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Talk to our Scientists in the Brain Blog

Find out everything you've wanted to know and more about CogniFit brain fitness programs from our team of scientists. Or fill out the form and send us your own questions, comments and compliments.

03/08/2009 - 10:17am

Neuroplasticity Defined

One of the words you may come across when reading about the possibility of reversing age-related cognitive decline is “neuroplasticity.” If you’re interested in understanding brain fitness, it is important to understand exactly what it means.

03/08/2009 - 10:14am

Effective Brain Training

One of the most common questions people ask us is whether solving puzzles or playing computer games can help prevent or slow down cognitive decline. While any training is better than no training at all, research has proven that the key to an effective brain fitness program is its ability to maintain a sufficient level of challenge over a range of different activities.

03/08/2009 - 9:39am

CogniFit Assessment

When people ask about what makes CogniFit brain fitness programs so different from others, I usually tell them that there are many answers to that question.

And that’s true. But it really all begins with the assessment we provide before you start your training.

03/03/2009 - 3:03pm

What if I have disabilities? Can brain training help?

The answer is yes, absolutely. As long as you are able to control a computer mouse, and have sufficient vision and hearing capabilities, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of CogniFit brain fitness programs. Although they were originally designed to reduce the age-related cognitive decline that is a normal part of aging, they are also very effective at reducing and even reversing the cognitive decline that can be caused by illness or medications. People who have used CogniFit brain fitness programs demonstrated measurable cognitive improvement after only 8 hours of training.

02/19/2009 - 7:57pm

What brain functions “go” first and how would I notice?

Well, the good news is that not all functions deteriorate with age. The functions that were shown to be the most affected by age are reaction time (the ability to quickly react to stimuli around us), memory (primarily the ability to store information for a short period of time), and reasoning (the ability to solve complex problems). It is easy to notice a decline in these abilities simply by asking yourself how well you did a few years ago at basic memory tasks – such as remembering where you left your car keys – as compared to how you do now.

02/15/2009 - 7:56pm

I have a family member who seems to be slowing down mentally. When is it too late for someone to do brain training?

The answer is never. It’s never too early or too late to begin. Researchers now believe our brains can grow new neurons throughout our entire lives, so virtually can benefit to some degree from a brain training program. The Seattle longitudinal study followed a large group of individuals, who were their late 60’s, middle 70’s and early 80’s, for several decades. One of the interesting things the scientists who conducted it were able to show is that cognitive training proved effective for all three age groups.

02/08/2009 - 9:33am

What is the relationship between diet and brain function?

The accepted wisdom today is that proper nutrition can help improve and maintain brain functioning. Memory, alertness, and mood can all be affected by your nutritional choices. And while intelligence and mental functions are complex and involve many bodily systems and processes, there are a few key nutrients that appear help to boost your cognitive functioning. Prominent among those are omega 3, B vitamins, E vitamins, antioxidants, and iron.

02/04/2009 - 7:54pm

Does brain function vary more by age or gender?

As for age, it has been shown that mental abilities tend to improve until the 30's, stay pretty much at the same level until the 50's, and than decline. So generally speaking, when comparing a 30-year-old to an 80-year-old, we definitely expect to find differences in brain function, especially in short-term memory, reaction time, and attention. As for gender, scientists have been debating this issue for a long time. So far, no one has proven that there are systematic differences in cognition between males and females.

02/02/2009 - 7:54pm

How long will effects of my brain training last?

Brain training is a relatively new field, and just as with any new technology, scientists cannot determine whether the effects will last forever. We do know from our research that cognitive training has demonstrated improvement that has lasted up to 5 years after the training. So even though you have completed a training cycle of a baseline assessment, 24 training sessions, and a progress assessment, you should continue your training routine if you want to maintain and sustain your level of improvement.

01/18/2009 - 10:22pm

How often should I do brain fitness programs?

Based on our extensive research on over 100,000 people who have used CogniFit brain fitness programs, we recommend a training schedule of 3 20-minute sessions a week, with at least one day of rest between sessions. Maintaining this routine assures that you receive a sufficient amount of brain training while still allowing the brain time to rest and absorb the benefit of each workout. Since each and every one of us is unique, it is possible that you may feel that this routine is not enough for you.

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