Pearson, world's leading media and education company has launched a revolutionary product in India - Cogmed. An evidence based intervention to improve working memory/attention. Pearson invites Franchisees to become Cogmed Practice in India.

1. Cogmed Working Memory Training
Informational Webinar
Pranjal Barma

2. Agenda
Introduction
Cogmed in brief
What is working memory
Research and Training effects
Cogmed Working Memory Training – a solution
Q&A

3. Cogmed Working Memory Training is an
evidence-based program that helps children and
adults with attention problems focus better by
improving working memory

4. Cogmed in Brief
Five days a week for five weeks of computer-based training sessions; supervised
by a coach, trained by Cogmed
80% of Cogmed users see improvements – both in research and in clinical
evaluations
The effects are substantial and lasting
Backed by peer-review published research
Cogmed training works because it is focused, rigorous, and supported
Customers are private psychology/psychiatry practices and schools
Started in Sweden 2001, part of Pearson since 2010

5. What is working memory?

6. What is working memory?
A system that provides temporary
storage and manipulation of the
information necessary for such complex
cognitive tasks as language
comprehension, learning and
reasoning.
(Baddeley, 1992)
It is the ability to keep information in
your mind for a short period of time
(seconds) and be able to use the
information in your thinking

7. Working memory is key for
academic performance
Associated with reading (Gathercole & Pickering, 2000) and mathematic (Geary et
al., 2004) ability
10-15% of all students have working memory deficits
(Alloway et al., 2009)
Children with poor working memory make poor academic progress
•Of 300 children with poor working memory (Gathercole & Alloway, 2008):
o 83% scored poorly on either reading or maths tests
the vast majority of these scored poorly in both areas

8. The Development of Working Memory in ADHD
Control
Working Memory
ADHD
95
85
75
65
Correct
55
45
35
25
15
5
7,5 8,5 9,5 10,5 11,5 12,5 13,5 14,5 15,5
Age
Westerberg et al. (2004), Visuo-spatial working memory:
a sensitive measurement of cognitive deficits in ADHD.
Child Neuropsychology 10 (3) 155-61.

9. Signs of working memory constraints
 Is easily distracted when doing something not highly interesting
 Has trouble waiting his/her turn
 Struggles with reading comprehension
 Struggles doing math calculations in his/her head
 Struggles with getting started
 Struggles with completing a task
 Difficulties when planning and organising something with multiple steps
 Often seems restless and on the go
 Loses belongings frequently

10. Cogmed Working Memory Training - a solution

11. The Cogmed method for improving working memory
The Training Programmes
 Cogmed RM
 Cogmed QM
 Cogmed JM
Cogmed Coach Training
Coach support
 Cogmed Training Web: start trainings and follow training results
 Material to support the coach in coaching
 Support to coaches (technical and related to coaching)

12. How do you train your working memory with Cogmed?
 Intense training
 25 training sessions
 30-45 min per session
 No settings needed
The difficulty level will automatically adjust based on the
performance of the users, so that they will always train on
the limits of their working memory capacity

13. Three versions of the software
Cogmed JM Cogmed RM Cogmed QM
Pre-school children School-age children Adolescents and
adults
All three versions of the Cogmed software share the same
underlying design – the difference is in the user interface

14. The Cogmed Training Web
An online tool for the Cogmed Coach to follow and analyse the trainings
Is the user training at
his/her optimal level?
Where did the user miss trials?
What time of the
day did the training
take place? How
often is the user
taking breaks?

15. Training effects

16. Improvements from Cogmed Working Memory Training
Double-blind placebo-controlled studies published in peer-reviewed
journals, show that Cogmed training improves:
 Attention
 Impulse control
 Mathematics
 Following instructions
20 studies published on Cogmed to date, both by the Cogmed
founders but also by fully independent research teams. More than 30
ongoing and 40 planned studies.
For the entire list of published, presented and ongoing studies,
visit www.cogmed.com/research

17. Children improve math and listening
skills with working memory training
Forty-seven children screened for working memory deficits were assigned to the Cogmed
training or low intensity training conditions.
Training took place in two UK schools.
The Cogmed group were associated with substantial and sustained gains in working
memory, with age-appropriate levels achieved by the majority of children.
Mathematical ability also improved significantly 6 months following adaptive training.

18. Summary of research findings
WM is key to attention and learning
WM can be improved by training, using right tool & protocol: Cogmed
WM can be improved at all age levels
The improvement can be shown on three levels: fMRI/PET,
neuropsychological testing and by rating scales
Improved working memory generalises to behavioral improvement
Behavioral improvement is sustained
Effects of WM training are specific: WM and its derived functions are
improved
Training effects are pronounced in populations with a WM constraint, not
diagnostically driven

19. What do we hear?
- They can concentrate better in class Students say
- They have a better flow with the school work
- They remember better
- They enjoy school more
- The student is calmer
- The student concentrates more
Teachers say - The student performs better on academic tasks
- The student has matured
- The child communicates better
- The child takes more initiatives on her/his own Parents say
- The child self-initiates home work without
nagging or reminders
- The child is more independent

20. Thank you

21. List of the 20 Cogmed studies published to date
Including:
A) Randomized, Placebo controlled, Double blinded *
B) Independent researchers *
C) Non-independent researchers

22. *Klingberg et al.,2002 * Mezzacappa & Buckner, 2010
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology School Mental Health
Olsen et al., 2004 *Beck et al., 2010
Nature Neuroscience Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
*Klingberg et al., 2005 * Kronenberger et al., 2010
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Westerberg & Klingberg, 2007 * Lundqvist et al., 2010
Physiology & Behavior Brain Injury
Westerberg et al., 2007 * Løhaugen et al., 2011
Brain Injury Journal of Pediatrics
* Holmes et al., 2009 Dahlin, 2011
Developmental Science Reading and Writing
McNab et al., 2009 *Gibson et al., 2011
Science Child Neuropsychology
Thorell et al., 2009 *Bergman Nutley et al., 2011
Developmental Science Developmental Science
Brehmer et al., 2009 Brehmer et al., 2011
Neuroscience Letters Neuro Image
* Holmes et al., 2010 Bellander et al., 2011
Applied Cognitive Psychology Neuropsychologia