Re-Air: Make Your Brain Smarter – Part Two

Joining host, Dennis McCuistion, are guests:

• Lori Cook, PhD, CCC-SLP: Head of Pediatric Brain Injury Programs, Center for BrainHealth, University of Texas- Dallas
• Sergeant Mike Rials: Brain Performance Institute, Warrior Training Team, Purple Heat Recipient
• Jacque Gamino, PhD: Director, BrainHealth Teen Reasoning Initiative

The work which is being undertaken at the Center for BrainHealth encompasses many facets.

Left to Right: Lori Cook, Sergeant Mike Rials, Jacque Gamino with host, Dennis McCuistion

One of its programs, the SMART program (Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training) has shown tremendous results. The SMART program is a cognitive training program that helps teens understand the big picture, develop reasoning skills and abstract meaning from what they learn and study more efficiently. The program helps students learn better, stress less and expand their ability to reason and use their cognitive skills more effectively.

The program is now in select public schools and is training teachers to carry it forward to more students in more schools.

The Center also works with veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries caused by military combat. Through their cognitive processing therapy/ programs and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (RTMS) processes, the fight or flight syndrome is reduced, veterans back from combat are less hyper vigilant and are better able to adapt to civilian life. Mike Rials gives his personal experience as a returning Marine who until he entered a program for veterans at the Center was jumpy, stressed and very hyper vigilant, constantly looking around for destruction waiting to occur. From not being comfortable and able to be in a room filled with people, he now teaches and helps his fellow veterans recalibrate their minds to civilian life.

He tells us that while there are many programs who help veterans adjust, the Center for Brain Health’s program, which he has personally experienced, is a  proven one and extremely helpful in helping veterans come back into society and achieving a purpose once again.

The Center has some of the longest running programs and studies on brain injury in children. Additional research and programs have shown that children’s brains are not like adults. Since a brain is still developing until 25 years of age, the fact that a child’s brain is still developing puts him in a more vulnerable position. Traumatic brain injuries can affect the learning that is still to occur.

Join us as we talk about brain health and the innovative research that makes a critical difference in many lives. Its insights might impact you or a loved one.

As always we’re talking about things that matter with people who care… Still going strong in our 24th year, without any PBS funding, pledge monies, or government grants.

Thank you because it is your generous support of what we do that keeps us on the air.

Niki Nicastro McCuistion, CSP
Executive Producer/Producer
Business/ nonprofit consultant in strategy, leadership and organizational development from customer service to governance.
www.nikimccuistion.com
nikin@nikimccuistion.com

(214) 394-6794

To read more about this episode visit the original blog post here: Make Your Brain Smarter – Part Two.