Very good news, and the direction ppl need to be thinking

Posit Science---the company Merzenich runs makes software to improve cognition among other things. I researched software to exercise my brain since the drugs have messed with mine so much...

Posit Mind makes the best software for this sort of work and operates on the assumption that our brains do heal and regenerate with practice and repitition. (neuroplasicity)

My neuro psych recommended software called Mind Fit that is just as good, but half the price. Posit Mind though is also continuing in this research and Mind Fit is not. Posit Mind is kind of the cutting edge software people for how the science of neuroplasiticity can be applied practically...

If you wanted to be really cynical you might ask why he wouldn't want a bunch of brain damaged kids on drugs to later become customers of his---he could do clean up when they smarten up and get off the drugs. That's what I'm using the technology for.

It is very hard for me to remain calm and rational on any discussion of *childhood bipolar*.

Namely because it is an artificially created epidemic based on bunk science.

As a former bipolar child I deeply resented the treatments foisted onto me against my will by my legal guardians.

Later it all turned out to be lies. I was able to survive off of lithium, I did not need to be on trilafon for the rest of my life. The symptoms were actually under my control given the proper guidance in how to live and manage stress in my life.

As such I feel like a victim of the childhood bipolar paradigm. I was Dxd at a time when it was rare to Dx a young teen with bipolar. Over the years I have seen this Dx cap lowered and lowered and lowered until 2 year old are being put on even more destructive cocktails than I ever was on for far longer.

Children,teens, any minor under the ages of 14-16 depending on the State do not have the legal right of consent to refuse consent to be treated for bogus medical science like this bipolar nonsense in kids.

They have no defender, no voices, they can't fight back and they under total coercion from their parents, teachers, counselors all telling them they have to do this for their own good and that they have no choice.

Since when was childhood development and for that matter teen growing pains a medicatable disease?

If I were an activist with unlimited energy and funding I would spend my time championing the cause of alleged bipolar children full time. I would rant and rave in the streets, mail articles to publishers online and offline.

I would rail against the system that drugs these kids with no scientific, conclusive evidence that these kids are stricken with a lifelong genetic disease.

I am not a religious person but there is something unjust if not downright evil in forcing brain and body destroying addictive meds to children while bombarding them with messages about the evils of alcohol and pot and becoming a dependent on substances.

Don't use THOSE meds, use THESE meds because we said so!

This from some adults that come home from a stressful day and have a cigarette and a beer to unwind.

Could a teacher, counselor or parent possibly be a bigger hypocrite on the issue of medicating for problems?

Could you possibly give children and teen more conflicting messages?

This article by Dr Merzenich is fantastic. His story about the pharma bot is just as disturbing as the whole kids on drugs issue.

How do you sell your soul for money? How much does that young executive make for visiting scientists and coercing researchers and manipulating studies?

Honestly I hope it's worth it. I hope they pay her enough money and that she has a nice closet filled with nice things and nice apartment and nice car.

I hope that her career selection to solve Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is deeply rewarding. Rewarding enough to turn a blind eye to reason, sanity, honesty, integrity all in the name of money.

I hope you sold your soul for a good price lady, I know my price would be very very high indeed.

Great post. Much needed perspective.

Now, you should be aware that Posit Science is coming under fire among the neuro crowd. There is a big gap between what they have and what they claim to have.

Gianna, the Posit Science intervention is very specific, focused on training auditory processing. If that's what you need, go ahead.

MindFit is a much more comprehensive program, covering many mental skills. Probably better as a first-line intervention.

Something similar appeared in sharpbrains.com a while ago, oops, but i can't find it now.

Neither of them have hard-core evidence behind. May be worth trying one.

Posit Science does have software much like Mind Fit that deals with all cognitive functioning especially as lost in old age. I have many of those problems and went with Mind Fit for the price, but I know Posit Science has one too as featured on Dan Rather's piece on neuroplasticity.

as featured in this video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4846933362481486227

you'll have to cut and paste if interested....to tired to deal with embedding the link at the moment

Gianna, last time I checked, probably in April, Posit Science didn't have a general functioning program. They are very information processing oriented, building on what Merzenich first did with Scientific Learning (for kids with dyslexia).

MindFit is a wider cognitive intervention.