This puzzle is an example of a planning task. Planning is crucial to most complex actions, from choosing the best routes to juggling a busy schedule. You can find games that train planning and other cognitive functions on Lumosity.com

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Spearheaded by neuropsychologist Shelli Kesler, this study examined how Lumosity training could help breast cancer survivors improve certain key cognitive abilities used in daily life. Past studies have shown that chemotherapy can lead to cognitive deficits that last for as long as 10 to 20 years after treatment.

How executive function affects quality of life

Executive function refers to a number of higher order cognitive processes that control other cognitive processes. You can think of executive function as a traffic coordinator that directs and integrates processes—working memory, task-switching, planning, and attention are all executive functions. You rely on executive function to recognize and adapt to changing conditions.

That’s why impaired executive function can drastically lower quality of life. People who suffer from executive function deficits are mentally inflexible, failing to understand alternate perspectives or recognize mistakes. Imagine you’re taking a roadtrip, for example. Your group has already planned every stop in advance when, midtrip, an unexpected storm makes one of the destinations unreachable. A normal person would quickly process the new conditions and plan an alternate route–but someone with impaired executive function would struggle to adapt.

Situations that call upon executive function arise every day, which makes any impairment so damaging to quality of life.

Lumosity training produces testable results

Dr. Kesler wanted to examine whether Lumosity training–a simple, easily accessible treatment–could improve executive function in breast cancer survivors. Over the course of about 12 weeks, half of the study’s 41 women completed 48 Lumosity training sessions, while a control group did not train. Sessions contained games hand-picked to train elements of executive function: working memory, processing speed, mental flexibility, and verbal fluency.

After 12 weeks, each of the women took the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST). The WCST is a widely-used neuropsychological test that challenges testers’ mental flexibility, forcing them to think on their feet and provide creative solutions as rules change. The WCST is used and validated by researchers worldwide, and breast cancer survivors tend to perform below average.

Because the women in this study had taken the WCST before they started training, it was easy for researchers to compare their performance before and after Lumosity. Those who trained with Lumosity improved significantly on the WCST after 48 training sessions, while the control group did not improve.

Take charge: play games designed to enhance executive function

While Kesler’s study focused on breast cancer survivors, it’s possible to train the cognitive skills that underlie executive function no matter what your current level of cognitive ability. Lumosity subscribers can play the same games used in Kesler’s study, including Rotation Matrix, Word Sort, and Moneycomb.

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Source: Kesler et al (2013). Cognitive Training for Improving Executive Function in Chemotherapy-Treated Breast Cancer Survivors. Clinical Breast Cancer – 06 May 2013. http://www.clinical-breast-cancer.com/article/S1526-8209(13)00049-9/abstract

You know Color Match as a fun, challenging game. But did you also know that it’s based on a neuropsychological task used in labs around the world? Watch the video to hear a Lumosity Game Designer talk about how our team turned a standard cognitive task into an enjoyable, effective game.

Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments!

Ever wondered how Lumosity turns cutting-edge neuroscience into fun, effective games? Our Chief Scientific Officer Mike Scanlon appeared on TechCrunch to discuss how we harness our team’s brainpower to make science available to everyone.

Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments!

A flavonoid found in cocoa beans could mean the difference between remembering and forgetting, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Scientists from the Hotchkiss Brain Insitute in Calgary linked the flavonoid (-)-epicatechin (or epi for short) to the formation of long-term memory.

Epi: an edible, natural chemical

Found in cocoa beans, green tea, blueberries, and red wine, epi is a plant-based phytochemical associated with memory and neural performance. Research from a variety of labs has found that epi may play a role in the regeneration of neurons, help protect against certain types of neuronal death, and, according to this 2012 study, significantly improve long-term memory.

Measuring memory in snails

Hotchkiss researchers first observed how many times the snails opened their breathing holes in a standard environment—this formed the baseline. They then spent 30 minutes training the snails in a simple task: whenever a snail opened its breathing hole, a researcher gently poked that hole with a stick.

To measure whether the snails learned from the training experience, the experimenters repeated the poking task 24 hours later and compared how many pokes they performed.

There was one secret ingredient to success, however: half of the snails were submerged in regular pondwater during the training period, and half the snails were submerged in water mixed with epi flavonoids. Because snails breathe directly through their skin, the group of epi-exposed snails quickly absorbed the flavonoid directly into their central nervous systems. This gave scientists a simple, reliable way to measure the chemical’s affects.

Flavonoids boost memory days later

And the flavonoid had pronounced effects. Though the pondwater and the epi groups behaved similarly 24 hours after training, they displayed crucial differences in memory after 72 hours.

72 hours after flavonoid exposure, the epi-exposed snails still opened their breathing holes at significantly less than their baseline rate—indicating that they remembered events that had happened 3 day prior, and that they learned to avoid pokes based on those memories. The control group demonstrated no such memory after 72 hours.

Because both groups of snails underwent the same half-hour training, scientists postulated that the epi played a key role in forming and enhancing that long-term memory.

Epi and your long-term memory

Though still preliminary, this Hotchkiss Brain Institute paper shows promise for the future study of epi flavonoids. It moves us another step forward in identifying lifestyle habits that can positively affect cognition.

Chocolate and other epi-rich foods may give your memory a boost, but remember to supplement a brain-healthy diet with other healthy habits! Train regularly with Lumosity games such as Familiar Faces, which is also designed to help you improve your long term memory.

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What is MBSR?

Originally developed by a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) has grown to become part of many healthcare plans in the last 20 years. It consists of an 8-week program that trains patients to focus a “spotlight of attention”on different parts of their body, and eventually to develop the same awareness of their mental states.

How MBSR affects alpha rhythms

There is strong evidence that the MBSR techniques of increasing attentional control have measurable effects on alpha wave behavior in patients’ brains. Alpha rhythms are a key part of the sensory system: they’re related to how the brain processes and filters irrelevant sensory inputs.

Filtering inputs is a crucial part of higher order cognitive process such as selective attention and working memory. Both of these processes are based on a person’s attention to focus on relevant information while ignoring irrelevant information. Without proper filtering, your ability to carry out even the most basic cognitive operations can be crippled.

Imagine the simple task of backing your car out of the driveway. In order to reach the street safely, you must hold your destination in mind while steering the car and ignoring distractions from every modality: the news on the radio, children playing at the end of the block, an itch on your foot, the glare of the sun in your eyes. Most of us do this filtering subconsciously—but if you let such irrelevant stimuli distract you, even such a daily task can become a difficult ordeal.

That’s why MBSR’s value extends even beyond its ability to improve attention during regular tasks: one of its primary clinical uses is in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain, who struggle with ignoring irrelevant pain stimuli on a daily basis. In fact, MBSR has been shown to have positive emotional benefits in those suffering from chronic pain and depression.

Brain scan evidence of MBSR

In this 2013 Brown University study, researchers divided participants into two different groups: a test group that underwent MBSR training for 8 weeks, and a control group that did not. After 8 weeks, both groups were analyzed using a brain imaging technique known as magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Participants in the brain scan were told to direct attention to or away from their left index fingers. The MBSR group’s neuronal response was significantly faster than the control groups, as measured by concentration of alpha power.

How you can apply MBSR techniques to improve your own life

While not everyone can commit to the full 8 weeks of the MBSR program, its message about the importance of training attention can be applied in other ways. Many of Lumosity’s Attention games, for example, are designed to improve similar functions in just minutes a day. Several games, such as Lost in Migration and Color Match, not only train your focus but can also strengthen your ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli.

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Source: Kerr, C. et al (2013). Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13 February 2013. http://www.frontiersin.org/Human_Neuroscience/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00012/full

Task-switching and its real-world applications

Task-switching—the ability to mentally “switch gears” and refocus on new goals—is a valuable skill that has numerous practical uses. You use it to shift attention from the wheel to the road while driving, or to switch gears between offense and defense in a team sport. Bilingualism has already been associated with a number of cognitive advantages, and now a 2010 study from Language and Cognition has investigated how bilingualism might enhance crucial task-switching skills in young adults.

This Carnegie Mellon University study recruited 88 college students, half of whom were monolingual and half of whom were bilingual. Both groups had about equal SAT scores, suggesting no inherent difference in cognitive ability.

Each participant sat in front of a screen with two different kinds of tasks assigned to each of their two hands. As cues appeared onscreen, one hand was responsible for identifying the color of the cue. The other hand was responsible for identifying the shape of the cue.

There were two aspects to this task-switching experiment: single-task trials and mixed-task trials. In single-task trials, participants identified either color or shape but never switched between the two tasks. In mixed-trial tasks, participants frequently switched between color and shape identification tasks—a more difficult procedure.

Researchers compared single-task and mixed-task reaction times to determine how reaction time and accuracy differed between groups and trial types.

Bilinguals were much faster than monolinguals on trials that required task-switching—their reactions were 6 milliseconds quicker on average. Both groups, however, were equally quick to respond on single-task trials, which did not involve switching.

Task-switching and executive control

This 2010 study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that bilinguals enjoy enhanced executive control compared to monolinguals. Executive control refers to a combination of cognitive abilities—including task-switching—that help you make decisions, control impulses, and plan thoughtfully. It’s long been thought that constant management and monitoring of two languages improves executive control—a belief that this Carnegie Mellon study supports.

How you can improve your own task-switching

Regardless of how many languages you speak, there are plenty of other ways to enhance your own task-switching abilities and meet the varied demands of everyday life. Lumosity’s Brain Shift and Brain Shift Overdrive games train task-switching using an exercise similar to the one in the 2010 study. Or try Color Match to exercise impulse control. Unlock full access today to hone your skills!

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Source: ANAT PRIOR and BRIAN MACWHINNEY (2010). A bilingual advantage in task switching. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 13, pp 253-262.  http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7397948

Congratulations to the popular vote winner, Francis Benedict Lauchang, whose entry received 850 votes! Francis will receive a new iPad and a Lifetime Subscription to Lumosity.com. Based on YOUR votes, 19 other entries won subscriptions to Lumosity.com.

For even more inspired stories visit our new Lumosity Stories page!

In addition to the popular vote winners, the Lumosity team chose 10 more great entries to win additional prizes. We’re inspired by your stories, and amazed by the variety of reasons our members train their brains: to stay healthy for your family, to give you a competitive edge at work, to recover from an injury, to excel in school, to continue to challenge yourself after your formal education has ended, and so many more. At Lumosity we’re proud to challenge you to be your best selves every day!

Though the decision was difficult, we want to congratulate our Grand Prize Winner, Maureen Cameron! Maureen (pictured above) will receive a new MacBook Air and a Lifetime Subscription to Lumosity!

Maureen says:

As a medical resident in internal medicine, I’m afraid I don’t live the best lifestyle. I am chronically sleep deprived, and often under a lot of stress while trying to make quick life or death decisions for my patients. I try to take care of myself physically and emotionally, but I had noticed my memory and information retention was really starting to take a hit. I joined Lumosity with the hope that I might be able to give my brain a little TLC, and improve my cognitive functioning. At the beginning, my performance was fairly pitiful… My BPI was around the 11th percentile for my age group. A few months in, I’m now at the 84th percentile! I find the Lumosity games fun and diverting, and I try to play every day. Just a daily reminder to care not only for my patients, but for myself too!

In addition to our Grand Prize winner we chose 10 more entries to receive a Lifetime Subscription to Lumosity. Here are their stories. We hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us!

My name is Adrian, I am paralyzed and as such I have no control over my physical body.  Lumosity offers me a way to maintain and improve the one thing that I can control which is my mind.  I try to play at least once a day since the best way to improve is to be consistent about whatever it is you’re doing, thanks.

- Adrien R. Chatsworth, GA

When I grow old, I want it to be with a full head of white hair and not the dull gray hues. I want to age with dignity and a sharp mind. Being a Speech Language Pathologist and working with geriatric patients, I see varying degrees of cognitive deterioration. Using Lumosity daily, I help patients improve their daily activities allowing them to age with dignity. I believe I inspire my patients to continue their cognitive linguistic brain training on their own. I want to be a grandmother who remembers all the names of her children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. I want to read books and remember details vividly. I want to travel and experience new cultures. I want my executive function abilities to stay sharp. Thank you, Lumosity, for inspiring me to become a better me.

-Olga G. Kennewick, WA

I play because I had an accident where I aquired a TBI or concussion.  I had no idea it could be so incredibly challenging.  My work is to help empower people with developmental disabilities empower themselves, so I try to walk the walk by working on improving myself. Meeting challenges head on (literally!) and taking responsibility to work hard and value my own abilities.  Lumosity was recommended to me by my Neuropsychologist and it helps me to recover what I can, and to try and keep myself as sharp as possible so that  I am at my best to help empower others!

- Tammy M. Vancouver, Canada

I was encouraged by my Music Theory teacher at IUPUI to subscribe to Lumosity to help me increase my brain power. I’m trying to pursue a master’s degree in Music Technology at Purdue University at 58 years old. I plan to graduate with this degree at the ripe age of 61. Since completing Lumosity’s exercises I’ve seen a dramatic increase in my focus, ability to absorb and remember constant information from my classes. I’m better managing my stress level so that I don’t panic when trying to complete multiple projects from my class assignments, better at understanding the academia verbiage. Most of all, it’s given me the confidence and positive attitude that I WILL get this degree. Thank you Lumosity for paving my way to academic success!

-Raul P. Indianapolis, IN

I didn’t believe it existed until it happened to me. I didn’t think it was going to happen to me. But it did. The Mamma Brain. Forgetting details like names of familiar people, including friends, being unable to recall details about what I did during the day, never finding where I put an item…etc. Pouring water into the coffee grounds while making coffee was the last straw. I knew it had to stop when I started using it as an excuse. Oh, yea. It’s Mamma Brain! 
Well, no more. I went back to my good ol’ Lumosity account, and started playing again. I want to stay as sharp as possible for my little one. I’ve always liked my brain. In fact I believe it is my best asset, and I want to keep it that way for as long as I am alive. That is why I play. 

-Wudasie E. Toronto, Canada

High school debate is somewhat of a cult. Debaters across the nation pour their blood, sweat, tears, and social lives into the activity in hopes of being the best – be it in their school, region, state, or nation. It’s become an elitist game of hard work, persuasion, and quick thinking where all the pieces must fall perfectly for one to become the best. Lumosity (not so elitist) should be every debater’s best friend. I’ve been unsure about whether or not I truly have what it takes to be successful in debate at the state and national levels since I first began debate as a freshman; Lumosity helped change that. Ever since I began playing, I think faster, I remember my facts while giving speeches which allows me to make more eye contact with my judges, and I can think of arguments and questions against my opponents exponentially faster. I’d never guess that playing a few games every day would make me a better debater, but the results cannot be questioned. I know that there’s always room for improvement, and Lumosity will only help me develop as a persuader as I progress through my next year and a half in high school. The real question is, do I risk being mocked by the cult that is the debate community by sharing this magical website with them, or do I keep it to myself as my secret weapon? 

- John N. Redwood City, CA

I live in a small fishing village in northern Iceland, we get snow. We get storms. We get trapped inside our house. I can connect to Lumosity on my phone during all these things to keep my mind active or stimulated while my windows are all blocked out with white snow. I live 4 hours north of the city, and Lumosity keeps the bus ride interesting. It is the only game I have, or play. I’m not a games person, but Lumosity has an obvious benefit

-Melody S. Skagaströndm, Iceland

Teaching neurolinguistics has taught me how important brain activation and reinforcing neural networks are. I play Lumosity to keep my neurons on their toes. If they fall asleep, my brain will also start to vegetate, and I am not at an age when I can allow my neurons to get lazy and sluff off. So, every morning, I blow the whistle and get my team of neurons out on the Lumosity playing field to start training and weed out the 90-pound weaklings. It makes me feel as though the members of my brain team are strong, agile, and in shape.

- Pamela B. Granada, Spain

Any DJ could tell you that what we do is a lot more than clicking from song to song in a playlist. There are so many things you have to keep up with!  It’s my job is to link multiple songs together seamlessly using the keys, tempos, progressions, and various parts of the song. That alone is a challenge in itself. However, much like Lumosity’s ‘Familiar Faces’ I have to take song requests from multiple people in several genres and somehow work them into my repertoire. This can be quite the challenge, especially with all of the distractions in a club setting–lasers, lights, loud music, people dancing, bands setting up to play, etc. What I’ve found is that Lumosity helps me train my brain for these moments. It helps me focus on what I need to do, not get distracted, and helps me multi task all of the various elements of my performance.

Thanks for helping me keep the party going, Lumosity!

-Jennifer L. Chattanooga, TN

In 2007, I was a Junior in college with good grades, a great attitude, tons of goals. The sky was the limit for my ambitions. Towards the end of summer school that year, I was attending a party and was attacked by someone I didn’t know. The impact to my head broke a blood vessel in my brain (epidural hematoma), I was rushed to the hospital to have emergency brain surgery. I was literally cut down in my prime.

Accounts from my family members and doctors, said that I was surprisingly alert and normal considering the traumatic brain injury I had just sustained. This became frustrating, because I looked and seemed normal, but I knew something was amiss. I didn’t react the same, I didn’t think the same, it was as if I was living in somebody else’s brain!

Enter Lumosity: At the time, my sister was attending graduate school, studying Neuroscience.  She saw that I couldn’t communicate my thoughts and emotions as well as before and knew my brain had been “rewired.” However, there was hope. Through her studies she had heard of a beta program called Lumosity and thought it could help me. For Christmas, the next year I received my first membership to Lumosity.

I loved it! It was fun, and easy to understand, but also challenging! After a few weeks of playing, I got better and better and I started to see small changes in my recall, memory and confidence that I hadn’t seen since BEFORE my head injury. I was empowered by the improvement and that gave me hope and self-confidence. It helped me understand that my brain wasn’t forever handicapped, that we have the power to change our own brains! After a year and a half, I realized; I had moved out of town, I graduated from college, I got a couple jobs and an internship and I was moving on with my life!

I realize that many things contributed to my progress and growth as a person in the last 5 years, but I strongly believe Lumosity was a catalyst to this progress and growth. I have learned that there are many things in life that I cannot control and it’s important not to dwell on those experiences. I must focus on the things I CAN control. For me, I learned to focus on my own recovery and that focus led to confidence and then to success. I hold a spot very close to my heart for Lumosity. Please keep up the great work and I hope you affect many others’ lives like you have mine! 

- Shane R. Kansas City, MO

Thanks to everyone who shared their Lumosity success stories! To read all the great Why I Play entries, click HERE.

(Some entries were edited for length and grammar.)

This refers, of course, to sleep. While sleep’s exact role in cognitive function has yet to be determined, snoozing has been connected to our ability to maintain attention, make good decisions, and, perhaps most importantly, to form and recall memories. A fascinating new study from ULCA is helping shine some light on how sleep may help us remember.

Memory consolidation and the entorhinal cortex

In a recent Nature Neuroscience study, neurophysics professor Mayank R. Mehta found that a part of the brain called the entorhinal cortex plays a key role in memory consolidation during sleep. Memory consolidation is the process that stores and reinforces your memories so you can draw on them later.

Dr. Mehta measured neural activity in a group of mice when sleeping and waking. He found that while the mice slept, the entorhinal cortex activated in a way very similar to its behavior when the mice remembered something during the day. This activity, in turned, spurred neural activity in the hippocampus. The hippocampus has often been considered a central player in long-term memory consolidation during sleep, and this study shows that the processes may be far more complex than previously thought. Said Mehta:

“These results provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first direct evidence for persistent activity in MECIII neurons in vivo and reveal its contribution to cortico-hippocampal interaction that could be involved in working memory and learning of long behavioral sequences during behavior, and memory consolidation during sleep.”

Source: Mehta et al. Spontaneous persistent activity in entorhinal cortex modulates cortico-hippocampal interaction in vivo.  Nature Neuroscience, Advance Online Publication, 7 October 2012.

New sleep study may provide direction for Alzheimer’s research

Not only may Metha’s research help us understand how we strengthen memories during sleep, but it may also help researchers investigate Alzheimer’s disease—which begins in the entorhinal cortex and often involves impaired sleep. Of course, human brains differ greatly from those of mice, and further research will be needed to truly understand the entorhinal cortex’s role in memory consolidation.

Tips to sleep well and perhaps remember better

This study is another reminder of the complex ties between sleep and cognition — and a reaffirmation of how important it is that we get enough sleep each night. Fortunately, while it will likely take decades to fully understand the activities of the brain during slumber, we have some tips you can use right away to make sure you’re sleeping well enough to perform at your very best:

Don’t get too little sleep… or too much

Everyone knows that too little sleep makes it harder to focus the next day, but researchers have also found that too much sleep can affect our mood, and may even be linked to cognitive decline. Most people need 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night.

Create a sleep-ready environment

Interruptions during sleep can impact our ability to encode memories. Ensuring that your sleep environment is quiet, dark, and distraction free can help prevent disturbances.

Avoid these for a better night’s sleep

Consuming coffee, eating late at night, alcohol consumption, and smoking all can impair sleep. Even doing intellectually stimulating work close to bedtime can have an effect — so aim to wind down activity and consumption of all of the above when you get ready for bed.

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Scanning diet soda drinkers’ brains

The University of San Diego study followed 24 young adults: half the group drank at least one serving of diet soda every day, while the other half avoided the artificially sweetened drinks. These adults were then hooked up to brain scanning equipment while scientists fed them water alternately flavored by natural and artificial sweeteners—then the researchers sat back and watched what unfolded in the brain.

The results, according to University of California San Diego researchers Green and Murphy, were pronounced: “[Diet soda drinkers] who consumed a greater number of diet sodas had reduced caudate head activation. These findings may provide some insight into the link between diet soda consumption and obesity.”

Artificial sweeteners confuse reward

A little bit of background: the caudate head is a part of the brain involved in signaling reward and controlling food intake—and its decreased activity in the brains of diet soda drinkers has substantial implications.

Researchers posit that consumption of diet soda had confused the reward loops normally processed by the caudate head: because sweetness was no longer a reliable indicator of incoming calories, the brain had trained itself to respond less in the face of sweet flavors. Unreliable sweet tastes threw off normal predictions about calories and energy in the changed brains of diet soda drinkers—making it more likely that these people would consume additional calories later in the day.

Small choices can affect your brain

This newest study is pretty preliminary; it’s difficult to say how drastically diet sodas can affect bigger questions of lifestyle and health based on such short-term brain activation patterns. Still, this recent investigation provides an interesting reflection on how choices and actions made in everyday life can powerfully influence the way your brain is wired—in other words, the concept of neuroplasticity.

We can’t always foresee the unintended negative responses our brain makes—who would have thought diet coke might do quite the opposite of what its name suggests?—but there are positive ways to harness your brain’s ability to change. Just a little Lumosity training every day, for example, can change your brain for the better: instead of confused reward signals, you could experience faster processing speed, quicker flexibility, and improved problem solving. Use Lumosity today and harness that power to change!

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Studies Cited:

Green, Erin and Claire Murphy. “Altered processing of sweet taste in the brain of diet soda drinkers.” Physiology & Behavior: May 2012.