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How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter

How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarte r Do you sometimes find it difficult to remember where you left your keys or par...


How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter


Do you sometimes find it difficult to remember where you left your keys or

parked your car? Perhaps it takes you longer to study for a driving test or

recall the words to a favorite song than it did a few years ago. It's easy to

assume that these types of incidents are just a natural part of the aging

process. Although cognitive decline is associated with age, studies are

beginning to show that training the brain with mental exercises can provide an

increase in mental focus and memory at any age.




Brain Training Can Reverse Mental Decline

In a recent study, targeting regions of a rat's brain that process sound

with certain stimuli caused a decrease in age-related mental impairment. Other

studies have shown that certain types of cognitive training can actually

“rewire” brain circuits. Starting with middle age, gradual changes in the brain

begin to affect mental processing. Due to these recent studies, leading experts

are now beginning to think that this process is no longer permanent and can

perhaps be reversed. As higher numbers of people age with the baby boomer

generation, these findings are encouraging. Scientists are now beginning to study

the effectiveness of different strategies to train the brain and improve mental

function.



How to Train the Brain

Training the brain can be compared to practicing a musical instrument. If

someone stops practicing the piano for a year, that person will notice their

skills on the instrument start to decline. Exercises that allow the brain to

practice memory and cognitive skills effectively will allow the brain to

improve its processing mechanisms and function more efficiently over time. An

innovative new product called Lumosity is a web-based product designed to

enhance memory and attention skills through use of a personalized program to

systematically train your brain. Developed in San Francisco by a team of

neuroscience experts and cognitive psychologists from Stanford, Berkeley and

Columbia, Lumosity uses a variety of games and exercises to improve memory,

attention and cognitive function. The system tracks your progress online,

giving feedback and developing a program for improvement. As you begin to improve,

it systematically modifies the program so that you continue to develop and

enhance your mental skills.



Understanding the Benefits of Training the Brain

Lumosity has been shown in several recent clinical trials to improve basic

cognitive skills. In one recent clinical study, a group of students from 40

different schools participated in a study using Lumosity in the classroom. In

this study, the students who used Lumosity training to supplement their

curricula scored significantly higher on a battery of cognitive assessment

tests than the control group. Other studies have shown than using the Lumosity

program improves math skills as well as sustained visual attention skills. The

Lumosity company says that users have reported sharper memory skills, faster

thinking ability, better concentration, enhanced job performance, increased

confidence and much more.




It's free to set up an account at Lumosity, and a free basic subscription

allows access to a trial of the Lumosity games and features. A subscription

allows full access to all features, including all games, progress tracking

tools and training exercises.






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