Optimizing cognitive stimulation: The role of NeuronUP in our psychoeducational center

In this post, María Fernanda Luna describes the advantages the NeuronUP platform has brought to delivering effective interventions with her patients aimed at strengthening each person’s cognitive skills.

Brainkare

In the eight years since we opened the doors of our psychoeducational center, we have been committed to providing comprehensive care to our patients.

We specialize in treating neurodevelopmental disorders, especially learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as managing cognitive impairment associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. We have always looked for tools that optimize the results of our therapies and help patients reach their full potential. 

On this journey of continuous improvement, we have found NeuronUP to be an invaluable ally in our therapies. The platform has allowed us to structure and organize our cognitive training sessions efficiently, adapting to the specific needs of each of our patients and providing high-quality exercises.

Cognitive stimulation: an engine for strengthening cognitive skills

Sara Villalba and Raúl Espert (2014) define cognitive stimulation as the set of techniques and strategies intended to optimize the functioning of the different cognitive functions (perception, attention, reasoning, memory, language, orientation, praxis, and others) through a series of specific situations and activities that are structured and organized into what are called cognitive training programs. Cognitive stimulation improves cognitive processes, leading to better quality of life and personal satisfaction.

This therapeutic intervention targets cognitive skills that deviate significantly from what is expected for a given age, and it is based on the brain’s neuroplasticity, each person’s cognitive reserve, the capacity to learn, and the redundancy of brain systems (Sara Villalba and Raúl Espert, 2014).

Our brain already has the ability to adapt to the stimuli it faces. So it’s up to us, the therapists, to define the goals well, assess impaired cognitive skills accurately, and have good tools to get the most out of our patients’ abilities. It’s essential to rely on science-based tools and activities to provide high-quality care.

Flexibility and adaptability: addressing diversity

From the start, we have faced the reality that each person is unique and has different needs, even when they share the same diagnosis. Each person has cognitive strengths and weaknesses that help us decide which areas to strengthen. Because people are so unique, each therapy must be personalized, designed, and adapted to each person’s circumstances.

NeuronUP has given us the flexibility we need to adapt our treatment plans to each individual’s characteristics. In 2016, we initially focused on children and young people with different needs.

For example, when working with a child with an ADHD diagnosis, we need to consider several cognitive skills that are important to address based on their difficulties. Following Sohlberg and Mateer’s attention model, we need to consider which levels of attention need strengthening in that particular patient (sustained, selective, alternating, etc.), which executive functions are weakened, how fast their processing speed is, and what other cognitive skills may be keeping the patient from reaching their full potential. With all these specifics, we need to be able to work on what each person needs, and with NeuronUP you can find activities for each cognitive skill, creating a personalized session that addresses the specific goals each professional has set. 

Over time, we have expanded our services to include adults with a variety of diagnoses, including patients with cognitive impairment. In this population, needs are also very diverse, but once the cognitive weaknesses are clear, it’s possible to plan the exercises needed to work on those areas.

With adult patients, the platform has allowed us to plan engaging activities based on each patient’s condition, working on different types of memory, different executive function skills, language, perception, and more. The worksheets are adapted to age and level, which makes it easier to deliver effective therapy to each individual patient. 

Creativity: stimulating motivation and curiosity

One of NeuronUP’s most notable features is the creativity of its games and worksheets. This originality not only captures our patients’ attention but also sparks a motivation that makes the therapeutic process easier. If a patient isn’t interested in and challenged by an exercise, we aren’t achieving the goal of working on cognitive processes. 

However, creativity isn’t exclusive to the platform. As therapists, it challenges us to find new ways to use each game to work on different cognitive processes. For example, we adapted the game “Remember the Names” to stimulate working memory in a patient with Parkinson’s by asking him to remember specific details from previous cards, which strengthens his concentration and memory. Likewise, games such as “Half-hidden objects” are used to reinforce semantic memory, but if we adapt the instructions, we can also teach the patient to remember a list of objects using a strategy, reinforcing their working memory and language at the same time.

Organization and planning: making the most of time

NeuronUP has also made our work as professionals easier by giving us tools to organize and plan our sessions efficiently. Being able to schedule sessions requires us as professionals to think about the goals we want to achieve in each session and to choose each activity carefully according to the cognitive processes we want to work on. 

One of the many factors that determine the effectiveness of a cognitive training program is its length, as Muñoz Marrón, Elena, et al. describe in the book Estimulación Cognitiva y Rehabilitación Neuropsicológica. The number of sessions planned must be enough to allow the patient to learn new things, consolidate them, and generalize them to other everyday situations. That’s why, with NeuronUP, the length of each session can be adjusted, extending each activity according to the goals set. Consolidated learning can be seen as the patient repeats the same exercise, and after a certain number of correct answers, they can move up to a harder level.

In addition, being able to see completed sessions on a calendar gives a better overview of the work done with the patient and how they are progressing in the different activities from session to session. 

In conclusion, optimizing cognitive stimulation therapy aimed at strengthening a patient’s cognitive skills requires a lot from the therapist. It’s important to recognize that each person is unique, with a specific situation, at a particular point in treatment, in a certain environment, and with their own personality, and all of this comes into play when planning cognitive training sessions. That’s why it’s important to rely on tools that offer evidence-based exercises and games that optimize the time and effectiveness of therapy.  

NeuronUP has become a cornerstone at Brainkare, strengthening our therapies and allowing us to offer a more complete service tailored to each patient’s individual needs. Its flexibility, innovative activities, and organizational tools have transformed the way we approach cognitive training, delivering tangible, meaningful results in the development and quality of life of those who trust us with their care. 

References

• Villalba Agustin, Sara, and Raul Espert Tortajada. “Dialnet Estimulacioncognitivaunarevisionneuropsicologica 5149523.” Scribd, Scribd, July 2014, www.scribd.com/document/360413629/Dialnet-EstimulacionCognitivaUnaRevisionNeuropsicologica-5149523.
• Muñoz Marrón, Elena, et al. “Estimulación Cognitiva y Rehabilitación Neuropsicológica.” Academia.Edu, October 2009, www.academia.edu/39702937/Estimulaci%C3%B3n_cognitiva_y_rehabilitaci%C3%B3n_neuropsicol%C3%B3gica.

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“This article has been translated. Link to the original article in Spanish:”
Optimizando la estimulación cognitiva: El papel de NeuronUP en nuestro centro psicopedagógico