Cogmed Working Memory Training
Cogmed Working Memory Training is a software-based intervention designed to improve working memory in people with attention deficits. Through active and engaging exercises, the user trains at home five days a week for five weeks. Every participant has a Cogmed Coach from our practice who leads the training, analyzes results and provides encouragement through weekly phone calls. This software has been specifically created for people with attention deficits by game developers working closely with psychologists and medical researchers. Cogmed RM® and Cogmed QM® consist of active and engaging exercises that automatically increase in difficulty as the participant improves. Published, peer-reviewed and controlled clinical studies have demonstrated that, upon completion of Cogmed Working Memory Training, 80% of participants have significantly improved their ability to concentrate and use complex reasoning skills.
Working memory is the cognitive function responsible for keeping information online, manipulating it, and using it in your thinking. It is the way that you delegate the things you encounter to the parts of our brain that can take action. In this way, working memory is necessary for staying focused on a task, blocking out distractions, and keeping you updated and aware about what’s going on around you.
We use our working memory constantly in daily life helping us to perform efficiently and effectively in academic, professional, and social settings. Cogmed exists to help you improve your working memory to be better equipped to meet your challenges.
Students
Extensive research has shown working memory to be a cognitive function critical to learning and reasoning. Working memory is necessary for comprehending long sentences, following sets of instructions, and problem solving. It is also important for controlling attention and maintaining task-relevant information in the classroom. Some studies have found working memory to be the single most important factor in determining general intellectual ability.
Poor working memory can be the cause of a significant impairment for students. This is why working memory capacity is a very good predictor for academic success – and why working memory capacity is strongly correlated with students’ performance, particularly in reading and math. The Cogmed training is an evidence-based, computer training program that can be effectively implemented in schools to strengthen students’ learning abilities.
Cogmed Working Memory Training is already implemented successfully in schools in Sweden, Cogmed’s original market. More than 400 Swedish schools currently use Cogmed to allow their students to improve their working memory. In North America, Cogmed is now working with the first group of pilot schools.
Professionals
In the work place, professionals are increasingly bombarded with information and are challenged to stay on track, prioritize activities, and overcome the constant distractions that slow productivity. Working memory is crucial in this environment.
Professionals with a strong working memory capacity are efficient with their time and well equipped to multi-task. They perform well under pressure, remain organized, and stay focused on the task at hand.
Elderly
Working memory peaks at 25 years of age, after which people lose 5-10% of their working memory every decade. By 75 a quarter to a half of working memory is gone. Studies have shown that after just 5 weeks of Cogmed training individuals have brought their working memory back to the level they had when they were 25 years old.
Athletes
Working memory is crucial for athletes who thrive on their ability to make split-second decisions. For athletes at all levels, the ability to quickly connect their understanding of their sport with what is unfolding in front of them, can make the difference between success and failure. Working memory is crucial for performing under stress – it allows athletes to recognize the best action quickly, and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. This way, strong working memory is a tremendous asset on the sports field. Working memory determines an athlete’s ability to make split second decisions and be effective.