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Research fndings in AugmentingCognition are only just beginning toreach the mainstream marketplace, mostlythrough healthcare channels. The opportu-nity is immense, but we will need to ensure

the marketplace matures in a rational andsustainable manner, both through healthcareand non-healthcare channels.

In January 2009, we polled the 21,000

subscribers o SharpBrains market researcheNewsletter to identiy attitudes and behav-

iors towards the brain ftness feld (a termwe chose in 2006 based on a number o con-sumer surveys and ocus groups to connectwith a wider audience). Over 2,000 decision-makers and early adopters responded to thesurvey. One o the key questions we askedwas, What is the most important problem

you see in the brain ftness feld and how doyou think it can be solved?. Some exampleso the survey ree text answers are quotedhere, together with my suggestions.

Ms mp pblms b fss fld Public awareness: To get people to

understand that heredity alone does notdecide brain unctioning. We need toramp up eorts to build public awareness

and enthusiasm about brain research,including establishing clear links todaily living. We can collaborate with ini-tiatives such as the Dana Foundations

Groundbreaking cognitive neuroscienceresearch has occurred over the last 20 years- without parallel growth o consumerawareness and appropriate proessional dis-

semination. Cognition remains an elusiveconcept with unclear implications outsidethe research community.

Earlier this year, I presented a talkto health care proessionals at the New

York Academy o Medicine, titled BrainFitness Sotware: Helping ConsumersSeparate Hope rom Hype. I explainedwhat computerized cognitive assessmentand training tools can do (assess/enhancespeciic cognitive unctions), what theycannot do (reduce ones brain age)

and the current uncertainties about whatthey can do (i.e., delay Alzheimers symp-toms). At the same symposium, Dr. GaryKennedy, Director o Geriatric Psychiatryat Monteiore Medical Center, providedguidance on why and how to screen or

executive unction deicits in the contexto dementia.

I could perceive two emerging trendsat the event: 1) Augmenting Cognitionresearch is most commonly ramed as ahealthcare, oten pharmacological topic,with the traditional cognitive bias in medi-

cine o ocusing on detection and treatmento disease, 2) In addition, there is a grow-ing interest in non-invasive enhancementoptions and overall liestyle issues.

PreParing Societyor the cognitive ageB al dz

Public Awareness (39%)

Navigating Claims (21%)

Research (15%)

Healthcare Culture (14%)

Lack o Assessment (6%)

Others (5%)

Source: The State o the Brain Fitness Sotware

Market 2009, SharpBrains

Most important problemsin the brain ftness feld

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Alvaro Fernandez is the Chie Executive Ofcero SharpBrains (www.sharpbrains.com), amarket research and educational frm thatcovers applications o cognitive neurosci-ence. Alvaro is a member o the World Eco-nomic Forums Council on The Future o theAging Society, and teaches at UC-BerkeleyLielong Learning Institute. He has an M.B.A.and an M.A. in Education rom Stanord Uni-versity.aernandez@gmail.com

ropsychology to military TraumaticBrain Injury (TBI) detection. A recentreport by the Alzheimers Foundation

o America advocating or widespreadcognitive screenings ater the age o 75or even 65 may open up a very interesting

public policy debate. Exposure:Get inormation and prod-

ucts out to all the people, perhaps a drive

to get them into public libraries.

We have a major opportunity now tohelp prepare society to thrive in this cogni-tive age. We need to improve research andocus on public awareness and standards orthis opportunity to come to ruition.

Dr. Bill Reichman, CEO o Baycrest,puts it this way, We have an opportunityto make major progress in Brain Health in

the 21st century, similar to what happenedwith Cardiovascular Health in the 20th,and technology will play a crucial role.For that prediction to come true, researchon augmenting cognition will need tobecome mainstream. Neuroscientist TorkelKlingberg is optimistic, In the uture we

may be as aware o cognitive unction as wenow are obsessed with calories, diets, gly-cemic index and cardiovascular training.The process in under way.

ollowing consensus processes such asthe schizophrenia MATRICS CognitiveBattery) with a transparent architecture

o outcomes and relationships cover-ing the impact (brain-based, cognitive,behavioral perormance) by age groups

and by healthy vs. specifc disorders. Culture: Integration within existing

healthcare inrastructure will require

research, education and cultural change.I brain ftness remains a niche alterna-tive approach or the well-healed, we willhave ailed. We need to improve the part-nership with clinicians and their proes-sional associations.

Assessment:Development o standard-ized and easily accessible assessments ocognitive status that could be used byindividuals and organizations to test

the efcacy o cognitive improvementmethods. Perhaps the single most eec-

tive way to bring cognitive research intothe mainstream conversation would be ipeople took an annual brain check-upserving as a cognitive baseline (as objec-tive, unctional inormation to trackchanges and to inorm about interven-tions and diagnoses). Computerized

assessments are already being used ina variety o contexts, rom sports neu-

Brain Awareness Week and use therecent Neuroscience Core Conceptsmaterials developed by the Society orNeuroscience to give talks at schools,libraries and workplaces.

Claims:The lack o standards and clear

defnitions is very conusing, and makes a

lot o people sceptical. We need an easy-to-understand taxonomy to help consumersand proessionals evaluate claims ocus-ing on cognitive unctions, not on mentalhealth diagnoses. The classifcations should

be grounded on a standardized researchtaxonomy. However, over time we mayhave to develop a labeling system based

on the targeted cognitive domain and levelo validation. Press releases oten only addmore conusion. We should blog studyresults in depth, become trusted resourcesto trusted reporters and dierentiate newfndings rom previous ones.

Research:Determining what activities

are most benefcial to the user with theminimum level o eort or most overlapo already existing eort. A high prior-ity would be to ensure widely-acceptedoutput standards (either commercial or