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Feb 17
IKEA Canada has initiated a recall for repair action on its Sniglar crib for infants. There have been no reported cases of injury.
The four bolts provided to secure the mattress support are not long enough. This can cause the mattress support to detach and collapse, creating a risk of entrapment and suffocation to a child in the crib.
About 6,000 cribs have been sold in Canada. Customers can contact IKEA for a free repair kit for recalled cribs or return the crib for a full refund.
Tagged as: Crib recall -
Energy drinks pose serious health risk to kids: Canadian medical journal
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Feb 14Carly Weeks
From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jul. 26, 2010 12:43PM EDT
Last updated Monday, Feb. 14, 2011 9:55AM EST
A critical editorial published by Canada’s leading medical journal is the latest move a mounting effort to convince the federal government to crack down on the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to minors.
Energy drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine – some more than five times the amount in a can of cola, or nearly double the amount in a cup of brewed coffee – can pose serious health risks to children and adolescents and require stronger warning labels, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal’s editorial.
“It is time for the federal minister of health to be awakened and alerted to concerns about energy drinks sold to children,” states the editorial, written by Noni MacDonald, section editor of population and public health at CMAJ, Matthew Stanbrook, CMAJ’s deputy editor, scientific, and editor-in-chief Paul Hébert.
“Strict regulations are required if business practices and consumer trends are not curbed.”
The editorial comes as an increasing number of health experts and consumer advocates are urging action.
The Medical Society of Prince Edward Island has been pushing for the province to restrict the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to young people.
The House of Commons health committee has also been investigating the use of caffeine in energy drinks and other carbonated beverages. In June, it heard from a man named James Shepherd who said his 15-year-old son died from an unexplained arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) in 2008 after he had consumed a Red Bull energy drink. He said he believes the drink contributed to his son’s death.
Chris Turner, Health Canada’s director-general of the marketed health products directorate, said the department has received several dozen reports of adverse reactions linked to energy drinks, and that 15 of them were cardiac events.
Red Bull is one well known example of a caffeinated energy drink. But as the market has exploded in recent years, a growing number of products that deliver high levels of caffeine are available.
Unlike cola drinks or similar carbonated beverages, energy drinks usually contain much higher levels of caffeine.
For instance, a 250-ml bottle of Coca-Cola contains 26 milligrams of caffeine, according to the company’s web site. But a 75-ml bottle of Rockstar “energy shot” contains 200 mg of caffeine. A 355-ml can of Red Bull contains 113.6 mg of caffeine.
Health Canada says children between 10 and 12 should not consume more than 85 mg of caffeine a day (children 4 to 6 should not exceed 45 mg, while those 7 to 9 should not exceed 62.5 mg). Healthy adults shouldn’t consume more than 400 mg a day, the department says.
It doesn’t have specific limits for teens because it says there is “insufficient data,” but recommends caffeine consumption for that group not exceed 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight.
Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to irritability, loss of sleep or nervousness. But there is also concern that its stimulating effects can cause rapid heat rate, an abnormal rhythm or other problems that could have serious health consequences.
One of the major reasons for concern, according to the editorial, is that makers of energy drinks regularly target young consumers through event sponsorships and promotional materials.
For instance, Rockstar sponsors off-road racing and extreme sports events.
Health experts are also concerned by the fact many young people may mix energy drinks with alcohol, a potentially dangerous combination because the stimulating effects of caffeine can allow an individual to drink more over a longer period of time, which could lead to alcohol poisoning or risky behaviour.
Caffeinated energy drinks are sold as natural health products in Canada. They must undergo a review to determine they are safe and effective and those that are approved have a licence number printed on their label, according to Health Canada spokesman Gary Holub.
But since there is a major backlog of products to be reviewed and approved by Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate, the government has allowed many to go on sale while waiting for approval. That could mean some energy drinks and other natural health products on the market have never been reviewed for efficacy or safety.
But Mr. Holub suggested some energy drinks could represent a section of the market that may soon see increased scrutiny. He wrote in an e-mail that Health Canada is “reviewing the latest information and safety data on energy drinks and reassessing the labelling requirements for these products.”
To date, Health Canada has approved 18 energy drinks as natural health products, including eight varieties of Red Bull and six types of Full Throttle energy drinks.
Red Bull and other companies that sell caffeinated energy drinks did not respond to requests for comment.
Refreshments Canada, an industry association representing beverage makers, issued a statement saying companies that sell caffeinated energy drinks are responsible and don’t engage in marketing campaigns aimed at children. It states that energy drink labels clearly indicate the products should not be consumed by children and that the products have been approved for sale in more than 100 countries.
It also sent a letter to Dr. Hébert stating the CMAJ’s editorial wrongly insinuates that energy drink makers target youth or are unregulated.
“Energy drinks are intended for adults and clearly indicate on the label that this category of beverage is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who are sensitive to caffeine,” Refreshments Canada president Justin Sherwood said in the letter.
Tagged as: Energy Drinks Danger To Kids -
Curry spice could fight stroke damage
Filed under All Articles, Health and Wellbeing (No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Feb 14Study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center presented at American Heart Association International Stroke Conference
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 9, 2011) – Whether or not you’re fond of Indian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern food, stroke researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center think you may become a fan of one of their key spices.
The scientists created a new molecule from curcumin, a chemical component of the golden-colored spice turmeric, and found in laboratory experiments that it affects mechanisms that protect and help regenerate brain cells after stroke. Research scientist Paul A. Lapchak, Ph.D., director of Translational Research in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will present these findings at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 6:15 p.m. PST.
Only one drug is now approved for ischemic stroke, which occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Commonly called a “clot-busting drug,” tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is injected intravenously to dissolve clots and reinstate blood flow. If blood and oxygen are restored in time, consequences of the stroke, such as speech, memory, movement and other impairments, may be reduced.
The new curcumin-hybrid compound—CNB-001—does not attack clots but instead repairs stroke damage at the molecular level that feed and support the all-important brain cells, neurons.
Curcumin has been studied for its potential to treat brain injury and disease, and while the substance itself looks promising, it has several drawbacks, especially as an emergency stroke treatment, which must be quick to be effective: It is not well absorbed in the body, fails to reach its target in high concentrations, becomes depleted quickly, and is blocked from entering the brain by a natural protective mechanism called the blood-brain barrier.
“CNB-001 has many of the same benefits of curcumin but appears to be a better choice of compound for acute stroke because it crosses the blood-brain barrier, is quickly distributed in the brain, and moderates several critical mechanisms involved in neuronal survival,” Lapchak says, adding that he and his colleagues expect the new drug to move to human clinical trials soon.
When brain tissue is deprived of blood and oxygen, a cascading series of interrelated events triggers at the molecular level, breaking down the normal electrical and chemical “signaling pathways” responsible for nourishing and supporting neurons. The environment quickly becomes toxic, killing brain cells and destroying their support structures.
Theoretically, interrupting these harmful events and restoring normal pathway function could prevent cell death and the memory and behavioral deficits that result, but it will take a cocktail of drugs or a drug capable of targeting many mechanisms to correct the many pathways damaged by stroke, Lapchak says. CNB-001protects brain cells from damage by repairing four major pathways. One mechanism also plays a major role in the growth and survival of neurons.
The drug reduced stroke-caused “motor deficits”—problems of muscle and movement control—in this laboratory study. It was effective when administered up to an hour after stroke, which correlates with about three hours in humans, the same time frame for which tPA is currently approved.
Lapchak and colleagues at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies used the same laboratory rabbit model to mimic human stroke that earlier researchers had employed before the clot-busting drug tPA entered clinical trials. Patrick D. Lyden, M.D., chairman of Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Neurology, helped lead a major trial that resulted in the Food and Drug Administration’s 1996 approval of tPA, still considered the stroke treatment gold standard.
Those who cook Indian, Thai, Malay and Persian dishes know turmeric well for its zesty flavor, use in curries and for the rich color it imparts to food. Turmeric also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine.
Grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, supported the CNB-001 study (NS060685 to PAL).
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Citation: American Heart Association International Stroke Conference Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 6:15 p.m
Tagged as: Curry spice could fight stroke damage -
Jan 27
Lawsuit asks Taco Bell: Where’s the beef?
By: Bob Johnson , The Associated Press
Date: Tuesday Jan. 25, 2011 2:11 PM PT
An Alabama law firm is suing Taco Bell claiming the restaurant chain is using false advertising when it refers to using “seasoned ground beef” or “seasoned beef” in its products.
The meat mixture sold by Taco Bell contains binders and extenders and does not meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labelled as “beef,” according to the legal complaint.
The class-action lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in the Central District of California by the Montgomery, Ala., law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles.
Lawyer Dee Miles said attorneys had Taco Bell’s “meat mixture” tested and found it contained less that 35 per cent beef.
The lawsuit on behalf of Taco Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney does not seek monetary damages, but asks the court to order Taco Bell to be honest in its advertising.
“We are asking that they stop saying that they are selling beef,” Miles said.
Irvine, Calif.,-based Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch said the company denies that its advertising is misleading.
“Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We’re happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree,” Poetsch said.
He said the company would “vigorously defend the suit.”
The lawsuit says that Taco Bell’s “seasoned beef” contains other ingredients, including water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.
Tagged as: Taco Bell Lawsuit -
Dec 29
There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This of course refers to our health and well being since by making healthier lifestyle choices, we can improve our quality of life and greatly reduce our chances of becoming sick.
In our busy lifestyles, we find ourselves increasingly sedentary and spending more and more time in front of computers or on our smart phones/media devices etc.
However, all this lack of interacting with the real world has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, depression and a host of other illnesses of both body and mind. The best way of preventing this has been shown to involve simply getting out and visiting green spaces such as parks, gardens, and other natural environments.
By interacting more with our world we are essentially improving the health of our selves both physically and mentally, which in turn helps fight off illness and depression. It is well known that people who are constantly stressed out are more likely to catch ailments whether it is physical or even mental since our minds and bodies are both intimately involved in our health and too much stress can weaken the immune system.
As a result, doing things such as visiting the park, socializing with others, spending time with family and friends, and exercise will all have beneficial effects on our health. As an added bonus, many of these activities are free and so will have minimal effect on ones finances, making it much more accessible.
With health care such an important issue, prevention is starting to look all the more tantalizing since, after all, people would rather avoid becoming sick or depressed instead of having to find treatment once it happens. Spending some time with the natural world has been making its way back into people’s minds because of its ability to improve people’s outlook on life, and improve the emotional state of the ill, which in turn can help the healing process.
Research carried out by researcher Dr. Roger Ulrich had found that surgery patients who’s beds had a view of nature, such as trees, rivers, mountains etc had a faster rate of healing compared to those who could only see buildings and walls. In fact, more and more doctors are beginning to prescribe simply getting out and around nature, as a growing number of research studies are discovering the positive effects of spending time with the natural world and taking in some natural light.
All of these discoveries are also influencing the design of hospitals all over the world. A field referred to as evidence based design in health care architecture, involves taking these new findings and implementing them in the build and layout of hospitals and clinics; such as more natural light, reducing noise, and increased view of nature and gardens, all for the purpose helping the healing process. In addition, providing comfortable and positive spaces for family and friends of patients will also help heal as it fosters interaction and support for one another by alleviating stress for patients, family/friends, and hospital staff as well.
Further Reading:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/30brody.html?_r=1&ref=health
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression
http://www.asianhhm.com/healthcare_management/hospitals_heal.htm
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Affordable Health Care Goal Of McGill study
Filed under All Articles, Health and Wellbeing (No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Dec 29Montreal’s McGill University will play a leading role in a worldwide study to examine how to rein in out-of-control health costs and get better results for patients.
The five-year research program, called the Healthier Societies Initiative, will map out what works and what doesn’t work in health-care systems in the world’s leading economies.
It will then take a close look at the best practices, with the aim of developing more effective and affordable health-care delivery.
“This really would be the first time to look across all these countries in quite a lot of detail at what’s working and why,” said Dr. Jody Heymann of McGill’s Institute for Health and Social Policy.
“Part of the reason why it hasn’t been done in the past is because it’s not a small undertaking.”
Heymann, who is leading the study, points out that health-care costs have been growing “at an unsustainable rate” and rising far faster than gross domestic product growth.
“In Canada in 1975, we were spending seven per cent of GDP and, in 2009, it was 12 per cent,” Heymann said.
“We can’t keep up that rate of growth in health-care spending and still be able to afford education and everything else that we care about.”
A background paper says that while increases in health-care costs have continued to grow, the general health of the population hasn’t improved.
The United States is ranked first in health expenditures but 32nd when it comes to female life expectancy and neonatal mortality.
On the other hand, Japan is at the top of the list in life expectancy as well as neonatal mortality, while it ranks 19th on health expenditures.
Heymann said when translated into purchasing power in U.S. dollars, Canadians spend $4,100 per person and Americans spend $7,500. In Japan and New Zealand, the amount is just $2,700.
Life expectancies
But Canadians don’t have a much better life expectancy than the Japanese even though almost 50 per cent more is spent on health care.
Heymann points out the average life expectancy in Canada is 80.7 years while in Japan, where health spending is less, life expectancy is two years higher — 82.6 years.
And while the United States is spending the most on health care, life expectancy is under 78 years.
“It’s not just health-care spending that gets you better health,” she said. “It matters what you’re doing on prevention on the public health side, it [also] matters what your social conditions are.”
Heymann predicts the detailed study, which will bring together academics from across North America and Europe, will result in a number of lessons.
Prevention lessons
“The countries that succeed succeed because they managed to do well in terms of preventing illness and injury,” she said.
Heymann notes that diabetes has more than tripled over the past two decades.
The number of diabetics in Canada went from 1.3 million in 2000 to 2.5 million now. By 2020, it’s estimated there will be 3.7 million diabetics.
“People would rather not get diabetes in the first place, so part of the answer is likely to lie in doing a better job at the prevention side,” Heymann said.
“The second lesson that will be learned is: once people are sick, can we manage the costs more efficiently?”
The internationally renowned researcher suggests the countries that are doing well likely manage their health-care costs better.
Administrative costs account for almost 17 per cent of health expenditures in Canada, while in the United States it’s more than 30 per cent.
The project’s preliminary phase will compare health-care costs across provinces and countries, look at historical trends and examine projections for the future.
McGill says the research will provide students from around the world training opportunities and skills to translate any of their findings into policy change.
Source: CBC News
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/10/15/health-care-costs-mcgill.html?ref=rss#ixzz12r7hU8fJ
Tagged as: Affordable Health Care Goal Of McGill study -
Dec 29By Amy Minsky, Postmedia News October 13, 2010
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/officially+labelled+toxic/3664746/story.html#ixzz12H2sLbD9
OTTAWA — The federal government has made good on a two-year-old promise to add bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to some cancers, to the country’s list of toxic substances, in spite of industry opposition.
In 2008, Canada became the first country in the world to ban the chemical, an estrogen-mimicking substance also known as BPA, in baby bottles after concluding that the industrial chemical could eventually lead to prostate and breast cancer.
The next step for the government was to designate the chemical as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which happened Wednesday.
The delay in its listing was due to a formal notice of objection from the American Chemistry Council, filed on July 15, 2009, which maintained BPA is safe.
Ottawa rejected the request on July 27, 2010, on the grounds that the council did not “bring forth any new scientific data or information with respect to the nature and extent of the danger posed by bisphenol A.”
Environmental Defence, a non-profit environmental organization, has spent five years leading the lobby campaign for the toxic designation.
“This is a really significant public health victory,” the organization’s executive director, Rick Smith said, shortly after popping open a bottle of Champagne to share with his colleagues. “We’re seeing a rapid and dramatic transformation of the children’s product industry.”
Smith credits public pressure with helping diminish the number of toxic chemicals present in baby products on the shelves today.
“Our federal government’s doing the right thing — taking the new science, looking at the human health impact of BPA, and taking that science seriously,” he said.
A Statistics Canada study released in August reported that nearly all Canadians — 91 per cent of those aged six to 79 — have BPA in their urine, and that children and teenagers have higher levels of the estrogen-mimicking chemical than adults.
The federal agency’s findings in its first-ever national survey on the exposure of chemicals determined the national overall average concentration to be 1.16 parts per billion, which it said were consistent with other international studies.
It is believed that people ingest the chemical when it leaches into food from polycarbonate plastic food containers, bottles and tableware, and from tin cans.
“Health Canada considers that sufficient evidence relating to human health has been presented to justify the conclusion that bisphenol A is harmful to human life and should be added to Schedule 1 of (the CanadianEnvironmental Protection Act),” the federal government reported in the Canada Gazette, making the toxic distinction of BPA effective immediately.
“Although Health Canada recognizes that data gaps exist and has identified research needs as listed in the assessment, the department maintains that sufficient evidence is available to support developing appropriate measures to protect the most highly exposed subpopulation, newborns and infants,” the publication read.
The industrial chemical is used primarily in producing polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins for food containers, water bottles and protective linings for canned food and beverages.
Several countries have followed Canada’s lead since Ottawa announced the ban on baby bottles containing BPA; bills addressing the chemical having been introduced in U.S. Congress, Belgium and the United Kingdom, Smith said.
While he applauds Wednesday’s announcement, Smith said the work now must begin to rid the chemical from all food and beverage containers.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/officially+labelled+toxic/3664746/story.html#ixzz12H2jyCpi
Tagged as: BPA officially labelled 'toxic' in Canada -
Dec 29
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: October 4, 2010 (New York Times)
THE FACTS The prospect of ingesting pesticides and other contaminants can make supermarket produce seem less than appetizing. Buying organic lowers the risk, but is no guarantee against food-borne pathogens
Scientists have found some effective household measures that can eliminate germs and pesticides. The simplest? Rinsing with tap water, which works as well as a mild soap solution or fruit and vegetable washes.
In studies at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, for example, scientists compared pesticide removal methods on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Some were rinsed under tap water for a minute; others were treated with either a 1 percent solution of Palmolive or a fruit and vegetable wash. Tap water “significantly reduced” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products, the studies found.
Water temperature was not the key; friction was. “The mechanical action of rubbing the produce under tap water is likely responsible for removing pesticide residues,” scientists wrote.
For micro-organisms, try rinsing produce with a mild solution of vinegar, about 10 percent. In a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with E. coli and other germs. They found the vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by about 95 percent.
THE BOTTOM LINE To remove pesticides and germs, rinse produce with a vinegar solution, then wash with tap water for at least 30 seconds.
ANAHAD O’CONNOR scitimes@nytimes.com
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Dec 29
It was originally assumed that the brain goes through its development only when we are young and then becomes fixed in our older years, meaning that any damage or decline to the brain could not be treated and that we’re stuck with what we got. However, scientists have discovered that the brain is in fact highly flexible and can rewire itself and even grow new cells to compensate for injuries or general decline, regardless of ones age.
This amazing feat is called “Neuroplasticity” by scientists and has been shown to help those who have suffered brain damage from afflictions such as stroke by getting the brain to use its natural ability to reassign lost functions to healthier parts of the brain. Basically, it means that we can restore some of our lost mental functions, such as memory and focus, even in old age. In fact, experiments have shown that even our thoughts can influence the way our brains develop and function, along with the fact that learning new things benefits us by strengthening the connections between existing neurons and can even activate our genes to grow new brain cells.
A company called “Posit Science” has been using video game like software programs that help children as well as adults who are suffering from learning disorders, difficulty with memories and various other conditions, improve their cognitive capacities. There is also a school particularly for children, called “Arrowsmith School” that has developed a program that helps students improve their learning abilities. In all, this new understanding of the brain provides hope for those who have been affected by brain damage or are simply looking to improve their ability to focus and learn.
Further Reading: “The Brain That Changes Itself“ Norman Doidge.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/09/14/f-videogames-brain-fitness.html
Posit Science Website: http://www.positscience.com/
Arrowsmith School Website: http://www.arrowsmithschool.org/
Tagged as: Fixing Our Brains -
Dec 29
By Peter Nowak, CBC News
Greg Robinson used to have problems getting into his home because he couldn’t manoeuvre his keys into the keyhole. After living with HIV for 25 years, his brain capacity had declined to the point where simple motor functions were a challenge.
Cognitive decline is a common symptom in people who are HIV positive, and it’s one of the main inhibitors to their living normal lives. One of the symptoms of the virus is that it accelerates the effects of aging on the brain, which can affect functions such as memory, motor skills and speech.
Robinson, 53, worked as an epidemiologist in Toronto, but he had to go on disability insurance because his memory was failing him.
“I couldn’t even find the word for doorknob, so I’d just say, ‘You know, the thing you grab with your hand and open it up,’ ” he says. “I worked with numbers all the time. I was a statistician and I couldn’t put them together. I was transposing numbers wrong, I was forgetting things.”
Four years ago, his friend and fellow HIV patient Maggie Atkinson turned him on to Brain Fitness, or software developed by San Franciso-based PositScience that promised to reverse his cognitive decline.
Robinson was skeptical, but Atkinson said it worked wonders for her and her father, who had suffered a stroke.
Both Robinson and Atkinson were patients of psychologist Sean Rourke, executive director of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, and after consulting him, the trio devised a plan.
Robinson underwent a battery of neurocognitive tests that gauged capabilities such as memory, mental speed and sharpness. He scored below average in all measures and poorly in others.
He then started the Brain Fitness program, which comes on discs sold through PositScience’s website. The program requires users to perform numerous exercises and play mini-games, such as differentiating between sounds and identifying similar images that flash on screen.
Unlike other brain teaser games, however, the software has been designed by neuroscientists to take advantage of a concept called brain plasticity, which suggests the brain can actually be reprogrammed to overcome the effects of aging or disease.
“Our brains get so used to processing things in a similar way. One aspect of this is that you’re activating other neural networks that are dormant, not connected or peripherally involved,” Rourke says. “You’re activating them to recruit them to overcome what that person is experiencing. You’re teaching the brain to rewire itself.”
Clinical tests
PositScience was founded in 2003 by Michael Merzenich, a neuroscientist at the University of California at San Francisco who had been studying brain plasticity for more than 30 years. Merzenich paired PhD scientists with game designers and project managers from Silicon Valley to come up with the games in Brain Fitness.
Along with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, PositScience conducted clinical tests and partnered with auto insurance companies in the United States to test the software’s effects on drivers.
The results have been positive and the company is now starting a push into attracting consumers to the software.
‘It’s not teaching you knowledge. It’s changing the way the brain is responding to information.’—PositScience CEO Steven Aldrich
Chief executive Steven Aldrich stresses that Brain Fitness, and its vision-related cohort called InSight, are different from mnemonic tools because they deal with the core issues that cause cognitive decline.
“If you don’t exercise physically in ways that challenge your body, you’re not going to see an improvement physically. With the right input, you can drive the brain to improve itself,” he says.
“It’s not teaching you knowledge. It’s changing the way the brain is responding to information. It literally changes the physical structure of the brain and the chemistry of the brain.”
Aldrich says users start to see real-world effects, such as improved memory, after about 10 hours of playing the games. The recommended “dosage” is two or three sessions a week, which usually last an hour each.
Atkinson, who first heard of the software when it was mentioned on TVO’s The Agenda a few years ago, says she noticed effects, including improved handwriting, after about 10 days of use.
Her memory started deteriorating in 2004, to the point where she couldn’t remember friends’ names or the word for “toaster.”
Like Robinson, Atkinson is a well-educated, highly trained professional. She is a lawyer, but found herself withdrawing from meetings at work whenever she had to speak. She ordered the software from PositScience’s website and convinced her father to join her in trying it out.
‘Gruelling’ games
The games, some of which were “gruelling” because of their difficulty and repetitiveness, have made a massive difference for both of them, and Atkinson now recommends it to everyone she knows, not just fellow HIV patients.
“In my case, I found that it really did turn back the clock,” says Atkinson, 48.
She admits, though, that her case was anecdotal, which is why Rourke decided to put Robinson through a series of before-and-after tests.
After completing the recommended Brain Fitness session, Robinson saw huge differences in his scores on the neurocognitive tests. In some categories, such as memory, he saw improvements of 50 per cent, and he could again fit pegs into a peg board — something he could not do before, which translated into his problems with using keys.
“I can zip through it now no problem,” he says. “It transposes itself into measurable differences in your life. If there was some sort of rote memory that was being cultured and sustained here, it wouldn’t be generalizable to other areas of your life.”
Both Robinson and Atkinson have done refresher courses on the software. Atkinson says that after two years, she found her memory slipping again, so she went through another round and saw similar improvements. Robinson says he has done a “dose” every summer for the past four years, and he feels his mental skills have continued to improve.
He also says further trials need to be done on people with HIV in order to make the treatments more widely accessible. While he and Atkinson are in good financial positions and can afford the computers required and the software’s $395 price tag, the majority of people suffering from HIV and AIDS cannot, he says.
PositScience is working on a downloadable version of the software, which will lower its price tag and make it more widely available. Rourke, who is planning wider tests among the 600 HIV patients he works with, says the games are an important step toward understanding how the brain works.
“They’re really on to something here, because it is actually fundamentally getting at the root of what you need to do to show any kind of physiological change in the brain.”
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/09/14/f-videogames-brain-fitness.html#ixzz10laP418d
Tagged as: Mind games take aim at brain decline
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