Coach Guide Auditory Brain

Coach’s Guide
2.0
Coach’s Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Welcome to Our Team 3
A Brief History of Posit Science 4
Our Mission and Values 6
Key to Icons 7
Chapter 2: The Science Behind Our Program 9

Brain Plasticity 11
Negative Plasticity and Cognitive Decline 12
Listening and Cognitive Decline 13
Countering Negative Plasticity 14
The Computer Medium 17
Clinical Validation 17
Chapter 3: Program Details 19

Ergonomics and Computer Stations 21
Program Features 23
Exercise 1: High or Low? 32
Exercise 2: Tell Us Apart 42
Exercise 3: Match It! 49
Exercise 4: Sound Replay 55
Exercise 5: Listen and Do 60
Exercise 6: Story Teller 66
Chapter 4: Charting Participant Progress 71

Challenge Meter 73
Incorrect Trial Repetition 78
Interim Feedback 79
Progress Pop-Ups 80
Exercise Exit Screens 81
Summary Screen 85
Calibration and Progress Check-Ins 86
Reflective Journals 91
Chapter 5: Running Your Class 95
Coach Etiquette 97
Preparations Before Orientation Day 98
On Orientation Day 99
On Calibration Day 100
On a Typical Day 104
On Graduation Day 107
Chapter 6: Managing Participant Concerns 109

Common Concerns 111
Anticipated Attitude Timeline 116
Chapter 7: Managing Technical Issues 119

How to Add Additional Users 121
How to Adjust the Volume 125
How to Skip an Exercise or End a Session Early 126
How to Change the Size of the Mouse Pointer 127
How to Change the Speed of the Mouse Pointer 128
How to Unfreeze the Computer 129
How to Check a Session Number 130
How to Submit a Screenshot of a Problem 132
How to Create a Shortcut on the Start Bar 134
Congratulations! 135
Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions 137

Appendix B: Mouse Skill Tips 141
Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions 143
Appendix D: License Agreement 149
Appendix E: Sample Breathing/Stretching Exercises 153
Appendix F: Sample Progress Profile 155
Appendix G: Weekly Overview 157
Appendix H: Schedule of Exercises 177
Appendix I: Glossary of Terms 179
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to the Brain Fitness Program Coach’s Guide!
In this chapter, you will find:

• Welcome to Our Team
• A Brief History of Posit Science
• Our Mission and Values
• Key to the Icons
Coach’s Guide - 1
Welcome to Our Team
Our brains are what make us who we are. They are the key to our sense
of self, our independence and the meaningful relationships we have
with others. We all want to preserve our brain’s health so that we can
live life to the fullest—regardless of our age.
At Posit Science, we are dedicated to providing tools to strengthen

brain health, and with it, quality of life. Participants who have
completed our Brain Fitness Program report improved memory,
communication skills, self-confidence, optimism and attention. What
changes could be more critical to our personality, vitality,
independence—even our happiness?
You and colleagues are joining a global team working to bring these
profound effects into the lives of mature adults. You will help your
participants by:
• Possessing in-depth knowledge of the program and its scientific
basis.
We have designed this guide to give you this knowledge. We also hope
this guide will serve as a reference source for you as you share our
program with your participants. In the following pages, you will find
sections devoted to: The Science Behind Our Program, Program
Details, Charting Participant Progress and Frequently Asked
Questions. Throughout this guide, you will also find helpful tips and
definitions.
We hope that working with our program proves invigorating and

rewarding for both you and your participants!
Coach’s Guide - 3
A Brief History of Posit Science
Our Past
For thirty years, renowned neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich has
tackled questions that shape the way we think about the brain, about
health and about aging. “What if the adult brain isn't fixed, but
malleable?” “What if the brain can be rejuvenated to extend human
perception, thought and memory far into the advancing years?” “What
if we can alter brain function to alleviate conditions like Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's, schizophrenia and chronic pain?”
Dr. Merzenich’s research and inventions are demonstrating that the

brain’s natural plasticity—its ability to change at any age—may allow
many cognitive conditions to be reversed. In the 1980s, he led the
team of scientists that developed the first practical cochlear implant to
restore hearing to the deaf. During the next decade, as computer
technology became more sophisticated, he co-founded Scientific
Learning Corporation (Nasdaq: SCIL) to develop a software program
designed to ameliorate learning deficits in children. To date, this
program has helped more than 600,000 schoolchildren with language
learning and reading.
In 2002, Dr. Merzenich and Posit Science’s future CEO Jeff Zimman
began discussing the possibility of computer-based training programs to
help improve brain function in adults. In 2003, they founded Posit
Science with the goal of using neuroscientific research to benefit the
health of the adult brain. As a result, Posit Science has now obtained
licenses for 50 U.S. patents and dozens of foreign patents, and has
formed an international think tank of scientists to inform and guide
our ongoing research and development.
Our Current Focus

In 2004, we introduced our pilot program code-named “HiFi” which is
designed to improve auditory and speech processing in mature adults.
In 2005, BridgePoint at San Francisco (now Sunrise at Golden Gate)
became the first residential community in the world to offer the Brain
Fitness Program. With the results of science studies and market
feedback, we continue to refine and improve our program.
4 - Introduction
Our Future
Posit Science is working on other programs that improve neurological
functioning including visual processing, problem-solving, fine motor
control, balance and coordination. The company is also applying its
scientific expertise and proprietary technology to different
neurological disorders as diverse as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia,
Alzheimer’s and pain management.
Coach’s Guide - 5
Our Mission and Values
Our Mission
Our mission is to apply breakthroughs in brain research to
enhance human performance and to enhance and promote brain
health. Our goal is to be the leading provider of scientifically
validated brain health programs.
Our Values
Our values guide our actions and, taken together with our
actions, reveal who we are. They include:
Courage: It takes courage to innovate — in science, in

technology, and in our lives. We encourage the brave acts of
those who are driven to attempt new things and move in new
directions.
Learning: We believe in continuous learning, which is the key

driver underlying the science of neuroplasticity. An environment
committed to continuous learning is focused on innovation,
invention, and imagination. It is centered on the search for truth.
It expects mistakes, learns from them, and keeps moving forward.
Continuous learning strengthens our team, improves our services,
and builds community.
Empathy: We care deeply about those who may use our offerings.
Our primary goal is to help them improve their own lives – to
empower them. We must be attentive, patient, supportive and
caring in our relationships with them.
Authenticity: We are committed to being authentic in all that

we do. We strive to be open and honest with others – to “keep it
real” when it comes to the science, the programs, and our
communications. Being authentic builds trust. It demands
integrity.
Respect: We believe in treating others with respect. This is

consistent with a search for truth and with helping others. It is
the basis for relationships based on caring and trust.
6 - Introduction
Key to Icons
Throughout the main body of this guide, you will see sidebars with
extra tidbits and important ideas. The key below explains these
reoccurring icons:
Indicates that a definition is being provided.
Signals common problems and misunderstandings.
Points out other sources of more information.
Designates a useful tip, suggestion or feature.
Indicates that similar text can be found in the Companion

Guide. (The Companion Guide is a booklet written for
participants. It explains some of the scientific theory behind our
program, program features and exercise instructions.
Coach’s Guide - 7
8 - Introduction
Chapter 2: The Science Behind Our Program
The Brain Fitness Program is firmly rooted in neuroscience. The

company has a global team of more than 50 scientists and clinicians
whose input drives all program development. The upcoming pages
provide some information about the science that gave rise to the
Brain Fitness Program. Understanding the science behind the
program may help you answer questions as they arise.
In this chapter, you will find information about:

• Brain Plasticity
• Negative Plasticity and Cognitive Decline
• Listening and Cognitive Decline
• Countering Negative Plasticity
• The Computer Medium
• Clinical Validation
Coach’s Guide - 9
The Brain Fitness Program is designed to combat the cognitive decline
that comes with aging. Cognitive decline is a normal—and
universal—part of aging. The traditional view holds that cognitive
changes are an unavoidable consequence of brain machinery wearing cognitive decline:
normal decline over
down over time. But recent evidence suggests the root causes of age-
time in the processes
related cognitive decline are associated with the brain’s natural of memory and
plasticity—its ability to rewire itself at any age. thinking
Brain Plasticity
Brain plasticity can have both positive and negative consequences for
the brain. Our scientists believe that cognitive decline is rooted in
negative brain plasticity. They have designed the program to engage
positive brain plasticity, with the goal of reversing the processes of brain plasticity: the
brain’s ability to
negative brain plasticity that lead to cognitive decline.
rewire itself at any
age
Brain plasticity is closely related to learning. Whenever we learn
something new, nerve cells in the brain form connections with one
another to form new neuronal pathways. Over time, and with
significant repetition, these pathways become stronger until eventually
they are so robust that the new skill, task or piece of information is negative brain
considered mastered or learned. In this context, “learning” includes plasticity: brain reor-
ganization resulting
things we often think of as almost natural, such as learning to use a in less efficiency
spoon. When children learn to use a spoon, it takes thousands of tries
spread over a couple of years before they can reliably get food into their
mouths without making a mess. The ability to do so is a result of brain
plasticity.
• Positive brain plasticity is when the brain reorganizes itself in such positive brain
a way that important behavioral tasks are performed more effi- plasticity: brain reor-
ganization resulting
ciently. The types of behavioral tasks that the program targets
in greater efficiency
include memory, understanding and thinking.
• Negative brain plasticity is when the brain reorganizes itself in
such a way that important behavioral tasks are performed less effi-
ciently.
neuronal: relating to
neurons (impulse-
conducting cells in
the nervous system)
Coach’s Guide - 11
Negative Plasticity and Cognitive Decline
There is evidence that four interrelated factors—all of which involve
negative brain plasticity processes—are the cause of cognitive decline
in older adults. They include:
1. Brain Disuse
2. Noisy Processing
3. Weakened Neuromodulatory Control
4. Negative Learning
1. Brain Disuse
As people age, their activity level typically declines—not just

physically, but also mentally. Even if they continue to be mentally
active, they often participate only in activities they have already
mastered, rather than learning new tasks. This results in less overall
stimulation for sensory, cognitive and motor systems. Like a muscle,
the brain deteriorates without appropriate exercise. People have to
“use it or lose it.”
2. Noisy Processing
As people grow older, sensory input from all systems (auditory, visual
and tactile) degrades as a result of deterioration of peripheral sensory
organs (e.g., loss of hair cells in the inner ear). In other words, as our
ears, eyes and other sense organs weaken with age, they don’t provide
the clear “input” our brains need to create clear representations of
central nervous what we hear, see or otherwise sense. In an effort to continue to detect
system: the brain relevant signals, the central nervous system (the brain and spinal
and spinal cord
cord) adapts to this poor input. For example, if auditory input degrades
due to loss of hair cells in the inner ear, a person may adapt by “turning
up the volume.” This allows the brain to continue to detect sound.
However, such adaptation has a high cost: the background noise level
also increases. The experience is like listening to a poorly tuned, static-
filled radio station. This is called “noisy” processing.
neuromodulators: 3. Weakened Neuromodulatory Control
brain chemicals
that enable
Another consequence of aging is reduced production of the
plasticity and vivify
learning neuromodulators, brain chemicals necessary for learning and
memory. The neuromodulatory system acts as a gating system for brain
12 - The Science Behind Our Program

plasticity. When neuromodulator production occurs at the appropriate
times, the gates are open, allowing the plastic changes that enable
learning. When neuromodulator production is down all the time, the
gates close, weakening the brain’s control over its ability to learn. Low
neuromodulator production can trap the brain in potentially
inappropriate or unhelpful patterns.
4. Negative Learning
Brain disuse, noisy processing and weakened neuromodulatory control

interact to make new or demanding activities more challenging to
perform. As a result, individuals often adapt their behaviors in ways
which reinforce the negative aspects of their cognitive processing. For
example, when auditory reception declines, individuals often become
adept lip-readers, and rely on context to understand what they hear.
Although adaptive on the one hand, lip-reading focuses the brain on a
secondary, less effective skill, and away from the fundamental and
more important skill—identifying each sound quickly and accurately.
The result is that the fundamental skill becomes even weaker over
time.
Taken together, brain disuse, noisy processing, weakened

neuromodulatory control and negative learning result in a brain that is
less capable of receiving and representing incoming stimuli, and
therefore, less able to store and recall it. This can have dramatic effects
on quality of life, decreasing a person’s overall mental vitality.
Listening and Cognitive Decline

Although negative brain plasticity can affect any of our senses, our
program focuses on negative changes in auditory processing
(listening). You might think that listening problems are related to age-
related changes in the ear, and that the program can’t address such
changes. That’s partly true. Clearly some listening problems, such as
the loss of hair cells in the inner ear, cannot be reversed by our
program. But there is increasing evidence that these age-related
listening problems are compounded by an age-related weakening in
the brain’s ability to process sound quickly and accurately. This
weakened ability is equally detrimental to hearing. The program is
designed to reverse this negative brain plasticity and improve the
representation of auditory stimuli in the brain. In other words, it
should help people hear better by making the most of what their ears
can do.
Our program centers on listening because there’s a vital link between

listening and cognition. Much of the most important information we
take in each day comes through what we hear —from family members,
co-workers, the phone, news broadcasts, sirens and other traffic noises,
doctors, store clerks and so on. The ability to understand, use and
remember such information is crucial to our independence,
personalities and sense of connection with others.
Many people do not realize that as they grow older, they are gradually
losing their ability to process language as quickly and clearly as they
once did, since they have adapted by using context and other coping
mechanisms. This enables them to follow a conversation and get by in
everyday life, but because the brain is allocating its resources
inefficiently, it has a harder time recalling important information. As
people improve their ability to hear and process language through the
program training, they also improve their ability to remember
information and act on what they hear later. Only when the brain
encodes sound signals accurately and clearly can it “find” them again
when trying to recall them.
It might help to think of it like this: If you’re trying to read a recipe

that has been neatly typed on clean paper, you can read it quickly,
efficiently, without missing an ingredient. But if you try to read a recipe
that is written in pencil in bad handwriting, has been partly smudged
off, and has food spilled on it, it will take you much longer to read. It’s
likely that you won’t be able to discern all the ingredients. This is not
unlike what the brain does when it tries to read back what it heard. If
the input is clear, the memory is clear. But if the input is unclear (or
“noisy”), the brain may not be able to read it back fully and accurately.
This is what causes a person to forget what to buy when they arrive at
the store, have trouble solving problems that require using information
they recently heard and much more.
Countering Negative Plasticity

The Brain Fitness Program is designed to drive positive plasticity in
auditory processing to counter the four conditions of negative
plasticity described above.

Studies have shown that participation in cognitively stimulating and
challenging activities during adulthood reduces the risk of loss of
cognitive abilities later in life. It clearly counters each of the four
conditions of negative plasticity that contribute to functional decline
with aging:
1. Cognitive activity is the opposite of brain disuse.
2. It can tune the brain processing machinery to ensure less noisy pro-
cessing.
3. It is likely to occur in behavioral contexts that strengthen neuro-

modulatory control.
4. It disrupts the downward spiral of negative learning.
While many activities provide general stimulation and challenge, our

program is designed to drive learning, target specific aspects of
cognitive decline and engage brain plasticity efficiently and effectively.
Most people who strive to keep their minds active using
conventionally available materials (such as card games or crossword
puzzles) pick something at which they are already good. However,
developing entirely new skills is much more stimulating to the brain
than doing skills the brain already knows. Our program is designed to
trial: a turn; each
give people the brain stimulation equivalent to learning an entirely time a participant is
new skill (like learning French fluently or playing the saxophone like required to respond
Charlie Parker), but in a more targeted way, in a comparatively short to stimuli
amount of time.
Our software is designed to drive positive brain plasticity in the

following four ways:
1. Strongly engage the brain to reverse the disuse that drives the
downward spiral of negative plasticity
The program incorporates frequent and demanding sensory, cognitive

and motor tasks. Desired skills are practiced over hundreds of trials to
ensure that each part of the input becomes represented in the brain as
a strong neuronal response (pathway). Repetition is critical; the
program was built on a 40-hour schedule to ensure that participants get
the repetition their brains need. The training is also adaptive. It begins
with the simplest tasks where there is a high degree of success and
proceeds incrementally through a series of exercises in which the task
demands gradually become more difficult. The program is designed to
hone in on participants’ performance threshold and to work them
there until they are able to break through to a more challenging level.
threshold: the Repetitive, successful practice, with rewards, helps participants learn
uppermost limit of
ability the desired skills within each component.
2. Renormalize noisy processing
The program is designed to improve the ability of the auditory
system to engage memory and cognitive systems by increasing the
ability to extract meaningful information from a noisy
Threshold training
means that people environment. Program tasks and stimuli (the sounds and speech)
shouldn’t get 100% are designed to increase the accuracy of representations of
of the trials correct.
Reassure partici- complex, dynamic sounds to assure generalization to all contexts
pants that 80% for easy and efficient real life signal reception and memory. This
accuracy is perfect includes frequency modulation sweeps and processed speech
for improving their
brains! sounds.
3. Enhance neuromodulatory function
The program is designed to strengthen the function of the

neuromodulatory systems essential for the regulation of learning and
memory. These neuromodulators “open the gates” for brain plasticity,
Find more informa- enabling and amplifying plasticity in the adult brain. The program
tion about the tasks focuses on certain behaviors—including attention, reward and
and stimuli in the
science sections for novelty—which are known to affect the release of specific
each of the six exer- neuromodulators.
cises in Chapter 3 of
this guide. • Attention: When people pay attention, they tell their brain
that what they are experiencing is important enough to under-
stand and remember. The program repeatedly asks participants
to focus their attention by clicking the Start button before
each trial. The goal is to upregulate the production of the neu-
romodulator acetylcholine.
• Reward: When people feel rewarded, their brains release
dopamine, which encourages learning. It’s the brain’s way of
saying, “That was good for you. Remember it for next time.”
The program rewards participants with fun animations, points
and correct answer “dings” in an attempt to increase the pro-
duction of dopamine.
• Novelty: The program’s animations are sometimes offbeat
because norepinephrine release rises when the brain is pre-
sented with surprising or novel experiences. Norepinephrine

release is the brain’s way of saying, “Unusual things are happen-
ing. Stay sharp!”
4. Strengthen critical life skills

The program is designed to guide users out of learned behaviors with
negative consequences for brain health and into new behaviors that
positively reinforce their enhanced brain function. The program steers
people away from dependency on context and lip-reading, and leads
individuals toward attentive, active listening. This enables accurate
auditory processing, which subsequently helps to drive positive brain
plasticity processes.
We believe that by honing in on these four goals, the program will help
people gain, reclaim and sustain brain fitness by reversing the harm
caused by negative brain plasticity.
The Computer Medium

Many people wonder why we built the Brain Fitness Program as a
computer program. The short answer is that computers are excellent
tools for accomplishing the four program goals listed above. Since
engaging positive brain plasticity relies on a lot of precise practice, a
tool that can deliver stimuli accurately, track performance and change
task difficulties as people improve is key to efficient training.
Computers can deliver the training stimuli with far greater precision
and at a higher speed than other machines or human trainers.
Compared to a human trainer, computers can also quickly evaluate the
number of correct responses and adjust the difficulty of the exercises
based on performance, customizing the training for every individual on
every exercise day. Finally, a computer can easily keep track of progress,
and provide feedback on program progress. neuropsychological
tests: question-and-
Clinical Validation answer tests that
measure cognitive
Posit Science is conducting studies to clinically validate the Brain status
Fitness Program. Initial results are very promising. Across several
studies, participants showed gains of 0.3 to 1.0 standard deviation, on
average, on a standardized cognitive battery. In lay terms, that’s 10+
years of improvement in standardized measures of auditory memory brain imaging: pic-
and cognition. tures of brains, such
as functional MRIs,
We are also collaborating with UCSF, UC Davis, Stanford, USC and that can indicate
the Mayo Clinic for additional testing. These studies will use both activated parts of
the brain
neuropsychological tests and brain imaging to understand the
effects of the Brain Fitness Program training. The neuropsychological
tests explore such fields as memory, processing speed/ response time,
attentiveness and language fluency. Brain imaging indicates areas of
increased activity in the brain. If you’re interested, you can find more
information on our studies and publications at www.positscience.com.

Chapter 3: Program Details
This chapter gives information about the program layout and about
the six program exercises.
Subsections describe:
• Ergonomics and Computer Stations
Sitting Properly
The Monitor
The Mouse and Keyboard
Headphones
• Program Features
Screen Elements
Exercise Elements
Animation Elements
Software Elements
• The Six Exercises:
Exercise 1: High or Low?
Exercise 2: Tell Us Apart
Exercise 3: Match It!
Exercise 4: Sound Replay
Exercise 5: Listen and Do
Exercise 6: Story Teller
Ergonomics and Computer Stations
Because the Brain Fitness Program is time-intensive, it is important to
ensure that participants understand how to use the computer ergonomics: work-
equipment appropriately. Below you will find a few pointers on using place design that
reduces fatigue and
and setting up computer stations for safety and comfort. discomfort
Sitting Properly
Participants should sit in stable, height-appropriate chairs. To avoid
carpal tunnel, participants should adjust their seat heights so that their
forearms rest in an open and relaxed stance; seat height should be high
enough that a space of at least 90 degrees is created between the forearm
and the upper arm. If a seat height is too low, the cramped position
forces the wrists to flex, cutting off circulation and potentially leading
to carpal tunnel. Participants should sit centered on their chair, so that
their backs are fully supported. They may want to use a small pillow to
support their lower back.
Participants should sit with both feet flat on the floor. Participants who
experience discomfort because their feet do not reach the floor may
want to experiment with using blocks or footstools.
Some participants may have arthritis or joint issues that cause

discomfort when sitting or using their hands for extended periods of
time. Participants should take breaks as needed. We recommend that
participants make a habit of taking a 5-10 minute break each day when
they have completed two of the four exercises.
The Monitor
Participants should sit with the monitor directly in front of them—not
To avoid eye strain, off to one side. Their eyes should be about 2 feet from the screen. Their
participants should gaze should rest about 2 inches below the top of the monitor casing,
be encouraged to close to the top of the screen area.
focus on something
across the room for a
If participants wear bifocals or progressive lenses, they should tilt the
few seconds
between exercises. monitor back slightly to avoid craning their head back or forward. If
participants are looking up or down at the monitor, they may
experience back and neck strain.
If participants have been diagnosed with macular degeneration, they

See the sections on
“Exercise 1: High or may have to experiment with different monitor solutions. Some
Low?” and “Exer- participants have found using a magnifying glass or a screen magnifier
cise 2: Tell Us Apart”
in this guide for
helpful.
explicit directions on
how to use the key- The Mouse and Keyboard
board shortcuts in
those exercises. The program is designed to be as easy-to-use as possible. Participants
can complete the program using only the mouse. In select exercises,
participants can choose to use keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse
if they desire. Participants who choose not to use the keyboard
Some of your partici- shortcuts, may find it is helpful to push the keyboard aside. Moving the
pants may have keyboard out of the way, allows more room for using the mouse and
difficulty using the
mouse. See “Appen- may lessen confusion for those participants who are new to the
dix B: Mouse Skill computer.
Tips” on page 141 in
this guide for point- The mouse pad and workspace should be spacious enough that
ers on mousing.
participants have plenty of room to move the mouse with ease. The
mouse and keyboard should be positioned so that participants can keep
their shoulders and upper arms relaxed. Their wrists should rest in a
To learn more about
neutral position (not bent up or down.)
proper ergonomic
environments, check Headphones
out these websites:
http:// Participants will need to wear headphones throughout every training
www.healthycomput-
ing.com session. Participants should not use speakers to perform the program. To
or accurately process the stimuli in the exercises, participants must be
http:// able to listen to the stimuli with the best quality sound. We have
ergo.human.cor-
nell.edu
determined that the sound quality produced by most computer
speakers, as well as the distraction of ambient noise, severely
diminishes the program’s ability to improve auditory processing.
22 - Ergonomics and Computer Stations

Program Features
Before discussing individual exercises in depth, there are several cross-
exercise considerations and features. They include:
Screen Elements
Dashboard
Timer
Challenge Meter
Point Scorer
Exercise Area and Animation Area
Volume Button
Pause/Exit Button
Guide Button
Practice Button
Start Button
Exercise Elements
Task Initiation
Main Task
Video and Animation Elements

Educational Segments
Rewards
Software Elements
License Agreement
Uploading Screen
Reflective Journals
Screen Elements
Dashboard
All the exercises take place on a similar dashboard, or background.
The dashboard includes the Timer, Point Scorer, Exercise Area,
Animation Area, Volume Button, Pause/Exit Button and Challenge
Meter.
Participants can read
similar information Challenge Meter Point Scorer
about the screen Timer
elements in the
“Program Features”
section of the
Companion Guide. Exercise
Area
Animation
Area
Volume Button Pause/Exit Button Practice
Timer
Every exercise is scheduled to last 15 minutes. On the Timer, a white
minute hand ticks away the seconds while the number on the face tells
you how many minutes are left in the exercise.
Challenge Meter
To chart progress through the exercises, participants may use the
Challenge Meter which is always present on the top of the screen.
24 - Program Features
Directions for using and understanding the Challenge Meter are
explained in the section starting on page 73.
Point Scorer
Much like in any sports activity or board game, participants earn
points based on their performance in the exercises. The points help
participants keep track of how well they are doing on the exercises and
help provide rewards for the brain. Participants will earn points every
time they give a correct answer and will receive bonus points for
answering several questions correctly in a row.
Exercise Area and Animation Area

For four of the exercises (High or Low?, Tell Us Apart, Sound Replay and
Story Teller) the screen is split into two areas: the Exercise Area and
the Animation Area. In the Exercise Area, the participant performs
the required tasks to advance in the program. In the Animation Area, No action is required
from the participant
participants see animations move and change as a reward for
in the Animation
performing a task correctly. Area—the anima-
tions are purely for
amusement and
entertainment. Keep
an eye out for con-
Exercise
fused participants
Area
who may errone-
ously believe that
they have to perform
tasks with the anima-
Animation tions on this part of
Area the screen.
Volume Button
By clicking the Volume button, participants enter a screen that allows
them to control the volume for the exercise stimulus sounds and the
other exercise sounds (animations and educational segments).
Participants can control the volume for the exercise stimulus sounds
Making the sounds
separately from the animation sounds, so that all sounds are tailored to
louder does not
always make them their personal preference.
easier to hear. Think
about how distorted • To change the volume for the exercise stimulus sounds, click the
a radio sounds with Louder or Softer button under the “Exercise Sounds” header as
the volume turned many times as necessary to achieve the right level. Or, use the
all the way up. Par-
mouse to drag the small vertical bar in the middle of the volume
ticipants should pick
a volume that is control left or right.
comfortable and
then concentrate.
• To change the volume for the other exercise sounds, click the
With practice, they Louder or Softer button under the “All Other Sounds” header. Or,
can master distinc- use the mouse to drag the small vertical bar in the middle of the
tions in sounds that volume control. This bar controls the volume level of the anima-
seem difficult at first.
tion sounds and of the Point Scorer.
Once the volume is adjusted for the exercise sounds, the other exercise
sounds, or both, a participant can return to where they were in the
program by clicking Return to the program.
If the participant clicks the Volume button when a video is playing
they will see this screen:
To change the volume for the animation or video, click the Louder or
Softer button as many times as necessary to achieve the right level. Or,
use the mouse to drag the small vertical bar in the middle of the
volume control left or right.
Pause/Exit Button
Participants can pause the program by clicking the Pause/Exit button
at any time. The program also automatically enters the pause state if a
participant does not select a button for 60 seconds.
Once the program is paused, a participant can return to it by clicking

the Resume this exercise button. Or, they can exit out of the exercise
by clicking the Skip this exercise button or the Exit the program
button.
We recommend that
participants NOT
skip exercises except
when absolutely
necessary.
Pause/Exit Button
Practice Button
In High or Low?, Tell Us Apart, Match It!, Sound Replay, participants see
a Practice button instead of a Guide button. Clicking this button leads
them to a separate mode where participants can practice the exercise
without being timed or scored. Note that no button is available during
Task Initiation. The button will appear once the participant begins
performing the regular exercise stimuli.
Practice
Button
Start Button
When participants perform the exercises, they will be required to click
a Start button before hearing each stimuli set. By requiring the
You can find scien- participant to hit the Start Button, the program determines that the
tific reasons for participant is attentive and ready to focus on the exercise.
clicking the Start
button in the
Companion Guide
under “Attentional
Focus.”
Exercise Elements
Calibration
Calibration must be The first time that participants log in to the program, the calibration
completed by partic- task will automatically load. As part of the calibration process,
ipants in order to
proceed with the participants will be asked to perform these important tasks:
program. There is no
option to skip
• Follow the Calibration Tutorial
calibration. • Perform the Calibration Task
The calibration is intended to calibrate the initial difficulty level of
the Brain Fitness Program to a participant’s particular performance
capabilities.
Task Initiation
When participants perform an exercise for the first time, they begin
with an initiation to the exercise. The program has voice-over to walk
them through the exercise step-by-step, so that they know exactly how
It is also possible for
to navigate the exercise before they begin. the initiation circles
to reappear later in
During the initiation, participants see black circles drawn around the the program if par-
correct answers. These black circles help participants learn how to ticipants are
performing poorly in
perform the exercise by showing them what to click or move.
the exercise. If a par-
ticipant reports that
Main Task the program is pro-
viding black circles
After completing the initiation, participants begin the main task of the (and the participant
exercise. is not at the begin-
ning of the
scheduled 15
Video and Animation Elements minutes and/or the
participant has com-
Educational Segments pleted several
sessions already),
Educational videos appear throughout the program. These videos you may want to
make sure that the
address different topics, including the science background of the
participant under-
program, the exercise goals and life benefits. stands the directions
and goals of the
Rewards exercise.
As described in Chapter 2 on page 16, the visual rewards in the

program reaffirm that participants have answered a trial correctly with
entertaining and surprising animations. Stimulated by these fun or
novel images, the brain is then better enabled to learn rapidly and to See “Appendix H:
remember. The visual rewards in the program are grouped into six Schedule of Exer-
cises” on page 177
themes: for a complete
schedule.
• Color
• Music
• Travel
• Family
• Pets
• Animals
For the first session, participants automatically receive the Color
theme while for the second session, they will automatically receive the
Travel theme. Beginning on the third session, however, participants
will see a screen similar to the one pictured below at the start of their
session which will allow them to choose the theme themselves.
If participants get
distracted or irritated
by the animations,
encourage them to
select the Color
theme at the begin-
ning of the day.
Participants report
that it is the most
calming theme
because of its soft
color palette and its
lack of moving
animations.
If participants prefer to be surprised, they can select the Choose a

theme for me button, and the program will automatically select a
theme. They have the opportunity of selecting a different theme each
day.
Software Elements
License Agreement
When the program launches the first session, it will begin the session
by presenting participants with a license agreement (they will also
have a printed copy). This document asks participants to refrain from
selling or sharing the software. As participants are only presented with
this document once, they are free to spend as little or as much time as See “Appendix D:
License Agreement”
they wish reading the contract before they click “I Agree.”. on page 149 for a
complete copy of
the language in our
license agreement.
Uploading Screen
If a participant has chosen to have their data uploaded, the uploading
screen shown below will appear at the end of every session.
Participants simply have to click the CLOSE SCREEN button to
return to the computer desktop.
Exercise 1: High or Low?
There are six exercises which make up the Brain Fitness Program. The
six exercises rotate on a daily basis. During almost every session
See “Appendix H: participants will play four out of the six exercises. Each of the four
Schedule of Exer-
exercises is played for 15 minutes, adding up to a total exercise time of
for a complete time- 60 minutes. The first few sessions will be shorter than 60 minutes as
table of exercise the participants are gradually introduced to the exercises.
rotations.
The first exercise participants encounter is High or Low?. It’s the only
exercise participants will do every day of the program. The exercise
provides a crucial foundation for the other exercises. This section
describes High or Low? in detail. It includes:
• High or Low? Instructions
• The Science Behind High or Low?
• High or Low? Progression
• Instructional Tips for High or Low?
32 - Exercise 1: High or Low?

High or Low? Instructions
High or Low? starts with sweeping sounds that begin at a low
frequency and sweep upward, or begin at a high frequency and sweep frequency: the
downward. number of vibra-
tions (in this case,
As in all exercises, participants will begin by working through the sound vibrations) in
one second
exercise initiation. Once they pass the initiation, they enter the main
part of the exercise. To play the exercise, participants will follow these
steps:
1. Click the Start button to hear two sweeping sounds.
2. Listen to the two sweeps and decide whether each one went up in
frequency (“weep”) or went down (“woop”).
3. Click two arrows to repeat the pattern of the sweeps. There are four
Participants can find
possible combinations: similar exercise
instructions in the
• If they hear two upward sweeps, they click the up arrow twice High or Low? section
in a row. of the Companion
Guide.
• If they hear two downward sweeps, they click the down arrow
twice in a row.
• If they hear an upward sweep followed by a downward sweep,
they click the up arrow first, followed by the down arrow.
• If they hear a downward sweep followed by an upward sweep,
they click the down arrow first, followed by the up arrow.
4. If participants answer correctly, they will hear a correct answer

“ding” sound, earn points, and see an animation appear on their
screen. If they answer incorrectly, they will hear a “thunk” sound.
5. Click the Start button to move to the next set of sweeps.
Up Arrow Down Arrow
If participants tire of
using the mouse,
they can use the key-
board for High or
Low?. The following
keyboard strokes can
be used:
Start button = space
Reward
bar key or up arrow
Area
key
Upward sweep/high
burst = left arrow
key
Downward sweep/
low burst = right
6. 6) Because some participants will find it difficult to distinguish
arrow key
between the two frequencies, this exercise has a special feature:
Practice Mode. To practice listening to the frequencies, partici-
pants can click the Practice button in the lower right-hand corner
The Practice button
of the screen. They can listen to the sounds for as long as they wish
is not available without using part of their exercise time.
during Task
Initiation.
Some—but not all—participants will work their way through all of the
sweeping sounds before their 40th training session. If they do, they will
enter a second task that delivers sound “bursts” instead of sweeping
sounds. The burst task is identical to the sweep task, except that the
participant will hear high and low sound bursts instead of upward and
downward sweeping sounds.

The Science Behind High or Low?
High or Low? is a time order judgment exercise. Its stimulus sets
contain frequency modulation “sweeps”—sounds that sweep upward or stimulus: something
downward—and structured sound “bursts.” The frequencies used in that makes a nerve
receptor trigger an
this exercise were selected because they are the frequencies commonly electrical impulse in
used in speech. Such sweeps and bursts are part of some of the most a nerve pathway,
important and basic elements of speech, including stop consonants leading to a change
in activity. For exam-
(consonant sounds produced by stopping the flow of air and releasing it ple, anything that is
suddenly, such as /b/, /p/, /d/, /t/, /g/, and /k/), other consonants and heard is an “auditory
vowels. stimulus.”
Sweeps Bursts
At first, the stimuli are fairly slow and spaced far apart to accommodate
the novelty of the exercise. But as participants listen attentively to the
stimuli time and time again, the connections in their brains should
specialize to record them accurately, and the sweeps should become
easier to discern and sequence. Over time, participants should develop
the ability to identify sweeps and bursts that are faster and closer
together, and only very subtly different in pitch.
Although the exercise may seem abstract, in some ways High or Low? is
the most important exercise in the program. The ability to hear clearly
and record quickly the most basic parts of speech is a necessary
foundation for understanding what we hear. Distinguishing such
sounds when they are contained in spoken language can make the
difference between hearing a /g/ or a /d/ (“gum” instead of “dumb”), a /
sh/ or a /ch/ (“sheep” instead of “cheap”) and many other sounds. As
such, High or Low? provides a basis for the richer language contexts of
the five other program exercises.
/g/ /d/
Upward Downward
This spectrogram shows how much the sounds /g/ and /d/
spectrogram: a resemble each other; however, in /g/ the top sweep goes upward
visual representa- while in /d/, the top sweep goes downward. It’s like two piano
tion of sound chords, in which the bottom two notes stay the same, but the top
one changes. Hearing the change in the top note is crucial to
hearing the difference between the chords.
You might think of it like this: High or Low? forms the first step on the
stairway to accurate language reception.
High or Low? Progression

Progression through High or Low? is based on the three dimensions of
the exercise stimuli:
progression: how
participants move
• the gap between the sounds (ISI)
through the stimuli • the duration of the sounds
in the program
• the sound frequency

Backward Adjustment Forward Progress
to Ease Difficulty
Gap Between the Sounds (ISI)

Of the three dimensions to the stimuli, the gap between the sounds
(the “interstimulus interval,” or ISI) changes most often. The gap
between the two sounds is measured in milliseconds (ms). At first, the
gap is 600 ms—for most people, this gap makes it possible to hear two
separate and identifiable sounds. The shortest possible gap is 20 ms.
The two pictures below show the visual difference between the 600 ms
gap and the 20 ms gap.
First Sweep Second Sweep

600 ms gap
First Sweep 20 ms gap Second Sweep
The gap length changes in the following conditions:

• Each time a participant answers correctly three times in a row, the
gap becomes shorter, making the task more difficult. (Instead of
hearing “weep.............…weep,” the participant might hear
“weep…weep.”) These changes are subtle; it can be hard to tell
that the gap length changed.
• Each incorrect answer results in a longer gap, making the task
slightly easier.
The shortest possible gap is 20 ms. After three correct responses in a

row at 20 ms, the sounds themselves get shorter and the gap goes back
up to 600 ms. Although this change represents forward progress,
beginning again at 600 ms can feel like a step backwards. The extra
time between the sounds is intended to give the participant time to
adjust to the new sound durations.
Sound Duration
Sound duration is the length in milliseconds of each of the two sweeps
in a trial. Each participant will work on five different sound durations
over the course of the program. Depending on a participant’s
performance during the calibration exercise, the program will start
each participant with a different set of durations tailored to the level
appropriate for them. An example of one participant’s duration set is
shown here:
1. 80 ms (sounds like “weeeeeeeeep”)
2. 60 ms (sounds like “weeeeeep”)
3. 40 ms (sounds like “weeep”)
4. 35 ms (sounds like “wep”)

5. 30 ms (sounds like “wp”)
Participants begin at the longest duration (80 ms in the above

example). Then they proceed to work through different gap lengths at
the longest duration.
Duration normally changes when:

• a participant completes the duration by getting past the 20 ms gap
• a participant gets stuck at a gap length, and cannot proceed in the
duration
The shorter the duration (30 ms in the above example), generally the
harder the sounds are to distinguish. With short durations and short
gaps, the two sounds sometimes begin to sound like one. They can be
very difficult to differentiate!
Sound Frequency
There are three possible sound frequencies: 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000
Hz. The frequency is usually unrelated to participant performance. The
program cycles through the three possible frequencies at the start of Hz: the abbreviation
each session. for Hertz, the mea-
surement for
frequency
Instructional Tips for High or Low?
1. Sweep Concept: Establish whether participants understand the
concept of “sweeps”:
a. Vocally mimic or whistle the sweep sounds in a slow and
exaggerated fashion, moving from low to high for a high (or
up) sweep, and then high to low for a low (or down) sweep. For detailed infor-
mation about the
Ask the participant to do the same. Exercise Exit screen
b. Ask participants what the sweeps sound like (or mean) to features, see the
section entitled
them. They might hear the sounds as words, e.g., “weep”/
“Exercise Exit
“woop,” “eek”/ “oop,” or “seek”/ “soup.” Others might Screens” on page 81
represent them visually or emotionally, e.g., high sweeps are in this guide.
bright or happy; low sweeps are dark or mournful.
c. Make sure participants associate the two different sweep
sounds with the correct up/down arrows. Participants
sometimes have the sounds reversed.
d. How ever participants hear or represent the high/low sweep
sounds, suggest that they write or draw these on two self-
stick notes and attach them to the corresponding side of
the computer screen, (i.e., if the up sweep sounds like
“weep,” have them write “weep” on a self-stick note and
place it on the same side as the up arrow.)
Make sure partici-
pants know to 2. Same Sounds or Different?: Ensure that participants understand
single-click the but- the exercise requires listening for two sounds and making two cor-
tons. Double- responding clicks, one click (not a double-click!) for each of the
clicking will result in
many wrong two sounds heard, mirroring the same order in which they were
answers! presented. The two sweep sounds can be the same or different,
making four possible answer combinations:
1st sweep is high = up arrow/2nd sweep is high = up arrow
1st sweep is high = up arrow/2nd sweep is low = down arrow
1st sweep is low = down arrow/2ndsweep is high = up arrow
1st sweep is low = down arrow/2nd sweep is low = down arrow
If participants want
to use the strategy 3. Accuracy vs. Speed: Remind participants that the goal of the exer-
of closing their eyes,
cise is not speed, but accuracy. After hearing the two sweeps,
they will need to
learn the shortcut suggest that participant try to recreate them (by repeating the
keys (keyboard sweeps softly to themselves or in their mind) to verify the direction
strokes) for the exer-
before clicking.
cise so they don’t
have to open their
eyes to respond. 4. Eyes Closed: Many participants report that they can focus on the
Start button = space sounds better if they close their eyes while listening, or if they look
bar key or up arrow at a distant object (e.g., a tree outdoors). Closing their eyes also
key helps them avoid being cued or distracted by the sight of the up/
Upward sweep/high
down arrow buttons lit on the screen.
burst = left arrow
key
5. Learn from Errors/ Incorrect Responses: Suggest that participants
Downward sweep/
low burst = right use incorrect responses as a learning tool. If they find they are
arrow key getting responses repeatedly wrong, they might try reversing their
response to the sounds—perhaps they have the sounds associated
with the reverse buttons.
6. Working at Threshold: Reassure participants that it’s OK to get

several responses wrong. The exercise has been designed to keep
them working at their threshold, a level that is challenging for
them. Even if they get many responses wrong to begin with, expo-
sure to the stimuli is beneficial and allows their brains to learn to
hear and distinguish the sounds.
7. Lit Buttons: Many novice computer users are not familiar with the
concept that on-screen buttons light up when their mouse pointer

rests on top of the buttons. Some participants erroneously believe
that the program is cuing them with the right answer when they
see a button light up. Other participants incorrectly infer that they
have answered once they have made the button light up. Explain
to these participants that the lit button simply notifies them of the
location of their mouse.
8. Random: Remind participants that trials are random. Trying to

predict a pattern is impossible—the computer cannot be outfoxed!
9. Contact Trainer Screen: For participants who are repeatedly unsuc-

cessful in the initiation phase (i.e., they cannot advance past the
black circles), the program will eventually interrupt their session
with the following screen:
If a participant reports seeing this screen, you should begin by

reviewing such tips as #1, 2, 3 and 5 on this list to assure that the
participant understands the goal and instructions of the exercise.
10. Demo Mode: If participants would like to practice the exercise

tasks without the pressure of the Timer or Point Scorer, they may
use the Demo Mode version of the program. Demo Mode allows
participants to practice the six exercises at various levels at their
leisure. Demo Mode also allows participants to re-watch many of
the educational segments. To access “Demo Mode,” you will need
to click on the orange “Brain Fitness Demo” icon on the desktop;
this icon will open a version of the program separate from the
version on which the participants perform their sessions. See
“Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions” on page 143 for complete
information on accessing Demo Mode.
Exercise 2: Tell Us Apart
Tell Us Apart is the second exercise participants experience. It builds
phonemes: the
on High or Low? by moving beyond frequency sweeps and structured
smallest parts of
speech that people sound bursts to phonemes and syllables. This section describes Tell Us
can hear and sepa- Apart in detail. It includes:
rate, such as /d/ /o/
and /g/ in the word
dog • Tell Us Apart Instructions
• The Science BehindTell Us Apart
• Tell Us Apart Progression
• Instructional Tips for Tell Us Apart
42 - Exercise 2: Tell Us Apart

Tell Us Apart Instructions
In Tell Us Apart, participants choose between two syllables that sound
alike, such as bo and do. The speech is synthesized and lengthened; it
doesn’t sound like spoken language. You may want to reassure
participants that even though the syllables are not like spoken
language, they are scientifically designed to challenge auditory
discrimination.
After the initiation phase has been completed, Tell Us Apart generally similar exercise
instructions in the
follows this pattern:
Tell Us Apart section
of the Companion
1. Click the Start button to begin. Guide.
2. After clicking Start, participants hear a set of syllables, one at a

time.
3. After hearing the first syllable, participants should click the button
that corresponds to the syllable. For example, if participants hear
bo, they should click the button that says bo. If participants answer
correctly there is a “ding” sound, they earn points, and an anima-
tion appears. If participants answer incorrectly, there is a “thunk”
sound.
4. Participants will then automatically hear a new syllable.

If participants tire of
using the mouse,
5. The Start button appears again after several correct responses. Par- they can use the key-
ticipants should click Start to hear the next set of syllables. board for Tell Us
Apart.
Start button = up
arrow key or space
Response bar
buttons Left syllable = left
arrow key
Right syllable = right
arrow key
Practice
button
The Practice button

is not available
6. Since at first many participants will find it difficult to distinguish during Task
between the two target syllables, this exercise has a special feature: Initiation.
Practice Mode. To practice listening to the syllables, participants
can click the Practice button in the lower right-hand corner of the
screen. Doing so brings up this screen:
On this screen, participants can click either response button as many

times as they like to hear the syllables without affecting their time or
score in the exercise. When finished with the Practice Mode,
participants click Return to Exercise to continue with the exercise.
The Science Behind Tell Us Apart

The syllable pairs in Tell Us Apart are called confusable pairs. They
contain phonemes—the smallest parts of speech that people can hear
and separate, such as /d/ /o/ /g/ in the word dog—that are especially
hard for the brain to differentiate. Some phonemes are tough to
distinguish because the structure of the sounds is similar.
Let’s take the syllables da and ga as an example. Below is a spectrogram

for da and ga. The two sounds look extremely similar. Only the very
beginning of the syllable is distinct.

Syllable da:
Frequency
Notice how
the lines on
the spectro-
Time
grams for da
and ga are
virtually iden-
tical except
for the tiny
differences at
the begin-
ning of the Syllable ga:
sounds
circled in
white.
Frequency
Time
Over time, as our brains slow down, it becomes harder and harder for
us to distinguish the subtle difference in sound at the beginning of
syllables such as da or ga. That crucial first part of the sound is already
over when our brains kick into gear, leaving us unclear about which synthesized speech:
computer-gener-
sound we actually heard. Sometimes, we don’t even notice this ated speech
problem: our brains compensate by using context and other strategies
to figure out words. For instance, in the sentences “My friend Dot likes
cheese pizza” and “I got a cheese pizza,” we don’t have to hear the
difference between /d/ in Dot and /g/ in got precisely to figure out which
word it was. But over time, as we lose more and more sounds, it
becomes much more difficult to keep up with the conversation.
In Tell Us Apart, the phonemes are synthesized and stretched to

emphasize the parts that are different. Even though participants may
not recognize the synthesized speech sounds as meaningful speech,
these sounds push the brain to rebuild its capacity to store and retrieve
very significant but hard-to-distinguish sounds. If participants can
rebuild this ability, they may feel better able to participate in
conversation and remember what they heard, making them more
engaged in the world around them.
As the participant improves at the exercise, the speech becomes less

stretched and exaggerated, forcing the brain to adjust to faster and less
emphasized sounds. This helps refresh the brain’s ability to recognize
subtly different phonemes in regular speach.
Since Tell Us Apart moves from subunits of language (the frequency

sweeps and sound bursts of High or Low?) to phonemes, it represents
the second step on the stairway to robust language.
Tell Us Apart Progression

In Tell Us Apart, there are 11 pairs of syllables (see graph below for the
11 pairs). For each pair, there are 14 levels of synthesized speech.
Participants begin with one syllable pair and try to work up from level
1 to level 14. The syllable pairs change when participants reach and
pass level 14. Syllable pairs can also change if participants demonstrate
that they have reached their threshold before level 14. If participants
demonstrate that they cannot advance past their threshold, the
program does not want to keep them trapped in that pair.
The changes in the 14 synthesized speech levels are extremely subtle;

it is hard to tell when a level has changed. As a result, some
participants may feel they are “stuck” in a pair for a long time without
making progress. You can reassure them that being “stuck” in a pair is
often a sign of good progress, because it means they are moving
through the 14 levels!

Participants will work on the syllable pairs in random order.
They not will necessarily move progressively through the pairs
in the order displayed on the bottom line of the diagram. Par-
ticipants begin at speech processing Level 1 in each syllable
pair and work their way up through the levels.
For detailed infor-

mation about the
Instructional Tips for Tell Us Apart Exercise Exit screen
features, see the
1. Differences: Suggest that participants listen carefully for subtle dis- section entitled
tinctions or identifiers at the beginning of the syllable (e.g., sounds “Exercise Exit
like a gulp, an inhalation or a click at the start of one syllable Screens” on page 81
in this guide.
which differentiates it from the other syllable).
2. Practice Mode: Participants can practice listening to each syllable

by clicking the “Practice” button at the bottom right of the exer-
cise screen. This button will take participants to a screen where
they can listen to the phonemes as many times as they like,
without being penalized in any way. (The clock will stop counting
down, and the responses will not be recorded as correct or incor-
rect.) Posit Science trainers have found that one effective way to
use the Practice Mode is to listen repeatedly to one phoneme at a
time. Participants should try clicking on one phoneme button
rapidly twenty or thirty times in quick succession. By clicking
quickly in this manner, the distinctions at the beginning of the
phonemes may become more noticeable (i.e., the subtleties in the
“b” in “bo” that are distinctive from the subtleties in the “d” of
“do.”) The repetition seems to help ingrain and imprint these dis-
tinctions on the mind.
Click on one
phoneme
many times
in fast suc-
cession to
“set” the
sound in
one’s mind.
3. Eyes Closed: When participants close their eyes, they can usually
Knowing the key- focus on the sounds better and are not cued or distracted by the
board shortcuts will sight of the syllable button lit on the screen. Learning the keyboard
make it easier for
shortcuts will make it easier to perform the exercise with their eyes
participants to
answer with their closed.
eyes closed.
Start button = up
4. Link Syllable Sounds with Buttons on Screen: Ask the participant
arrow key or space what the syllables sound like to them. For example, it is fine in the
bar beginning if they hear bo/do as mo/no. What’s important is they
Left syllable = left learn that when they hear “mo” this is actually “bo,” and when
arrow key
they hear “no” this is actually “do.” They should learn this connec-
Right syllable = right
arrow key tion and then click the appropriate box. Over time, with repeated
exposure to bo/do, they will hopefully start to hear it correctly.
Suggest the participant writes what they hear (i.e., mo/no) on two
self-stick notes, and attach these to the screen, next to the corre-
sponding syllable (i.e., bo/do).
5. Demo Mode: As with High or Low?, participants can use Demo

Mode if they are seeking extra practice time without the pressure of
the clock. See “Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions” on
page 143 for more information.

Exercise 3: Match It!
In Match It!, participants find matching pairs of sounds, similar to the
card game “Concentration’” (also known as “Memory”). In
Concentration, cards are placed face down and players turn over two
cards at a time until they find a matching pair. Once found, the pair is
removed and the game continues until all card pairs have been cleared.
In Match It!, the task is similar, but participants match sounds instead
of images. This section describes Match It! in detail. It includes:
• Match It! Instructions
• The Science Behind Match It!
• Match It! Progression
• Instructional Tips for Match It!
Match It! Instructions
In the exercise, participants start out with a grid of “tiles.” They click
For more informa- on the tiles, trying to find two matching sounds. The sounds are single
tion on the speech syllables and short words, which have been specially processed. The
processing in Match
It!, read “The
goal is to clear the grid of tiles with as few clicks of the mouse as
Science Behind possible.
Match It!” in the next
section. Participants begin by completing the exercise initiation. After the
initiation, they enter the main part of the exercise, and follow these
steps:
1. Click the Start button to see a grid of “tiles.” (In the beginning,
similar exercise
the grid will have eight tiles, but can have as many as 30.)
instructions in the
Match It! section of
the Companion
Guide.
Grid “Tiles”
This is a 16
tile grid.
Make sure partici-

pants understand
that the goal is to
clear each grid in as
few clicks as possi-
ble. Some
participants click
randomly until they 2. Click any button and listen carefully to the syllable “behind” it.
hit a pair.
3. Continue clicking on tiles until two tiles with the same syllable are
identified. Click on the matching pair one after the other and the
pair will disappear from the screen.
4. Continue matching tiles until the grid is cleared.
5. Because some participants will find it difficult to differentiate

between the different syllables, this exercise has a special feature:
Practice Mode. To practice listening to the syllables, participants
can click the Practice button in the lower right-hand corner of the
The Practice button
is not available
screen. Doing so brings up this screen. They can listen to the
during Task sounds for as long as they wish without using part of their exercise
Initiation. time.
50 - Exercise 3: Match It!

The Science Behind Match It!
Match It! represents Step 3 on the stairway to accurate language
reception. It builds on High or Low? and Tell Us Apart (Steps 1 and 2)
to further refine the brain’s speech processing machinery.
Unlike in Tell Us Apart, the stimuli in Match It! are not composed of
amplitude modula-
synthetic speech. Instead, the exercise uses natural speech sounds tion emphasis:
which are algorithmically processed in two ways: computer-gener-
ated exaggeration of
• They are stretched out in time; changes in ampli-
tude in spoken
• They are given amplitude modulation emphasis. language
The purpose of slowing down and emphasizing the sounds is to ensure

that each syllable is heard distinctively and represented in the brain
clearly. The goal is to help the brain accurately represent and quickly
recognize all the important parts of rapid, continuous speech. This
ability will help the brain understand spoken language in day-to-day
life, even when it is very fast or mumbled.
Match It! also tests memory load by increasing the grid size, thus memory load: the
challenging the participant to keep track of more and more sounds. amount of informa-
tion the brain can
hold and use in the
Match It! Progression short term
Progression through Match It! is based on the following variables:
• Grid size (ranging from eight to 30 tiles).
• Syllable group “behind” the tiles. There are five different
groups. The first two groups contain more discriminable sylla-
discriminable: easy
bles because they are very different (e.g., baa, nu, te, sho, la). to tell apart
The last three groups contain syllables that are less discrim-
inable because they have the same vowel sound and
consonants that are easily confused. Listed below are sample
syllables from each of the five groups. The groups are listed in
order of difficulty from easiest to hardest:
Group 1 (“baa” group): baa, nu, te, sho, la
Group 2 (“fig” group): fig, nag, but, can, rug
Group 3 (“big” group): big, pig, pip, dig, did
Group 4 (“buck” group): buck, nut, pup, pug, dug
Group 5 (“back” group): back, tack, tag, nag, mat
• Speech processing level. In the beginning, the speech sounds
are most stretched and emphasized (i.e., most processed). Over
speech processing: the course of the program, the sounds gradually become less
specific changes in emphasized and less stretched to sound more natural. In the
speech defined by a
scientific algorithm
highest levels, the speech becomes even more rapid than
natural speech. There are five speech processing levels. The
program automatically moves participants up to the next
speech processing level on the following sessions:
Level 1 to Level 2: Session 13
If a participant ends Level 4 to Level 5: Session 34
the 15 minute period
of Match It! having Participants start with the smallest grid size (8 tiles), and the most
only partially fin-
ished a grid, the
distinctively different sounding syllables (Group 1) with the most
program will save processed speech (Level 1). Once the first grid is cleared within the
their grid as it was allotted number of clicks, participants must complete more eight-tile
last seen. At the
beginning of the
grids with each of the harder syllable groups (Groups 2 through 5).
next Match It! ses-
sion, the participant When participants successfully clear the smallest grid size with all five
will have a chance to sets of syllable type, the second variable to change is grid size. When
finish the grid. participants move up to the next grid size (16, 24 or 30), the syllables
However, on days
behind the tiles revert to the easiest syllable type to allow the
when the speech
processing level participants to adjust to the increased memory load challenge.
changes, partici-
pants will drop back
to an 8 tile grid and
their previous grids
will not be restored.

The third variable to change is the speech processing level. When
speech processing level changes on the scheduled days, the sounds
become faster and less emphasized. To allow participants to adjust to
this change, the grid reverts to the smallest size (8 tiles), and the
syllables become most discriminable again. Participants progress
through the new speech processing level in the same way as at the
previous level. If a participant should clear all of the 30 tile grids in
each of the syllable groups before the speech processing level changes,
they will just continue working on 30 tile grids until the next For detailed infor-
scheduled change puts them back to 8 tile grids. mation about the
Exercise Exit screen
features, see the
Instructional Tips for Match It! section entitled
“Exercise Exit
1. Least Number of Clicks: Remind participants that the point of Screens” on page 81
Match It! is to clear each grid by matching the sounds in the least in this guide.
number of clicks possible.
2. Smaller Grids: On the large grids, suggest that participants imagine
a vertical line dividing the grid in half from top to bottom, and a
horizontal line dividing the grid in half from left to right, in effect
splitting the large grid into four smaller grids. Participants can then
treat each small grid individually, and work through these looking
for pairs. Hopefully this will result in at least a couple of matches,
reducing the number of remaining buttons.
3. Columns/Rows/Perimeter: Suggest participants employ a system-

atic clicking strategy by either working vertically down the
columns, horizontally across the rows or around the perimeter.
4. Visualization/Association: Suggest that participants visualize a

picture or associate a memory in the place where a particular word
was heard.
5. Remembering Multiple Buttons: Suggest participants try to memo-

rize the first two, three or four sounds they click, and then search
through the entire grid for their matches. Furthermore, partici-
pants can reinforce the sounds that they are memorizing by
repeating the previous sounds to themselves (quietly under their
breaths or silently in their minds) each time they click on a new
sound. For example, participants can memorize the syllables by
repeating them like this:
“Baa.
Baa. Nu.
Baa. Nu. Te.
Baa. Nu. Te. Sho.”
This reinforcement will help solidify the memory of the syllable
locations in their minds.
6. Grouping (or Chunking) Sounds Together: Suggest participants try

to group or chunk two sounds next to each other, to form a single
“word” (e.g., “BashBill” and “BatMat” may be easier to remember
than “Bash. Bill. Bat. Mat.”). Another strategy might be to create a
sentence from the words (e.g., “I bashed the bill of my hat with a
bat while standing on the door mat.”)
7. Demo Mode: As with High or Low? and Tell Us Apart, participants

can use Demo Mode if they are seeking extra practice time without
the pressure of the clock. See “Appendix C: Demo Mode Instruc-
tions” on page 143 for more information.

Exercise 4: Sound Replay
In Sound Replay, participants hear a sequence of syllables and are asked
to repeat them in the same order. The goal is to improve the brain’s
ability to discriminate between sounds, store them in memory and
recall them. This section describes Sound Replay in detail. It includes:
• Sound Replay Instructions
• The Science Behind Sound Replay
• Sound Replay Progression
• Instructional Tips for Sound Replay
Sound Replay Instructions
In this exercise, participants hear a series of syllables (from two to
For more informa- nine) and then repeat the syllables in order by clicking on the
tion on how and why matching boxes which appear on screen. The sounds are the same
the speech is pro-
cessed, reread the
processed syllables as in Match It!.
section entitled “The
Science behind Participants begin by completing the exercise initiation. After the
Match It!”on initiation, they enter the main part of the exercise and follow these
page 51. steps:
1. Click the Start button to hear the syllable sequence.
2. After the sequence ends, the syllables appear in response buttons

on screen.
3. Click on the syllable buttons in the order they were heard.

Participants can read
similar exercise
instructions in the 4. If participants respond correctly, they hear a “ding” and earn
Sound Replay points. If they respond incorrectly, they hear a “thunk,” and the
section of the program immediately shows the correct sequence by highlighting
Companion Guide.
the boxes in the appropriate order.l
Interim
Feedback
Response
Buttons
There are
between 2 and
8 buttons on
the screen at
any time.
5. Because some participants will find it difficult to differentiate

between the different syllables, this exercise has a special feature:
The Practice button Practice Mode. To practice listening to the syllables, participants
is not available can click the Practice button in the lower right-hand corner of the
during Task
screen. Doing so brings up this screen. They can listen to the
Initiation.
56 - Exercise 4: Sound Replay

sounds for as long as they wish without using part of their exercise
time.
The Science Behind Sound Replay

Like Match It!, Sound Replay represents Step 3 (syllables) on the
stairway to accurate language reception.
The stimuli sets in Sound Replay are the same as in Match It!: processed
natural speech that is algorithmically stretched and emphasized. Sound
Replay and Match It! have similar scientific goals: to improve sound
discrimination and exercise auditory memory. The difference is that auditory memory:
the ability to remem-
in Match It!, participants remember syllables in location (where they ber what you heard
are on the grid), whereas in Sound Replay they remember syllables in
sequence (in which order they occurred).
Sound Replay Progression
distracter buttons:
Progression through Sound Replay is based on these variables:
buttons that appear
on screen that do • Number of syllables in the sequence (from 2 to 9)
not match any of the
syllables heard • Number of distracter buttons
• Gap between syllables (thus giving the brain less time to record
The syllable types in each sound)
Sound Replay are
the same as in Match • Syllable types (moving from syllables that are very different
It!. Review the from each other and therefore easily discriminable, to syllables
section “Match It! that more closely resemble each other and are therefore more
Progression” on
difficult to distinguish from each other)
page 51 for detailed
information about • Level of speech processing. The levels change automatically on
the different syllable
types.
scheduled sessions throughout the program.
As the diagram above demonstrates, a participant begins with hearing

just two distinctively different sounding syllables from the easiest
syllable type (Group 1). Each of the five syllable types becomes
progressively more challenging. Participants complete sequences of
two syllables in each of the five syllable types before the number of
syllables in the sequence increases to three. Participants continue
progressing in this manner until they are able to perform a sequence of
four syllables, or five syllables, or whatever their threshold may be.
58 - Exercise 4: Sound Replay

The speech processing level changes at regularly scheduled intervals
throughout the program. When this happens, the number of syllables
reverts to two to allow the participant to adjust to the new level, and
the syllables become the distinctively different and easier sounds of
Group 1 again. The exercise then proceeds as described above, but at
the new speech processing level. Very few participants ever reach the
upper stage levels of 7, 8, or 9 syllables in a sequence, because the
exercise is extraordinarily challenging at those levels.
For detailed infor-
mation about the
Instructional Tips for Sound Replay Exercise Exit screen
features, see the
1. Verbalize: Suggest that participants verbally repeat the words to section entitled
themselves, (either internally or out loud), as they hear them, or “Exercise Exit
immediately after they have been presented. Screens” on page 81
in this guide.
2. Attention to First Words: Suggest participants concentrate on
remembering the first several words, since the last words should
come more automatically.
3. Story: Suggest participants make a story out of words.
4. Pairs: Suggest participants join the words into pairs, and visualize
those pairs interacting together (e.g., for “Pig. Mat. Bat. Can,”
imagine a pig sitting on a mat, and then a bat hitting a can.) Alter-
natively, suggest they combine the sounds together to create uber-
words (e.g., “BashBill” and “BatMat” may be easier to remember
than “Bash. Bill. Bat. Mat.”).
5. Eyes Closed: To aid focus, suggest participants close their eyes

while listening to the words.
6. Demo Mode: As with the other exercises, participants can use

Demo Mode if they are seeking extra practice time without the
pressure of the clock. See “Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions”
on page 143 for full instructions on accessing Demo Mode.
Exercise 5: Listen and Do
In Listen and Do, participants listen to a series of instructions and
respond by following them in the correct order. The goal is to drive
attention, speech comprehension and the ability to recall information
as it might be experienced in everyday life, such as when given
directions to a new restaurant over the phone or when asked to do a
number of tasks for a boss or a friend. This section describes Listen and
Do in detail. It includes:
• Listen and Do Instructions
• The Science Behind Listen and Do
• Listen and Do Progression
• Instructional Tips for Listen and Do
60 - Exercise 5: Listen and Do

Listen and Do Instructions
In the exercise, the screen contains foreground characters as well as
background stores and other buildings. The instructions are to click on Participants can read
or move specific objects. similar exercise
instructions in the
Participants begin with the exercise initiation. After the initiation, Listen and Do
section of the Com-
they enter the main task of the exercise and follow these steps:
panion Guide.
1. Click the START button to hear a set of instructions.
2. Listen to all instructions before responding.
3. Follow the instructions in the order presented. This involves click-

ing on and/or moving objects around the screen.
4. If the participant responds correctly, he or she will hear a “ding” moving: in this con-
and earn points. If the participant responds incorrectly, he or she text, moving objects
means dragging
will hear a “thunk.” them from one spot
to another on screen
5. Click START to hear the next set of instructions. (dragging and
dropping)
The exercise begins with a simple clicking task, such as: “Click on the
police officer” or “Click on the hospital.” The task is made more
difficult by:
• Increasing the number of instructions
• Increasing the number of foreground and background objects
to choose from
• Increasing the complexity of the instructions
Interim
Feedback
Exercise
Places
(ex. Farmer’s
Market)
Exercises
Characters
(ex. doctor)
At its highest level, the exercise challenges the participant to follow
six complex instructions, such as:
1. Move the tall doctor to the left of the brown dog, then;
2. Move the blond girl between the post office and Joe’s Café, then;
3. Move the man in the red hardhat to the right of the hospital, and
then;
4. Move the blond girl next to the post office, then;
5. Move the tall policeman next to the barber shop, and then;
6. Move the tall doctor to the right of the blond girl.
The Science Behind Listen and Do

Listen and Do represents Step 4 (sentences) on the stairway to accurate
language reception. It builds on Steps 1, 2 and 3 to further refine the
brain’s speech processing machinery. It brings the practice to a more
realistic setting: lists of tasks that the brain must remember and act on.
For more informa- The exercise uses natural speech which has been algorithmically
tion on how and why
the speech is pro- processed in the same way as in the earlier exercises, Match It! and
cessed, review the Sound Replay.
Science behind Listen and Do is designed to challenge both memory load and stimulus
Match It!” on
page 51.
discrimination:
• The number and complexity of instructions increase to chal-
lenge memory load.

• The number and type of characters and objects increase to
challenge stimulus discrimination.
Listen and Do Progression

To reflect these scientific goals, Listen and Do progresses through four
variables:
• Number of instructions changes (from one to six)
• Number of foreground objects changes
• Instruction type changes. There are four types of instructions:
Simple Click: “Click on the girl.”
Complex Click: “Click on the blonde girl.”
Simple Move: “Move the boy to the market.”
Complex Move: “Move the black dog to the left of the bank.”
• Speech processing level changes. As in Match It! and Sound
Replay, the speech processing level changes at regularly sched-
uled intervals:
Participants begin with single clicking instructions of the simplest type

(e.g., “Click on the dog”). The exercise becomes more difficult as the
number of instructions and number of objects on the screen increases.
When participants demonstrate their threshold, they begin working on
a more complex type of instruction (e.g., “Click on the black dog”).
Again the number of instructions and the number of the objects on the
screen increase until participants demonstrate their threshold.
Participants continue working in this fashion through the four
different types of instructions until the speech processing level changes
on the scheduled day.
At the new speech processing level, the sounds are less processed, less
emphasized and delivered faster. To allow the participant to adjust to
this new level, the exercise reverts to a single instruction of the
simplest type. The participant progresses through the exercise in the
same way as at the previous speech processing level. This process
continues through each of the speech processing levels until the end of
the program. The diagram below demonstrates this progression:
For detailed infor-
mation about the
Exercise Exit screen Instructional Tips for Listen and Do
features, see the
section entitled 1. On-Screen Location of Objects: Suggest that participants take a
“Exercise Exit moment to become familiar with the location of the different
Screens” on page 81 buildings and characters before clicking Start.
in this guide.
2. First Instruction and Cursor Placement: As the first instruction is
given, suggest that participants place the cursor over that character
or building so that they can pay attention to subsequent instruc-
tions, without forgetting where to start.
3. Dark Screen/Light Screen: Remind participants not to click on the

screen before it has lit up, since the computer does not start record-
See “Appendix B:
Mouse Skill Tips” on ing responses until this has occurred.
page 141 for instruc-
tional tips about 4. Dragging: Many participants will drag a character part of the way
clicking and drag- across the screen and then inadvertently release the pressure on
ging skills.
the mouse. Remind participants to exert steady and consistent
pressure with their index finger on the left button of the mouse.

5. Map: As the instructions are being given, suggest participants
make a mental map of the moves they need to perform with the
cursor.
6. Story: Suggest participants make up stories as the instructions are

being given (e.g., the boy in yellow shorts likes to go to Eddie’s Ice
Cream Store. The policeman goes to the bank to cash his pay-
check. The mother takes the girl in the yellow dress to the
hospital.)
7. Number the objects: Suggest participants number each character or

building as the instructions are being given (e.g., 1= boy in yellow
shorts, 2= ice cream store, 3= policeman.)
8. Demo Mode: As with the other exercises, participants may practice

outside of their regular session by accessing Demo Mode. See
“Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions” on page 143 for more
information.
Exercise 6: Story Teller
In Story Teller, participants listen to story segments and then answer
segment: a part of
multiple-choice questions about the story content. The goal is to drive
story; in Story Teller,
each story has 20 attention, speech comprehension and the ability to recall information
segments as it might be experienced in everyday life, such as when listening to a
friend recount a recent vacation.This section describes Story Teller in
detail. It includes:
• Story Teller Instructions
• The Science Behind Story Teller
• Story Teller Progression
• Instructional Tips for Story Teller
66 - Exercise 6: Story Teller

Story Teller Instructions
Participants listen to story segments from one of the five stories:
The Five Stories: similar exercise
1. The Obstacle Course instructions in the
Story Teller section
2. Urban Jungle of the Companion
Guide.
3. 5-Ton Cake
4. Dahlias
5. The Spot
To play the exercise, participants follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button to hear a story segment.
2. When the story segment (or block of segments) finishes, click Start
again to hear the first question.
3. Respond by clicking either the text or picture in the box that best
answers the question, based on the story segment just heard.
4. Click the Start button again to hear the next question, and repeat
until all questions have been asked and responded to, and story has
resumed.
Response Buttons When the answer

(Some buttons choices are pictures,
will have words there are three
instead of buttons instead of
pictures.) four.
The Science Behind Story Teller

Story Teller represents the final step, Step 5 (narratives) on the stairway
to accurate language reception. It builds on Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 to
further refine the brain’s speech processing machinery. It presents the
practice in a very realistic listening context: listening to someone tell
you about an experience or event in detail.
Participants can read The exercise uses natural speech which has been algorithmically
about processed
speech in the processed in the same way as in the earlier exercises, Match It!, Sound
“Emphasized Replay and Listen and Do.
Speech” section of
the Program Over- Story Teller is designed to push the brain to remember larger and larger
view in the
chunks of information. As the participant progresses, the task is made
Companion Guide.
more difficult by:
• Increasing the number of story segments heard
• Asking a greater number of questions
• Making the stories more complex (e.g., longer, more key pieces
of information, more complex descriptive elements, and
increased grammatical complexity).
Story Teller Progression

For more informa-
tion on how and why
The exercise starts with a relatively short and simple story segment and
the speech is pro- only five questions. It becomes harder as the participant successfully
cessed, review the answers the questions. It does so by increasing the number of story
Science of Match It!”
segments heard at one time (to a maximum of four segments), followed
on page 51. by a greater number of questions (a maximum of 20). Once a story is
completed, a new one starts, at the same time moving to a new speech
processing level in the exercise.
If a participant does not achieve a 40% accuracy rate in their responses

to the story segment questions, the program will repeat the segment
and ask them to reanswer those questions that they have previously
answered incorrectly. When the segment is repeated, the participant’s

first answer is pictured with hash marks over it so that it cannot be
chosen again.
Instructional Tips for Story Teller Some participants

do not understand
1. Details: Make sure participants understand that the objective of that the hash marks
indicate an answer
this exercise is not to recall the overall gist of the story as in a that cannot be
normal listening comprehension exercise; rather, this exercise will picked. They may
ask questions about specific details (colors, proper names, times not understand that
they previously
and dates, etc.). selected this answer
and it was wrong.
2. Movie: Suggest participants visualize the story in their heads as if
they were watching a movie.
3. Demo Mode: As with the other exercises, participants may practice

outside of their regular session by accessing Demo Mode. Partici-
pants should know, however, that there are a limited number of
stories in Story Teller. If they want to keep their results accurate in For detailed infor-
mation about the
their regular sessions, then they should not listen to the stories in Exercise Exit screen
Demo Mode beyond their current place in the program. Ideally, features, see the
they should only practice listening to stories that they have already section entitled
“Exercise Exit
finished once. See “Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions” on Screens” on page 81
page 143 for more information. in this guide.
Participants should
understand that in
Story Teller, they are
not listening for
main points, but for
small details.
Chapter 4: Charting Participant Progress
This chapter describes the special advanced features of the Brain

Fitness Program in detail. All of these features can help your
participants understand their progress through the program, so it is
beneficial to have a firm understanding of these features.
This chapter includes:

• The Challenge Meter
• Incorrect Trial Repetition
• Interim Feedback
• Progress Pop-Ups
• Exercise Exit Screens
• Summary Screen
• Calibration and Progress Check-Ins
• Reflective Journals
Challenge Meter
As participants go through the program they may want to keep track of
their progress as well as the levels of difficulty they are attempting to
master. The Challenge Meter will help them monitor both.
Challenge Meter
The Challenge Meter is located at the top of the screen between the
Timer and the Point Scorer. The Challenge Meter is provided to
inform participants about how, when and why various aspects of the
exercise change.
High or Low? Challenge Meter

Before explaining the Challenge Meter to participants, remind them
that as they progress through High or Low?, they will notice changes in:
• the gap or interval between the two sounds
• the length or duration of the sounds
• the pitch or frequency of the sounds
High or Low?
Challenge Meter
Tell Us Apart Challenge Meter
Remind participants that as they progress through Tell Us Apart, they
will notice that the speech will sound less exaggerated. That is, the
program will force the participants to adjust to faster and less
emphasized sounds.
Tell Us Apart
Challenge Meter
74 - Challenge Meter
Match It! Challenge Meter
Remind participants that as they progress in Match It!, they will notice
changes in:
• grid size (ranging from eight to 30 tiles)
• syllable group speech processing level (how “stretched out” and
emphasized the sounds are)
Match It!
Challenge Meter
Sound Replay Challenge Meter

Remind participants that as they progress through the exercises in
Sound Replay, they will notice changes in:
• number of syllables in the sequence (from 2 to 9)
• number of distracter buttons
• the gap between syllables
• syllable group (from very different to very similar)
• speech processing level (how “stretched out” and emphasized
the sounds are)
Sound Replay
Challenge Meter
Listen and Do Challenge Meter

Remind participants that as they progress through Listen and Do, they
will notice changes in the
• number of instructions (from one to six)
• number of foreground/background objects
• instruction type (“Click on...,” “Move the...”)
• speech processing level
76 - Challenge Meter
Listen and Do
Challenge Meter
Story Teller Challenge Meter

Remind participants that as they progress through Story Teller, they will
notice changes in the
• number of story segments heard at one time
• number of questions;
• speech processing level of each story
StoryTeller
Challenge Meter
.
Incorrect Trial Repetition

When a participant answers a trial incorrectly, the Incorrect Trial
Repetition feature allows them to attempt the trial over again. This
feature allows the participant to further investigate their mistakes and
learn from them. Points will not be awarded for answering the trial
correctly when attempting it again.
The “Try
Again”
prompt
appears
when a par-
ticipant
answers a
trial
incorrectly.
78 - Incorrect Trial Repetition

Interim Feedback
In both Sound Replay, and Listen and Do, Interim Feedback is provided.
Participants can view their actions step by step; each action performed
by the participant is also visually verified on the screen. This feature
helps to match intention with action and gives the participant the
confidence that they are performing the task as they intended.
The Interim Feed-

back feature
provides visual
verification of the
participant’s every
action in the task.
Progress Pop-Ups
At certain times, a message will pop up in the bottom half of the
exercise screen to give your participants information about their
performance. In general, these messages explain why and how the
exercise is changing. Here’s an example from Tell Us Apart:
Progress
Pop-up
Often, your participants will have earned an animation at the same

time a progress pop-up appears. Your participants can choose to view
the animation by clicking Play, or click Skip to skip the animation and
go back to the exercise.
The Timer, Challenge Meter, points, animations and progress pop-ups

are meant to give people meaningful insight into their performance
and progress. We have found that people often prefer some of these
features over others: some enjoy tracking points, but find the
Challenge Meter too complicated, others like the detail of the
Challenge Meter and progress pop-ups, but aren’t fond of the
animations, and still others find the animations whimsical and
rewarding, and feel no need for points or other progress details. Tell
your participants to experiment with different measures of progress and
decide which are right for them.
80 - Progress Pop-Ups
Exercise Exit Screens
When your participants finish an exercise, an exit screen like the one
below will appear.
Buttons for Progress

additional bar
information
Progress
descrip-
tion with
sound
buttons
Dynamic
text
Go to next
exercise
button
The screen contains a wealth of information. At top is the progress bar,

showing how many steps through the exercise your participants have
taken. Below the progress bar is a description of the change in exercise
stimuli. Click the First Sound and Current Sound buttons to hear
how far your participants have come! The bottom of the page has
dynamic text that changes depending on where your participants are
in the program.
The left-hand column contains buttons that lead to additional

information.
• History shows your participants’ session-by-session progress in
progress steps.
• Analysis defines a “progress step” in the exercise and connects

each progress step to the Challenge Meter.
82 - Exercise Exit Screens

• Details gives your participants a view of the whole range of stimuli
for the exercise, indicates what they have completed and have left
to complete, and lets them hear the stimuli at any level by clicking
on the chart.
• Points shows your participants’ points in each session so they can

compare one session with another.
• Benefits brings up a main page discussing potential benefits of the
exercise for your participants’ brain and quality of life. It also opens
three sub-pages with more specific information.
• Videos gives your participant a menu to the educational videos

about the science of the program and the program exercises that
they have already seen if they would like to review them.
Participants are welcome to spend as much or as little time exploring

the Exit screens as they like. Looking through them will not affect your
participants’ time in the exercises. At any point, move on to the next
exercise by clicking Go to next exercise near the bottom of the screen.
84 - Exercise Exit Screens

Summary Screen
When they have completed each session, your participants will see a
Summary screen.
Sessions
completed/
remaining
Forward
progress
steps in the
exercises
This line only

appears after
Session 20,
when your
participants
have com-
pleted their
first Progress
Check-In.
The Summary screen shows how many forward steps your participants
have made in each exercise. It also indicates how many sessions they
have completed, and how many they have remaining. Clicking the
exercise buttons in the left-hand column brings up exercise-specific
screens, such as this one for Listen and Do:
Horizontal
white bar
indicates
high in a
previous
speech pro-
cessing level
Vertical black
bars indicate
changes in
speech pro-
cessing level
These screens show the forward progress steps your participants have
taken broken out by session.
After Session 20, a Progress Check-In bar and button will appear. They
It is not unusual to
make rapid progress compare your participants’ Calibration performance to their
in the first days of performance on the Progress Check-In.
the program, but
very slow progress
thereafter. The
program gets harder
as your participants Calibration and Progress Check-Ins
improve, making it
more and more chal- On your participants’ first session, they begin the program by
lenging to move completing a Calibration task. The task is similar to the first exercise,
forward. The good
news is that each High or Low?. Completing the Calibration task allows the program to
hard-won forward determine their baseline performance in one important brain fitness
step is especially category: speed of processing. On their 20th, 30th and 40th sessions,
important at this
point: it suggests they will perform a Progress Check-in task very similar to the
that the brain is Calibration task. The program then compares their performance in the
adapting to learn the Progress Check-in to their performance in the Calibration task to
task.
determine changes in their speed of processing to date. In both the
Calibration task and the Progress Check-ins, the speed of the sounds
varies widely. By design, your participants will very likely miss some of
the answers.
When your participants complete a Progress Check-in, they’ll see a

screen comparing their score with their score from the Calibration or
an earlier Progress Check-in.
86 - Calibration and Progress Check-Ins

It’s important to keep in mind that speed of processing—which the
Calibration and Progress Check-ins measure, is only one measure of
brain function. If your participants are not advancing very quickly, it’s
okay. It’s likely that they’re progressing in other exercises and skills.
Closure
At the end of your participants’ 40th session, they will receive a wealth
of information about their progress through all of the program
exercises. The program determines their progress by comparing their
average performance in the first quarter of the Brain Fitness Program
to their average performance in the last quarter of the program. Your
participants see this screen first:
Clicking Continue will bring them to screens that offer information

about their progress and about how to keep working on their brain
health.
The first screen they’ll see is a Progress Summary for all exercises.
Buttons for
more
information
Exercise
progress
chart
Most
success
information
Suggestion
for repeating
the program
The text at the top of the screen highlights the exercise in which your
participants made the most improvement. The chart below shows each
exercise name, the expected benefit and your participants’ percent
improvement. At bottom is a recommendation for when to repeat the
program.
The left-hand side allows your participants to navigate to many other

informative screens.
• The six buttons with the exercise names each take your partici-
pants to a Progress Report screen for that exercise, such as the one
below for High or Low?. Each one gives them information on how
much they improved and what that improvement might mean.

Two buttons at the bottom of the screen take your participants to
more information about the exercise benefits and science.
Click for more

information
about exercise
benefits
Click for
more infor-
mation about
the science
that built the
exercise.
• The Staying Sharp button takes your participants to this screen:
Brain Fitness
Activities
button
From here, click Brain Fitness Activities to arrive at a list of 15 daily-
life activities that exercise your brain to keep it working at its best.
Change from
one tip to
another by
clicking the
up and down
arrows.
• The What’s next? button takes your participants to a screen that

gives them options for staying involved with Posit Science, if
they’re interested.
After your partici-

Your participants can click on the button in the left-hand column for
pants end their 40th the topic that interests them: Send Feedback or Cognitive Club. Each
session, they can still one will take your participants to a screen with more information on
see the closure infor-
mation. Just
the topic.
relaunch the pro-
gram. It will give
them the option of
reviewing the
closure information
or starting the
program over from

Reflective Journals
Although various features of the program give your participants’
information about their progress, the program can only do so for
measurable skills. It can’t tell your participants whether they’re feeling
sharper. That’s why it’s important to keep track of your participants’
reaction to the program, too—and the Reflective Journals can help.
At the end of your participants’ 11th session, they’ll see a video

introducing a new program feature: Reflective Journals. They’ll appear
at the end of each session from then on. The Reflective Journals give
your participants an opportunity to read about how the program has
affected prior users, reflect on changes in their life, and jot notes about
their own experience. Your participants can write as much or as little
as they want; they can even skip the journals entirely. These Reflective
Journals are for your participants—no one at Posit Science or
anywhere else will see them unless your participants explicitly choose
to send their entries in.
At the end of each session, the Welcome to the Reflective Journals

page launches:
Exit button
Continue
button
Click Continue to go on to the Reflective Journals. Your participants

can also click Exit should they choose not to use the journals at that
time. (Don’t worry—they’ll come up again after the next session and
give your participants another chance to log their thoughts.)
After clicking Continue, your participants will see one of the rotating
journaling topics: Self-awareness, Alertness/Vibrancy, Clarity of
Hearing, Understanding and Comprehension, Finding the Right
Words, Remembering New Things, Speed of Processing, Self-
confidence or Trying New Things. They’ll also see a quotation from a
past program user. In the example below, the topic is Alertness/
Vibrancy.
Clicking Continue will bring up a screen like this one:
From this screen, your participants can:

• Read the text to find out about the session’s topic and how it
relates to the Brain Fitness Program.
• Click Journaling Page in the left-hand column to type in their
thoughts about the topic or the program.
• Click Past Entries to review what they’ve wrote during previous
sessions.
92 - Reflective Journals
• Click Feedback to send their thoughts to Posit Science.
• Click Video to see the educational video about the Reflective Jour-
nals again.
No matter where your participants are in the Reflective Journals, they

can always exit by clicking the Exit button at the bottom of the screen.
94 - Reflective Journals
Chapter 5: Running Your Class
Because the Brain Fitness Program is a challenging and intense

training program, the classroom atmosphere can play an integral part
in guaranteeing the enjoyment and success experienced by your
participants. In this chapter, we explain some of the ways to create a
calm, organized and pleasant environment for your participants.
In this chapter, you will find:

• Coach Etiquette
• Preparations Before Orientation Day
• On Orientation Day
• On Calibration Day
• On a Typical Day
• On Progress Profile Day
• On Graduation Day
Coach Etiquette
Positive classroom dynamics often start with the example and tone set
by you as the coach. Since participants look to coaches to be their
leader and support system, Posit Science expects each coach to act
courteously and professionally at all times. Please bear in mind the
following guidelines as you interact with participants:
• Actively coach your participants. Stay involved. You are there to Participants perform
help them gain the most from the program. best when they feel
comfortable and
• Be sensitive to your participants’ personal space. Try not to stand safe. Try to develop
a consistent routine.
directly behind them. (They sense your presence and at times see
Avoid making unex-
your reflection in the monitor). Observe from afar. Likewise, do pected changes to
not attempt to remove headsets from participants. Ask or signal the schedule or to
them to remove them for you. the environment as
inconsistencies in
• Avoid engaging in another concentrated activity (serious reading the daily program
or computer work) during the class. Someone should always be may cause anxiety.
observing the class in order to catch a participant raising his or her
hand or displaying body language indicative of frustration or
confusion.
• Provide a quiet working environment:
Please keep the door closed during the class session.
Please take all phone calls outside the classroom.
Whisper or write a note when conferring with participants

during class. Encourage participants to remove their headsets
when speaking to avoid unnecessarily loud conversation.
Please do not use a printer/fax/photocopier in the classroom

while class is in session.
• Take the time to chat with participants before and after each ses-
sion. Express interest in their hobbies and personal lives.
• Say “I’ll get back to you about that” if you are not sure about some-
thing; take personal responsibility for getting answers for
participants. Answer their questions and resolve problems in a
timely fashion.
• Avoid discussing participant progress in public areas; hold sensitive
conversations behind closed doors.
Preparations Before Orientation Day
Obtain the Companion Guides. Posit Science provides copies of the
Companion Guide prior to your first day of class.
Organize your Orientation Presentation. You will want to hold a
short presentation on the first day of class. The presentation should
address these five topics:
1. Introduction to Posit Science and the scientific premise behind the
Brain Fitness Program: Brief information on the genesis of the
program and the scientific theory behind the program.
2. Introduction to the program: Information on the length of each
session, the length of each exercise, the number of exercises per
day, some preparation regarding the concept of “threshold” and
how to take breaks by clicking on the pause/exit button.
3. Class Logistics: Class meeting times, absence policies, your role as
trainer, your contact information and how to provide feedback.
4. Reading Material: The importance of the Companion Guide and
the benefit of reading it within the first week of class.
5. Ergonomics: How to wear the headphones for optimal comfort and
sound, how to adjust the volume, how to adjust the seat and
monitor to an appropriate height, use of footstools, etc.
Suggested:
Offer a Mouse Class. For many participants, the Brain Fitness
Program will be their first introduction to using a computer. By offering
See “Appendix B: an optional mouse class before the first day of the program, you can
Mouse Skill Tips” on alleviate some of their anxiety. Allowing time for participants to
page 141 for point-
ers on mouse usage. familiarize themselves with the mouse also frees you up to address
program related concerns—rather than mouse concerns—during the
first few days of class.
Create an Orientation Sheet. A short, concise review of topics
covered in the orientation presentation is helpful to participants who
have difficulty hearing your presentation or who have difficulty
remembering details.
Create a reminder note or magnet for your participants to bring
home. Your participants may appreciate a colored flyer or magnet
displaying your class meeting time and phone number to use as a
visible reminder at home.
98 - Running Your Class

On Orientation Day
Facilitate Introductions. Before starting your
presentation, you may want to ask class
members to introduce themselves or engage the
class in a brief icebreaker. This activity is a great
opportunity to begin encouraging camaraderie.
Deliver your Orientation Presentation. You should organize the room

so everyone can easily see and hear the presentation. Remember that
many of your participants may have significant hearing loss, and using
a microphone or speaking slowly and loudly whenever possible may
help facilitate communication.
After going over your presentation, provide an opportunity for

participants to ask questions. Be sure to repeat all questions so that
everyone hears you.
Introduce Proper Mouse Usage. If you have not offered a mouse class
for novice computer users prior to the orientation day, lead the
participants in a review of proper mouse clicking and dragging. See
“Appendix B: Tips for Teaching Mouse Skills” for useful tips.
Distribute a Copy of the Companion Guide to Every Participant.

Assign appropriate reading for the night.
Add Names to your Participant Contact Sheet. Before participants

leave, collect contact information for each of your participants. This
contact list will allow you to easily call or locate participants who may
have forgotten class or who are absent. Posit Science has also provided
an example contact sheet in the class folders in your Posit Science Once participants
Accordion File. start using, they
should not change
seats since moving
Add Names to your Attendance Sheet. After class, create an user data from one
attendance list to help you track planned and unplanned absences. computer to another
Posit Science has provided sample attendance sheets in the class is a difficult techni-
cal task.
folders in your Posit Science Accordion File.
Create a Seating Chart or Name Plates. A seating chart can be useful

if you use a substitute trainer or proctor in your absence. Alternatively,
you might post name plates at each computer station.
On Calibration Day
Starting Your First Session
Double-click the Brain Fitness Program icon on the desktop to launch
the program. If you choose to begin the program session immediately
after activation, your participant will not need to click the icon until
the second session.
On your participants’ first session, the first screen welcomes them to

the program. Have your participants click Continue when they have
finished reading the screen.
In order to start the Brain Fitness Program, your participants must set
up a personal account. It’s important that your participants have their
own account, and do not share a user name with another person. To
begin the setup process, click Setup.

Your participants will then see a series of screens asking for personal
information. Complete the information and click Continue to move
from one screen to the next.
After the personal information screens, they will come to a

“Reporting” screen. Have your participants read the information
carefully and decide whether to click Continue. If they choose to click
More Information instead, they’ll see a screen that allows them to
turn off data reporting.

Note: You will only be allowed to add two users per computer. If you
wish to add more users per computer, please read the how-to
instructions on “How to Add Additional Users” on page 121.
Once your participants have reviewed the Reporting screens, their

setup is complete! Have your participants click on their name, then
confirm on the next screen by clicking Yes.
Your participants will be asked to click on their name before each session so
that the program can keep track of their progress.

On your participants’ first day, a license agreement screen will then
appear. After reading the agreement, help your participants to start the
Brain Fitness Program by clicking on the I Agree button.
Your participants will be prompted to put on their headphones. To

connect their headphones to their computer, insert the plug into a
headphone jack.
The headphone jack is generally on the front or the back of the

computer tower and is often labeled with a green color.
The Calibration
As mentioned in Chapter 4, on your participants’ first session, they’ll
end the day by completing a Calibration task. The task is similar to the
first exercise, High or Low?. Completing the Calibration task allows the
program to determine their baseline performance in one important
brain fitness category: speed of processing. On their 20th, 30th and
40th sessions, they will perform a Progress Check-in task very similar
to the Calibration task. The program then compares their performance
in the Progress Check-in to their performance in the Calibration task
to determine changes in their speed of processing to date. In both the
Calibration task and the Progress Check-ins, the speed of the sounds
varies widely. By design, your participants will very likely miss some of
the answers.

When your participants complete a Progress Check-in, they’ll see a
screen comparing their score with their score from the Calibration or
an earlier Progress Check-in.
It’s important to keep in mind that speed of processing—which the

Calibration and Progress Check-ins measure, is only one measure of
brain function. If your participants are not advancing very quickly, it’s
okay. It’s likely that they’re progressing in other exercises and skills.
On a Typical Day
In the following pages, we describe the tasks which are required on a
typical day of the program. We have also developed a Weekly
Overview which serves as a quick reference guide to the most
important of these tasks. See “Appendix G: weekly Overview” to read
the full text of the Overview.
Before Class
If you tend to leave
the computers on Turn on Computers. Be sure each headset is plugged into the
overnight, we highly
computer. If the headphones have a slider control, adjust the volume
recommend restart-
ing all the computers to the middle level.
once a week before
class. Shutting down Greet Participants. As the participants arrive, make them feel
or restarting a com- welcome by initiating a casual conversation. For some participants, the
puter allows the
computer to refresh first few days can be very daunting—remember, some participants may
its memory storage have never used a computer, some of them have spent 50 or more years
system. away from any classroom environment, and some may feel self-

conscious or concerned about their cognitive skills. Try your best to
make them feel at home and most importantly, respected.
During Class
Start Class Together. We encourage you to ask participants to wait
until everyone has arrived before starting. There are several benefits to
starting at the same time:
• Promotes class cohesion: Starting together allows participants
to socialize with each other before and after class and to take a
break together. You might want to spark conversation by pro-
viding word games, crossword puzzles, daily quotes or articles of The internet is a
great resource for
interest to participants as they wait for classmates to arrive. puzzles. Check out
websites like
• Minimizes class distractions: Starting together diminishes the www.agameaday.com for
interruptions caused by participants entering and leaving. great examples of
brain teasers and
• Maximizes trainer-participant interaction time: Starting word games.
together provides more time in which you can answer questions
and provide feedback without whispering. Since many partici-
pants are hard of hearing, it is valuable to have this time to
converse in a normal speaking voice. Likewise, starting
together provides time for you to deliver announcements,
updates and news to the class as a whole.
Deliver Opening Announcements. In the Weekly Overview, we have

listed announcements to be delivered on certain days of the program.
Particularly during the first two weeks of the program, we ask you to
take the first few moments of class to clarify exercise instructions and
to educate participants about program features such as Practice Mode
or the Challenge Meter. In addition to verbal announcements, we
highly suggest printing any important announcements (such as
scheduling changes) on handouts or on a board in the classroom.
Lead the Class in Viewing Introductory Videos. During the first two
weeks of class, participants are scheduled to watch training videos at
the start of every class. These videos will help to clearly explain each
exercise to your participants. You will need to guide the participants to
open the videos from the computer desktop file labeled “Training
Videos.”
Open and Start. Next, participants should open by clicking on the

icon on the desktop. If your participants do not have strong mouse

skills, keep a close eye on them during the log-in process to make sure
that they do not accidentally log in as incorrect users. Once
participants are logged in, the program will automatically lead them
through the educational segments and exercises slated for the day.
Check attendance. Once participants are settled, take a

moment to record the attendance in your Class Folder. Keeping
an attendance record will help you keep track of which
Participants may participants require make-up sessions.
experience confu-
sion the first few Intervene where necessary. Stay alert for participants who may be
times they perform quietly struggling through an exercise. Particularly in the first few
the exercises. We
strongly encourage
weeks, watch closely for participants who may misunderstand exercise
you to reference the instructions. We strongly encourage you to routinely sit with
“Instructional Tips” participants with an extra set of headphones to monitor performance.
sections for each of
the six exercises for
For instance, if you have 6 participants, try and develop a habit of
important tips on sitting with each participant for 10 minutes during each session.
aiding new
participants. Provide a Break Time. Halfway through the session, encourage
participants to hit the pause/exit button and take a break. The breaks
serve as an important means for relieving stress, preventing eye strain
and muscle strain, and fostering socialization.
See “Appendix E: During the break, we encourage you to lead the class in a few
Sample Breathing/ stretching and breathing exercises. Participants often report
Stretching Exer- feeling more alert after these exercises. (Avoid leading the
cises” on page 153.
participants in exercises for more than 5 minutes, as some
participants may tire quickly).
Providing refreshments for the participants after the

class this is another great way to help them feel
welcome and relaxed. Participants seem to enjoy
chatting about the program over a cup of decaf!
You should also encourage participants to take additional breaks

anytime they feel frustrated, agitated, sleepy or distracted.
Lead the Closing Activity for the day. You will see two different types
of Closing Activities listed at various times on the Weekly
Overview.
• Reflective Journals: The program will automatically load the
electronic Reflective Journals at the end of the 11th session,
and every day after that. If participants find it easier to write

with pen and paper instead of typing on the keyboard, some
coaches may choose to give their class paper copies of the jour-
nals instead of the electronic journals.
• Weekly Discussion: We strongly encourage you to lead a short
discussion at the end of every week. Allow participants to ask
any questions that they might have about the exercises or strat-
egies and to vent their frustrations or fears. Knowing that other
participants feel the same way or are experiencing similar issues
eases tension and lessens internal criticism. We have provided
suggested discussion questions for each week on your Weekly
Overview. (See “Appendix G: Weekly Overview”). Addition-
ally, you might find it fruitful and entertaining to share and
discuss articles about brain health or mental fitness.
Remind participants of reading assignments for the night. On the

Weekly Overview, we have also provided suggested reading
assignments in the Companion Guide for the first week and a half of
class. The readings in the Companion Guide can help participants
understand the science behind the program, the exercise instructions
and the program features.
Clean Up. The computer monitors and mouses will require occasional
cleaning. Also try to keep the desks and classroom clean to create a
comfortable work environment.
On Graduation Day
We encourage you to think of creative ways to celebrate the
completion of the class. Here are a few ideas:
• Hold a party with music and refreshments. Invite family and
friends. Provide participants an opportunity to share a few words
about their experience.
• Give a reward to celebrate the hard work of your participants, such
as chocolates or collections of puzzles.
• Pass out awards for each member of the class such as; “Most
Improved in High or Low?, Best Attendance, Most Enthusiastic.
Be sure to have an award for each person so everyone feels
included.

• Have a blank journal called “Thoughts for Graduates” or some-
thing like that where every class member can jot their thoughts
about the class so future participants can read it.
• Wear Caps and gowns and pass out diplomas.

Chapter 6: Managing Participant Concerns
The Brain Fitness Program is challenging and designed to work

participants at their threshold. As a result, participants often feel as
though they are not progressing or are not ‘good’ at the program.
This section reviews how to handle these concerns.
In this chapter you will find:

• Common Concerns
• Anticipated Attitude Timeline

Common Concerns
One of the vital roles a coach plays in the classroom is to act as a
sounding board for participant frustrations and insecurities.
Because the program is focused on age-related hearing loss and its
associated cognitive decline, the program naturally raises
reflections and concerns about these sensitive subjects. Your
encouragement and understanding around these issues is
important in maintaining motivation and a positive classroom
atmosphere. In this section we review several frequent participant
concerns along with suggested responses. Before addressing
specific concerns, here are a few general reminders:
• Let participants know that they are not alone in their frustrations,
struggles and “failures” when dealing with the program. Knowing
that other participants feel the same way or that you had the same
issues when going through the program yourself eases tension and
frustration.
• As frequently as possible, take the time to review the participants’
progress with them. Many participants simply need to be reminded
that they are performing adequately.
• Technical hang-ups, computer crashes, or bugs may cause anxiety.
Make sure participants realize that the software is the problem, not
them.
See “Appendix E:
• Encourage frequent breaks or anything that calms or relaxes the Sample Breathing/
participant. Stress may hamper progress. Stretching Exer-
• Participants are not supposed to get more than 75-80% of the for useful stretches.
answers correct; if they do better, the program adjusts, making the
stimuli more difficult. This design feature—called “training at
threshold”—is a key part of the program. Only when the brain is
presented with new and challenging material does it make positive
(‘plastic’) changes. As a result, almost everyone finds the exercises
very difficult at times, sometimes for days on end. To get the most
benefit, sticking with the program is important, even when feeling Participants can read
more about training
this frustration.
at threshold in the
Companion Guide
In an effort to prepare you for the skepticism and frustration which you under the section
may encounter, several common participant concerns are listed on the entitled “Behavioral
following pages: Tracking.”

I can’t hear the sounds well. I am just guessing. Is it even worth it
for me to continue?
Yes. Remind participants that the sounds are meant to be challenging.

Reassure them that the stimuli often become clearer after more
practice. Sometimes it seems like participants are not making progress,
but many find that they make a breakthrough after a large number of
repetitions. When they make a breakthrough, it is because their brain
needed a large number of repetitions to learn how to make this
discrimination.
Let them know that studies have been done to confirm that educated
guessing is actually very powerful. Subconsciously the brain is always
working while they’re guessing, even if they don’t realize it. It’s
important that they keep trying because the brain automatically
categorizes what they hear even if they don’t realize it. For example, if
they hear a “ding” the brain associates this sound with a correct answer
and therefore stores it as such. If the brain hears a “thunk” then it
knows the sound they just heard is incorrect and categorizes it as such.
Unconsciously categorizing the correct sounds and the incorrect
sounds helps the brain to become increasingly accurate over time.
In a recent study, people were asked to guess the gender of chicks

without knowing previous information. Visually, male and female
chicks look the same. Study participants guessed right about 50% of
the time and wrong about 50% of the time. However, over time and
with more repetition, they guessed correct up to 90% of the time. The
participants were subconsciously working to find the subtle differences
between the two genders, even though they were guessing. The same
theory is relevant to guessing on the exercises. As long as participants
try their best and make a guess when they are not certain, their brain
will do the rest.
I am too old. Are you sure I am supposed to be in this program?
Age is not a determining factor for participation. Explain that what’s

important is the commitment to the program and putting genuine
effort into progressing. Let them know that as far as the program is
concerned, age is just a number—it’s their quality of thought and effort
that really makes a difference.
I feel like I am doing terribly. I feel like I am never going to improve.

I feel so stupid.
112 - Managing Participant Concerns

When participants aren’t doing very well or think they are not doing
very well, you can sense their insecurities, especially because they try
to give explanations to why they’ve been performing poorly. Ask them
to give specifics. Was it one particular exercise that they feel they did
poorly on? Start up a dialog similar to this: “Most likely you are doing
better than you think. If it’ll help, I can sit with you during your next
session and we can see if there is a problem. I can also tell you that the
difficulty you’re having is the same difficulty everyone else is having.
You are not alone, so don’t feel bad. I will sit with you next time and if
you are having trouble I can recommend a few strategies that may be
helpful.” Remind them that everyone has certain exercises that are
challenging for them and certain exercises that are easier. We often
can’t be great at everything!
I don’t feel very good today.
Ask them why they don’t feel good. Let them know that they can
perform as many or as few exercises as they wish. If they really feel
down, tell them that they are welcome to go home and rest. Let them
know that their health and well-being is of the highest concern.
Thank them for being honest, and help them to feel comfortable being
forthright in the future.
I seem to do okay for awhile and then I start doing really poorly. It’s
one extreme or the other.
Participants may become self-conscious if they respond incorrectly

several times in a row. This negative performance may feed on itself,
inhibiting attention and performance as they second-guess themselves.
Encourage participants to take a break when they get multiple answers
in a row incorrect.
I feel like my hearing is getting worse. OR I’ve always thought I had

good hearing. It makes me wonder if my hearing is as good as I think
it is.
Since the Brain Fitness Program encourages a sharp focus on sounds

and language, many people who use the program begin to notice that
their hearing isn’t as good as they thought it was. You should
understand that the great majority of individuals that use the program
will probably have some hearing loss before entering the training
program. It is important for new users to understand that the Brain
Fitness Program will not make hearing worse; what it can do is draw

attention to difficulties people already have but may not have noticed.
After beginning, many participants begin to pay more attention to the
sounds and language in their environment, often noticing—for the
first time in a long time—how much they miss. Because the training is
intended to optimize the way a participant’s brain receives and uses
aural speech information regardless of their hearing status, the program
should help a participant get the most out of their less-than-perfect
hearing.
If people feel as though their hearing is actually getting worse, it is

most likely because they are continually challenged with harder and
harder material in the program and cannot respond correctly as often.
Emphasize that as participants improve, the stimuli change—
sometimes very subtly—to constantly challenge the brain.
Paradoxically, they may feel like their performance (and hearing) is
getting worse when they are actually getting better!
These animations are distracting; I cannot focus when they are

playing.
The main purpose of the animations is to provide a “reward” for your

Find out more about brain to encourage it to release neuromodulators, brain chemicals that
“rewards” and neu-
romodulators in vivify learning; nevertheless, some participants do not experience the
“Chapter 2: The animations as rewarding. For these participants, offer to turn down the
Science behind Our sounds or the animations to a level that will not be as distracting. On
Program” starting on
page 9 of this guide. their next session, help them identify a theme that might be more
appealing. If they would like a theme with the lowest visual impact,
encourage them to select the Color Block theme.
This exercise makes me so frustrated. Is this meant to make us mad?
No! Participants may express frustration when they feel they are not
doing well, or when they feel they did everything correctly and still got
marked wrong. The incorrect answer noise or “thud” can be very
frustrating for participants and feeling cheated can be a sore subject.
Explain that frustration is definitely NOT one of the intended goals of
the program. Suggest to participants that any time they are beginning
to feel frustrated; they should press the pause/exit button for a minute
and take a deep breath. If they want, they can take a moment to stand
up, stretch or get a refreshment to unwind.

I feel like I am not doing as well as everyone else.
Because the program constantly adjusts the stimuli to a participant’s

performance, every participant progresses through the program
uniquely. As a result of the personalized program design, all
participants will experience difficulties and success on varying days in
the program. Furthermore, every participant’s points and accuracy can
only be compared relative to their own previous performance.
Emphasize to participants that they have achieved the most important
task by simply coming to class! Just listening to the stimuli and
attempting an answer is productive. Also, it is important to remember
that a participant does not need to reach the highest levels in the
program to experience improvements in the arena which really
matters: daily life routines and interactions.

Anticipated Attitude Timeline
Participants seem to exhibit similar fluctuations in their attitude
toward the program as they progress through the nine weeks. Generally
speaking, most participants start the program with an energy “high,”
sink into a “Sophomore Slump” about halfway through the program as
the novelty and excitement of the program wears off, and then climb
to a vitalizing “high” at the completion of the program. To prepare you
for this natural cycle, we have outlined the journey as commonly
experienced by participants as well as suggestions on how to respond to
their feelings.
Success
Summit
Anticipation
Peak
Doldrums Valley
Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week 1
Participants: Demonstrating excitement, curiosity, and high
expectations, while also demonstrating tentativeness, apprehension,
discomfort with the mouse and computer, concern about hearing
problems and possible cognitive decline.
Coach Response: Properly set expectations for the program and its
possible benefits. Prepare participants for the program with adequate
tutoring of the mouse. Try to ease their apprehension toward the
computer.

Week 2
Participants: Expressing various feelings more openly-- skepticism
toward the program, a belief that the program is “wrong” and that they
are “right,” concern that their hearing abilities may prevent them from
completing the program or succeeding at it. Still struggling with mouse
usage and exercise instructions. Creating habits either positively or
negatively. Demonstrating excitement about learning something new.
Coach Response: Directly address skepticism, questions and fears with

information about the science behind the program. Use a second pair
of headphones to listen to every individual’s performance for at least
10 minutes per day to make sure no one is developing bad habits or
misunderstanding exercise instructions.
Week 3
Participants: Growing more comfortable with the computer and the
exercises. Developing frustration with lack of progress and with
animations. Starting to talk to classmates in the unique Brain Fitness
Program language.
Coach Response: Allow participants to vent their frustrations about

their perceived lack of progress; however, explain that through
repetition and practice they will begin to see progress. Likewise, allow
participants to share their frustrations about the animations, but
explain the intent behind the design of the animations. Encourage
interaction between participants before and after class and during the
weekly discussion.
Weeks 4, 5, 6, & 7 or “The Doldrums”

Participants: Experiencing fatigue and boredom. Struggling to
maintain the motivation necessary to constantly work at threshold.
Experiencing uncertainty and expressing self-criticism about their
progress. Starting to perceive signs of program benefits in their daily
life.
Coach Response: Encourage, encourage, encourage. Remind

participants that they are working hard toward a worthwhile goal.
Provide a “Halfway Celebration” and continue regular weekly
discussions. The discussions become very important at this point as a
forum for sharing common frustrations and validating hard work.

Weeks 8 and 9
Participants: Looking forward to successfully completing the program.
Conveying pride about their accomplishments. Experiencing benefits
in their daily life. Expressing mixed feelings about the end of class:
happy to finish the program but disappointed to lose the routine and
community of the class structure.
Coach Response: Praise participants for all of their hard work.

Recommend ways to keep up the benefits of the program. Have a
Graduation Ceremony to honor their accomplishments.

Chapter 7: Managing Technical Issues
As with any computer-based learning environment there are a

number of issues, technical and otherwise, which seem to commonly
reoccur. Finding quick and efficient solutions ensures that the class
runs smoothly. As a result, a moderate level of computer technical
proficiency is expected of the coaches who run a Brain Fitness
Program class. In the following section, we look at the technical tasks
that go along with setting up and maintaining a class, as well as
common program issues. A coach who is quick to remedy a potential
problem and has ample troubleshooting skills inevitably instills a
sense of confidence in participants.
Chapter contents include:

• How to Add Additional Users
• How to Adjust the Volume
• How to Skip an Exercise or End a Session Early
• How to Change the Size of the Mouse Pointer
• How to Change the Speed of the Mouse Pointer
• How to Unfreeze the Computer
• How to Check a Session Number
• How to Submit a Screen Shot of an Error or Problem
• How to Create a Shortcut on the Start Bar

How to Add Additional Users
By default, the Brain Fitness Program allows two people to use the program
on each computer. If you want to have more than two people use the same
computer, you will need to do a second installation of the program on that
computer. The following instructions are for completing a second
installation. This will allow up to four people to use the same computer.
1. Before you begin the second installation, you must rename the
Brain Fitness Program icon on your desktop that was created during
the first installation.
To rename the icon, right click on it. Then select Rename from the
short menu that appears up on your screen.
2. Rename the icon Brain Fitness One.
The icons should change as follows:
3. After you have renamed the icon, re-insert the Brain Fitness
Program CD into the CD drive. Important: If the screen below
appears asking you if you want to uninstall the Brain Fitness Program,
click No and skip to Step 7.

If this box does not appear continue to Step 4.
4. Double-click the My Computer icon.
5. A window will open up listing all of your computer disk drives.

Double-click the drive with the Brain Fitness Program CD shown on
it. The name will start with “BFP”.
6. Next a screen will appear asking you if you want to uninstall the
Brain Fitness Program before re-installing.
Important: When this screen appears, click No. DO NOT uninstall

the Brain Fitness Program.
122 - Managing Technical Issues

7. After you click No, the installation program “Welcome” screen
appears. Click Next.
After you click Next, a “Selection destination directory” screen will

appear with the file path listed as C:\ProgramFiles\PositScience\2_0.
This is the directory where the first installation of the program is
located. Because you are installing the software a second time to allow
for more users, you must rename this file path with a new location. See
Step 8.
8. Rename the file path from C:\ProgramFiles\PositScience\2_0 to

C:\ProgramFiles\PositScience\AdditionalUsers.
Then, click Next to continue.

9. The program will begin to self-install and you will see the
“Installing” progress screen. When installation is complete, the
“Brain Fitness Program Installation successful” screen appears. The
box next to Launch Program File will be checked. Uncheck this box,
as you will not have to re-enter the activation number.
10. After you have unchecked Launch Program File box, click Finish.
11. Now you must again rename the new Brain Fitness Program icon
which will appear on your desktop. Right click on the icon and select
Rename. Rename this icon Brain Fitness Two.
Now you should see both Brain Fitness One and Brain Fitness Two
icons on the desktop. To help you residents avoid confusion, move the
Brain Fitness One icon to the upper left hand section of the screen
and the Brain Fitness Two icon to the upper right hand section of the
screen.

How to Adjust the Volume
If you encounter the following circumstances you may need to adjust the
volume:
• A participant tells you that their volume isn’t loud enough, or that it’s
too loud.
Potentially, you can adjust the volume from three different places:
1. Headphones: Adjust the volume slider up or down on the

headphones. You can see screen
shots and a com-
2. The Brain Fitness Program Screen: Press the “volume” button at plete description of
the bottom left of the program screen. Under the “Exercise the in-program
Sounds” or “All Other Sounds,” adjust the vertical bar to “Louder” volume feature in
the section entitled
or “Softer” as desired. “Volume Button” on
page 26.
3. Computer Operating System: The volume control in Windows XP
Operating software should always be set at a maximum level so that
volume attenuation can be easily achieved through the use of the
volume bar or headphones volume slider. To adjust the volume
within Windows XP Operating software:
a. Click on the “Start” bar
b. Click on “All Programs”JScroll to “Accessories” J Scroll to
“Entertainment” J Click on “Volume Control.”
c. The “Wave” and “Volume” Control bars should be at the top.
You may need to click on the bar and slide it to the top.

How to Skip an Exercise or End a Session
Early
If you encounter the following circumstances you may need to skip an
exercise/end early:
• The exercise acts erratic, does not respond to the mouse correctly, or
continually shows an error message.
• A participant becomes overly frustrated with an exercise.
• A participant only has time to complete a few exercises before
leaving for the day.
1. Within the program, click on the “Pause/Exit” button.
2. Click on “Skip this Exercise” if the participant wants to continue

working on a different exercise. The program will then ask the par-
ticipant to verify “Are you sure you’d like to skip?.” Select “Skip
this Exercise” again and the program will automatically display the
Exercise Exit screen for that exercise. Click on the “Go to Next
Use the “Skip this Exercise” button at the bottom of the Exercise Exit Screen to
Exercise“feature switch to the next exercise.
only when neces-
sary. To receive or J
maximum benefits
from the program, Click on “Exit the Program” to end the session for the day. The
participants should program will then ask you to verify “Are you sure you’d like to
be encouraged to
finish the full 15
exit?” Click “Exit the Program” again and the program will take
minutes of every you to the Summary Screen. From this screen, you may select the
exercise. We do not “Quit for the Day” button at the bottom.
recommend that
participants regularly
skip past disliked or
frustrating exercises.

How to Change the Size of the Mouse
Pointer
You may need to change the size of the mouse pointer under the
following circumstances:
• A participant with poor eyesight or macular degeneration experiences
difficulty seeing the pointer on the screen.
1. Click on the “Start” Bar.
2. Click on “Control Panel.”
3. Click on the “Mouse” icon.
4. A box entitled “Mouse Properties” should now appear on the

screen. By clicking on the “Pointers” tab at the top of the screen,
you will open a window that allows you to change the settings for
the pointer.
5. Under the word “Scheme,” click on the right side of the drop down
box. Clicking on this drop down box should reveal a list of various
pointer styles and sizes. Click on “Windows Inverted (Extra
Large)(System Scheme).”
6. Click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Mouse Properties”

box. The mouse pointer should now be displayed in an enlarged
format. The pointer will also now change color, so that the pointer
color is always inverse to the color of the objects over which it
moves.

How to Change the Speed of the Mouse
Pointer
For participants who are unpracticed at using the mouse, the on-screen
pointer may move too quickly in response to their imprecise
movements. You may want to slow the speed of the mouse pointer on
any computer where a new computer user will be sitting.
2. Click on “Control Panel.”
3. Click on the “Mouse” icon.
4. A box entitled “Mouse Properties” should now appear on the

screen. By clicking on the “Pointer Options” tab at the top of the
screen, you will open a window that allows you to change various
aspects of the pointer movement.
5. Under the word “Motion,” slide the button to the left to make the
mouse motion slower. Click the “OK” button at the bottom of the
box. The new speed should now be set.

How to Unfreeze the Computer
If you encounter the following circumstances you may need to unfreeze the
computer: Once the Brain
Fitness Program is
• A participant tells you the mouse isn’t working. closed, it is not pos-
sible to return to the
• The program continues to elicit error messages. place in the session
at which the Brain
• The program runs incredibly slow. Fitness Program
froze or malfunc-
• The screen freezes and there seems to be no response from the key- tioned. You will have
board or mouse. to restart the partici-
pant at the
beginning of a
session.
1. Click on the “Pause/Exit” button. Then click on “Resume Exer- The program does
cise.” not advance the
session counter until
-If this does not workJ the Summary screen
has been viewed.
2. Click on “Pause/Exit” again, and then click on “End Today’s Ses- Therefore, if you
were forced to shut
sion” to exit the Brain Fitness Program.
down the computer
-If this does not workJ manually without
getting to the end of
3. Press “Ctrl,” “Alt,” and “Delete” keys in this order. Be sure to hold the session, the
program will restart
each key down until all three are pressed. the beginning of the
a. When the Windows box appears, click on “Task Manager.” same session that
the participant was
b. Find “HiFi” or “HiFi.exe” in the list of applications, and click just performing. If
on that line to highlight it. Then click “End Task.” It might you were forced to
take a minute for the computer to respond to this request. click on End Today’s
Session to exit the
-If this does not workJ Brain Fitness Pro-
gram, the program
4. Press and hold the power button on the computer until the com- will load the next
day’s session when
puter shuts off. Use this method only as a last resort. All data from
you reopen the Brain
any other programs running will not be saved. As in the case Fitness Program.
above, when you reopen the Brain Fitness Program, the program
will load the same day’s session.
Only shut down the
computer by press-
ing and holding the
power button as a
last resort. You may
lose data.

How to Check a Session Number
If you encounter the following circumstances you may need to check and
change a session number:
• If a participant exercise schedule seems to be out of sync with the rest
of the class.
• If a participant has skipped through most of the day or had to end
early and you would like to confirm what session number they are
now working on.
1. The Brain Fitness Program must be closed to properly change a

session number.
3. Click on “My Computer”
4. Click on the “Local Disk (C:)” drive.
5. Open the “Neuroscience” folder.
6. Open the “User” folder.

GUID number: a 7. Once inside the User folder, you see at least one folder with a
“globally unique id”
GUID number (a long string of numbers and letters.) There is a
number that is auto-
matically assigned to GUID folder for each participant; therefore, if more than one par-
each participant ticipant uses the computer, there will be more than one guid folder.
The way to make sure that you look into the right folder is to first
open the document entitled User_Profile.XML. Inside this docu-
ment, you will see the name of the participants matched with their
GUID number. Jot down the number of the participant for whom
you’re looking.
8. Once you have identified the appropriate guid number, close the
User_Profile.XML document. Now open the folder with the
matching GUID. Click on the globe shaped XML icon inside that
folder.
9. Once you are inside the correct XML file, you should see the par-
ticipant’s session number listed about four rows down. This number
indicates the participant’s next session number. For example, if the
session number reads “4”, then the participant will start their next

day of the Brain Fitness Program at Session 4. It does not represent
the number of the session that the participant just completed.
10. If you are concerned about a participant’s session number (i.e.,

their session number seems incorrect) please contact Customer
Service for more information about checking and changing session
numbers.

How to Submit a Screenshot of a Problem
If you encounter the following circumstances you may need to submit a
picture of the computer screen which displays an error or problem:
• There is a complex technical/user error that cannot be remedied by a
coach, and you are sending a help request to Posit Science.
• There is a direct request from Posit Science for a coach to submit a
screen shot displaying the error.
1. Ask the participant to stop whatever he or she is doing. Do not

respond to the prompts on the screen in any way.
The Print Screen
button is usually 2. Press the “Print Screen” key on the keyboard to create a screen-
located to the right
shot. Nothing will appear to happen, but the computer has saved a
of the F12 key on the
top of the keyboard. picture of the screen.
3. Press the “Start” button or the Windows button. Click on “Pro-

grams,” and then scroll to “Accessories,” and select Paint or Word
Pad.
4. Paste the screen shot into Paint or Word Pad by right clicking on
the mouse and selecting “Paste.” You should now see the screen
image that you were attempting to capture.
The Windows button
is the key with the 5. Save the screenshot with some kind of identifier such as Error or
icon on it. It is Bug or with the date, i.e. Error_022205 or Bug012505.
located between the
Ctrl and the Alt keys 6. Return to the Brain Fitness Program, and if possible, have the par-
at the bottom of the
ticipant continue training.
keyboard.
7. Wait for one to three minutes after The Brain Fitness Program
shuts down.
8. Open web browser and log into a web-based e-mail account (i.e.
Yahoo, Gmail, etc.)
9. Describe any details about what led up to the problem in the email.
10. Attach the screenshot.
11. Attach the log file: browse to the file by going to C:\Program
Files\Posit Science\2_0\Neuroscience\Modules\logs and select

the log with the most recent date. If two logs have the same date,
select the larger file.
12. Send the e-mail to Posit.

How to Create a Shortcut on the Start Bar
You may want to create a shortcut on the Start bar for the following reasons:
• To make it easier to find a frequently used program such as Solitaire
• To replace a shortcut that was accidentally deleted
1. Before starting, be sure to delete any old shortcuts on the “Start”

menu that refer to the same program or an older version of the
same program. Delete the shortcuts by right clicking on them and
scrolling to “Remove from this List.”
2. Locate the program or “exe” file you want to shortcut.
3. Right click on the icon and scroll to “Create Shortcut.”
4. Left click and hold on the newly created Short Cut icon and drag it
into the bottom left hand corner of the screen over the “Start” Bar.
5. Wait for the “Start” menu to pop up and drag the icon onto the list
of icons on the left.

Congratulations!
By now, you have completed the Brain Fitness Program Coach’s
Training. Hopefully your training and this Coach’s Guide have
thoroughly prepared you to lead your participants through our
program. We hope that you will continue to use this guide as a
reference in the coming weeks and months.
For ongoing support, we also provide a few more important resources:

• If you ever run into technical snafus or a computer problem that
you just cannot solve, remember that our customer service repre-
sentatives are available via phone or email to assist you Monday
through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Pacific Standard Time.
Contact them at:
1-800-514-3971
customerservice@positscience.com
• One of the benefits of becoming a certified Posit Science Coach is
that you have access to the Posit Partners email group. This email
community allows Brain Fitness Coaches from all over the country
to communicate with each other. Email the group to ask questions,
send helpful tips, and share interesting articles. Once you have
received the notice that you have been added to the group, you can
reach all members by addressing your emails to:
positpartners@yahoogroups.com
If you prefer to opt out of this group, just let your trainer or one of
our Customer Support Representatives know.
In closing, we urge you to remember that the most knowledgeable

coaches are those individuals who have completed the Brain Fitness
Program themselves. Experiencing the program yourself affords you
with invaluable insights and knowledge.
Thank you for participating in our Brain Fitness Program Coach’s

Training. We wish you the best of luck as you continue to learn about
our program and brain health!

Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions
(You may also find “Chapter 6: Managing Participant Concerns” helpful for answering
questions.)
Why does the Brain Fitness Program focus on listening?
A lot of important information is conveyed in speech and during conversations (e.g.,

newscasters, friends, doctors, co-workers). Many people do not realize they are gradually
losing their ability to process language as quickly and clearly as they once did, since they
have adapted by using context and other coping mechanisms. This enables them to
follow a conversation and get by in everyday life, but because the brain is allocating its
resources inefficiently, it has a harder time recalling important information. As people
improve their ability to hear and process language through the training, they also improve
their ability to recall information and act on what they hear later.
How does the program help memory? What is the relationship between listen-
ing and memory?
The Brain Fitness Program uses sounds and processed speech to give the neurons in the
brain practice differentiating between sounds which are particularly hard for the aging
brain to tell apart (e.g., bo and do). Massive practice (many, many repetitions) of slowed
down, exaggerated speech refines the brain’s ability to differentiate between these sounds.
If the brain regains the ability to tell sounds apart clearly and quickly, it transmits the
sounds more faithfully to other areas of the brain. The clearer transmission enables the
brain to make a clear, precise recording of the event, instead of a fuzzy one. Clear, precise
recordings are easier to recall later, because the brain can find and interpret them more
easily.
Does the program improve hearing?
Yes! Although the program can not change the fundamental hearing loss in the ear, it
should help the brain make the very most of the hearing that is still available. The
program is designed to improve the way the brain processes sound and speech. Through
practice, the brain will improve its ability to make fine distinctions in sound, which
would have been impossible to hear before training. For example, in the first exercise,
High or Low?, most people can not perform the most difficult level of the exercise at first
– it is only by going through the training that their brains are tuned up enough to hear
and distinguish the very rapid sounds. This is even the case for people with hearing aids or
hearing loss.

How is the Brain Fitness Program better than playing bridge or doing crossword puz-
zles?
Posit Science has created software made up of six ‘brain exercises’ that target specific aspects of
cognitive decline. These exercises require that users ‘learn’ – a key component of driving positive
brain plasticity. Most people who decide to engage in a program of cognitive stimulation, using
conventionally available materials (e.g., card games, crossword puzzles), pick something that they
are already good at. However, developing entirely new skills is much more stimulating to the
brain than doing skills the brain already knows. The Brain Fitness Program is designed to give
people the brain stimulation equivalent to learning an entirely new skill, (e.g., learning French
or playing the saxophone), in a targeted way, in a comparatively short amount of time.
Why is the Brain Fitness Program on a computer?

Improving brain health relies on substantial and precise practice. A computer can deliver stimuli
accurately, track performance gains, and adjust task difficulty in accordance with each user’s
progress. These variables are all key to efficient training. The program requires simple pointing
and clicking of a mouse device in response to audio input—not much more difficult than using a
television remote control.
Why does the program take 40 hours?

Learning to do something well takes commitment. Building the brain by strengthening neural
connections is a physical process, much like building muscle. Without spending a significant
amount of time doing a particular activity, there’s no reason for the brain to build and maintain
the connections required for that activity. Therefore, the more one practices, the stronger those
connections become. Posit Science Corporation’s initial research of 40 hours of training, suggests
that the positive effects remain over an extended period of time, but additional data is needed to
know how long these effects will last and to further understand the long-term positive impacts of
the training.
Why are there points and animations? Can you explain why the program keeps score?
The program uses animation, points and correct answer ‘dings’, all designed to make the brain
feel rewarded for correct answers. The animations are sometimes offbeat because the brain also
learns better when it is surprised. When the brain feels rewarded or surprised, it releases
neuromodulators—brain chemicals that vivify learning. Essentially, it’s the brain saying: “This is
good for you; remember it so that you can do it again later”, or: “Something unexpected is
happening: be alert”. This is why people remember important or shocking events, such as the day
JFK was shot, or their daughter’s wedding, better than more mundane events. The program’s
scoring and reward structure are designed to get the brain to produce more of these important
brain chemicals.
138 - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Posit Science Corporation measure the results of the training?
Posit Science is conducting scientific studies using both neuropsychological tests and brain
imaging to understand the effects of the training. The neuropsychological tests explore such
fields as memory, processing speed/ response time, attentiveness and language fluency. Brain
imaging indicates areas of increased activity in the brain, and some people report feeling more
engaged, communicative and happy.
Where can I read more about Posit Science’s studies and results?
Currently, there is no available (public) resource. Posit Science plans to assemble a report, but it
is not yet completed.
In High or Low?, why do I jump suddenly from sounds that are right in a row to sounds
that are far apart? Am I failing?
You’re not failing. After three correct responses in a row at the shortest gap between sounds, the
sounds themselves get shorter and the gap lengthens again to give you time to adjust to the
shorter sounds. It’s part of the program design of progression.
In Tell Us Apart, why does the speech sound so garbled? Why does it use nonsense
words like bo and do?
The phonemes in Tell Us Apart are synthesized and processed to emphasize the parts that are
different. Although it doesn’t sound like meaningful speech, these sounds push the brain to
rebuild its capacity to store and retrieve very significant but hard-to-distinguish sounds in
English.
In Tell Us Apart, the sounds I hear don’t sound like the words I see on the buttons.
What should I do?
It is more important that you can tell the sounds apart than that you think they match what you
see on the buttons. If it helps, we can write down what you think they sound like and put a self-
stick note on your computer to remind you which is which.
Why don’t Match It!, Sound Replay, Listen and Do, and Story Teller start with normal
speech? Why does it sound garbled?
The language in these four exercises has been processed. The sounds have been stretched out in
time, and the sudden changes in amplitude have been emphasized. The purpose is to ensure that
each sound is heard distinctively and represented in the brain accurately. This is so that when
speech is rapid or indistinct in real life, the brain has accurate representations of all speech parts,
and can quickly match them with the input coming in. The result should be a better ability to
understand spoken language, even when it is very fast or mumbled.

In Match It!, why do I suddenly jump from a large grid to a small one? Am I failing?
No! The grid size jumps down to eight when you advance in sound processing level. It drops to a
smaller size to give you time to adjust to the new sound processing level.
The big grids in Match It! are too hard! What can I do to make them manageable?
Try using a strategy to break down the grid. For example, imagine a cross divides the grid into
four small grids. Work through each smaller grid looking for pairs. Then try matching remaining
buttons.
In Sound Replay, why did I jump suddenly from several syllables in a row to just two?
Am I doing badly?
No! The program suddenly decreases the number of syllables from several to two when it
advances in speech processing level. The smaller number of syllables is designed to give you time
to adapt to the new speech processing level.
In Listen and Do, why did I jump suddenly from several instructions in a row to just
one? Am I doing badly?
No! The program suddenly decreases the number of instructions from several to one when it
advances in speech processing level. The smaller number of syllables is designed to give you time
to adapt to the new speech processing level.
140 - Frequently Asked Questions

Appendix B: Mouse Skill Tips
Using the mouse can be an enormous learning curve for new computer users, above and
beyond the challenges of the Brain Fitness Program. To use the program, participants
must know:
• How to hold a computer mouse
• How to Point and Click
• How to Click and Drag
The links below offer excellent tutorials which can help participants learn how to hold
the mouse, point and click, and beyond. The last link is to the Ben & Jerry’s website
which has several online games which are a useful place to practice mouse skills.
http://www.seniornet.org/howto/mouseexercises/mousepractice.html
http://www.pbclibrary.org/mousing
http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/welcome.htm
http://www.ckls.org/~crippel/computerlab/tutorials/mouse/page1.html
http://www.mesalibrary.org/research/mouse/page01.htm
http://www.benjerry.com/fun_stuff/online/
Participants might also find the digital version of Solitaire to be a useful forum for
practicing mouse skills. Most participants should find a copy of Solitaire on their
operating systems by clicking on the Start bar, scrolling to “All Programs,” scrolling to
“Games” and clicking “Solitaire.”
Below are listed some tips for explaining mouse usage to novice computer users.
How to Use a Mouse

• To hold the mouse properly, your thumb should rest on the left side of the mouse
and your ring finger and pinkie on the right. (Reverse these positions for left-
handed participants.)
• Your palm should rest lightly on the curved side of the mouse with your wrist
resting on the desk or mouse pad.
• When you move the mouse, you control the arrow on the screen. Always move
the mouse keeping its vertical orientation. In other words, keep the mouse cord
pointing away from you. Avoid twisting and turning the mouse from side to side.

• When the arrow is over an object like a button, it may turn the arrow into a pointing
hand or it may simply may light up the object underneath. The pointing hand and/or the
lighting object signal that there exists the ability to choose that object—like pointing out
a dessert in a display case.
• When you “click” on that same spot, you select it much like taking the dessert from the
display case. To click, gently depress the left button. Most mice have two or three but-
tons, but for the Brain Fitness Program, you will need to use the left button. Likewise, in
other programs you may need to “double click,” but for this program you only need to
click once.
• To help remember to click on the left side of the mouse, you can attach a brightly colored
sticker or a soft piece of Velcro to the left side. The Velcro allows you to feel the button
without looking down.
• If it seems like you have the arrow stuck in a corner because you’ve “run out of room” on
the mouse pad, lift the mouse up entirely off the desktop surface and then place it back
down in the middle of the mouse pad. You will notice that the arrow retains its spot on
the screen when you lift the mouse in the air. In this way, you can gain space to move the
mouse freely.
Finally, if you learn that a participant has difficulty managing the mouse because of arthritis,
tremors, or other dexterity or coordination challenges, you might want to suggest that they
experiment with an alternative mouse device. There are countless options on the market now
which serve different needs. In particular, we have found the joystick mouse a useful option for
those participants with tremors.
142 - Mouse Skill Tips

Appendix C: Demo Mode Instructions
The Demo Mode is a very useful tool to you as a customer support representative. The
Demo Mode will allow you to jump directly to any of the six exercises, progress screens or
educational segments, so that you can look at the same screen as your participants as you
assist them.
The Demo Mode is also useful for participants who want to show friends and family the
program without starting one of their personal sessions. In addition, it can provide a way
for participants to get extra practice on a specific exercise outside of their regular session.
Starting the Demo Mode

Begin the Demo Mode by clicking on the orange Brain Fitness Demo
icon on your desktop. (It looks identical to the program icon, but it says
“Brain Fitness Demo” instead of “Brain Fitness Program.”) Clicking the
icon will bring you to the menu that allows you to select All Features
Demo or the 30-Minute Overview.
There are two versions of the Demo Mode. Click the version of your choice:
• The All Features Demo gives you free rein to navigate through the program exer-
cises and features. It allows you to explore the exercises and educational segments
and view sample progress screens and animations.

• The 30-Minute Overview is a scripted, 30-minute introduction to the program. It guides
the viewer through a few coach animations, one educational segment and all six program
exercises.
All Features Demo

To move through the All Features Demo, follow these guidelines:
1. After clicking on the All Features Demo button from the log-in screen, the program asks you
to verify that you are the “All Features Demo” user. Click Yes.
144 - Demo Mode Instructions

2. The next screen explains how to change difficulty levels as you perform any of the six exer-
cises. The program automatically loads the exercise at the Easy level (2). While the exercise
is in process, you can move up and down in difficulty level by typing in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (where
1 is initiation level and 5 is a very challenging level)
3. After you click Continue, the program takes you to the headphones and theme selection
screens. Follow those directions as you would during a normal program session.
4. The Main Menu for the All Features Demo loads next. From this menu you can explore the
different program exercises and features.

For instance, if you click the High or Low? button, you are taken to the High or Low?
exercise screen shown below. At any time, you can click on the Main Menu button at the
bottom of the screen to select another activity from the Main Menu.
Click Main
Menu to exit
the exercise
and return to
the menu at
any time.
5. If you click Educational Segments, Sample Animations or Progress Screens from the Main
Menu, you will see a secondary menu that allows you to choose from several options. Here is
a description of those options:
Educational Segments = The videos that appear during the

program, often to explain something about the exercise features
or science background.
Sample Animations = Examples of the pictures and animations
that appear in the bottom half of the screen during the exercises,
and elsewhere in the program.
Progress Screens = The screens that provide detail on your
progress through the exercises.

For example, if you click Educational Segments, a menu that allows you to select from the 14
available segments will appear, as shown below:
6. Feel free to explore the options presented on the secondary menus. At any time, you can
click the Main Menu button at the bottom of the screen to go back to the previous menu.
Exiting the All Features Demo Mode

To exit the All Features Demo Mode, click Main Menu from wherever you are until you see the
screen below again. Note that you may have to click Main Menu on more than one screen to get
all the way back.
From this screen, click Exit to exit the Demo Mode.

30-Minute Overview
The steps below will help you navigate the 30-Minute Overview. This overview can be useful for
demonstrating the program to an interested friend.
1. Click on the 30-Minute Overview button on the first log-in screen.
2. The program will next ask you to verify that you are the “30-Minute Overview” user. Click
Yes.
3. The next screen explains how to change difficulty levels as you perform any of the six exer-
cises. The program automatically loads each exercise at the Initiation level (1). While the
exercise is in process, you can move up and down in difficulty level by typing in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
(where 1 is initiation level and 5 is a very challenging level).
4. After you click Continue, the program takes you to the headphones and theme selection
screens. Follow those directions as you would during a normal program session.
5. Next, the 30-Minute Overview will begin. The overview begins with the Session Overview
screen outlining the order and time duration in each of the 6 exercises for this half hour ses-
sion. You will be prompted to begin by clicking on the “Start the Session” button at the
bottom of the screen. Following this, you will watch 2 educational segments: Welcome to the
Brain Fitness Program and Science Overview. After this, you will be taken through all 6
exercises which will include the Introductory Screens, Exercise Exit Screens for each exercise
as well as the Summary Screen. NOTE: Once you understand how to perform the exercise,
feel free to change the difficulty level by using the number keys (see #3 above).
6. You can exit the 30-Minute Overview at any time by clicking the Pause/Exit button at the
bottom of the screen. From the Pause/Exit screen, click Exit the Program.

Appendix D: License Agreement
Your participants may express questions about the License Agreement which appears at
the beginning of the first session of the program. For your reference, here is a sample copy
of the license agreement.
SAMPLE
POSIT SCIENCE CORPORATION

SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE

INSTALLING OR USING THE POSIT SCIENCE BRAIN FITNESS PROGRAMTM
SOFTWARE, VERSION 2.0 OR ANY ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION
(COLLECTIVELY, THE “SOFTWARE”).
IF YOU INSTALL OR USE ANY OF THE SOFTWARE, OR KEEP IT FOR 30 DAYS, THEN
THIS BECOMES A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND POSIT SCIENCE
CORPORATION (“POSIT”).
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

(“AGREEMENT”) GOVERN YOUR USE OF THE SOFTWARE.
Posit is willing to license the Software to you only upon the condition that you accept all the terms
contained in this Agreement. If you install or use the Software or keep it for 30 days after the date
of purchase, then you have indicated that you understand this Agreement and accept all of its
terms. If you do not accept all the terms of this Agreement, then Posit is unwilling to license the
Software to you, and you may return the Software for a full refund. Your right to return the
Software for a refund expires 30 days after the date of purchase unless a longer period has been
offered by Posit in writing.
1. Grant of License. Subject to your compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement,
Posit grants you a personal, perpetual, revocable (upon termination), non-exclusive and non-
transferable license to install the executable form of Software on a single computer for two (2)
individual users to use solely for the purpose of training themselves personally. You may make a
single copy of the Software for backup purposes, provided that you reproduce on it all copyright
and other proprietary notices that are on the original copy of the Software. Posit reserves all rights
not expressly granted to you in this Agreement, including but not limited to patent, copyright,
trade secret and trademark rights.
2. Restrictions. You may not: (a) copy or modify the Software (except as expressly specified in
Section 1); (b) transfer, sublicense, encumber, lease, lend, rent or otherwise distribute the Software

to any third party; (c) make the functionality of the Software available to anyone other than the two (2)
users licensed under Section 1, through any means, including, without, limitation, by uploading the
Software to a network or file-sharing service or through any hosting, application services provider, service
bureau or any other type of services; or (d) use the software if you are: (i) in pre-school through twelfth
grade, (ii) in a correctional institution, (iii) part of the US government, (iv) an end user under US
government contract, or (v) seeking treatment for a disease or disorder or for dyslexia or a similar reading
impairment. You acknowledge and agree that portions of the Software, including, without limitation, the
source code and the specific design and structure of individual modules or programs, constitute or contain
trade secrets of Posit and its licensors. Accordingly, you agree not to disassemble, decompile or otherwise
reverse engineer the Software, in whole or in part, or permit or authorize a third party to do so, except to
the extent such activities are expressly permitted by law notwithstanding this prohibition. You will not
create or alter tables or reports relating to any database portion of the Software (except as a result of
operating the Software in accordance with its documentation) or modify any header files or class libraries
in the Software or permit or authorize a third party to do so.
3. Ownership. The Software is licensed, not sold. You own the media on which the Software is recorded,
but Posit retains ownership of the Software, including all intellectual property rights therein. The Software
is protected by United States copyright law and international treaties. You will not delete or in any manner
alter the copyright, trademark and other proprietary rights notices or markings appearing on the Software
as delivered to you.
4. Term; Termination. The rights granted in Section 1 of this Agreement remain effective until terminated.
You may terminate such rights at any time by destroying all copies of the Software in your possession or
control. Such rights will automatically terminate without notice if you breach any term of this Agreement.
Upon termination of such rights, you must promptly destroy all copies of the Software in your possession
or control. All other provisions and all other rights and obligations of either party will survive the
expiration or termination of this agreement for any reason.
5. Limited Warranty. Posit warrants that for thirty (30) days following the date of purchase the Software
will perform substantially in accordance with its documentation, but not that use will achieve any
particular results. As your sole and exclusive remedy and Posit’s entire liability for any breach of this
limited warranty, Posit will at its option and expense promptly correct or replace the Software so that it
conforms to this limited warranty or, if Posit is unable to do so after using its reasonable efforts, then Posit
will accept return of the nonconforming Software and refund the amount that you paid for such Software.
You understand that the Software is intended to improve aural signal reception and processing, memory
and other cognitive function; however, it is still being tested and Posit does not represent that it is effective
in doing so. Posit does not warrant that the Software will meet your requirements, that the Software will
operate in the combinations that you may select for use, that the operation of the Software will be error-
free or uninterrupted, or that all Software errors will be corrected. The warranty set forth in this Section 5
does not apply to the extent that Posit provides you with the Software (or portions of the Software) for
beta, evaluation, testing or demonstration purposes.
6. DISCLAIMER. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH IN SECTION 5 IS IN LIEU OF AND

POSIT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF
150 - License Agreement

MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT,
AND ANY WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING OR
USAGE OF TRADE. POSIT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF
TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, QUIET POSSESSION, CORRESPONDENCE TO DESCRIPTION, OR
NON-INFRINGEMENT WITH REGARD TO THE SOFTWARE. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION,
WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED FROM POSIT OR ELSEWHERE WILL CREATE
ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT. Some
jurisdictions do not allow certain of the above limitations, so they may not apply to you, in which case, to
the extent any statutory (implied) warranties remain, they are limited to the duration of the express
warranty set forth in Section 5.
7. Limitation of Liability. POSIT’S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FROM ALL CAUSES OF ACTION
AND UNDER ALL THEORIES OF LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO AND WILL NOT EXCEED
THE AMOUNTS PAID TO POSIT BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT WILL POSIT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOSS OF USE, DATA, BUSINESS, GOOD WILL OR
PROFITS) OR FOR the cost of procuring substitute products ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE, WHETHER
SUCH LIABILITY ARISES FROM ANY CLAIM BASED UPON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT
(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT
POSIT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGE. YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT POSIT HAS SET ITS PRICING BASED ON THESE TERMS AND THAT
THEY FORM THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN YOU AND POSIT. THE FOREGOING
LIMITATIONS WILL SURVIVE AND APPLY EVEN IF ANY LIMITED REMEDY SPECIFIED IN
THIS AGREEMENT IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. Some
jurisdictions do not allow limitations or exclusions of liability for incidental or consequential damages, or
for physical injury, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you to their full written extent.
8. U.S. Government Users. Any use, duplication, or disclosure of the Software by the U.S. government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in this Agreement and as provided in DFARS 227.7202-1(a) and
227.7202-3(a) (1995), DFARS 252.227-7013(c)(1)(ii) (OCT 1988), FAR 12.212(a) (1995), FAR 52.227-
19, or FAR 52.227-14 (ALT III), as applicable. Posit Science Corporation, 225 Bush, 7th Floor, San
Francisco, California 94104.
9. Import Export Law. You agree to comply fully with all applicable import and export laws and
regulations to ensure that neither the Software nor any technical data related thereto nor any direct product
thereof are exported or re-exported directly or indirectly in violation of, or used for any purposes
prohibited by, such laws and regulations.
10. General. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
California, U.S. without regard to conflicts of law rules or principles. The United Nations Convention on
Contracts for the International Sale of Goods will not apply. You may not assign or transfer this
Agreement or any rights granted hereunder, or delegate any duties granted hereunder, by operation of law
or otherwise, and any attempt by you to do so will be void and of no effect. The exercise by either party of
any remedy will be without prejudice to its other remedies under this Agreement or otherwise. The failure

by either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of future
enforcement of that or any other provision. Any waiver, modification or amendment of any provision of
this Agreement will be effective only if mutually executed in writing. If any provision of this Agreement is
held to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent possible and the
other provisions will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement is the complete and exclusive
understanding and agreement between the parties regarding its subject matter, and supersedes all
proposals, understandings or communications between the parties, oral or written, regarding its subject
matter. Any terms or conditions contained in your purchase order or other ordering document that are
inconsistent with or in addition to the terms and conditions of this Agreement are hereby rejected by Posit
and will be deemed null and of no effect.
11. Contact Information. If you have any questions about this Agreement or the Software, you may contact
Posit by email at customerservice@positscience.com or by phone inside the U.S. at 1-800-514-3975 or
internationally at +1-415-394-3100.
152 - License Agreement

Appendix E: Sample Breathing/Stretching Exercises
1. Extend your arms above head as you inhale slowly. Hold the stretch for 1-3 seconds
and then release by exhaling slowly through your mouth and letting your arms fall
slowly to your side. Repeat this 6x.
2. Put your arms on your waist, take a deep breath in and as you exhale, rotate the upper
half of your body to the right. Slowly return to the center. Take a deep breath in and
rotate the upper half of your body to the left as you exhale. Repeat 6x.
3. Put your arms loosely on the sides of your body. Inhale and then as you exhale, slide
your right arm down the side of your right thigh, as close to your knee as possible. As
you come to the center, inhale. As you exhale, slide your left arm down the side of
your left thigh, as close to your knee as possible. Inhale as you come to the center.
Repeat this 6x.
4. Extend your arms above your head as you inhale. Keep them extended as you exhale
and bring them down towards the floor with your knees bent slightly. Try to reach the
floor. Inhale as you come up again. Repeat this 4x.
5. Extend your arms out to the side and start rotating them about the shoulder socket in
a circular motion. Do this one arm at a time. Repeat for each arm 4x.
6. Inhale and bring your shoulder blades inward. As you exhale, rotate your shoulder
blades upward, outward, and then backward in a circular motion. Repeat 6x. Inhale
and move your shoulder blades outward. As you exhale, rotate your shoulder blades
outward and then forward. Repeat this 6x.
7. Rotate your neck muscles by bending your head downward and rotating in a counter-
clockwise and clockwise direction. Do this very slowly to feel the muscles moving.
Repeat this 3x.

8. Start marching in place. March for about 30 seconds. Make sure to start off slowly and wind
down the exercise slowly.
9. Pretend your right hand is holding a string tied to the left toe and your left hand is holding a
string tied to the right toe. Inhale as you move your left arm up and bend your right foot up.
Exhale as you bring everything down. Inhale as you move your right arm up and bend your
left foot up. Repeat this 10x.
10. Hold both arms out in front of you and close both hands into fists. Rotate just your wrists,
first clockwise then counterclockwise. Repeat this 3x.
For more breathing and stretching exercises see www.mydailyyoga.com
154 - Sample Breathing/Stretching Exercises

Appendix F: Sample Progress Profile
At the close of the Brain Fitness Program, participants will receive a Progress Profile
report on the screen. The format will look similar to this sample Progress Profile:
Progress Profile for Jane Doe

Congratulations on completing the Posit Science Brain Fitness Program!
Summary:
You’ve shown improvement in all of the functional areas that we can assess. Your
strongest areas of improvement were on the exercises High or Low?, Sound Replay,
and Match It!. You also showed gains in Storyteller, Listen and Do and Tell Us Apart.
This profile shows that you likely improved your ability to process language quickly
and accurately, remember information in order, remember words with a high degree
of precision, remember details of narrative information, work with information you
have heard and discriminate similar sounds. The net result should be a better ability
to respond to and remember what you hear, helping you feel sharp and confident.
High or Low?
Percent improvement in processing speed: 55%
You've shown very impressive improvement in your ability to detect shorter sound
'sweeps' with shorter gaps between them, indicating that your speed of processing has
increased. The sounds you could identify at the end of the program were significantly
faster and closer together than those you could identify early in the program. Faster
processing helps the brain catch every sound element it hears, allowing it to
interpret and respond to speech more accurately—even when it's coming at you
quickly.
Tell Us Apart
Percent improvement in sound distinction: 5%
This meaningful level of improvement indicates an improvement in your brain's

ability to catch subtle differences between sounds. This improved ability is
important: discriminating sounds with similar structures, such as /d/ and /b/, enables
the brain to better understand speech and store clear memories of it.

Match It!
Percent reduction in number of clicks/grid: 22%
Your significant improvement on this exercise points to an increased ability to remember

words precisely, including their location on a grid. Precise word processing makes for
clearer memories—regardless of who speaks or what sounds come in together.
Listen and Do
Percent increase in the number of instructions: 7%
Your meaningful improvement in the number of instructions that you could correctly
follow indicates an increase in the ability to hold information in working memory and act
on that memory. Working memory is a function that is critical in almost all cognitive tasks
related to thinking—everything from making a phone call to following a recipe to writing
a letter.
Sound Replay
Percent increase in the number of words: 31%
You showed impressive improvement in the number of words that you could remember in
sequence. A stronger ability to remember words in a sequence can have a profound impact
on your ability to engage in conversation and remember what was said.
Story Teller
Percent increase in number of story segments: 9%
You’ve shown meaningful improvement in your narrative memory - your ability to

remember details of stories. Stronger memory for the details of stories and other
information in speech strengthens communication abilities, helping people feel sharper
and quicker.
156 - Sample Progress Profile

Appendix G: Weekly Overview
On the following pages, you will find a day-by-day guide to running your Brain Fitness
Class. You will also find an electronic version of this weekly overview on the Complete
Resource Kit CD that came with your Brain Fitness Program Suite. The weekly overview
file is located in the Coaching Materials folder. We recommend that you print the weekly
overview and keep it in your Brain Fitness Center so that you can easily reference the
important tasks of the day.

Brain Fitness Program Weekly Overview
Week 1 Orientation Day Calibration - BFP Session BFP Session 2 BFP Session 3 BFP Session 4
1
Before -Print Companion Guides -Verify that the BFP loads -If you have not shut down or
Class: from the Complete Resource properly restarted the computers this
Kit CD week, remember to do so
-Verify that videos have been today.
loaded on computers
-Open Mouse Tutorials or
158 - Weekly Overview

Solitaire on computers
During Introduction to the Program Introduction to the Program Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements:
Class: (Part One): (Part Two): -Explain the Rewards -Ask if there are questions -First day at full length of the
-Setting Expectations -Training at Threshold -Ask if there are questions about yesterday’s exercises program
-Program Structure, Schedule, -License Agreement about the Calibration they -Demonstrate Practice Mode -Ask if there are questions
Class Logistics, and Etiquette -Mouse Tutorial Review did yesterday in Tell Us Apart about exercise introduced
of Classroom Environment -New exercises today: High or -New exercise today: Match yesterday: Match It!
-Ergonomics Low? & Tell Us Apart It! -New exercise today: Sound
-Brain Plasticity Replay
Video: Video: Video: Video: Video:
1 Training Introduction.wmv 2 Training High or Low.wmv 3 Training Tell Us Apart.wmv 4 Training Match It.wmv 5 Training Sound Replay.wmv
Exercises: Exercises: Exercises: Exercises: Exercises:

Mouse Tutorial Calibration High or Low? High or Low High or Low?
Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart
-Stretch Break- Match It!
Match It! Sound Replay
Closing Activity: Closing Activity:
Handout Companion Guides Weekly Discussion
(See back of this page for
discussion suggestions)
Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment:
Introductory material on Schedule, “High or Low?” “Match It!” on pages 41-43 in “Sound Replay” on pages 44- “Listen and Do” on pages 47-48
pages 1-23 in the Companion and “Tell Us Apart” on pages the Companion Guide 46 in the Companion Guide in the Companion Guide
Guide 24-40 in the Companion
Guide
Week 1 Suggested Discussion Questions:
•Is the program what you expected so far? Do you have any questions about the science
or about the exercises?
•For those of you that are new to the computer, how is your anxiety about using the
computer?
•As you think about staying motivated to complete this program over the next eight
weeks, what has motivated you to stick with a challenging task in the past? If you go to
the gym, what usually motivates you?
•Have you had a coach for sports or fitness in the past? Did you like or dislike their
style? Describe the attributes of your ideal coach.
•What other factors will contribute to your success in this program?

Week 2 BFP Session 5 BFP Session 6 BFP Session 7 BFP Session 8 BFP Session 9
Before Plan for a small celebration to Consider ordering If you are having a celebration
Class: be held at the end of the refreshments to be served after class, make all
week. after Friday’s class(es). arrangements before class
begins.
During Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements: Opening Announcements:
Class: -Demonstrate how to read the -Ask if there are questions -Demonstrate Demo Mode -Demonstrate use of keyboard -Congratulations on

Exercise Exit Screens about the exercise introduced -Ask if there are questions shortcuts completing two weeks of the
-Ask if there are questions yesterday: Listen and Do about the exercise introduced Brain Fitness Program!
about the exercises -Final exercise introduced yesterday: Story Teller
introduced last week today: Story Teller
-New exercise today: Listen
and Do
Video: Video:
6 Training Listen and Do.wmv 7 Training Final Thoughts.wmv

High or Low? High or Low? High or Low? High or Low? High or Low?
Tell Us Apart Match It! Match It! Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart
-Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break-
Match It! Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay
Listen and Do Story Teller Story Teller Listen and Do Listen and Do
Closing Announcement: Closing Activity:
If you are having a Friday Celebration!
celebration, let people know Give people a chance to share
what you have planned. their experiences and insights.
Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment:
“Story Teller” on pages 49-50 “Demo Mode” on pages 51-55
in the Companion Guide in the Companion Guide
•What is your favorite exercise? Least favorite? Why?
•Are you beginning to develop any strategies or any little tricks that help you complete
the exercises? If so, what are your strategies for:
High or Low?
Tell Us Apart
Match It!
Sound Replay
Listen and Do
Story Teller
•Have you been using the Challenge Meter? Does it help you stay motivated? Do you
have any questions about how the Challenge Meter works?
•What does threshold mean to you now? How does it feel to work at threshold?
•Have you talked with your friends and family about the program? How do you explain
it to them?

Before If some participants will -If you have not shut down or
Class: prefer to hand write their restarted the computers this
reflective journal entries, week, remember to do so

print paper copies from the today.
Complete Resource Kit CD.
The journal is in the
Participant Materials folder.
During Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement:
Class: -Welcome to Week 3 of the -Reflective Journals will -Ask if there are questions -Speech Processing Level will -Speech Processing Level will
Brain Fitness Program! appear for the first time at the about any of the progress change from 1 to 2 in Match change from 1 to 2 in Listen
end of today’s session. screens It! and Sound Replay today and Do today
Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Match It! Match It! Tell Us Apart
-Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break-
Match It! Match It! Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay
Listen and Do Story Teller Story Teller Story Teller Listen and Do
Closing Activity: Closing Activity:

Reflective Journal Entry Weekly Discussion
introduction. The Reflective (See back of this page for
Journal will now appear at discussion suggestions)
the end of every session.
Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment: Reading Assignment:
“Reflective Journals” on pages “Understanding Your Finish reading “Staying Motivated” on pages
68-70 in the Companion Progress” on pages 56-63 in “Understanding Your 71-74 in the Companion
Guide the Companion Guide Progress” on pages 64-67 in Guide
the Companion Guide
•How do you feel like you are progressing?

•Are you feeling competitive with yourself or with your neighbor? Does competition help
you or hinder you?
•Do you like the Reflective Journals?

•Why do you think they are part of the program?
•How do you like our classroom routine? Are there aspects of the classroom that you
would like to change?
•How do you handle background noise or distractions?
•Where else in your life must you fight distractions? Where else do you struggle to focus?
•Now that you’ve been working on the computer, how do you feel about it? Do you like it
or dislike it?
•Can you see yourself doing other activities on the computer?
•If your computer had a name what would it be? If it were an animal or a person, what
would it be like?

Before -Begin thinking about a -Use the template in the -If you have not shut down or
Class: “Halfway Celebration” Complete Resource Kit CD restarted the computers this
to create a flyer for the week, remember to do so
Halfway Celebration. The today.
template is in the Coaching

Materials folder.
During Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement:
Class: -Welcome to Week 4 of the -Be sure to encourage
Brain Fitness Program! everyone to take a stretch
break halfway through the
exercises
Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Match It! Match It!
-Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- -Stretch Break- ~Stretch Break~
Sound Replay Match It! Match It! Sound Replay Sound Replay
Listen and Do Listen and Do Story Teller Story Teller Story Teller
Closing Activity:
Weekly Discussion
(See back of this page for
•How do you feel about the animations? What is your favorite theme? Why?
•Do you get frustrated by the program?

•How do you deal with the frustration?
•Where else in your life do you face frustration? How do you handle frustration in those
situations?
•How is this program like physical exercise? How is it unlike physical exercise?
•What keeps you coming every day?

Before -Plan “Halfway Celebration” -Setup for the “Halfway

Class: Celebration” before class
begins.
-If you have not shut down or
restarted the computers this
week, remember to do so

today.
Class: -20 day progress check-in -Speech Processing Level will
happens today instead of High change from Level 2 to 3
or Low? today in Match It!
-Speech Processing Level will
change from 2 to 3 in Sound
Replay and Listen and Do
today
Progress Check-in High or Low? High or Low? High or Low? High or Low?
Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Match It!
~Stretch Break~ ~Stretch Break~ ~Stretch Break~ ~Stretch Break~ ~Stretch Break~
Sound Replay Sound Replay Match It! Match It! Sound Replay
Listen and Do Listen and Do Listen and Do Story Teller Story Teller
Calibration:
20 day check-in happens
today.
Closing Activities:
Weekly Discussion
&
“Halfway Celebration”
Week 5 Suggested Discussion Questions
•This week you are more than halfway through the program. How are you feeling about
the program?
•What do you like or dislike?
•Are you noticing any changes in your life?
•Is this program similar to other activities in which you participate (like Bingo or crafts
or clubs)? How is it different?
•Now that you are more than halfway through the program, have you developed any new
strategies or any little tricks that help you complete the exercises? If so, what are your
strategies for:
High or Low?
Tell Us Apart
Match It!
Sound Replay
Listen and Do
Story Teller

Before -If you have not shut down or

Class: restarted the computers this
today.
Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement: Opening Announcement:

During -Welcome to Week 6 of the -Speech Processing Level will -Speech Processing Level will
Class: Brain Fitness Program! change from 3 to 4 today in change from 3 to 4 today in
Sound Replay and Listen and Match It!
Do

Match It! Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart
Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay Match It! Match It!
Story Teller Listen and Do Listen and Do Listen and Do Story Teller
Reading Assignment: Closing Activity:

Have the participants Weekly Discussion
re-read the section on (See back of this page for
“Staying Motivated” on pages discussion suggestions)
71-74 in the Companion
Guide
•When was the last time that you learned something new? What was it? Was it a craft
like knitting or a sport like tennis or a game like cribbage?
•Do you remember what was challenging about learning the new activity?
•Do you remember if you improved steadily or did you go through spurts of
improvement?
•Did you know that the helpful brain chemical acetylcholine is released under
conditions of sharp focus? Where else in your life must you focus sharply?
•Did you know that the helpful brain chemical dopamine is released when you feel
rewarded or whenever something makes you laugh or smile? Can you think of other
activities in your life which might release dopamine?
•Did you know that the chemical norepinephrine is released whenever you encounter
something new or surprising? Can you think of experiences in your life which might
have produced norepinephrine?
•How have you been motivating yourself these past few weeks?
•Has it been hard to come to class? Have you experienced boredom or frustration?
•Does it help to have other classmates who are experiencing the same program?

Before -Begin thinking about -Create graduation -If you have not shut down or
Class: celebration activities for invitations for family and restarted the computers this
Graduation Day. Talk with friends week, remember to do so
other coaches and today.
participants to gather
celebration ideas.

Class: -30 day progress check-in -Speech Processing Level
happens today instead of High changes today from 4 to 5 in
or Low? Match It! and Listen and Do

Progress Check-in High or Low? High or Low? High or Low? High or Low?
Match It! Match It! Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart
Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay Match It
Story Teller Story Teller Listen and Do Listen and Do Listen and Do
Calibration: Closing Activity:

30 day check-in happens Weekly Discussion
today. (See back of this page for
•Our graduation day is only a few weeks away, do you have any ideas for how you would
like to celebrate?
•If you graduated from high school or college, what was your favorite part of the
graduation ceremony?
•Do you think that ceremony and celebration are an important milestone in the process
of accomplishing a new goal?
•Have you ever tried eating or writing or brushing your teeth with your non-dominant
hand (i.e. using your left hand if you are usually right handed)?
•Why do you think using your opposite hand would be good for your brain?
•How do you define creativity?
•Do you think everyone possesses creativity?
•In what way do you most commonly express yourself—writing, poetry, painting, pottery,
music?
•Would you consider experimenting with another form of expression?
•Have you noticed the effect of sleep on your performance in the program? Do you think
that you perform the Brain Fitness Program more accurately after a good night’s sleep?
•Have you noticed the effect of good nutrition on your performance? Do you do better
when you have a good breakfast or lunch before class?
•What other mental activities do you do—crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, word
jumbles, card games, reading?
•What do those mental activities have in common with the Brain Fitness Program?

•When was the last time you tried a new one?
Before -Continue preparations for -If you have not shut down or
Class: Graduation Day restarted the computers this
today.

During Opening Announcement:
Class: -Speech Processing Level
changes today from 4 to 5 in
Sound Replay
Tell Us Apart Match It! Match It! Tell Us Apart Tell Us Apart
Match It! Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay Sound Replay
Story Teller Story Teller Story Teller Listen and Do Listen and Do
Reading Assignment: Closing Activity:
“After the Brain Fitness Weekly Discussion
Program” on pages 75-78 in (See back of this page for
the Companion Guide discussion suggestions)
•Has the experience of this program reminded you of anything from your childhood--
School? Playground games? Board games?
•If so, has the program brought up feelings of anxiety or joy or fun?
•Have you enjoyed the journaling part of the Brain Fitness Program? How has it
contributed to your experience?
•Have you reread the entries that you have made during the program?
•Had you ever used a journal before this program? Would you use a journal after the
program?
•Do you think that rewards like the animations have helped you enjoy the program?
•Do you reward yourself for your hard work in other ways outside of class? Do those
rewards or treats help you stay motivated?
•What is truly “rewarding” to you?
•Now that you have almost completed the program, how are you feeling about the
computer?
•Are you interested in continuing to use the computer after this program is finished?
•Are you interested in learning how to use the internet or send emails?
•Have you talked to your family or friends recently about the Brain Fitness program?
Can you imagine any of them doing this program? What kind of person do you think
would be successful at completing the program? In your opinion, what kind of motivation
or mindset is important to bring to the program?

Week 9 BFP Session 40 Make Up Session Graduation Day
Before -Continue preparations for -Continue preparations for Use the templates in the
Class: Graduation Day Graduation Day Complete Resource Kit CD to
create a graduation program and
graduation certificates for each
participant.
During -Final progress check-in happens

Class: today instead of High or Low?
Exercises: Exercises: -Celebrate the accomplishments

Progress Check-in Make-Up Session of each person who participated
Tell Us Apart in the Brain Fitness Program
~Stretch Break~ -Encourage the participants to
Match It! share their feelings about
Listen and Do completing the program.
Calibration:
Final check-in happens today.
•With the Brain Fitness Program ending, what will be your next new challenge?
•Is there an activity that you have always wanted to try? If so, what is it?
•What has kept you from pursuing this activity in the past?
•How are you different since you started training?

•What has been the most meaningful part of the program for you?
•Has this program made you think differently about yourself? About aging?
•Did you like hearing about your Progress Profiles?

•Did receiving your Progress Profiles bring up feelings of nervousness or anxiety?
•Were the Progress Profiles helpful?
•Will you miss performing the Brain Fitness Program?

•How does it feel to be finished?

Appendix H: Schedule of Exercises
In the chart below, we have listed the exercises that are played during each specific
session. You may find this chart useful for understanding how the exercises rotate and
when they jump in difficulty level.
In the chart below, the six exercises are

designated by the following numbers:
1= High or Low? 4=Sound Replay

2= Tell Us Apart 5= Listen and Do
3= Match It! 6= Story Teller

178 - Schedule of Exercises
Appendix I: Glossary of Terms
Acetylcholine
A chemical found in neurons that has many functions. Among other things,
acetylcholine release is related to attentional focus, which enhances learning and
enlivens memory.
Posit’s programs are designed to up-regulate the production of acetylcholine in the brain
by encouraging attentional focus.
Age-related cognitive decline

Normal decline over time in the processes of memory and thinking, particularly related to
processing speed. Age-related cognitive decline is predictable and progressive, and affects
most people.
Aggregated data
Mathematical grouping of measurements (e.g., characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, or

beliefs) of individuals who are part of a scientific study.
Alzheimer’s disease
A progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to
learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. Alzheimer’s
disease is the most common form of dementia. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is
unknown, though scientists are making advances in understanding the disease. (Source:
Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org)
Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans. Approximately 19% of

those aged 75 to 84 and 47% of people over age 80 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
Amplitude modulation emphasis
A computer-generated exaggeration of changes in amplitude in spoken language. The

speech in Match It!, Sound Replay, Listen and Do and Story Teller have been given
amplitude modulation emphasis.
Auditory cortex
The part of the “gray matter” of the brain that is active when sounds are presented to the
ear.

Auditory system
The sensory system for the sense of hearing. The cochlea inside the ear transduces sound waves
into action potentials. This information travels up the auditory nerve to the primary auditory
cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain.
Aural processing
Hearing; the activities and computation that the brain performs to identify, classify, store, and act
upon auditory information, including speech.
Brain function
Activities and capacities of the brain such as thinking, remembering, hearing, seeing, and
moving.
Brain health
The maintenance of brain functioning at levels considered normal in healthy human beings.
Brain imaging
Pictures of brains, such as functional MRIs, that can indicate activated parts of the brain.
Brain plasticity
The brain’s ability to remodel itself throughout life in response to stimuli and tasks, given the
right conditions.
Central Nervous System
The portion of the vertebrate nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord. It is the
system of cells, tissues, and organs that receives and interprets stimuli.
Cilia
Hair-like projections from the surface of a cell, including hair cells in the cochlea in the ear. In
the cochlea, the cilia vibrate in response to sound, an important step in encoding auditory
information.
Clinical validation
Proof of effectiveness based on direct observation of patients.
Cochlea
A bony structure in the inner ear that is coiled like a snail shell and contains the hair cells. The
cochlea is the sense organ for hearing.
180 - Glossary of Terms

Cognitive Science
The interdisciplinary study of thinking, including artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics,

philosophy, anthropology, neuroscience, and education. Topics of study in cognitive science
include knowledge representation, language, learning, and perception.
Cognitive decline
See Age-related cognitive decline.
Confusable pairs
Sounds or syllables that have very similar structures, making them especially hard for the brain to
differentiate. Examples are /d/ and /g/, /sh/ and /ch/ and /b/ and /p/.
Contexts
Various situations. In the Brain Fitness Program, different sound contexts are different situations
in which a sound can occur. For instance, the sound /b/ occurs in millions of contexts, such as the
words boy, abed, rubber or the sentences “Betsy is by the tree,” “I don’t believe we’ve met,” or
“Anybody would do the same.”
Delayed Free Recall Test
A test used to assess a person’s ability to learn new information and remember it following a
delay, typically of 10-60 minutes.
Dementia
A state characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function (memory, attention, language,

and problem solving). Dementia describes or is a part of a variety of diseases and conditions. A
person suffering from dementia generally has memory impairment and at least one of the
following: aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, and/or disturbances in executive functioning. Alzheimer’s
disease is one type of dementia.
Discriminate
Differentiate; to notice a difference between items.
Dopamine
A chemical found in neurons that has many functions. Dopamine is involved in the way the
brain controls movement, and controls the flow of information in the brain. It is associated with
reward and learning systems, facilitating learning and enlivening memory.
Dopamine production in the brain drops with age. Posit’s programs are designed to up-regulate
dopamine production in the brain by delivering rewards and engaging learning machinery.

Duration
Continuance over time. In High or Low?, the duration refers to the length of each of the
sweeping sounds, between 30 and 80 milliseconds.
Dystonia
A condition characterized by loss of motor control and involuntary contractions or spasms of

muscles. Dystonia can cause twisting, repetitive movements, tremor or abnormal postures.
Encode
To convert information from one system of communication to another. Often used to describe
the first stage in the memory process, involving processes associated with receiving or registering
stimuli through one or more of the senses and modifying that information.
Ergonomics
Workplace design that reduces fatigue and discomfort.
Executive processing
Cognitive functioning that includes attention and inhibition, which influence planning,
organizing, sequencing, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Fidelity
Accuracy; fidelity in brain processing is the degree to which the brain system creates clear,
accurate, detailed records of sounds and other sensory input.
Frequency
Number of vibrations in one second. In the Brain Fitness Program, frequency refers to sound
waves.
Frequency modulation sweep
A sound that begins at a low frequency and sweeps to a higher one, or begins high and sweeps
downward to a lower one. Frequency modulation sweeps are the stimuli in High or Low?
Generalize
To apply specific learning more broadly, in a variety of contexts
Gray matter
Grayish nerve tissue, especially of the brain and spinal cord, composed of nerve cell bodies. The
cerebral cortex—the surface layer of gray tissue of the cerebrum of the brain—is often referred to
as gray matter. It is the part of the nervous system responsible for information processing: nerve

impulses for all kinds of mental functions are produced here and then sent away to be carried by
the white matter (see White matter) to their target organs.
Initiation
In the Brain Fitness Program, an introduction to each exercise that walks participants step-by-
step through exercise play
Invasive procedure
A procedure that involves entry into the body by incision or insertion of an instrument or with a
foreign substance such as a drug.
Longitudinal data
Data gathered by repeated observation of a set of subjects over time.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
A relatively new diagnosis of those experiencing more severe cognitive deterioration than
normal age-related cognitive decline, but not yet experiencing the full clinical symptoms of
Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. People with MCI tend to retain critical
thinking and reasoning skills but exhibit a sharp decline in short-term memory.
An estimated 23% of those over age 65 have Mild Cognitive Impairment, and each year a
substantial portion (15–20%) of them advance to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Negative brain plasticity
Changes in the brain that have negative consequences for brain function
Neural pathway
A route that connects one part of the nervous system to another, via myelinated neurons of the
white matter, allowing the two parts to communicate.
Neurological disorder
Any condition based in the central nervous system—usually the brain—that disrupts normal
functioning. Neurological disorders can result from disease, toxins, injuries or developmental
abnormalities. Alzheimer’s disease, focal dystonia and cerebral palsy are examples of neurological
disorders.
Neurologist
A physician skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.

Neuromodulator
A brain chemical that promotes or inhibits the transmission of a nerve impulse. Acetylcholine,
dopamine and norepinephrine are neuromodulators.
Neuron
An impulse-conducting cell in the nervous system (especially the brain, spinal column, and
nerves).
Neuroplasticity
See Brain Plasticity.
Neuropsychologist
A psychologist who specializes in understanding how the structure and function of the brain
relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors.
Neuroscience
The study of the nervous system. Neuroscience has many different branches, including
Biopsychology, Developmental Neurobiology, Neuroanatomy, Neurochemistry,
Neuroendocrinology, Neuroethology, Neuropharmacology, Neurophysiology, and
Neuropsychology.
Neuroscientist
A scientist whose chosen field is one of the branches of Neuroscience.
Norepinephrine
A substance, both a hormone and neurotransmitter, secreted by the adrenal glands and the nerve
endings of the sympathetic nervous system to cause vasoconstriction and increases in heart rate,
blood pressure, and the sugar level of the blood. Norepinephrine release is associated with novel
or unexpected experiences, which enhance learning and enliven memory.
Posit’s programs are designed to up-regulate the production of norepinephrine in the brain by
providing new and surprising experiences.
Obsessive-Compulsive disorder
A type of neurosis characterized by conscious repetitive ideas or impulses, such as cleaning,

checking, counting or hoarding, that are irrational, undesired or performed involuntarily.
Outcomes testing
A type of clinical testing in which a subject is tested to establish a baseline, then retested after a
period of time, during which the subject may or may not have undergone a specific intervention.

The two tests are compared to find change in individual subjects over a specific time period. Data
are also aggregated across subjects.
Parkinson’s disease
A progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by tremor, speech
impediments, movement difficulties, and often, dementia. It is associated with the death of nerve
cells that produce the brain chemical dopamine.
Phoneme
The smallest part of speech that people can hear and separate, such as /d/ /o/ and /g/ in the word
dog.
Pilot study
A smaller-scale study preceding a full-scale study, designed to aid in the design of the full study.
Plasticity
See Brain Plasticity.
Positive brain plasticity
Changes in the brain that improve functioning
Proprietary technology
A technology used, produced, or marketed under exclusive legal right of the inventor or maker.
Psychophysicist
A scientist concerned with the quantitative relationships between physical stimuli and sensory
response and psychological effects (perception).
Schizophrenia
A psychotic disorder characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking,

delusions, and hallucinations. Schizophrenia is associated with dopamine imbalances in the
brain.
Sensory
Of the senses, such as hearing or vision
Sensory organs
Parts of the body that sense the world around us, such as the ears or eyes

Somatosensory processing
Touch; the activities and computation that the brain performs to identify, classify, store, and act
upon information from the skin, as well as the internal organs.
Spectrogram
Visual representation of sound.
Speech processing
Changing speech via computer; in the Brain Fitness Program, the speech is stretched and
emphasized using special algorithms
Stimuli
Plural of stimulus.
Stimulus
Something that makes a nerve receptor trigger an electrical impulse in a nerve pathway, leading
to a change in activity. For example, anything seen is a “visual stimulus;” anything that is heard is
an “auditory stimulus.”
Synthesized speech
Computer-generated speech.
Threshold
The uppermost limit of ability
Vestibular processing
Balance; the activities and computation that the brain performs to identify, classify, store, and act
upon the position of the body in space.
Visual processing
Seeing; the activities and computation that the brain performs to identify, classify, store, and act
upon visual information.
White matter
Whitish tissue in the central nervous system, particularly the brain and spinal cord. It is
comprised of neurons covered in myelin sheaths and is the part of the brain responsible for
information transmission.

www.PositScience.com
Phone: 800 514 3971
Email: CustomerService@PositScience.com
Copyright © 2006 Posit Science Corporation. All rights reserved. PSC0610COACH003 October 2006

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Coach’s Guide

Chapter 2: The Science Behind Our Program 9

Chapter 3: Program Details 19

Chapter 4: Charting Participant Progress 71

Chapter 6: Managing Participant Concerns 109

Chapter 7: Managing Technical Issues 119

Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions 137

Welcome to the Brain Fitness Program Coach’s Guide!

In this chapter, you will find:

At Posit Science, we are dedicated to providing tools to strengthen

We hope that working with our program proves invigorating and

Dr. Merzenich’s research and inventions are demonstrating that the

Our Current Focus

Courage: It takes courage to innovate — in science, in

Learning: We believe in continuous learning, which is the key

Authenticity: We are committed to being authentic in all that

Respect: We believe in treating others with respect. This is

Indicates that a definition is being provided.

Signals common problems and misunderstandings.

Points out other sources of more information.

Designates a useful tip, suggestion or feature.

Indicates that similar text can be found in the Companion

The Brain Fitness Program is firmly rooted in neuroscience. The

In this chapter, you will find information about:

As people age, their activity level typically declines—not just

12 - The Science Behind Our Program

Brain disuse, noisy processing and weakened neuromodulatory control

Taken together, brain disuse, noisy processing, weakened

Listening and Cognitive Decline

Our program centers on listening because there’s a vital link between

It might help to think of it like this: If you’re trying to read a recipe

Countering Negative Plasticity

14 - The Science Behind Our Program

1. Cognitive activity is the opposite of brain disuse.

3. It is likely to occur in behavioral contexts that strengthen neuro-

4. It disrupts the downward spiral of negative learning.

While many activities provide general stimulation and challenge, our

Our software is designed to drive positive brain plasticity in the

The program incorporates frequent and demanding sensory, cognitive

The program is designed to strengthen the function of the

16 - The Science Behind Our Program

4. Strengthen critical life skills

The Computer Medium

18 - The Science Behind Our Program

Some participants may have arthritis or joint issues that cause

If participants have been diagnosed with macular degeneration, they

22 - Ergonomics and Computer Stations

Video and Animation Elements

Volume Button Pause/Exit Button Practice

Exercise Area and Animation Area

Once the program is paused, a participant can return to it by clicking

As described in Chapter 2 on page 16, the visual rewards in the

If participants prefer to be surprised, they can select the Choose a

• High or Low? Instructions

• The Science Behind High or Low?

• High or Low? Progression

• Instructional Tips for High or Low?

32 - Exercise 1: High or Low?

4. If participants answer correctly, they will hear a correct answer

5. Click the Start button to move to the next set of sweeps.

34 - Exercise 1: High or Low?

High or Low? Progression

36 - Exercise 1: High or Low?