I'm particularly interested in speaking to those who note the speed and agility issue, especially in light of prescribing "exercise" as if that term speaks to all movement behaviors.

May I suggest: a cross-cultural age comparison with respect to cognitive and motor learning, e.g., looking at the neuro-somatic benefits of Chinese martial arts like Tai Chi, as fluid practices that increase perceptual awareness, tonify joints and augment one's sense of balance.

Connect the dots --- Fluid, locomotive movement patterns engage the embodied brain in a different manner than the biomechanics of linear movement.

For more thoughts on that, feel free to write to me. As well see the Blakeslee's book: The Body has a Mind of Its Own.

Dr. G./M. A.
The George Greenstein Institute for the Advancement of Somatic Arts and Science

Thanks for your comment. I enjoy your blog.

Please note that none of those scientists is even talking about Nintendo.

Why don't you read the full notes of the interviews with Daniel Gopher, Torkel Klingberg, Bradley Gibson, they explain their own peer-reviewed research on specific programs, one for peripheral vision and attentional control for pilots, the other for working memory training for kids with attention deficits. The interviews include specific literature references. Please don't judge a field based on some quotes which, by design, intend to invite people to read the interview. And they don't present the full view.

The point is that the field is WAY broader than meets the eye.

Have you read books like Train Your Mind Change Your Brain, or The Brain That Changes Itself? Either of them would, I think, help change your mindset: we are not talking about about doing those exercises instead of talking with friends. (Maybe instead of (the average American watching 5 hours TV per day?). The key principles for mental stimulation are 1) novelty, 2) variety, 3) constant challenge. Computer-based exercises can be a very efficient vehicle for that-the same way you may choose to go to the gym is you want to train specific areas. You could also walk with friends, couldn't you?

Finally, please ask any neuropsychologist you may know what training they do with patients who have some form of brain injury. And why.

Will prepare a follow-up with a summary of scientific literature, for a more scientific audience.

I'm not convinced by the evidence either, but that's another story. With a few noteworthy examples, few of the quotes above actually cite any supporting evidence that brain training works. It's easy to spin a tale on how/why brain training MIGHT work, but I think the first order of business ought to be establishing conclusively that it does in fact work.

And not just that, it ought to work better than the traditional "brain remedies" outlined above to offer any genuine value. After all, who wouldn't prefer reading a book or chatting with friends over slaving away at a brain training program?