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Working memory training. Memory training: methods, programs, exercises for the brain. Other courses for memory development

Preparations

Power up your working memory Alloway Tracy

Development of working memory

Development of working memory

Unlike the methods discussed above, the exercises and recommendations included in this book were developed on the basis of our research and in-depth study of the mechanisms of the functioning of working memory. The proposed exercises are aimed directly at improving her skills.

Ross leads a company that distributes an educational program for children and teenagers Jungle Memory. This computer program in a playful way develops the skills of effective functioning of the conductor of working memory. The tasks presented in the program can be divided into several groups:

Games for the development of spatial skills;

Verbal-literal tasks for the development of mental skills;

Tasks for solving arithmetic problems;

Games for attention and observation.

In order to maximize the use of the working memory of the players, the tasks gradually become more difficult. An objective test showed that the program Jungle Memory has the effect of both near and far transfer. Students who use this simulator regularly experience a significant improvement in working memory (near transfer effect). Next, we will talk about this in more detail. But that's not all: the program Jungle Memory helps to improve academic performance in various academic disciplines, for example, in writing and mathematics (long-range transfer effect). The teacher who participated in the experiment told us that after the program Jungle Memory one of the students, who had difficulty reading, significantly improved his performance - by three levels at once.

And there are many such reviews. Teachers, parents and school counselors tell us about the positive results after working with the program. The teachers were happy to note not only the improvement in academic performance, but also the increased attention of students in the classroom. And one mother wrote to us that her child's memory has improved and now there is no need to remind him of the same thing every day. Many teachers and parents note that after working with the program Jungle Memory children gain confidence in their abilities, they awaken a thirst for knowledge.

Improvements achieved as a result of the program Jungle Memory can be considered long-term. According to objective estimates, the positive trend has been maintained for at least eight months.

Tracey conducted a number of independent tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the simulator Jungle Memory. One of the most important aspects of this program is the long-range transfer effect. As part of one of the experiments, a group of students with learning difficulties were asked to engage in a program Jungle Memory. To make sure that the improvement in working memory and academic performance was due to the use of the program, we included in the study a control group whose participants additionally studied with teachers in some subjects, for example, in English and mathematics, and were motivated to improve academic performance. Both groups were tested for the level of development of working memory before and after the experiment.

Before the classes (by program or with teachers) all participants took tests on the effectiveness of working memory, IQ and academic performance. In both groups, the test results were approximately the same. This is a very important point: if before the experiment all the subjects were at the same level, then it can be concluded with a high degree of certainty that any subsequent improvements are caused by the chosen methodology (classes according to the program Jungle Memory or with a tutor).

Participants practiced the chosen method for eight weeks, after which Tracy retested. The difference between the two groups was striking. For students enrolled in the program Jungle Memory, working memory scores improved by almost 10 percent compared to the control group, whose working memory performance remained the same. The improvement in working memory is considered to be a near-transfer effect, since the program Jungle Memory dedicated to her training.

But what about long-distance transfer? Is the program Jungle Memory Is it just to improve working memory? No, not only. The students who studied on our computer simulator were able to show the best results in English and mathematics. For example, literacy has increased by almost 10 standard points, which is comparable to a whole point increase, say, from "satisfactory" to "good" or from "good" to "excellent". Eight weeks later, the performance of students who studied with a tutor did not change in any way, and in some cases even decreased.

To fully appreciate the result obtained using the program Jungle Memory, is an improvement in literacy scores by almost 10 standard points, which can be compared to a change in average IQ. It is believed that the level of intelligence has increased significantly over the past fifty years, although in fact the increase was only about three standard points in ten years. Now compare these numbers with the results achieved with the Working Memory Trainer. Jungle Memory in just eight weeks.

Tracey conducted another study, the purpose of which was to study the effectiveness of the program Jungle Memory for the development of working memory of children suffering from dyslexia and autism. And again, the results exceeded all our expectations: her performance in students who regularly studied under the program Jungle Memory, were five times higher than those of students who exercised on the simulator only once a week. There was also a significant improvement in language and math skills: participants who used the program regularly were able to more than quadruple their scores on spelling and math tests compared to those who only used the simulator once a week.

But there was an even bigger surprise ahead of us. Eight months later, when Tracy retested students in the program Jungle Memory, it turned out that the results achieved did not deteriorate at all, despite the fact that the subjects had not been engaged in the program since the end of the experiment. The findings suggest a long-term improvement in working memory skills.

An important question about the appropriateness of using the program Jungle Memory to improve the working memory of adults remains open and requires further detailed study. As mentioned in Chapter 7, as a person grows older, a lot of different changes occur in the human brain, so the effectiveness of the simulator for adults may not be as high as for children. Until now, most of the research into new techniques for developing working memory has been either for schoolchildren or for the elderly. And this is not surprising. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that only people with reduced cognitive abilities needed to improve working memory: students experiencing certain learning difficulties, or older people who faced age-related deterioration in mental abilities. But one recent study showed that training working memory in adults brings undeniable benefits.

In 2008, Suzanne Yeggi of the University of Michigan published an article that showed how working memory tasks help adults improve their test scores. The experiment involved young people at the age of about twenty years. They were given n-back tasks, which are tasks to assess the development of working memory. During the experiment, a series of numbers were read aloud, and the participants had to memorize them and name those that met a few positions ago. Here are some examples:

Task 2-back. Indicate which numbers occurred two positions ago. Example: 3 2 3 5 5 5 7 1 7 .

The correct answer in this example is the numbers in bold: 3, 5, 7.

Task 3-back. Indicate what numbers occurred three positions ago. Example: 8 1 6 8 2 6 4 7 9 4 .

The correct answer in this example is the numbers in bold: 8, 6, 4.

Study participants were divided into four groups, each of which performed n-back tasks for eight, twelve, seventeen, or nineteen days. As the results improved, the subjects were presented with more and more difficult variants of tasks in order to force working memory to function at full capacity. At the end of the experiment, a logical thinking test was conducted, which showed that the performance of all participants improved. However, the study showed that those who exercised the longest (within nineteen days) achieved the highest results. A study conducted by Susanna Yeggi suggests that the classes had the effect of not only near, but also far transference. The n-back tasks had nothing to do with logical thinking, but their use also improved the results of the logical thinking test.

The positive effect of tasks on the development of working memory is obvious, and we hope that in the near future new studies will be carried out to explore the possibility of their application in working with people suffering from speech disorders or Down syndrome. Working Memory Trainer Jungle Memory is widely used in schools and helps students achieve new academic success.

Research into various techniques for developing working memory is ongoing. With their help, we will be able to determine how effective certain tasks are and how long the achieved positive effect lasts. But based on the results already obtained, it can be said with confidence that the working memory simulator Jungle Memory has three main advantages: the effect of near and far transfer, as well as the achievement of long-term improvements.

………………………

As we have already said, it is possible to strengthen working memory not only with the help of tasks. There are many ways to increase its effectiveness through changes in habits or lifestyle, but we will talk about this a little later. In the next chapter you will meet working memory geniuses who will share the secrets of their amazing abilities. By following their advice, you can improve your working memory.

From the book Overloaded Brain [Information Flow and the Limits of Working Memory] author Klingberg Thorkel

4. Models of working memory From the previous chapter, we learned that the ability to retain information plays a basic role in solving a wide range of intellectual tasks. Working memory is used to control attention, remember and retrieve from memory

From the book Power Up Your Working Memory Author Alloway Tracy

The evolution of working memory Even though microscopic genetic changes occur all the time, there are far more similarities than differences between the Cro-Magnon brain and the modern human brain. But the volume of the brain has not changed for 40 thousand years, and

From the author's book

The Working Memory Hypothesis Russell Barkley, a psychologist and leading scientist in the field of ADHD, wrote a paper in 1997 suggesting that many ADHD problems can be explained by defects in working memory. Just a guess, since he didn't own

From the author's book

Definition of working memory Working memory is the conscious processing of information. Conscious processing means that the information is in your mind, you direct all your attention to it, study it in detail, focus on

From the author's book

Location of working memory Over the past decade, scientists have been able to explore the location of working memory in the brain using neuroimaging techniques. The results of studies have shown that several parts of the brain are responsible for it at once. We list the most

From the author's book

Enemies of working memory The frantic pace and intensity of modern life has a detrimental effect on working memory. Its weakening entails a whole series of troubles. Information overload Weak working memory leads to the fact that you

From the author's book

Working Memory Exercises The conductor of working memory helps control emotions, which is an important step towards achieving happiness. These exercises will help strengthen working memory and learn how to keep yourself in

From the author's book

Training Without Working Memory “Repetition is the mother of learning” is a proverb often used in sports. But it cannot be said that it is 100% correct. As has already been shown in the examples, if in the process of repetition a list scrolls in front of your mind's eye

From the author's book

Running for Working Memory The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's song Born to run can and should be taken literally. In his book Born to Run, Christopher McDougall talks about how the human body is built for running, especially endurance running. Neither

From the author's book

Maturity of working memory Working memory reaches its peak of development only in adulthood. By this time, the process of myelination, which is also important for the proper development of the brain, is also completed, during which the brain cells are covered with a white protective sheath -

From the author's book

The decline of working memory To find out how working memory performance changes in old age, we turned to research conducted by other scientists, as well as conducted several experiments on our own. Much of the research we reviewed

From the author's book

Working Memory Testing and Developing Exercises 1. Do the "ruddy test" (for children as young as two years old) Have the child face you on the pretext that he needs to wipe his nose. While wiping your nose, discreetly draw a small spot on your baby's nose with lipstick or

From the author's book

CHAPTER 8 Developing Working Memory From Scratch The most encouraging result of the latest research done by various specialists, including our own, is that working memory can be improved. In the following chapters, we will look at various ways to improve it.

From the author's book

Working Memory Exercises 1. Mental Quick Multiplication Technique An algorithm developed by Rudiger Gamm consists of multiplying numbers sequentially from left to right and then adding the results. Example 1. Two-digit multiplication

From the author's book

Archeology of working memory Although the search for the monolith is not yet complete, the evidence obtained during the archaeological excavations, with a high degree of probability, indicates a significant improvement in working memory over a period of some ten thousand years. For you to become

From the author's book

Stretching Your Working Memory Throughout the chapters of this book, you've been given exercises to use your working memory more effectively and get the most out of it. In this guide, we decided to combine all the recommendations to help you master

I read it in one breath. It seems about the hit and the academy. But not the same

fanfiction on Chizhovsky, as for me, quite good if you like to read eva.

Everyone evaluates the text according to their own. I didn't like this one for many reasons.

1. The text consists of three parts, loosely connected by cross-cutting characters, and each part tries to show the reader a separate philosophical concept. The result is a rather strange mixture of opposition to God, the intervention of higher powers in ordinary life and the behavior of different people in the face of inevitable death. Also a common feature of all storylines is the obvious cretinism of the initial conditions. Dear friend! Well, what do you care about cockroaches in the next house? And why do you think that some higher power cares about you and your affairs? Isn't that too presumptuous?

2. One comrade from the mountains, moderately vile, treacherous, from a good mountain family, took offense at a deity and decided to revive the ancient god. Yes, and the flag is in his hands, maybe even, following the example of many, he himself can try to become a god. To do this, you need to make a bloody sacrifice. Obviously. Yes, even to become a simple governor, some blow up the government house with competitors and nothing ... But then a simple old teacher says that this is not good. I agree - this is not just bad, this is utter stupidity, the mountaineers are deeply indifferent to what the sheep in the pastures say. But the authors assure that this happens and the teacher becomes a particle of God…. Oh well.

3. The second part is so primitive that it is not worth parsing. The representative of our time is transferred to the era of civil war in search of eternal love. Angels help him...

4. In the last part, two angels roll out a standard ultimatum to the city - either 10 righteous people from the city or fiery hell. And everyone was worried about something. The authors! Go to hell! Yes, at any moment Gehenna can begin in our country, at least personal, at least public, and without any warning. No one will pay any attention to some clowns.

5. After the fire engulfed the city, it turned out that the inhabitants were not injured and it was all make-believe. No, guys, she died like that, you can’t turn the stuffing back ...

6. In short, a very lousy fanfic based on Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.

7. I never considered Oldie decent writers, but for Valentinov, the author of one of the good books about the civil war "Peninsula", it's a little insulting. To choose such a miserable reliance on the classics as religious texts is a matter of contrivance...

somewhere at the level of the first book, though I came across a stub. I wouldn’t pay money for this, so I’ll read it and delete it at once. popular empires.

chtun, I hope I called the cat a cat again? 😉

one big piano that has absorbed all the clichés from the worlds of the commonwealth. but nevertheless, the author expresses his thoughts coherently, writes entertainingly, and is easy to read. a fairy tale. I’ve actually read half of it so far and I really hope that this will not be another “emperor of all holaktiko”.

It. Yes Yes! Well, throw stones at me, as in the parable about H.I.

But IT3 is a gentleman who calls a cat a cat even after tripping over it in the dark. Yes.

How to train memory after a stroke

There are many methods of physical rehabilitation that help with problems related to motor functions and speech, but at present there is no satisfactory way to treat cognitive problems.

  • A new study has shown that patients with acquired brain injury can be helped to improve attention with software designed to improve working memory based on a program (Cogmed). The result showed that 89% of patients participating in the study (Cogmed) were less distracted and less likely to lose focus when reading.

This study is the first of its kind to clearly demonstrate that work and cognitive rehabilitation lead to improved everyday life. It is worth noting that this is the first study and it was conducted on a too small control group. Further research is required, but it is already optimistic to say that this study has revealed the wide potential of working memory training. If re-examination of the method proves once again that it is indeed effective, then it could bring new hope to patients who suffer from severe working memory disorders. The capacity of working memory is one of the main cognitive abilities required to restore other mental functions.

Associations and visual images

You can learn or remember something more easily if you associate the new with something you already know or remember well.

  • To remember a certain date, it is worth linking it to other known dates or time periods (Christmas, birthdays, etc.)
  • To help you remember new names, associate the new name with a famous person you know and remember. Associate the name of a person with his physical characteristics (eyes, ears, weight, size), creating a visual image.
  • Associate things you may forget with things you always remember, for example, if you drink tea every morning, put your pills next to your tea bags so you don't forget them.

Review and review the material you need to memorize as often as possible. Feel free to repeat new information several times. If you have to remember something quite large (history, pointer map, etc.) Break the information into small pieces and learn them carefully, slowly, using associations as a way to memorize.

As Confucius wisely said, "Even the dullest ink is stronger than the best memory." Get yourself a notebook, an album of reminders in which you can write down everything you need, names and contacts, phone numbers, medicines and any additional information. For the convenience of using the book, the information can be divided by color, very important - red, daily activities - blue, etc. Make sure you have enough storage space for valuable information.

Constant training improves memory, so you need to constantly train yourself. Look at a picture or photo for a few minutes, and then without looking at it, try to write down all the things that you remember, or try to draw it. Start easy and gradually increase the difficulty.

Working memory training

working memory- this is the ability of a person to keep in the focus of attention and process a certain amount of information taken from short-term and long-term memory. Working memory is the basis for understanding, assimilating and remembering new information. The lack of working memory causes difficulties in learning, especially in mathematical disciplines, deprives a person of the opportunity to work in multitasking mode. You can improve working memory with the help of computer simulators presented on this site.

After 40, imperceptibly to a person, but observable instrumentally, the brain becomes lighter and smaller by 15 percent, losing neurons and white matter. The speed of impulses in the neural network decreases due to the thinning of the myelin sheaths, and the likelihood of organic brain damage increases. Working memory decreases and, as a result, the ability of a person to acquire new knowledge and work in multitasking mode is reduced.

Computer training of working memory is one of the recognized methods of maintaining mental health for many years! Neurologists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, using positron emission and magnetic resonance imaging, found that working memory training leads to changes in the number of dopamine receptors involved in the mechanisms of memory, emotion and learning. By regularly training your brain, you can maintain clarity of thinking until old age.

Sources:
Power up your working memory (fb2)
Power up your working memory read online. Find out why a strong working memory is better than a high IQ The authors of this book are leading experts in the field of memory.
http://coollib.net/b/315930
How to train memory after a stroke
There are many methods of physical rehabilitation that help in solving problems related to motor functions and speech, but at present there is no satisfactory method of treatment.
http://medrich.ru/publication_p_2.html?id=330
Working memory training
Computer simulators of working memory
http://workingmemory.ru/

(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)

A good memory is generally considered a useful practical skill. However, the real benefits of owning it extend much further. It turns out that those with good working memory have a pronounced tendency towards optimism, mental adaptability and flexibility, have healthy self-confidence, are more likely to be satisfied with their work and personal lives, get sick less often and recover faster. And most importantly, they generally feel happier people than those whose memory is worse. In this regard, we at How to Green decided to prepare a material on how to develop memory.

What is working memory

This is our ability to simultaneously remember, process and use the received data. Examples of information that this type of memory works with are names, faces, dates, facts and formulas studied for an exam, a presentation prepared for speaking to colleagues, appointments, and even jokes and anecdotes. It is difficult to doubt the key role of memory for our social adaptation, including career and all kinds of interpersonal relationships (family, friends, colleagues, and others).

What affects the quality of our memory

Stress is the main cause of memory impairment. These include: poor-quality nutrition, environmental toxins, emotional trauma, and a simple collection of daily irritants - time pressure, traffic jams, difficult situations at work and at home. Elevated levels of the stress hormone have a devastating effect on the ability to remember information and operate on it.

Therefore, the first thing to think about in improving working memory is to reduce the level of stress in the body. This will help a healthy regimen and its components such as:

  • proper nutrition - no fast food and refined sugar; a diet that includes low-glycemic foods, blueberries, coconut oil, omega-3 fats, and vitamins B, C, and E;
  • constant physical activity - blood flow to the brain contributes to its better saturation with nutrients and oxygen, this improves mental function and concentration;
  • healthy sleep and meditation - both have an equally positive effect on the quality of working memory: during rest, our brain stops processing information and an extremely important process of fixing data occurs.

Practical Methods for Developing Working Memory

Together with a set of healthy lifestyle measures, special exercises that train the brain help a lot in improving working memory. They will be discussed further.

1. Mnemonic

This method develops memory through associations. The basis of the exercise is always a sequence, which, due to frequent use, is memorized by heart. A fact or an object that needs to be remembered is mentally attached to each of its elements. Here is an example.

As the main sequence, you can take the route that you remember down to the smallest detail. For example, when you go for a run in a local park:

  • door - you close it when leaving the apartment;
  • concierge - you greet her by going downstairs;
  • shop - stands immediately at the exit;
  • shop - the first building you pass by;
  • parking - follows the store;
  • ... and so on until the start of the run.

And let's say there is a list of places where you need to go today, and you need to remember this list. For example: a copy center, a cosmetics store, a sports club, a bank, a communication salon. Now we need to bind this list of places to the first sequence using associations. They can be funny, strange and understandable only to you. Do not worry about the absurdity of the associations - because no one will know about them except you. Here is an example:

  • door - in copy center you will print out an agreement that will open the “door” to new financial opportunities;
  • concierge - this elderly lady always has a bright make-up, she probably often goes to cosmetics store;
  • bench - returning from a run, you stretch and lunge using a bench, it is your mini sport Club;
  • store is big bank goods;
  • parking - not only car drivers from the parking lot are mobile, but also everyone who uses the services communication salon because they have mobile phones.

With practice, you can memorize up to 50 objects or more using this method. Another way is when the numbers from 1 to the number you need are taken as the main sequence. Further, any words rhyme to the numbers, and then, with the help of associations, the necessary objects are attached.

2. "Reverse chronology"

It is advisable to do this special exercise every day for several weeks. It will take no more than 5 minutes. In the evening, sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and remember all the events of the past day in reverse order. Start right from the moment. Your sequence might look something like this: apply night cream on your face, wash your face, watch an episode of your favorite TV series, eat, cook dinner, change (when you come home from work), and so on until you wake up. "Reverse chronology" works wonders - try it and see for yourself. And by the way, you will not notice how pretty soon you will begin to remember your dreams perfectly - this is one of the effects of the constant evening practice of the exercise.

3. Reading and memorization

One of the most effective ways to develop memory is to memorize verses. This trains the brain and over time develops the ability to retain large amounts of information in memory. Interestingly, not cramming for a couple of hours, but regular and not too long classes give the best result. As an option, arrange a challenge for yourself and start learning the poem "Eugene Onegin", while doing no more than 30 minutes a day. And it is important - after the lesson, let's relax ourselves, then the material will be remembered even better. 10 minutes is enough to rest, just close your eyes and relax.

4. Foreign languages

Learning languages ​​is effective not only for social adaptation during travel, but also for the development of memory. It works like gymnastics for the brain. By the way, it is often associated with a “muscle”, which, like other muscles of the body, must be constantly kept in good shape. By memorizing new words and expressions, correlating them with meanings from our native language, we improve the overall ability of the brain to remember any information.

5. Chess

The positive impact of playing chess regularly on our memory has been scientifically proven. Among the reasons is the need to remember the complex rules, style and strategy of the opponent and try not to make the mistakes made earlier. In addition to memory, chess improves creativity, the ability to focus, and increases IQ.

6. Smartphone apps

If you are an active user of mobile applications, then you can easily pick up one or two that are most interesting to you. In most cases, they offer a comprehensive development of the cognitive abilities of the brain. Tasks are presented in the form of educational games, puzzles and memory tasks. Here are a few apps that we liked:

  • Lumosity;
  • Peak;
  • memorado;
  • Brain+;
  • Elevate.

Perhaps the easiest and most enjoyable way to develop working memory is through the cultivation of love and positive emotions. Spend more time in nature, meeting friends or walking the dog, indulge yourself with a bouquet of flowers, do your favorite hobby, help those in need. Such activities greatly reduce the level of emotional and physical stress. As a result, you easily remember and by the way use inspirational quotes, shine with knowledge of poetry and simply do not forget about the birthdays of your loved ones. In general, some pluses!

Working memory (WP), also known as working memory, is the collection of processes that allow us to store and temporarily use information for the purpose of performing complex cognitive tasks such as understanding speech, reading, applying mathematical abilities, learning or reasoning. Working memory is a type of short-term memory.

Determination of working memory according to the Baddeley and Hitch model

According to the Baddeley and Hitch model, working memory consists of three systems and includes components of both information storage and information processing:

Central control element: works as an attention monitoring system that decides what we should pay attention to and what not, and also organizes the sequence of actions that need to be taken to carry out the type of activity.

Phonological loop: allows us to retain written and spoken material in memory.

Visual-spatial sketch: helps us manage and store visual information.

Episodic Buffer: used to combine information from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketch, build a coherent episode, and link to long-term memory.

Working memory characteristics:

  • Its capacity is limited. We only store 7 ±2 elements.
  • She is active. RAM not only stores information, but also manages and transforms it.
  • Its content constantly updated.
  • Responsible for working memory dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Examples of working memory

Working (or operative) memory is the ability by which we keep in mind the elements we need to complete a task. Thanks to working or RAM, we can:

  • combine two or more actions that occur at about the same time, for example, recall and answer the questions we were asked during the conversation.
  • Relate new knowledge to previous knowledge. This allows us to learn.
  • Keep information in mind, while our attention is focused on other things, for example, we can cook dinner while talking on the phone.

We use working (or RAM) memory on a daily basis when performing various kinds of tasks.. When trying to remember a phone number before writing it down. When we participate in a conversation, we need to keep in mind what we just said in order to process this information and express our point of view. When we review lectures at school or university, we need to remember what the teacher said so that we can write it down in our own words later. When we mentally recalculate the cost of our purchases in the supermarket to see if we have enough money.

Disorders in which working memory is impaired

working memory necessary for decision making and correct work executive functions. Therefore, its violation is associated with deregulatory syndrome and a variety of learning disorders, such as and or. Many specialists in psychological and pedagogical diagnostics need tools that can accurately measure executive functions. Also, working memory suffers from diseases such as schizophrenia or.

How to measure and evaluate working memory?

Working memory is a cognitive ability that we use every day to perform almost any kind of activity. Thus, the assessment of working memory and understanding of its state can help in various areas of life: in education (to let us know if the child will have difficulties with mathematical calculations or reading), in the medical field (to know if patients can lead an independent lifestyle). or in need of help) or professional (working memory allows us to remember and respond to the interlocutor, which is essential in a meeting or in an argument).

Various cognitive functions, such as working memory, can be reliably and efficiently measured using . The tests that CogniFit offers to assess working memory are based on the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), CPT (Long-Term Maintenance Test), TOMM (Memory Impairment Simulation Test), Hooper's Visual Organization Task (VOT), and Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). In addition to working memory, these tests can measure auditory short-term memory, short-term memory, reaction time, processing speed, recognition, visual scanning, and spatial perception.

  • : Several balls with different numbers will appear on the screen. You need to memorize a series of these numbers in order to reproduce them in the future. At first, the series will consist of only one number, then the number of balls will gradually increase until the user makes a mistake. After the appearance of each sequence of numbers, you will need to play it.
  • : Three items will appear on the screen. First you will need to remember the order in which the items appeared as quickly as possible. Next, four series of three items will appear, some of which will differ from those previously presented. It is necessary to find the series in which the sequence of objects corresponds to the one presented initially.

How to restore or improve working memory?

Working memory, like other cognitive abilities, can be trained and improved. CogniFit makes it possible to do it professionally.

Recovery of working memory is based on. CogniFit offers a battery of clinical exercises designed to rehabilitate working memory and other cognitive functions. When using working memory during CogniFit cognitive training, the brain and neural connections responsible for this ability are strengthened. As a result, neural connections will be faster and more efficient, and working memory will improve.

CogniFit is comprised of an experienced team of professionals who specialize in the study of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. This made it possible to create personalized cognitive stimulation program adaptable to the needs of each user. This program begins with a comprehensive assessment of working memory and other basic cognitive functions. Based on the test results, the CogniFit cognitive stimulation program automatically suggests a personalized cognitive training program to strengthen working memory and other cognitive functions that need it according to the test results.

Working memory can be improved with regular and proper exercise. For proper stimulation, training should be given 15 minutes a day, two or three times a week.. CogniFit cognitive stimulation program available online. A variety of interactive tasks, presented in the form of exciting smart games, can be performed using a computer. At the end of each session CogniFit will present a detailed timeline of improvements cognitive state.

A lot of scientific works and monographs are devoted to the study of memory, but despite this, it still largely remains a “thing in itself” for both specialists and ordinary people. By and large, we still do not know how our "data storage system" works. More recently, the prevailing theory was that the laws of the functioning of memory and the brain are immutable. There was an opinion that the brain is capable of development only in childhood, and then changes only in the direction of deterioration. This belief was based on three factors:

  • extremely rare cases of recovery of patients with brain damage in the past;
  • lack of knowledge of brain activity at the neuronal level;
  • attitude to the brain as a mechanism, and mechanisms, as you know, do not change and do not grow.

It is clear that for different people and at different ages, the brain and, accordingly, memory can work both worse and better. This can be assessed in only one way, to calculate the ratio of "input" and "output" information. But it's difficult to do so. It is even more difficult to calculate the effectiveness of the impact on memory and brain activity of various methods and programs. First, different ways of exercising affect people differently. And secondly, the test will not be clean, because when testing each next software product, the impact left by the previous ones will accumulate.

However, now most experts agree on one thing, that memory is able to develop with its systematic training. This is logical and does not contradict the main laws by which the human body exists. In support of this, one can cite the results of one study published in Norman Doidge's book Plasticity of the Brain. Amazing facts about how thoughts can change the structure and function of our brain.”

It is well known that in older people the activity of brain activity decreases, and memory deteriorates. One of the experiments was that a group of people aged 60-87 years old practiced for 10 weeks, 5 hours a week, on an auditory memory improvement program. After completing the course, the testing showed a significant improvement in this type of memory - the results corresponded to the tests of the 40-60 age group. A repeat test three months later confirmed these results.

How Memory Works

Bad memory in humans does not exist "by definition". The amount of information our brains can store is enormous. It's just that there are people who know how to use their memory, albeit at an unconscious level, but there are those who are incapable of this. The first in this repository have everything classified, sorted into shelves and presented on demand. And for the latter, it looks more like a warehouse of random things, although filled to capacity, but containing much less useful data.

But, despite such a difference in organization, we all have several types of memory that differ in the storage time of information:

  • long-term;
  • short-term;
  • instant.

In the long-term, we store only what we constantly think about and what we regularly use. And we keep it for decades. Short-term is used to store current information, sometimes it lingers there for several weeks, but then, if not used, it disappears. The brain, like a person, does not like to work very much when it is not motivated, too much energy is spent at the same time. Instantaneous memory is designed to work in moments and seconds. It works, for example, when assessing the traffic situation, tracking a moving object. But as soon as we shift our gaze or concentrate on something else, all the information in it is “zeroed out”.

The process of transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory is an active process in the brain that requires a significant amount of energy. If you overload short-term memory, not giving time to the brain to transfer important information from it to long-term memory, then the effectiveness of memorization decreases. Therefore, with active study, small periods of rest and relaxation are necessary.

The development of the short-term and instantaneous components of our memory is a direct way to increase the efficiency of the long-term, which ultimately has an impact on our cognitive abilities (our intellect). And you can develop them only by training and constantly applying them in everyday life.

But that's not all. Practice shows that what is best remembered is what arouses interest, is understandable and is accompanied by emotions. Memorizing "whatever" is a waste of time. And since everyone has different interests, the material for training should be different. That is why the advice to improve memory by memorizing poems, common and repeated from manual to manual, does not help everyone. What about those who are indifferent to poetry?

Actually, on these two principles: the training of short-term memory using a variety of information, the work of numerous computer programs is based. Such memory training differs from the usual one only in that images of objects are used, and not the objects themselves, which greatly facilitates the organization of the process itself. Anything can be simulated on a computer.

Instant (working) memory training

We have already said that the development of short-term and instantaneous memory is the key to the whole process of memorization. This memory is also valuable because it processes not only external information, but taken from long-term and short-term memory. In fact, many researchers believe that it is in her work that the process of thinking lies.

It makes little sense to list existing computer programs for memory development. Suffice it to say two things:

  • any person can find among this set a program useful for him;
  • all of them, with a few exceptions, have one characteristic drawback - a limited set and uniformity of tests makes it impossible to comprehensively train the memory.

The personal site of Pigarev A.Yu. stands out from the general range of resources devoted to the development of memory. (Novosibirsk) - http://working-memory.ru. It has everything, and a concept written in an understandable language, and a methodology for assessing memory, and a whole range of simulators that allow it to be developed. Perhaps the only drawback of the resource is the inability to pass tests without registration. But this is surmountable - just write a letter to the owner.