Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/218229
Training the brain In a recent study, Dr. Sylvain Moreno found that musical training can greatly improve pre-literacy skills in young children. Using a computer-based music program that featured cartoon characters and games, he showed that after only 20 days of classroom instruction, preschoolers were able to boost their verbal IQ scores five times compared to children who received a non-music-based training program. Dr. Sylvain Moreno Scientist Dr. Moreno is the lead scientist at Baycrest's Centre for Brain Fitness (CBF), which is focused on transferring technology and scientific discoveries from Baycrest to the world. With a primary interest in neuroplasticity – or the brain's ability to adapt over time – Dr. Moreno's laboratory is developing methodologies and programs designed to train or rehabilitate the brain throughout the life span, from young children to older adults. At the CBF, he is exploring how new technologies can be used to create marketable programs that improve and sustain brain health while also being entertaining or engaging to use. UNDERSTANDING SPEECH Elderly people often complain that they can hear but can't understand what is being said, particularly in the presence of noise or other voices. For years, the prevailing thought was that hearing loss was the main cause. However, recent studies have shown that our brain's ability to interpret sound changes as we age. In their research, Dr. Bernhard Ross and his colleagues have demonstrated that brain functions associated with central hearing can change as early as middle age. Dr. Bernhard Ross Senior Scientist A pioneer in the use of magnetoencephalography (MEG), Dr. Ross has applied and refined MEG imaging techniques to assess brain activity in people as they are listening to sounds. By triggering neurons in the brain to respond to stimulus sounds, he and his colleagues have been able to pinpoint the complex brain processes and networks associated with hearing, and how we interpret sound to understand speech. Recently, the researchers discovered that the brain combines individual sound elements much in the same way that we visually "connect the dots" to complete a mental picture. These findings offer potential for developing new training programs to help improve speech understanding for the elderly.