Neuroscientist begins cognitive training program for young people in juvenile institution
Young people will be trained cognitively to improve their decision-making
Puerto Rico– In the next 30 days, ten young people who have faced problems with the law and who are in their rehabilitation process will be trained with a virtual reality cognitive tool to improve and develop their decision-making skills and regulate their emotions. This pilot program seeks to enable these young people to face a successful transition and integration to the free community.
In Puerto Rico, 48 percent of young people in juvenile institutions have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is accompanied by impulsive and hyperactive decisions. Recently, a study showed that one-quarter of young people in the juvenile institutions in Puerto Rico had attempted suicide and self-mutilation.
Dr. Joel Acevedo Nieto, a Puerto Rican neuroscientist and author of the pilot program, knows first hand the condition of ADHD/ADD as he suffered it during his childhood and adolescence. Acevedo will be using the tool he created himself called Sharp Focus VR. This tool has already been successful in showing promising results. In 2019, 3 children with ADHD were exposed to 3 months of training and improved their attention span by 30 percent.
Currently, seven kids between the ages of 7 and 14 have been trained for two months. Five of them have improved, between 20 and 57 percent, their ability to regulate and modulate emotions and impulses. Five of them have improved from 21 to 70 percent of their reaction time skills (a cognitive ability for attention).
Among the participants in this study are five adults between the ages of 44 to 66 years. Three of them have Alzheimer’s status, 2 of whom improved their control areas between 55 and 98%. The three improved their reaction times by 34% to 91%. The other two adults are people with Parkinson and ADHD. Adults with Parkinson improved his inhibitory control by 92% and their reaction time by 83%. For its part, the adult with ADHD improved control by 25% and its reaction time by 19%.
Our purpose is to ensure that every mind can develop cognitive skills. Our mission is to help these young people improve their focus and make better decisions. We think we can be agents of change in the lives and decisions of these teenagers. We want these young people to see hope and order in their lives, rather than the difficulties they have faced.
About us:
Sharp Focus VR is a Virtual Reality tool designed to enhance the main cognitive skills in people with ADHD.
Purpose: to keep every mind sharp
Mission: At SharpFocus we’re using virtual reality technology to sharpen the minds of people suffering with ADD/ADHD.
Specifically, we’re on a mission to improve productivity and focus for up to 10 young adults who are in juvenile facilities and struggle with ADD/ADHD.
We believe that we can be a part of these kids seeing hope and order in their lives versus struggling with misfires happening in their brain, causing them to act out.
Contact:
Joel Acevedo Nieto, PhD — 787–231–8897
Email: sharpfocusllc@gmail.com
Website: www.sharpfocusvr.com
