improving working memory

[memegarden]

I'm doing some research on demonstrably effective methods for improving working memory, to help one of my students, and I found this article.

Highly relevant excerpt:

People with ADHD tend to have difficulty with working-memory capacity, and that deficit could be responsible for their tendency to be distracted and resulting problems at school,

Comments

[jehannamama]

That's really interesting!

I get so tired of doctors and such who say there is nothing you can do but medicate.

I thought this bit was interesting

[qijm]

"It seems to me that children in the training group may have learned to have a better attitude toward the testing situation, whereas children in the control group--who repeated easy problems--may have learned that the testing situation was boring and uninteresting"

It seems possibly related to the issues explored in The Power (and Perl) of Praising your Kids.

Re: I thought this bit was interesting

[nbarnes]

I'd be very interested in The Perl of Praising Your Kids.

Re: I thought this bit was interesting

[memegarden]

*eyeroll*

Re: I thought this bit was interesting

[qijm]

I just had a nightmarish vision of "ESR's parenting tips for geeks".

[corvideye]

Speaking of ADHD, have you seen how they've recently discovered that a significant number of those kids can be cured via tonsillectomies? Turns out sleep apnea is often a cause. Funny thing, when I don't sleep well I have trouble concentrating, too...

[memegarden]

Huh, that is very interesting.

Meowse has attentional & mood problems that are all tidily explained by not sleeping enough, too, and which seem to be getting better with his currently devoting much more time to sleep. Of course, not this week, since he's eating wheat, on doctor's orders, for the sake of a test to see whether he has celiac disease, and we already know eating wheat makes him miserable....

[corvideye]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=40958

"about half of the children in the study who were found to have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder before tonsil surgery no longer met criteria for this diagnosis one year later. Other cognitive and behavioral issues also improved."

I've had chronic insomnia for about the last 10 years, and I definitely feel it's negatively affected my short term memory and sense of mental continuity. Also, probably due to reduced REM, I don't have as many interesting dreams as I did in my 20s, which used to be a big source of creative imagery. (But maybe there's something age-related about that too?) In the last year, though, I've started having more meaningful dreams again, which is nice... several lately where it seemed like I got that direct line into the subconscious back.

[memegarden]

Thanks for the link.

Wow, that sucks about the long-term insomnia. I'm glad you're starting to do some good dreaming again.