Editorial
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Why now? Market Overview
• Brain fitness software market: the focus of this report
• Four customer segments of the brain fitness industry
• Part of the larger neurotechnology market
• Brain fitness became a media darling in 2007
• Confluence of market forces drives growth
• Demand: range of consumers and institutional buyers of brain fitness products
• Science: new findings spark focus on brain fitness market
• Supply: separating hype from reality in the claims of brain fitness software products
• Policy: brain fitness starting to shape public policy agenda
• Navigating the brain fitness software program landscape
• Interview with Dr. Yaakov Stern - The connection between building a cognitive reserve and delaying alzheimer’s symptoms
Chapter 2: The Science of Brain Fitness
• New brain paradigm: lifelong capacity to change and create new neurons
• Neuroimaging: enabling scientific exploration of the brain
• Cognition: core brain function
• Some cognitive functions improve as we age – others typically decline
• The four “pillars” of brain health
• Software-based brain fitness programs: effective to train specific skills
• Cognitive assessments: critical to identify bottlenecks and measure progress
• Cross-training the brain builds up the cognitive reserve
• An emerging field: much more research needs to be done
• Interview with Dr. Jerri Edwards - Improving Brain Functioning for better Driving and Aging
Chapter 3: Consumers – Taking Charge of Their Brain Health
• Nintendo creates global awareness for “brain training”
• Growing appetite for “casual games” among players over forty
• Baby boomers move the market by sheer size
• Consumer interest in health and wellness
• Growing concerns about herbal supplements
• Commercial software products flood market with inconsistent claims
• A number of critical questions remain unanswered
• Company profiles: select consumer brain fitness products
Chapter 4: Healthcare and Insurance Providers – Focus on Preventive Health & Clinical Conditions
• ”Brain fitness centers” becoming mainstream in residential facilities
• A major incentive for insurers: delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms
• Emerging clinical applications
• Stroke/ Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation
• Attention Deficit Disorders
• Potential future clinical applications
• Use of computer-based cognitive assessments in large-scale clinical trials
• Open questions
• Company profiles: select brain fitness products sold through healthcare or insurance providers
• Interview with Torkel Klingberg – Expanding Working Memory for kids with ADD/ ADHD
• Interview with Elizabeth Zelinksi – Healthy Aging Enhanced with Computer-based Programs
Chapter 5: K12 School Systems – Responding to Learning Disabilities in New Ways
• Early K12 brain fitness applications
• Mismatch between academic needs and the claims of existing offerings
• A great resource: the US Department of Education’s “What Works Clearinghouse”
• Scientific Learning’s history and plans
• What Works Clearinghouse’s take on Fast Forword
• Houghton Mifflin’s Earobics
• Other program developers
• Open questions
• Interview with Dr. Bradley Gibson – Linking Computer-based Cognitive Training to Academic Performance
Chapter 6: Fortune 1000 Companies, Military & Sports Teams – Improving Productivity
• Fortune 1000 companies increase health & wellness budgets
• In light of the aging workforce, a focus on brain fitness is a logical extension
• In companies starting to embrace serious games, brain fitness may be a new application
• Military and sports teams leverage new brain fitness technologies
• Programs to improve driving skills proliferate
• Few pure-breed players, but some market leaders are starting to take notice
• Interview with Dr. Daniel Gopher – Applications for Computer-based Cognitive Simulations
Chapter 7: Future directions: market trends 2007-2015
End Notes
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