The ProgramandHealthBrainFitness
Using technology to practice functional skills tasks to manage and improve medication adherence.
Getting the correct medication has been shown to be very effective to improve several aspects of brain health. Even people without a diagnosable mental health condition who have concerns about their cognitive abilities have been shown to benefit from pharmacological augmentation combined with a brain fitness intervention. This program’s offerings have proven to lead to sustained changes in brain plasticity across different levels of current functioning, age, or even the presence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
The digital acumen required to perform technology-focused tasks can be overwhelming for people with limited experience with technology, not to mention those with mental health disorders, memory disorders, or adult attention deficit disorder that has not been diagnosed or treated. Fortunately, there are many services that can assist with this array of functional challenges.
The Brain Health and Fitness Program at the University of Miami Health System (UMHS) delivers an integrative novel complement to treatments an individual may already be receiving. Augmenting or modifying ongoing treatments with computerized cognitive and functional skills training has been shown to greatly improve everyday functioning and quality of life.
For many people, everyday functioning can be a challenge.
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Computerized cognitive and functional skills training
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The recommended dosage is 3 hours per week, with training every other day for a minimum of 30 minutes.
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TheEligibility
An initial orientation with Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D., Director of the program. This time will be used to introduce the participant to the software and teach him or her how to navigate the system.
Upon completion of 3 months in the program, the participant will be granted access to a continued cognitive and skills training license for an additional 6 months (9 months total).
Brain Health and Fitness Program is well-suited for a variety of individuals who want to see improvements in cognitive functioning and in the ability to perform everyday functional skills. This includes older people with normal age-related changes in their cognitive skills, older people with minimal previous experience in using technology to perform everyday tasks, people experiencing caregiving stress, people with brain-based disorders including ADHD, depression, bipolar illness, psychosis spectrum disorders, and AProgramMCI.Elementscustomizedprogramdesignedtolast
Optional Neuropsychological Assessment
Individuals who believe that they could benefit from a neuropsychological assessment, delivered by a licensed neuropsychologist, can be evaluated with strategies that include various levels of comprehensiveness. This assessment can be repeated at various follow-up intervals. This assessment may or may not be covered by health insurance.
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at least 3 months will be developed and consists of the following elements, tailored to individual needs:
l Dr. Harvey and his associates will monitor program adherence and progress via a participant portal. Updates and reminders to train will be sent on aregular basis.
l Dr. Harvey will meet with the participant after 3 months to make recommendations on how long to continue or whether to conclude the program.
Related Services
— Occupational and academic performance — Everyday living skills — Health related self-care
The following are our training goals:
l Associated improvements in functional skills, quality of life, confidence, and self-efficacy.
If your insurance covers these visits, we will schedule and bill the appointments accordingly. Like all healthcare services we provide, it is possible that services may not be covered, including both doctor visits and prescriptions. We will inform you before scheduling any appointments as to whether they are covered by your health insurance and the nature of the co-payment.
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Experimental treatment exercise: Hawk Eye, designed to train visual speed and accuracy in peripheral vision, requiring users to locate a peripheral target among distractors.
Program Goals
Alleviation of caregiver burden in cases where functional improvements have led to caregiver distress.
We recommend consideration of appropriate pharmacological augmentation of these Brain Health and Fitness interventions. These pharmacological interventions, including doctors’ visits and prescription medication, may be covered by your health insurance.
l Improvements in critical cognitive skills such as processing speed, concentration and attention and short-term memory.
Philip D. Harvey, Ph.D. is Leonard M. Miller Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of the Division of Psychology, and a VA Senior Health Scientist. He is the author of over 1,000 scientific papers and abstracts and he has written over 60 book chapters. He has been designated annually by Thompson-Reuters since 2010 as the being in the top 1% of all mental health researchers in citations He has received a number of awards, including the first SIRS Clinical Scientist Distinguished Contributions award in 2012, the 2014 Alexander Gralnick Schizophrenia Research award from the American Psychiatric Foundation, the 2014 Depart ment of Veterans affairs John Blair Barnwell award, and the Stanley Dean Award from American College of Psychiatrists in 2022. His research has focused on cognition and everyday functioning across neuropsychiatric conditions, with a special focus on severe mental illness. His research has also focused on technology in mental health and aging, including novel assessment strategies and technology-based interventions.
About the Director
Offering these services in cognitive and functional skills training does not conflict with any insurance coverage mandates because these are not approved illness-related treatments. This is not a medical procedure. Our perspective is that these interventions, other than the pharmacological ones described above, falls under the realm of coaching such as one would receive at any other wellness facility. Thus, our cognitive and functional skills training service is a self-pay procedure. If any of these services are approved by the FDA or otherwise become covered by insurance, we will inform you immediately.
University of Miami Health System Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Soffer Clinical Research Center 1120 NW 14th Street | 14th Floor Miami, Florida 33136
Financial Disclosure
The Brain Health and Fitness Program is based on extensive federally funded research, done by us and in collaboration with other universities. Unequivocal evidence of the efficacy and validity of these procedures has been collected, published in peer-reviewed journals, and accepted by the broader scientific community. This information is available on request.
We only use cognitive and skills training interventions with published validity and efficacy data, but none of these interventions are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for conditions other than traumatic brain injury. Thus, these services are not covered by health insurance that requires that only approved device-based interventions. Furthermore, although studies have shown that older healthy people manifest substantial and persistent benefits from cognitive and functional skills training, this training is not covered by health insurance because of the U.S. FDA perspective that aging is not a disease and that their mandate is to diagnose and cure disease.
