COG GYM APPLICATIONS NEWSLETTERstorage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-14369916... · cog gym applications newsletter derby head injury service featuring top cognitive applications

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NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER DERBY HEAD INJURY SERVICE

FEATURING TOP COGNITIVE APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH ANDROID &

APPLE IPAD. READ OUR OWN REVIEWS & OUR OWN RATINGS FOR

BOTH FREE & PAID COGNITIVE APPLICATIONS

DERBY HEAD INJURY SERVICE [Pick the date]

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APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER DERBY HEAD INJURY SERVICE

FEATURING TOP COGNITIVE APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH ANDROID &

APPLE IPAD. READ OUR OWN REVIEWS & OUR OWN RATINGS FOR

BOTH FREE & PAID COGNITIVE APPLICATIONS

APPLE

ANDROID

DERBY HEAD INJURY SERVICE

JULY EDITION 2014JULY EDITION 2014JULY EDITION 2014JULY EDITION 2014

Mission Statement

To facilitate independence by improving

organisation and lifelong skills.

To increase cognitive processing and memory

skills through the use of computer led

challenges with goals set by therapists.

To expedite recovery for both volunteers and

referred patients through knowledge sharing

and experience.

- David Marks -

Patient Volunteer – Derby Head Injury Service

&

- Gerry White –

Team Leader - Derby Head Injury Service

How To Make The Most From Our Magazine

Regardless what you’re using whether it is an

Apple iPad or an Android tablet or even a PC we

have carefully researched and selected applications

that we would consider to be the most beneficial.

All apps are categorized in to the following – Apple

– Android – PC. Each app will then be categorized

by the type – Visual app – Brain trainer app and

Practical apps and cost if any? We also rate all apps

out of five stars. All apps also have a hyper link so

it makes it easier to find them on the internet.

Please also note that when using these applications

that you must pace yourself to avoid getting too

tired. If you are unsure about pacing please get

advice from your health care professional.

Gerry White- Team Leader

Profile:

My name is Gerry White; I’ve been an Occupational Therapist for

over 20yrs. For the last 15 years I’ve only worked in the field of

brain injury rehabilitation.

We came up with the idea of Cog gym as a way of trying to use new technologies

with people as smart phones and tablets are so ubiquitous nowadays. The one

problem is we as therapist are just learning what we can do as well as the patients.

Therefore this is our way of helping and learning with each other.

The project group meet every Monday to try to research apps, books, ideas,

information that both patients and professionals would find useful. We want to try

to keep us all up to date with what might be useful and let you know about it.

Please feel free to let us know what you know or ask us to research something and

we’ll see what we can do!

Rehabilitation Thoughts:

The Head Injury team has been in existence since 1994 and over the years we have

built up an idea of just what someone who has experienced a head injury has to

contend with. We will try to share some of our thoughts and tips through the use of

the magazine.

One of the biggest weapons you have to deal with and cope with your injury is

fatigue management. On most tablets and smart phones is a calendar, and I’m old

school and still prefer a paper diary. Whatever your choice of calendar if you can

start recording your day to day activities then this will give both you and any

therapist working with you a grasp of just what you can cope with during a typical

day, when you fatigue, what type of fatigue you have and what may be the triggers.

We can look at the rest/sleep you get or don’t get and start to trial ways of trying to

get round these problems.

The problem after brain injury is remembering to do this, remembering what you

have done with your day, remembering where you put your calendar or tablet or

having enough energy and motivation to do it. We do understand that and know

how hard it can be but once you start to understand your head injury and how it is

for you then you can start to try to learn how you can start dictating to it rather

than it to you.

Even a little information is a start and maybe the start of a routine that makes

things a little easier day to day. I urge you to have a go and don’t be afraid to ask

for a little help if you need it. Set an alarm or reminder for you to try to set the

information down.

No matter how long ago your injury was why not see if you can start to be your own

expert on you!

Google Calendar ***** 5 StarsGoogle Calendar ***** 5 StarsGoogle Calendar ***** 5 StarsGoogle Calendar ***** 5 Stars

PRATICAL APPPRATICAL APPPRATICAL APPPRATICAL APP

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad –––– Android Android Android Android

–––– PCPCPCPC

COST £ COST £ COST £ COST £ ---- FREEFREEFREEFREE

APPLICATION DESCRIPTION APPLICATION DESCRIPTION APPLICATION DESCRIPTION APPLICATION DESCRIPTION

Google calendar is a simple app that

helps you keep track of important day

to day events in your life. This app not

only allows you to set reminders but

will also notify you of appointments or

events either by email or text message

to your mobile phone. Google calendar

can be linked to your mobile phone or

tablet so that you can use it on the go

and input new events anywhere. The

cog gym sees this as a very beneficial

and useful app and would recommend

fully to all.

DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d

etails?id=com.google.android.calendar

DOWNLOAD FOR IPAD DOWNLOAD FOR IPAD DOWNLOAD FOR IPAD DOWNLOAD FOR IPAD

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/cale

nmob-google-calendar-

client/id514917848?mt=8

DOWNLOAD FOR PCDOWNLOAD FOR PCDOWNLOAD FOR PCDOWNLOAD FOR PC

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/

detail/google-calendar-by-

google/gmbgaklkmjakoegficnlkhebmh

kjfich?hl=en

Flow Free ***** 5 StarsFlow Free ***** 5 StarsFlow Free ***** 5 StarsFlow Free ***** 5 Stars

GAME APPGAME APPGAME APPGAME APP

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad ––––

AndroidAndroidAndroidAndroid



Flow Free is a very addictive puzzle

game that is easy to use. The game

involves creating a link between

matching colours in order to form a

pipe. Each level is completed when

the entire board is covered in pipes

however the difficulty of the game is

that the pipes are not allowed to

cross or overlap as this will cause

them to break.

The game caters for everyone and

ranges from simple levels to levels

that are more challenging for those

willing to take them on. The game

offers the option of free play mode

letting you play as many levels as

you wish or time trial mode for

those who wish to race against the

clock.

DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID

https://play.google.com/store/apps

/details?id=com.bigduckgames.flow


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fl

ow-free/id526641427?mt=8

LumosityLumosityLumosityLumosity Reclaim Your Reclaim Your Reclaim Your Reclaim Your Brain **** 4 StarsBrain **** 4 StarsBrain **** 4 StarsBrain **** 4 Stars

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad ad ad ad –––– AndroidAndroidAndroidAndroid

Cost Cost Cost Cost ---- FREEFREEFREEFREE

APPLICATION DESCRIPTIONAPPLICATION DESCRIPTIONAPPLICATION DESCRIPTIONAPPLICATION DESCRIPTION

This is one of the most well-known and popular brain training apps. It was

started in 2005 and has around 35 million people using it. The free version has

about 10 tasks of which you are given 3 tasks to do per day. You cannot choose

the tasks and once you have completed the tasks you cannot play again that day.

Many of the tasks are based on neurophysiology tasks given in testing and

designed by various clinicians working in universities as well as Lumosity’s in-

house designers.

The tasks are well explained and have a nice simple layout. There is no

unnecessary visual information. The tasks tell you what benefit they may be for

you e.g. improve logical reasoning, increase arithmetic skills, avoid distractions

etc. You can check your progress and there is facility to set reminders to help you

remember to play. Although not specifically designed for brain injury recovery the

tasks all cover areas that cognitive rehabilitation would want to cover. “Lumosity”

is currently researching their programme effects on many health communities.

“Lumosity for adults with traumatic brain injury” and aims to see if the

programme does improve everyday functional skills, led by Dr Rik Lemoncello at

Pacific University. Most of the research looks to be American but the games

themselves do not have an American feel as some can.

We are using this programme a lot with patients (and staff) and the feedback is

very good. The games are challenging but easy enough to grasp the aim of in the

first place. The free version is only ten minutes long.

The app is available in all formats, apple, android and p.c. It works via mobiles as

well as tablets and different games are available on the free PC format.

DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROIDDOWNLOAD FOR ANDROIDDOWNLOAD FOR ANDROIDDOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lumoslabs.lumosity

DOWNLOAD FOR IPADDOWNLOAD FOR IPADDOWNLOAD FOR IPADDOWNLOAD FOR IPAD

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lumosity/id664306853?mt=8

Rehabilitation of Memory in Brain Injuries (ReMemBrin) trial

Being able to remember things is a key part of our daily lives, and difficulties with

memory can have a huge impact on quality of life. We are carrying out a research

study to find out whether taking part in a group to learn memory strategies is

helpful for people who have memory problems caused by head injury.

Memory is one of the most common thinking skills that can be affected by head

injury. There is no single brain area for memory so people may experience memory

problems in different ways, e.g. forgetting names, getting details easily mixed up or

having difficulties learning a new skill. These problems can impact on many areas of

everyday life.

Rehabilitation for memory problems involves finding the strategies that best suit

your individual needs. Strategies include practising exercises to improve attention

skills or learning to organise information in a particular way to help you remember

it. It can also involve learning to use memory aids such as diaries and reminders on

mobile phones. It is important to create a ‘personal toolbox’ of strategies which

work best for you.

For the Rehabilitation of Memory in Brain Injuries (ReMemBrin) trial, we have

developed a memory rehabilitation programme and we want to compare it to usual

clinical care to see which is more effective. We are looking for people who have had

a head injury and who now find they have problems with their memory. This study

needs 400 people who could help with this important research aimed at improving

memory. This information collected will be entirely confidential and only used for

research purposes.

If you would like more information, please contact Emma Sinclair at

[email protected] or call 0115 8467616.

This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health

Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme (project number 10/57/24) and will

be published in full in Health Technology Assessment.

The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not

necessarily reflect those of the HTA programme, NIHR, NHS or the Department of

Health.

Don’t tap the white tileDon’t tap the white tileDon’t tap the white tileDon’t tap the white tile **** 4.5 stars**** 4.5 stars**** 4.5 stars**** 4.5 stars

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad ---- AndroidAndroidAndroidAndroid

COST £COST £COST £COST £ ---- FREEFREEFREEFREE


Don’t tap the white tile is an addictive

game with its main rule stated within

the title, do not tap the white tiles. The

game is easy to follow and offers

players the choice of five different

modes so there is a game for everyone.

As well as this each mode has different

levels of difficulty which means that

you can play as simple or advanced as

you wish. The game helps to improve

hand eye coordination in a way that is

enjoyable and simple to understand.

This game is suitable to all ages and

never becomes dull.


https://play.google.com/store/apps/de

tails?id=com.umonistudio.tile


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pian

o-tiles-dont-tap-

white/id848160327?mt=8

Einstein Brain Trainer **** 4.3 starsEinstein Brain Trainer **** 4.3 starsEinstein Brain Trainer **** 4.3 starsEinstein Brain Trainer **** 4.3 stars

CAN BE CAN BE CAN BE CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad USED ON: Apple IPad USED ON: Apple IPad USED ON: Apple IPad ---- AndroidAndroidAndroidAndroid

COST £2.49COST £2.49COST £2.49COST £2.49/ £2.99/ £2.99/ £2.99/ £2.99


We like this brain trainer app. The

screen is slightly “busier” than Lumosity

brain trainer and the tasks are more

complicated and require more time to

process what is actually required.

However, they are along the same lines

as Lumosity, looking at memory, logic,

vision and calculation. Many of the

tasks are suitable after brain injury as

therapeutic games. The main issue for

the free version is once you have trialed

the six games in each category they are

then locked. We have not trialed the

pay version but it is only £2.49/ £2.99

so looks like this would be cheaper

than Lumosity if you are wanting to pay

for brain trainer



tails?id=com.umonistudio.tile


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pian

o-tiles-dont-tap-

white/id848160327?mt=8

Deans storyDeans storyDeans storyDeans story

My name is Dean Wileman, and I

suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury on the

8th June 2008. I was involved in a road

traffic accident where I was hit by a car,

when I was travelling on my motorbike.

I spent three months in hospital- 2

months of it in a rehab unit. After

leaving hospital I had approximately

eighteen months of outpatient rehab

through the NHS, as well as a lot of

private rehab. My days of going to work

are now gone, and I spend some of my

time, a few hours a week, volunteering

at the head injury team in Derby,

researching programmes on iPad/

iPhone that can help others with brain

injuries and advise any patients that

would benefit from it.

Dean Wileman, Volunteer at the Derby

Head Injury Service

David’s StoryDavid’s StoryDavid’s StoryDavid’s Story

In October 2011 David was riding his

motorbike on the A453 when he

slipped on some oil and collide at

70mph with a lamppost. The events

that unfolded after the accident are

blurred from David’s mind, as a result

of the impact he suffered a cardiac

arrest and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

It has been two and a half years since

his accident and David is continuing a

tough and lengthy recovery process

involving learning to breath, eat, walk

and talk again. David was in hospital

for six months, suffered two cardiac

arrests, eighteen broken bones and a

severe brain injury which is taking a lot

of recovery time but he is alive and

breathing which is due to the rapid

response of the emergency team.

David lives in Derby Dales with his wife,

Sharon and their two daughters. He

added: “What happened was very

traumatic for me and my family, and

still is. There are a lot of things that I

can’t do that I used to take for granted,

like flying a kite with my girls. My

balance is not very good resulting in

me not being able to walk very far.

However next summer should be better

than this summer and progress is slow

but continuing.

Free Courses with Headway DerbyFree Courses with Headway DerbyFree Courses with Headway DerbyFree Courses with Headway Derby

Headway Derby have been supporting people with brain injuries for 20 years

through provision of outreach support, befriending and running rehabilitative

activities at their centre on Canal Street in Derby on Tuesdays and Fridays.

This local charity is now offering short courses specifically designed for people that

have sustained a brain injury and delivered by tutors with specialist training in

understanding the difficulties caused by brain injuries.

These courses are FREE and can lead to a nationally accredited qualification. Offered

at level 1, they provide an ideal opportunity to return to learning, enhance your

skills or prove your ability to potential employers following a brain injury.

Courses are delivered in a variety of subjects such as horticulture, cooking and

computers, and personal development courses including time management, self-

esteem and confidence building. Delivered over 5 weeks, on Wednesday mornings

in 2 hour sessions (10.00am to 12.00pm), we ensure that the courses are

interesting without being too exhausting.

There are limited places available on the following upcoming courses:

16th July – 13th August

BudgetingBudgetingBudgetingBudgeting – understand how to set and stick to a personal budget and

prioritise spending

27th August – 24th September

Personal Skills Audit Personal Skills Audit Personal Skills Audit Personal Skills Audit –––– identify your strengths and how they can be used to

provide new opportunities

8th October – 5th November

Volunteering Volunteering Volunteering Volunteering –––– Learn about the world of volunteering, identify potential

opportunities and understand how they can benefit you

For more details, to request a place, or to be kept updated on new courses, please

contact us by phone on 01332 298577 or by email at

[email protected]

myShopi **** 4.4 starsmyShopi **** 4.4 starsmyShopi **** 4.4 starsmyShopi **** 4.4 stars




This app is very practical and can help

those who suffer from a bad memory

with their day to day life. myShopi is an

app that can be used to create

shopping lists. It is useful for those

people that carry with them a mobile

phone as the app has a feature that

allows the user to share lists by email or

SMS so it can be viewed on demand.

The app uses images as well as text for

each of the products so it is easy to

navigate and find what you are looking

for. Another feature of the app is that

you can add notes to the shopping list

such as that of quantities or sale prices.

The app also lets you add your own

photos to a product if you wish in order

to give it a more personal element.



tails?id=com.agilys.myshopi


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mysh

opi-shopping-list-

grocery/id406663341?mt=8

Epilepsy SocietyEpilepsy SocietyEpilepsy SocietyEpilepsy Society **** 4.1**** 4.1**** 4.1**** 4.1 starsstarsstarsstars




Epilepsy Society is a medical app

developed by the UK’s leading epilepsy

medical charity. It is designed to assist

those dealing with epilepsy and

provides important information that

they may require. The app has many

useful feature to support daily tasks

such as a medication reminder. This

can be easily set up so that an alarm

will be triggered on your phone when it

is time to take medication. Other

feature include medication list, first aid

information, and a step by step guide

to the recovery position as well as links

to a seizure diary. This diary could

become useful in keeping a note of

seizures, triggers, medication and side

effects.



etails?id=com.nse


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/epile

psy-guide/id375345255?mt=8

Eye Exerciser **** 4Eye Exerciser **** 4Eye Exerciser **** 4Eye Exerciser **** 4 StarsStarsStarsStars

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad

COSTCOSTCOSTCOST £1.99£1.99£1.99£1.99


The team has been doing a lot of work recently into the link between fatigue and

visual processing. We came across this app and are just starting to try it out with

our patients.

After brain injury the eyes often work but sometimes they don’t always work

together, they struggle to read words both on the page but also on screen. They

cannot always cope with fast paced movies and their eyes tire easily often causing

fatigue.

The aim of this little app is to get the eye muscles working more efficiently again.

It was not developed by an eye expert but by someone who had difficulties.

Medics have contributed to its development though. The author welcomes

feedback, so it might be we can actually do this.

The exercises do not take long although obviously the choice is limited on the

free version (lite) The exercises start slow and work up to quite a speed. This is

possible too fast for our client group but obviously you can stop the exercise if it

is too much. There are basic descriptions of the programmes available, the screen

for the exercises is kept simple and the instructions for completing them are

minimal, this is fine as they do not require anything more than is provided.

The only drawback we can see is that the exercises are in 2D and you may well

need to integrate this programme with some 3D work, for example catching and

throwing, watching moving cars, tracking a bird or butterfly etc.


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/eye-exerciser/id453960878?mt=8

David’s Blog

My name is David Marks. I had an accident in Oct, 2011 which resulted in traumatic

brain injury (TBI). Two years on I am still in recovery. Everything takes longer now

but things are defiantly better than two years ago. My wife and I wrote a book and

the following BLOG is an extract from the book.

1 The Accident

When my accident happened, East Midland ambulance services were first on the

scene. They arrived by helicopter and shortly afterwards were joined by road

ambulance. I was a real mess but the people who helped me took it all in their stride

with a kind of calmness. They had to make a critical decision very quickly. Use the

helicopter to take me to hospital, which takes about three minutes or the road

ambulance which takes about twenty minutes; the decision of road was chosen.

Good job really as I suffered cardiac arrest twice on the way to Nottingham

emergency room and there was not enough room to work on me in the helicopter.

I was in hospital in a coma for just short of a month and then moved from

Nottingham to Derby where I spent another month in the respiratory ward and then

a further four months in the rehabilitation ward, which is a total of six months in

hospital before continuing my rehabilitation as an outpatient.

For some reason I thought that when I left hospital everything would be the way it

was before and all the issues that I had would be fixed, only because there is one

way up from death and so you tend to progress quite quickly in the first six to

twelve months and then the progress becomes a little slower.

The five main problems I have are:

1) Balance and walking 2) Talking 3) Sensory loss and pins and needles all the time on my left side plus my right

hand

4) Double vision and weakness on my right side

5) Hearing impairment in my left ear

All of these things were caused by the accident and none of them have returned to

normal.

The above text just sets the scene however each BLOG will be a

different extract which should be somewhat amusing. Below is

the front and back cover of the book. The picture on the front

cover is the MRI scan of my skull!

3D Brain **** 4.4 stars3D Brain **** 4.4 stars3D Brain **** 4.4 stars3D Brain **** 4.4 stars




By the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory,

3D Brain is an app that provides an

insight into the different elements that

make up the brain and a description of

each. Through looking at the app, the

team have decided that the app is more

suited to those that are a professional

or have an interest in that field.

The app uses bright colour so is visually

appealing and each section of the brain

clearly shown. Another feature of the

app is that it allows the user to look at

the brain from a 3D perspective making

it appear more real and easier to make

sense of.



tails?id=org.dnalc.threedbrain


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/3d-

brain/id331399332?mt=8

Change 4 lifeChange 4 lifeChange 4 lifeChange 4 life---- Smart recipes *** 3Smart recipes *** 3Smart recipes *** 3Smart recipes *** 3 StarsStarsStarsStars

CAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPCAN BE USED ON: Apple IPad ad ad ad –––– AndroidAndroidAndroidAndroid

Cost £Cost £Cost £Cost £ ---- FREEFREEFREEFREE


This app is good for people with a

higher degree of cognitive processing

and with little physical difficulty. It give

you different recipes for a variety of

meals such as breakfast, lunch and

dinner. It has a good selection of

dishes for those that are vegetarian.

From a nutrition perspective it is all

food that is good for your health. The

instructions are straightforward and

easy to follow so everyone is able to

use the app.



etails?id=uk.nhs.befoodsmart


https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/chan

ge4life-smart-

recipes/id583000807?mt=8

This magazine was produced by volunteer members of

the Derby Head Injury Team:

Ian Bean

David Marks

Dean Wileman

Assisted by Derby Head Injury Service, Team Leader:

Gerry White

Documents

COG GYM APPLICATIONS NEWSLETTERstorage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-14369916... · cog gym applications newsletter derby head injury service featuring top cognitive applications