Health claims: Brain trainers
November 2nd 2009 22:51
From: Chicago Tribune
THE CLAIM: Brain-training software and books can help keep your noodle young and prevent memory loss.
BUYER BEWARE: The more active your brain is, the better. Puzzles such as Sudoku "can help you get good at a specific skill, like memorizing grocery lists or hand-eye coordination," said Dr. Sam Wang, an associate professor of neuroscience and molecular biology at Princeton University.
But "most evidence suggests that practicing a task only helps you get better at the same or very similar tasks," said Wang, the co-author of "Welcome to Your Brain."
If you really want to improve your mental acumen, it's better to move your body rather than sit in front of a computer. Regular fitness training is good for everyone's brain, but it's "especially effective in the elderly, who may suffer from gradual problems with executive function," including planning ahead and abstract thinking, said Wang. Juggling has also been shown to boost brain function.
Wang's recommendation? "A sound (and engaged) mind in a sound (and active) body."
Comments
Challenging your brain is one key piece of brain health – you should also get physical exercise, eat a healthy diet, and stay emotionally and socially engaged.
Why is brain fitness important? Because learning new stuff re-wires your neurons and improves brain performance. And everyone is capable of improving. Medical research such as the IMPACT study clearly shows memory and mental fitness, like physical fitness, gets better with exercise. The next step is to do something effective.
Posit Science, where I am CEO and Dr. Mike Merzenich is co-founder and Chief Science Officer, makes scientifically-validated and engaging software that can help you think faster, focus better and remember more. Over 30 clinical studies from institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins show that our technology can have a range of benefits from improved memory to lowered health care costs to improved driving safety. For more information and to try free exercises, please visit www.positscience.com
katyzzz notes, Posit Science carries the top recommendation, but it is expensive. So I'd say Lumosity is a close second.
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