Research-based information on Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health, authored by Alvaro Fernandez and over 10 Expert Contributors.
A couple of great blog carnival editions (collections of blog posts around specific topics):
- Encephalon: neuroscience and psychology.
- Grand Rounds: health and medicine.
And a good Radar Roundup of brain-related news. Note: our estimate for the whole market in 2007 is $225m, not $110m; and the Consumer Segment (mostly Nintendo Brain Age/ Academy, but not all) accounts for $80m.
You have survived the 2007 shopping and eating season. Congratulations! Now it's time to shift gears and focus on 2008...whether you write down some New Year resolutions or contemplate some things that you want to let go of from last year and set intentions and goals for this year - as is a friend's tradition on the winter solstice.
To summarize the key findings of the last 20 years of neuroscience research on how to "exercise our brains", there are three things that we can strive for: novelty, variety and challenge. If we do these three things, we will build new connections in our brains, be mindful and pay attention to our environment, improve cognitive abilities such as pattern-recognition, and in general contribute to our lifelong brain health.
With these three principles of brain health in mind - novelty, variety and challenge - let me suggest a few potential New Years resolutions, perhaps some unexpected, that will help you make 2008 a year of Brain Fitness: Continue Reading »
(Note: if you are trying to download the whitepaper featuring the 11 in-depth interviews that debunk those myths, click here)
Over the last year we have interviewed a number of leading brain health and fitness scientists and practitioners worldwide to learn about their research and thoughts, and have news to report.
What can we say today that we couldn't have said only 10 years ago? That what neuroscience pioneer Santiago Ramon y
Cajal claimed in the XX century, "Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor his own brain", may well become reality in the XXI. And influence Education, Health, Training, and Gaming in the process.
We have only scratched the surface of what science-based structured cognitive (i.e., mental) exercise can do for brain health and productivity. We are now witnessing the birth of a new industry that crosses traditional sector boundaries and that may help us understand, assess and train our brains, harnessing the growing research about neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons), neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to rewire itself through experience), cognitive training and emotional regulation.
Let's now debunk 10 myths, still too prevalent, that may prevent us from seeing the full potential of this emerging field:
Myth 1: It’s all in our genes.
Reality: A big component of our lifelong brain health and development depends on what we do with our brains. Our own actions, not only our genes, influence our lives to a large extent. Genes predispose us, not determine our fates.
• “Individuals who lead mentally stimulating lives, through education, occupation and leisure activities, have reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Studies suggest that they have 35-40% less risk of manifesting the disease” - Dr. Yaakov Stern, Division Leader of the Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Sergievsky Center at Columbia University.
Myth 2: The field of Cognitive/ Brain Fitness is too new to be credible.
Reality: The field rests on solid foundations dating back more decades --- what is new is the number and range of tools that are now starting to be available for healthy individuals.
• “Rigorous and targeted cognitive training has been used in clinical practice for many years. Exercising our brains systematically is as important as exercising our bodies.” - Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, neuropsychologist,
clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine, and disciple of Alexander Luria.
• "Today, thanks to fMRI and other neuroimaging techniques, we are starting to understand the impact our actions can have on specific parts of the brain." - Dr. Judith Beck, Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research.
Myth 3: Medication is and will remain the only evidence-based intervention for a number of brain-related problems.
Reality: Cognitive training programs are starting to Continue Reading »
It is always good to stimulate our minds and to learn a bit about how our brains work. Here you have a selection of the 50 Brain Teasers that people have enjoyed the most in our blog and speaking engagements.
Fun experiments on how our brains work
1. Do you think you know the colors?: try the Stroop Test.
2. Can you count?: Basketball attention experiment (Interactive).
3. Who is this?: A very important little guy (Interactive).
5. Take the Senses Challenge (Interactive).
6. Are there more brain connections or leaves in the Amazon?.
Attention
7. How are your divided attention skills? check out "Inside and Outside" (Interactive, from MindFit).
8. Can you walk and chew gum at the same time? try "Two in One" (Interactive, from MindFit)
9. Count the Fs in this sentence.
10. What do you see? can you alternate between 2 views?.
Memory
11. Easy one...draw the face of a penny, please. Continue Reading »
I am delighted to participate in LifeTwo’s "How to be Happier" week with this post. Happiness is still largely unchartered territory for neuroscience. It sounds like a hidden, elusive El Dorado. However, once one follows positive psychology research and Harvard's Dr. Ben-Shahar’s advice, "The question should not be whether you are happy but what you can do to become happier", the happiness quest starts to become more tangible and workable according to latest neuroscience research.
We are now going to explore the four key concepts of Dr. Ben-Shahar's statement --- 1) "you", 2) "can", 3) "do", and 4) "happier" --- from a neuropsychological perspective.
1) Who is "you"? According to latest scientific understanding, what we experience as "mind", our awareness, emerges from the physical brain. So, if we want to refine our minds, we better start by understanding and training our brains. A very important reality to appreciate: each brain is unique, since it reflects our unique lifetime experiences. Scientists have already shown how even adult brains retain a significant ability to continually generate new neurons and literally rewire themselves. So, each of us is unique, with our own aspirations, emotional preferences, capacities, and each of us in continually in flux. A powerful concept to remind ourselves: "you" can become happier means that "you" are the only person who can take action and evaluate what works for "you". And "you" means the mind that emerges from your own, very personal, unique, and constantly evolving, brain. Which only "you" can train.
2) Why the use of "can"? Well, this reminds me a great quote by Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal, who said that "Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain". Each of us has immense potential. However, in the same way that Michaelangelo’s David didn’t spontaneously appear out-of-the-blue one day, becoming happier requires attention, intention, and actual practice.
Attention: Every second, you choose what to pay attention to. You can focus on the negative and thereby train your brain to focus on the negative. You can Continue Reading »
Brain Fitness doesn't require the use of expensive equipment. Your brain is enough. Today we are honored to interview Dr. Judith Beck on how cognitive techniques can be applied to develop a number of important mental skills. The latest application of these?. Losing weight.
Dr. Judith Beck is the Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond.
Dr. Beck, thanks for your time. What does the Beck Institute do?
We have 3 main activities. One, we train practitioners and researchers through a variety of training programs. Two, we provide clinical care. Three, we are involved in research on cognitive therapy.
Please explain cognitive therapy in a few sentences
Cognitive therapy, as developed by my father Aaron Beck, is a comprehensive system of psychotherapy, based on the idea that the way people perceive their experience influences their emotional, behavioral, and physiological responses. Part of what we do is to help people solve the problems they are facing today. We also teach them cognitive and behavioral skills to modify their dysfunctional thinking and actions.
I understand that cognitive therapy has been tested for many years in a variety of clinical applications. What motivated you to bring those techniques to the weight-loss field by writing The Beck Diet Solution?
Since the beginning, I have primarily Continue Reading »
If you are based in North California, you may be interested in the classes just announced by the UC Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. "Berkeley OLLI is an inquiring and stimulating community of adults, age 50 and above, exploring new areas of knowledge and traditional disciplines, challenging and fascinating subjects." If you are not in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can check the closest Lifelong Learning Center to you in either the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute network or the Elderhostel one.
You can see a listing of their classes for the Fall 2007 session, on a fascinating variety of topics. Keeping our educational activities since 2005 (first delivered in SFSU), I will be teaching the following class
The Science of Brain Health and Brain Fitness (more here)
October 9-30th, 4 classes, 6.30-8.30pm
Location: University Hall, UC Berkeley
Description: Neuroscientists have shown how the human brain retains neuroplasticity (the ability to rewire itself) and neurogenesis (creation of new neurons) during its full lifetime, leading to a new understanding of what aging means. In this class, we will review the science behind some of key concepts in this field and explore their implications on our lifestyles: neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, the Cognitive Reserve theory for healthy aging, computer-based cognitive training programs, emotional self-regulation, and the 4 pillars for lifelong Brain Health. We have all heard "Use it or lose it". Latest research suggests, "Use it and improve it".
If you are interested in learning more about the classes, you can attend the open House on Tuesday, September 18, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley. I can only say that the SFSU classes were a lot of fun and I am sure the Berkeley ones will be as compelling.
We are very excited to announce a workshop hosted jointly by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) at University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University and SharpBrains (us!). We are offering a three-day workshop for educators and brain fitness practitioners seeking instructional certification in the SharpBrains course, Exercising Our Brains.
"SharpBrains has introduced the first science-based brain fitness center with information and programs to help people of all ages exercise their brains. They have offered the popular Exercising Our Brains course at SF State's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) since October 2005."
Are you seeing all the articles about Brain Fitness in the popular press and wondering, “What is this all about?”, “Can someone help me navigate through all the programs out there?”, “How is Brain Fitness relevant to me in my personal life or at work?”. As the leading source of information and education on Brain Fitness, we have delivered a series of customized training sessions to companies and organizations that combine modules -including scientific overview, the industry trends and key players, fun team-building exercises- that can be tailored to your organization's specific needs. Sessions last from 1 to 6 hours, depending on your group's composition and agenda and are delivered either in person or via web conference. If you want more information on SharpBrains workshops for your institution click on Workshops.
Who should attend:
Educators and practitioners who are seeking to teach the course Exercising Our Brains. Ideal candidates are: educators who are working in the area of psychology, health, and wellness, and who are ideally already affiliated with learning centers eager to offer a brain fitness class.
Cognitive Daily brings an intriguing article titled Is theater the ultimate brain fitness product?, based on research published in 2004 by Helga and Tony Noice.
Very interesting results on memory and problem-solving. Will investigate whether that experiment has been replicated since then and we can recommend such a fun (and demanding) brain fitness activity!
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you may be interested in the Geezer Theater organized by one of our partners, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
When is Brain Awareness Week?
March 12-18, 2007
The Brain Awareness Week is a great opportunity to learn more about how the brain functions and how to cultivate a healthy brain. The Dana Foundation and multiple partners, such as SharpBrains, will lead outreach events worldwide.
In the blog of the Dana Foundation we can read today that "To my knowledge, the brain is the only organ in the human body that is celebrated and honored for an entire week. This year, 2,000 organizations in 69 countries will observe Brain Awareness Week with activities, exhibits and competitions, most from March 12 through 18."
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