The New York Times Asks: Can You Change IQ?

Online, November 6, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Nov. 4th edition of The New York Times is stirring up debate over the question, "Can you change IQ?" and no one is happier than Dr. Ken Gibson.

Dr. Gibson is a pioneer in the science of one-on-one brain training, a process he says uses personal trainers and intense, mental exercise to improve brain performance and, yes, even raise IQ. He's written a book on the subject and founded LearningRx, a national brain training franchise with 83 centers across the United States. LearningRx was a major focus of the New York Times feature, "The Brain Trainers," and Dr. Gibson says the article will help introduce millions of people to what neuroscientists call "plasticity," which refers to the brain's ability to physically change and improve at any age.

"The journalist who wrote the article, Dan Hurley, did a good job explaining that one-on-one brain training is very different from online brain training, video games and tutoring," says Dr. Gibson. "And he correctly reported that we have research on more than 30,000 of our 50,000 clients showing that our programs increase IQ by an average of 15 to 20 points."

But even with all that proof, Dr. Gibson says, he knows there are doubters, and he welcomes the scrutiny. "Our results are available to any doctor, parent or reporter willing to take a closer look. And if you're an academician or researcher, we invite you to contact us about doing research on our programs. The more that is understood and studied about the link between one-on-one brain training and IQ-as well as when to hire a brain trainer versus hiring a tutor or subscribing to online games-the more lives can be changed."

One independent researcher convinced brain training can change IQ is Dr. Oliver W. Hill, Jr., a Virginia State University professor of psychology. Dr. Hill led a $1 million study funded by the National Science Foundation to study the impact of LearningRx programs on middle school students. Dr. Hill found significant increases in cognitive abilities and scores on Virginia's annual Standards of Learning Exam. He was so impressed with the results that he's already conducting another study of the impact of LearningRx programs on college students in Texas.

As Hurley pointed out in the New York Times article, independent studies showing that brain training raises IQ do exist. Other studies, however, show little gain. And thus the controversy. Dr. Gibson welcomes the dialogue with skeptics and researchers alike. "Tell us why you think brain training can't change IQ," he says, "and we'll show you how it can."

To schedule an interview with Dr. Gibson, request results or learn more about LearningRx brain training programs, contact Tanya Mitchell at (719) 264-8808.

You can read the New York Times article HERE:
www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/a-new-kind-of-tutoring-aims-to-make-students-smarter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

About LearningRx
A national brain training franchise, LearningRx enhances brain performance for children and adults, improving how the brain thinks, reads, learns, reasons, remembers and even pays attention. Their research-based programs use intense mental exercises to stimulate the brain to strengthen and even create neural connections. The programs' game-like exercises and one-to-one trainer-to-student ratios guarantee dramatic and scientifically measurable gains in as little as 12 to 24 weeks. www.LearningRx.com