train your brain: neuroplasticity and brain fitness

Train Your BrainBrain Fitness and Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity: Use it or Lose it?• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g• Brain’s ability to change throughout life when faced

with new, challenging experiences.• Occurs• At the beginning of life• In case of brain injury• Through learning or memorizing something as an adult.

• When thoughtfully and methodically explored, it makes your brain faster and more efficient at tasks of all sizes.

Neuroplasticity maintains brain health•1. Stimulated, active neurons produce more neurotrophins•2. Neural stimulation multiplies the number of connections between synapses•3. Active neurons help generate and support new neurons•4. Neurons can regenerate even in adult life when presented with novel experiences

Brain Fitness: Purposeful training• You brain must be challenged with novel, adaptive,

and complete training. • Brain fitness gives carefully calibrated challenges to

strengthen and stretch your brain.• Novel challenges present unexpected obstacles,

forcing your brain to work in new ways.• Neural growth depends on challenges that adapt

quickly enough to push you.

Why is it needed?• Routines, habits, and precedents cause

overdependence of certain circuits in our brain.• Unused neurons thin out the dendrites and lose

connectedness.• When our brain faces a problem, it can• A) analyze the situation and possible actions (lots of

attention, time, and effort)• B)Rely on similar experiences from the past (fast,

automatice, effortless)

• Novelty increases neural activity and productivity

Cognitive Functions of Brain Fitness• Memory• Attention• Language• Reasoning• Visual-spatial

Other Features

•Personalized activities and levels•Coaching and guidance •Tracking progress over time with set milestone goals.•Wellness vs Performance track

Scientific Evidence• University of Michigan (2008)- Young adults’ fluid intelligence performance improved after working memory online exercises.• Ball (2002)- Nearly ¾ of 2000 elderly people reported having fewer declines in their ability to perform daily activities after training for 10 hours over 6 weeks.• Lumos Lab, Stanford, and San Francisco State University (2011) 20% of healthy adults who participated in web-based cognitive training saw improvement in visual attention and 10% showed improvement in working memory.

Which one to choose?

Brain Fitness Company

Cost (monthly/yearly)

Lumosity.com $9.95/ $6.60 yr

HAPPYneuron $14.95/ $6.65 yr

BrainHQ $14.00/$8.00 yr

Sample Game: Elephant Memory

• http://www.happy-neuron.com/brain-games#memory

MemoryMemory Matrix (Lumosity)

MemoryHawkeye (BrainHQ)

Attention

Eagle Eye (Lumosity)

Attention

Divided Attention(Brain HQ)

Reasoning

Ready, Steady, Count! (HAPPY neuron)

Language

Split Words (HAPPY neuron)

Visual-Spatial

Points of View (HAPPY neuron)