out of learned behaviors into new behaviors.

Requires attentive and active listening

POSITIVE PLASTICITY New Challenging Progressive Engages sensory systems Rewarding Novel or surprising

SOME ADDITIONAL WAYS TO IMPROVE BRAIN POWER (ONLY A SAMPLING)

Exercise Healthy food Music Video games Meditation No smoking and limit alcohol Certain supplements may help Quality of sleep important Talk, write, socialize Laugh

Hands on: Let’s improve our brains!