Page 20 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

The Learning Styles of an Agile Mind • 5

sual, and kinesthetic (motor) stimulation. Different areas of
the brain respond to different delivery formats.
In this text, you will see several PET scans, so a descrip-
tion of the technique might be helpful. A radioactive sub-
stance with a short half-life is injected into the bloodstream
using glucose as the carrier. The radioactivity allows external
monitoring of the metabolism of the brain. Sensors around
the volunteer’s head monitor the radioactivity. Computers
convert the information into two-dimensional images. The
more active an area of the brain, the more glucose it uses, and
the brighter the color. In black-and-white pictures, the more
active areas show up whiter. The other areas of the brain are
not dormant. They are simply not as active.
Begin to notice how you prefer to have information pre-
sented. You may prefer to use a combination of auditory, vi-
sual, and kinesthetic (motor) methods. For example, you
might repeat a written list aloud while marking items off on
your fingers. Do you want someone to give you written di-
rections rather than to tell you how to get somewhere?
Would you rather listen to a book on tape than to read a
book? Do you move or shift around, adjust your tie, twirl
your hair, or otherwise “fidget” when concentrating? Do you
believe you are an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learner?

VISUAL AUDITORY MOTOR

Figure 1-2 Brain activity for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
stimulation