This document discusses how technology and various techniques can help improve brain function, particularly for those with ADHD. It describes hacks and upgrades that can be used, such as reducing visual and auditory distractions, spaced repetition for learning, meditation, brain games, neurofeedback and ensuring proper sleep, nutrition and exercise. Specific techniques that helped the author included Vipassana meditation, Brain Gym exercises, interactive metronome training and integrated listening systems. Foundational practices like managing stress, having strong relationships and finding purpose and play were also emphasized.

1. ADHD & Technology
by Mike Cavaliere http://adhdtechies.com
Brain Hacks & Upgrades

2. Who are you?
Questions for the audience

3. My Story

4. Your Brain Can Improve.
…in a variety of ways.
…a lot.

5. Brain-Change Stories

6. Brain-Change Stories
Extreme learning disabilities gone
Crippling stroke recovery
Blindness cured
Parkinson’s

7. Normal guy acquires
superhuman memory

8. Some Background
and terminology.

9. “ADHD” === “ADD”
Different terms, same condition

10. Real vs Perceived ADHD
“ADHD is imaginary.”
“ADHD is created by our society/technology.”
“Everyone has ADHD nowadays.”

11. ADHD is a Real Condition
Not everyone really has it.
The brains of ADHD people are different.

12. Hacks vs. Upgrades

13. • A band-aid
• A workaround
• An indirect or temporary
solution
• a physical hardware change
• a stable software improvement
“Hack” “Upgrade”

14. • Quick results
• Cheap
• E.g., meds, workspace
changes, software tools
• Con: dependencies
• Con: limited effectiveness
• Con: effects not automatic
• Long-term / permanent(?) results
• Potential effect is large
• Automatic
• E.g., neurofeedback, Brain Gym,
hard-core meditation
• Con: time consuming
• Con: sometimes costly
• Con: requires discipline
“Brain Hack” “Brain Upgrade”

15. How to Approach
Brain Improvement

16. Your Brain is a Startup.
experiment, measure, repeat.

17. Treat everything as experiment
Measure before & after
Observe gradual changes
Your Brain is a Startup.

18. Macro Measurements
Intelligence tests
Functional abilities tests (audio, visual, etc)
High-level self-observation

19. Micro Measurements
Periodic self-rating
Apps?

20. Some Brain Hacks

21. Hacking Attention
by reducing distraction

22. Types of Distraction
Visual
Auditory
Social
Digital
Internal

23. Visual Distraction
Motion
Disorganization / workspace design
description

24. Visual Distraction
Organize desktop
Face away from movement
Visual barrier
hacks

25. Auditory Distraction
Noisy environments
Coworkers talking
Music w/vocals
description

26. Auditory Distraction
Noise-cancelling headphones
No vocals
Binaural beats
noisli.com
hacks

27. Social Distraction
Coworkers
Family / pets (when working from home)
Phone calls
description

28. Social Distraction
Do not disturb mode
Set expectations
Headphones rule
“No distractions” time blocks
Remote work days
hacks

29. Digital Distraction
Push notifs, desktop notifs
App sound effects
Social media, hacker news, etc
description

30. Digital Distraction
Do not disturb
Social media-blocking apps
When in doubt, close all apps
hacks

31. Internal Distraction
Daydreaming
Worrying
Sensations (itching, vibration, etc)
description

32. Internal Distraction
No hacks :-/
Mindfulness works wonders

33. Hacking Memory

34. Let the Cloud do the
Remembering
Make everything digital & automatic

35. Files
Code
Everything Else

36. Organization is Key
Have a system
(Folder structure / Tagging conventions)
Know the tool
(Advanced search / Keyboard shortcuts)
Review & refactor

37. Hacking Learning
and skill building

38. Spaced Repetition

39. Mental Practice

40. Cardio!
…and full-body movement

41. My Brain Upgrades
Experiments & results

42. Vipassana Meditation
• 10 days of silence
• Immersive practice
• Impulse control
• Mindfulness
• 100% free!
http://dhamma.org

43. Brain Gym
• Nervous system re-training
(primitive reflexes)
• Anxiety reduction
• Better control of eyes / body
• Communication ability
• Less ticklish, less prone to
startling

44. Interactive Metronome
• Handheld sensor w/timing
correction
• Improved sense of time
• Improved quantity estimation

45. Brain Games
• Memory & focus
improvements
• Best when combined with
exercise, other methods

46. Neurofeedback
• Brain-wave headset
• Movie stops when you don’t
focus
• Concentrate to start it again

47. Integrated Listening (ILS)
• Mozart & bone-conduction
headphones
• Improved visual learning
ability (significantly)
• Coordination improvements
• Increased flow (focus) states

48. Foundations
for brain development

49. Foundations
Sleep
Nutrition
Exercise
*Mental state

50. Sleep 101
• Light / Sound
• Movement
• Alcohol / Caffeine
• Technology
• Sunlight (in daytime)
• Exercise (in daytime)
• White noise
(at bedtime, for some)
Decrease (at bedtime): Increase:

51. Nutrition 101
Less sugar / artificial ingredients
More colorful vegetables
High protein, low carb
Elimination diets

52. Exercise 101
Cardio + full-body movement
30-45min / day is ideal
10 min/day is better than 2 hours/week

53. Mental State 101
Stress kills
Toxic personalities too

54. Happiness Fundamentals
Relationships
Personal development
Kindness
Purpose
*Play
http://thehappymovie.com

55. Happiness Fundamentals
Fun is good for your brain!

56. Thanks for listening!
ADHDTechies.com
Mike Cavaliere
mike@mikecavaliere.com