Our brains routinely sort and store information along billions of nerve cells connected in trillions of ways. As we learn more about how the brain works, research shows a digital gaming system called the Interactive Metronome or IM may circumvent timing glitches that can occur in the brain’s basic wiring. The treatment (often guided by an occupational therapist) combines movement and sound to boost cognitive, language, and motor skills in people with ADHD, autism, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.

How IM Works
Interactive Metronome therapy challenges users to precisely match a computer generated rhythm by clapping and tapping. The series of progressively challenging movements are designed to improve timing, focus, and concentration. Training typically consists of 15 one-hour sessions over a three to five week period.

The Theory
Auditory training is based on the theory that timing in the brain is disrupted by conditions such as ADHD, autism, stroke and Parkinson’s, and that improving neural timing helps kids and adults improve behavioral, social, cognitive, and motor skills.

The Evidence 
American Journal of Occupational Therapy:

IM training for ADHD improved attention, concentration, motor coordination, language processing, and reading and math skills in pre-teen boys with the condition.

IM training for chronic stroke resulted in significant functional gains for two patients with arm weakness—even though their strokes occurred years earlier.

For more about the science, patient stories, and to find a provider, go to the Interactive Metronome website.

Brain Fitness The Saturday Evening Post

Most study participants used extra-virgin olive oil, which accounts for 98 percent of the olive oil available in France.

The versatile product also appears to protect against cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Want to add olive oil to your diet? Go for it! But remember that even healthier fats like olive oil are high in calories, so use it in moderation; choose olive oil instead of butter and stick margarine—not in addition to them.

Here are 3 tips for buying, storing, and enjoying olive oil:

1. If you can, smell (and taste) before you buy. Olive oils encompass a wide range of flavor from fruity to peppery, mild to intensely strong. Don’t buy one you don’t like!
2. Good extra-virgin olive oil lasts about a year when stored out of the light and away from heat.
3. Virgin and extra-virgin oils are best used uncooked or cooked at low to medium temperatures. Try them in marinades, drizzle them over vegetables or bread, and add them at end of cook time for a burst of flavor.

Is Olive Oil Good For You? The Saturday Evening Post

“A major stroke can change everything—the ability to speak, to move, to work,” says Dr. Walter Kernan, professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, in the Post article. “It may seem to rob a person of his life without actually taking it.” 

Fortunately, advances in the field of rehabilitative medicine are helping stroke victims regain their ability to walk and talk with family, friends, and co-workers. 

Specialized Speech Therapy

Doug Gillis, 44, owner a softball academy in Michigan, had a stroke in 2006 that left him with aphasia, a language disorder that affects about one million Americans.  

People with aphasia cannot always speak the words that they want to say. Some with the disorder also have trouble understanding others, or find it difficult to read or write. It does not affect intelligence. Stroke is the leading cause of aphasia. But brain tumors, infections, and head injuries, among other conditions, may be to blame.  
 
Gillis said his first word one week after the stroke, and his first sentence eight weeks later. He then enrolled in The University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP) <http://www.aphasiahelp.com/>, and made significant progress. 

“We take a unique approach to aphasia therapy,” explains Annie Kennedy, M.A., CCC-SLP, Associate Clinical Services Manager, UMAP, “and provide an individualized therapy program with a limited number of clients to ensure a high ratio of staff-to-clients for the most direct and effective one-on-one treatment.  

“Our key distinguishing factors include: a six-week intensive therapy program, clinically trained professional speech language pathologists, and an approach that incorporates caregiver education and support. The UMAP is the oldest program of its kind for the treatment of aphasia in North America.”

Today, Gillis is back at work and often speaks before large groups of students, athletes, and coaches. 

“It was overwhelming to learn language all over again and frustrating when I couldn’t find the words I wanted to say,” Gillis said.  “But, with time and patience, and a good team of experts helping me at UMAP, I regained a high percentage of my language abilities.”

Specialized speech therapy programs for aphasia are available across the country. Click here https://www.aphasia.org/aphasia_community/programs_and_centers.html for a national listing of programs and other information from the National Aphasia Association.

Physical Therapy Breakthrough

A wearable device system from Bioness http://www.bioness.com/Home.php called the NESS delivers mild electrical impulses to the arm or leg and helps stroke survivors move again—offering hope even to those who suffered strokes years ago. 

The FDA-approved NESS L300 consists of a small transmitter worn in the shoe that sends electronic signals to a device strapped below the knee. When the person attempts to walk, mild impulses stimulate the peroneal nerve in the leg, prompting under-active muscles to lift the foot off the ground. The NESS H200 works in a similar way to improve hand function and mobility.

Bill Hefferon is back on the golf course, thanks to the NESS L300 from Bioness.

Bill Hefferon, 73, of Naples, Florida, was unable to walk on his own from his bed to the bathroom after suffering a stroke 10 years ago. But within months of starting therapy with the NESS L300 in 2008, Bill no longer needed a cane and was back on the golf course.

“Using the NESS L300 has increased my stability and stamina” says Hefferon. “Now, I can golf  and go dancing with my wife again, something we enjoy doing together.” 

At age 7, Joe Breiner of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, had a stroke that immobilized his left arm and leg. Today, the NESS H200 enables the 40-year-old husband and father of two to open and close his hand.

“The Bioness H200 has provided me with hope,” says Breiner. “Since I started using the device, I can perform many daily functions that before were a real struggle for me. The H200 is not a magic cure—it takes hard work and dedication for users like myself to see results. But through hard work and the will to recover, great results are attainable.”

“The Bioness devices may help those who suffer from leg and hand mobility issues to gain back movement and independence,” explains Michael W. O’Dell, M.D., Chief of Clinical Services, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York‑Presbyterian Hospital‑Weill Cornell Medical Center and Medical Director of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Medicine Center. “These devices are appropriate for individuals experiencing neurological conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and some types of neurological cancers.

“Persons who have retained at least some degree of voluntary movement in their muscles may have a better chance of success with Bioness devices.”

Your Feedback Matters

Are you a stroke survivor or caregiver? The National Stroke Association http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/HOME?cvridirect=true is conducting an online survey to help gauge your awareness of two conditions that affect millions of stroke survivors: spasticity (uncontrollable tightening of muscles) and pseudobulbar affect (unpredictable episodes of laughing or crying, sometimes referred to as IEED or Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder). To take the 10-minute survey, click here https://www.strokesmart.org/limesurvey/index.php?sid=52343

Stroke Advances (Part 2) The Saturday Evening Post

Dr. Taylor recounted her moving story in a lecture that we now share with you.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight The Saturday Evening Post