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I recently attended a very interesting talk from this woman about how she changed her own brain using exercises that simulated deficient areas. While this was very interesting, especially from the stand point of someone suffering with a learning disorder, I was unable to uncover the scientific research behind some of her claims.

  • Do her exercises help? This seems likely, but I'd like to know if this is proven

  • Is there truly no drop-off in other, more developed cognitive areas?

  • And this isn't one of her claims, however, are these exercises better than any every-day activities?

theheadofabroom
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    Could you please be more specific about the claim you are interested in? I had a look at her [web-site](http://www.barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com), and their are various broad claims, but I didn't see anything that had much more substance than "If you rigorously practice something you are bad at, you get better." – Oddthinking Jun 07 '12 at 10:00
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    The brain can be inhibited by all kinds of things, including past experiences which are blocked out as a defense mechanism. Her results could simply be the work of a placebo effect. Without knowing exactly how the brain works (something we haven't accomplished yet), I don't see how such a claim could even be remotely confirmed or denied. – Christopher Jun 08 '12 at 11:16
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    @Christopher The claims she made in the talk were to do with using very simple exercises to trigger underlying changes, for example an exercise in drawing clocks to drastically improve associativity. As far as I've seen in other research brain training has only ever been proven to help you complete brain training exercises more easily, rather than having other benefits. The first paragraph of [this](http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-woman-who-changed-her-brain/prod9780732292393.html) makes a brief synopsis of the talk – theheadofabroom Jun 11 '12 at 15:38
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    @Oddthinking If you practice something you are bad at you usually do improve. – Tjaart Jun 21 '12 at 23:08
  • Maybe the whole idea is to state obvious things in a very roundabout way. – Tjaart Jun 21 '12 at 23:17
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    I am currently reading her book "The Woman who changed her brain." I have also read, "The brain that changes itself," which would help give you all the neuro research to support her claims. An entire chapter of "The brain that changes itself" is dedicated to Arrowsmith Young's research and how it fits into the current research about brain plasticity. –  Sep 28 '12 at 22:26

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