Program Support

Making the sounds louder does not always make them easier to hear.
Think about how distorted a radio sounds when you turn the volume up all the way. You should pick a volume that is comfortable for you and then concentrate. With practice, you will master distinctions in sounds that seem difficult at first.

How to Adjust the Volume
You can potentially adjust the volume from three different places:

Headphones – Adjust the volume slider up or down on your headphones
Program Screen – Click the “volume” button at the bottom left of the program screen. Under the “Exercise Sounds” or “All Other Sounds,” adjust the vertical bar to “Louder” or “Softer” as desired.
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 Brain Fitness Program’s volume bar or headphones volume slider. To adjust the volume within Windows XP Operating software:

1. Click on the “Start” bar
2. Click on “All Programs.” Scroll to “Accessories.” Scroll to “Entertainment.” Click on “Volume Control.”
3. 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.

You do not have to do anything in the Animation Area, which appears in the bottom half of the screen during High or Low?, Tell Us Apart, Sound Replay and Story Teller. The animations are for your amusement and entertainment, and they are 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 Brain Fitness Program’s reward structure is designed to get the brain to produce more of these important brain chemicals.

If you get distracted or irritated by the animations, select the Color Theme at the beginning of the next day. This is seen by many people as the most calming theme because of its soft color palette and lack of moving animations.

Avoid eye strain by taking your eyes off the screen and focusing on something across the room for a few seconds between exercises.

Tired of using the mouse? You can use the keyboard instead of the mouse:

Use the space bar or up arrow key instead of clicking on the Start button

Take a Break and Stretch! Many people find that it helps to stop every 15 to 20 minutes, press the pause button, and do one or more of the following stretches:

1. Extend your arms above your 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 6 times.
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 6 times.
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 6 times.
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 4 times.
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 4 times.
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 6 times. Inhale and move your shoulder blades outward. As you exhale, rotate your shoulder blades outward and then forward. Repeat this 6 times.
7. Rotate your neck muscles by bending your head downward and rotating in a counterclockwise and clockwise direction. Do this very slowly to feel the muscles moving. Repeat this 3 times.
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 10 times.
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 3 times.

Tired of using the mouse? You can use the keyboard instead of the mouse:

• Use the space bar or up arrow key instead of clicking on the Start button
• Use the left arrow key on your keyboard instead of clicking on the up button
• Use the right arrow key on your keyboard instead of clicking on the down button

Write it down – If you hear the sweeps in High or Low? as different sounds (maybe they sound like words to you), try writing or drawing these words on two post-it notes and attach the post-its next to the corresponding arrows on the computer screen. For example, if the high (or up) sweep sounds like “weep”, write “weep” on a post-it and stick it to the same side as the high (or up) arrow. This strategy will help you associate the correct sweep with the correct button.

Try closing your eyes or looking at a distant object while listening to the sounds. This can help you to focus on the sounds only and not be distracted by what’s on the screen.

Use the Practice Mode – You can practice listening to each syllable by clicking on the “Practice” button in the bottom right corner of the exercise screen. This will take you to a screen where you can listen to the phonemes as many times as you like, without your responses being recorded as correct or incorrect (the clock stops ticking down too, so you don’t lose any exercise time).

Tired of using the mouse? You can use the keyboard instead of the mouse:

• Use the space bar or up arrow key instead of clicking on the Start button
• Use the left arrow key on your keyboard instead of clicking on the left syllable
• Use the right arrow key on your keyboard instead of clicking on the right syllable

Catch the beginning – Listen carefully for subtle distinctions or identifiers at the beginning of the syllable (e.g., sounds like a gulp, an inhalation, a nasal burst, or a click at the start of one syllable.) These subtle distinctions can act as a cue for helping you differentiate the two syllables.

If the larger grids seem daunting, try breaking up the grid into four smaller grids in your mind. Imagine a vertical line dividing it in half top and bottom, and another dividing it in half left and right. Then work in each of these four smaller grids one at a time, looking for pairs. Hopefully this will result in a couple of matches, and reduce the number of remaining squares.

Work in columns, rows, or around the perimeter – Some people find that a systematic clicking strategy helps. You can either work vertically down the columns, horizontally across the rows or around the perimeter then inward.

Visualization/association – Some people find that it helps to visualize a picture or associate a memory in the place where they hear a particular word.

Remembering multiple buttons – Some people try to memorize the first two, three or four sounds they click, then search through the entire grid for their matches. Furthermore, you can reinforce the sounds that you are memorizing by repeating the previous sounds to yourself (quietly under your breath or silently in your mind) each time you click on a new sound. For example, you 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 your mind.

Grouping sounds together – Some people 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.”)

Dropping to Smaller Grids – When you “graduate” from one sound processing level to a more difficult one, you will begin with a smaller number of squares in your grid than the grid you were working on at the previous level. So don’t be taken aback by this and think you are regressing; in fact, you are advancing to a more difficult level.

If you do not reach the highest level, don’t be discouraged. Very few people ever reach the upper stages of 7, 8 or 9 syllables in a sequence, because the exercise is extraordinarily challenging at those levels.

Apparent plateaus at higher levels – If you perform very well and are answering trials with more and more syllables, the trials become longer and you can fit fewer into each session. On the graph, it may appear as if you have slowed down or are making little progress. In fast, you are doing very well, and these plateaus are often broken by a sharp jump to the next level.

Eyes Closed – To aid focus, try closing your eyes while listening to the words.

Verbalize – Verbally repeat the words to yourself, (either internally or out loud), as you hear them, or immediately after they have been presented.

Attention to First Words – Concentrate on remembering the first several words, since the last words should come more automatically.

Story – Some people find it helps to make a story out of the words.

Pairs – 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.) Alternatively, you can combine the sounds together to create uberwords (e.g., “BashBill” and “BatMat” may be easier to remember than “Bash. Bill. Bat. Mat.”).

Demo Mode – As with the other exercises, you can practice outside your regular session by accessing Demo Mode.

On-Screen Location of Objects – You may want to take a moment to become familiar with the location of the different buildings and characters before clicking Start.

First Instruction and Cursor Placement – As the first instruction is given, place the cursor over that character or building so you can pay attention to subsequent instructions, without forgetting where to start.

Dark Screen/Light Screen – Remember not to click on the screen before it has lit up, since the computer does not start recording responses until this has occurred.

Dragging – Many people drag a character part of the way across the screen and then inadvertently release the pressure on the mouse. Remember to exert steady and consistent pressure with your index finger on the left button of the mouse.

Map – As the instructions are being given, try to make a mental map of the moves they need to perform with the cursor.

Story – 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 paycheck. The mother takes the girl in the yellow dress to the hospital.)

Number the objects – You may want to number each character or building as the instructions are being given (e.g., 1= boy in yellow shorts, 2= ice cream store, 3= policeman.)

Demo Mode – As with the other exercises, you may practice outside of your regular session by accessing Demo Mode.

Stay at the recommended viewing distance. The stimuli have been designed to stimulate specific regions of the retina. The image that the patterns make on your retina (the light sensitive cell layer at the back of your eye) depends on how far you are from it. In other words, it’s very important to view the stimuli from the appropriate distance! Use the Viewing Distance Ruler or follow the guidelines that appear each time you launch the program to determine the right viewing distance for you computer monitor.

Avoid a glare. Make sure there is no glare on your computer monitor. Responding correctly to the stimuli requires that you spot subtle details—which can be impossible with interference from a glare or reflection.

Avoid eye strain by taking your eyes off the screen and focusing on something across the room for a few seconds between exercises.

Tired of using the mouse? You can use the keyboard instead of the mouse:

Use the space bar or up arrow key instead of clicking on the Start button

Take a Break and Stretch! Many people find that it helps to stop every 15 to 20 minutes, press the pause button, and do one or more of the following stretches:

1. Extend your arms above your 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 6 times.
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 6 times.
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 6 times.
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 4 times.
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 4 times.
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 6 times. Inhale and move your shoulder blades outward. As you exhale, rotate your shoulder blades outward and then forward. Repeat this 6 times.
7. Rotate your neck muscles by bending your head downward and rotating in a counterclockwise and clockwise direction. Do this very slowly to feel the muscles moving. Repeat this 3 times.
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 10 times.
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 3 times.

Preview the bird pairs. Often, the target bird is very similar to the other birds—and it can be frustrating to try to figure out the difference when they appear so briefly on screen! You can view the bird pair at a more leisurely pace by clicking Pause, then choosing View Bird Pair from the left-hand column.

Look for the difference. Seek out the particular attribute that differs between the target bird and the other birds. Color, tail shape, size—what is it that most clearly marks them as different?

Keep your eyes on the green dot. Try to keep your eyes on the green dot when the birds flash on screen. Keeping your eyes fixed on the dot helps exercise your useful field of view, the area over which you can extract visual information in a single glance.

Spread your focus. It can be helpful to think about spreading your focus out to the periphery of the screen, even while keeping your eyes on the green dot.

Make a mental image. It can be useful to create a mental picture of a geometric shape with the jewels. For example, a mental image of a triangle can be formed with three jewels. Try different strategies. Some people like to gaze at the center of the screen and track the objects in their peripheral vision. Others move their eyes occasionally as the jewels move. Try different eye-movement strategies to see which one works best for you.

Try different strategies. Some people like to gaze at the center of the screen and track the objects in their peripheral vision. Others move their eyes occasionally as the jewels move. Try different eye-movement strategies to see which one works best for you.

Change it up. It might be helpful to change your strategy at different levels. For some of the easier sets, you may not need to move your eyes fully to the targets to perceive the differences. But to see more subtle details in harder sets, you might try full eye movements.