Targeted Cognitive Exercises Improve Mental Abilities

Training with cognitive exercises can improve targeted mental functions, conclude the authors of a review article published recently in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.  The authors (Kathryn Papp and Stephen Walsh from the University of Connecticut and Peter Snyder from Brown University) reviewed ten randomized controlled trials involving cognitive training interventions in healthy adults published since 1992.  They find that specific abilities such as memory, reasoning, and speed of processing can be improved through targeted training programs.  This is an important conclusion, and it is consistent with the growing evidence in support of the effectiveness of cognitive training.

The authors point out that the benefits of cognitive training tend to be specific to the trained domain.  So, if you want improved memory — train on games designed to improve memory.  If you want improved attention — train with attention games, and so on.  The relationship to physical exercise is apparent.  If you want big biceps — do curls.  If you want ripped abs — do sit ups.  Lumosity was designed with these principles in mind.  This is why the site contains over 30 games targeting cognitive functions spanning speed of processing, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem solving — a complete gym for the brain.

It is also clear from this review that there is still much to learn.  Few of the studies have follow-up testing longer than a few months, and many of them lack measures of real-world benefits such as activities of daily living.  However, where longer follow-ups and real-world benefits are measured, benefits are seen to be long lasting and quite general.  For example, in the ACTIVE study of cognitive training in normal healthy older adults, benefits to activities of daily living are seen 5 years after the training intervention ended.

While there is still much to learn, the weight of the evidence is showing that cognitive training can be highly effective when properly designed and executed.

Looking For A Memory Workout? Test Our New Games!

Gift lists, driving directions, the order of ingredients for Grandma’s spiced eggnog: the holidays can really test your memory! Why not spruce up your memory and help us put the finishing touches on two of our newest games at the same time?

Play Face Workout and Rhyme Workout, and then let us know what you think by clicking the link at the bottom of the score screen at the end of each game!

Two New Math Storm Games

Ready to give your arithmetic and quantitative reasoning skills a workout? Think you’ve mastered Addition Storm and Subtraction Storm? Make sure you’ve got an umbrella handy, and get ready for our two new Math Storm games.

For a limited time, Division Storm and Multiplication Storm are free to play for all members. What are you waiting for?

Coming Soon: More BPIs!

You’ve been playing our new Lumosity games, and we’ve been working behind the scenes to collect data and generate BPI (Brain Performance Index) scales for them. Now we’re gearing up to integrate some of our more recent games into the BPI system on our site.

So what does all this mean for you?

As you play some of our newer Lumosity games, you may notice adjustments to your overall BPI, brain area BPIs (such as Memory and Attention), attribute BPIs (such as Visual Field and Focus) as well as individual game BPI histories. For example, playing Memory Match Overload will now affect your BPI for that individual game as well as for the larger categories it is a part of. Lumosity subscribers can check their Memory Match Overload BPI history at any time by logging into lumosity.com, accessing “Your Profile,” clicking on the “History” tab,  selecting “Memory,” clicking the “Working Memory” attribute, and choosing “Memory Match Overload” from the drop-down box. Because Memory Match Overload is a Working Memory game, playing it will affect the BPI for the Working Memory attribute and the more expansive Memory category, as well as your overall BPI. You can check your category and attribute BPI history from the History section within “Your Profile.”

Don’t be discouraged if your overall BPI drops a bit after playing one of our newer games: like all Lumosity activities, practice will lead to improvement, and eventually, a higher BPI. We’ll be integrating games into our BPI system during the upcoming weeks, starting with Memory Match Overload.

We’ll make sure to update this post each time we add another game to our BPI system, so keep checking back!

And as always, if you’re curious about how we calculate BPI scales, or could use a refresher, you can learn more about it here.

UPDATE 12/07/09

BPIs have been added for Playing Koi and Brain Shift Overdrive. Why not play them now?

Intelligence Training Comes to Lumosity

Can you actually become more intelligent?  For years, neuroscientists thought that this basically didn’t happen.  According to this view, you can take in more information and learn new things, but you can’t really become “more intelligent.”  Recent research conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan shows that this old view is probably dead wrong.

Susanne Jaeggi, Martin Buschkuehl, and their colleagues at Michigan did a study looking at what happens when people play a challenging working memory task called Dual N-Back.  They found that after training on this task for 25 minutes a day for a few weeks, the young adults in their study actually scored much better on tests of fluid intelligence – the ability to creatively solve new problems.  Fluid intelligence is part of standard IQ tests, so we can say that these subjects actually increased their intelligence following this training.

The Dual N-Back training is now available (free for a limited time) on Lumosity!  We have worked closely with Dr. Jaeggi and Dr. Buschkuehl to create a version of the Dual N-Back training that replicates what was used in their earlier study.  And, we’re going to support their ongoing research by hosting the program which will be used in their studies of intelligence training going forward.

Try it for yourself, but be warned: this training is not for the faint of heart. It’s hard! But the effort is worth it. After you’ve started, why not share your experiences with other users in our dual n-back forum?

Rev up your arithmetic with Subtraction Storm

It’s raining cupcakes! But don’t worry, we brought enough to share. In Subtraction Storm, you’ll train arithmetic by solving subtraction equations and keeping the cupcakes from hitting the ground.

Give it a try and send some feedback our way; it’s free to all members for a limited time only!

Tell Us Your Story and Be Entered to Win a Lumosity Lifetime Membership

We love hearing stories about how Lumosity has improved our users’ cognitive abilities and changed their lives. If you have a Lumosity story to share, submit it here: http://www.lumosity.com/testimonials.

Here’s an example of a touching testimonial that we recently received from Dr. David Darbro. Dr. Darbro suffered from a stroke in 2005, and he now uses Lumosity to regain lost mental function.

“Imagine not being able to speak … you are driving home one night when suddenly out of the blue your speech becomes gibberish….then imagine what it would be like to not be able to remember what number comes after 1,2,3,4,…. That description describes what I experienced in 2005. A week or so after I went into atrial fibrillation I had a stroke that hospitalized me.

Ever since that time I have been working to regain lost mental function. Knowing that about my history hopefully allows you to understand my enthusiasm for your program. Lumosity provides me with a guide that is helping me restore lost cognitive function I suffered on that night in July 2005. Lumosity’s method for cognitive improvement contains games that are fun to take; challenge one’s mental performance; and at the same time encourage one to excel and outdo one’s previous best score.

It has been said that “no pain no gain” is as true in training the body as it is in training the brain. I believe there is some truth to that saying, and is why I work diligently taking these exercises daily and drive myself and sweat over them. The investment in time and effort required to blow out the mental cobwebs is yielding rewards. Exercising my brain to improve my mental status provides me with the confidence to go about my life. I know that nothing great is accomplished without hard work. And I also know that “if you don’t use it you will lose it.” I believe the Lumosity mental tests are keeping me from “losing it”. The tests aim at improving skill in attention, memory, speed, mental flexibility, and problem solving. These five basic skills are needed if we are to function well in today’s fast paced life. Not only am I regaining mental skills during my refreshing mental workout, but also my daily progress is documented. This documentation provides an objective measure of my brain’s healing. I can document the fact that I am regaining previously lost mental function. I am most thankful.

As a medical physician who is oriented to wellness I have a passion to help my patients and others regain lost function as I have done. Because mental functioning comprises a huge part of wellness I purpose to recommend your service to my patients and others. In short, the Lumosity method is a program of mental training that provides we members with a delightful way to prepare for whatever challenges life may have in store during our brief pilgrimage above sod. Thank you all for making this service available to us all.”

- Dr. David Darbro

Dr. David Darbro, Age 73

Tell us YOUR story! 

Submit your story by 11 PM PST on Saturday, October 31st, you’ll be automatically entered to win a Lumosity Lifetime Membership. One Lumosity Lifetime Membership will be awarded to one winner selected by a random drawing from all testimonials received during the month of October 2009. The winner will be notified via email by 12 PM PST on Friday, November 6th. This promotion is void where prohibited by law.

Improve your Planning skills with Route to Sprout

What are you planning for? Whether you’re making arrangements for a trip to the grocery store, a weekend getaway, or a year abroad, chances are you’re making plans for something. But if we plan ahead so frequently, why do our best laid plans so often go awry?

From a cognitive perspective, “planning” can actually involve several brain attributes, including working memory, spatial recall, and logical reasoning. With all of these things in play, it’s no wonder that choosing your next few moves in a game of chess can seem like a monumental task.

That’s why we’ve designed Route to Sprout, a new game that challenges you to move a seed to its planting hole using the most efficient path you can find. If you take the time to figure out the optimal route, you’ll earn extra points and give your planning skills a workout at the same time.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think!