Does ‘Brain Training’ Actually Work? (Scientific American):
If there were an app on your phone that could improve your memory, would you try it? Who wouldn’t want a better memory? After all, our recollections are fragile and can be impaired by diseases, injuries, mental health conditions and, most acutely for all of us, aging. [Read more…] about Given cognitive strengths and needs are diverse, what brain training may work best for each person and under which conditions?
Nationwide project seeks to understand how brain exercises produce cognitive benefits (UC press release):
How does memory training lead to cognitive benefits? Aaron Seitz, director of the Brain Game Center for mental fitness and well-being at the University of California, Riverside, has wrestled with this question for several years.
Now he and Susanne Jaeggi, an associate professor at the UC Irvine School of Education; and Anja Pahor, formerly a postdoctoral researcher at UCR; are ready to address it by launching a nationwide project that seeks to engage 30,000 people in different variants of memory training through apps developed by the Brain Game Center.
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“Cognitive impairment is one of the core symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)—and one of its most troubling concerns for many people with the condition. Now, a new study from NYU Langone Medical Center may provide hope for symptomatic relief for [Read more…] about Next: Scalable, medication-free relief of cognitive symptoms related to Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
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The Right Dose of Exercise for the Aging Brain (New York Times):
“A small amount of exercise may improve our ability to think as we age, but more may not be better, according to a new study of exercise and cognition…
In general, the researchers found, most of the exercisers showed improvement in their thinking skills…but these gains were about the same whether people had exercised for 75 minutes a week or 225 minutes [Read more…] about Growing evidence that brain health requires personalized, multi-pronged interventions
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What happens in the brain when you learn a language? (The Guardian):
“Learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain. This is what Swedish scientists discovered when they used brain scans to monitor what happens when someone learns a second language. The study is part of [Read more…] about Research trend: The brain benefits of learning and speaking a second language
Time for SharpBrains’ February e‑Newsletter, this time featuring the global launch of our new book, in Spanish, Cómo invertir en su cerebro: Una guía SharpBrains para mejorar su mente y su vida, available already as a soft-cover and e‑book!
–> If you speak Spanish, please get a copy for yourself. También puede ver el video de la charla de presentación aquí (comienza en el minuto 5), y leer el artículo Esculpir el cerebro, mucho más allá de un sueño de Ramón y Cajal.
–> If you don’t speak Spanish, please share this with someone who does…we believe he or she will love the book! We’ve been working quite hard over the last year to deliver a great adaptation of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness to “la lengua de Cervantes” — the jury is now out.
Some other news…
Brain Health Science & Practice:
Digital Brain Health Industry & technology:
Finally, please keep in mind that March 10–16th is 2014 Brain Awareness Week. Let’s all find a way to celebrate and invest in our most precious resource!
