by Allison Holllis,
Pharm.D., PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, University of Maryland Medical
Center
Ever have
trouble recalling the location of objects, remembering people’s names soon
after they’ve introduced themselves, maintaining focus on important tasks all
day, calculating figures in your head, or determining the best course of
action? Of course you have. We all have! We’ve spent years cramming entirely too much
information into our heads and will spend the rest of our lives digging through
the trenches of our brains trying to pull out stored information. If only there
was a fun app to help keep our minds sharp, recall important information at the
drop of a hat, improve our attention span, and increase our problem solving ability.
Maybe there is!
LumosityTM is a web-based application that presents a variety of game-like exercises with
the intent of improving your cognitive abilities. According to the Lumosity
website, setting aside a few minutes each day to complete the tasks provided on
their app can make you "smarter, sharper, and brighter."1 The exercises designed by the folks a
Lumosity are intended to improve specific brain functions such as sustaining
attention, thinking before acting, visual and auditory processing, listening
and reading. Can playing games improve
your brain power? Sounds too good to be
true! Does brain training really work?
The evidence is controversial.
A 2008 study
by the psychologist Susanne Jaeggi found that memory training increased
intelligence and implied that a person could boost their IQ by a full point per
hour of training.2 However, when a group of psychologists working at
Georgia Tech tried to replicate the findings, with tougher controls, there was
no evidence that it increased intelligence.3
A group
of researchers in San Francisco examined whether Lumosity led to improvements
in visual attention and working memory. Participants were given initial cognitive assessments,
randomly assigned to a training intervention group or waitlist control group,
and then cognitive assessments where performed again following the intervention
periods.4 The training
intervention consisted of cognitive exercise sessions (20 minutes per day)
using the Lumosity app. They found that the trained group improved
significantly over the control group in the areas of visual acuity and working
memory.
Could
these brain games be useful in people with dementia and other cognitive
impairments? A 2013 study of brain training
exercises in older adults with mild cognitive deficits found no statistically
significant difference in the treatment and control groups. But there was a trend toward better
performance in the treatment group in those with the least impairment at
baseline.5
The
largest study ever conducted on brain training involved 11,430 participants who trained several times each week on cognitive tasks designed
to improve reasoning, memory, planning, visuospatial skills, and attention.6
Although improvements were observed performing
each of the cognitive tasks that participants were trained to do, there was no
evidence of transfer to tasks they were not trained to do — even tasks that are
cognitively related. The
researchers found that regular players of brain games got better at the games
themselves but did not experience marked improvement in fluid
intelligence (the ability to solve novel problems and adapt to new
situations). Researchers attributed the
improvements not to increasing memory and skills but rather to learning how to
play the games better and memorizing the answers.
Is there a role for brain training
and apps like Lumosity in our classrooms? Applications such as Lumosity can be
a fun way for students to engage in the learning process without even realizing
they are learning! Lessons like math, spelling, and vocabulary can be taught
via brain apps that quiz students and they can reinforce topics discussed in
class. Educators can also teach specific
skills by playing games. If these games
present realistic cognitive tasks that are reasonably similar those needed in
the “real world,” it can perhaps help students develop the necessary skills to
be better practitioners. Even if lessons
aren’t targeted toward specific skills that might be used in practice, brain-training
apps may be a useful way to help students build memory, perform calculations,
and remain focused.
So the next time you are having
trouble remembering where you left your keys or want to get better at Sudoku, consider
Lumosity (and similar cognitive training tools) to help train your brain. While it may or may not help you analyze
clinical trial data or make important life decisions, it’s a fun way to keep
you entertained during your next road trip!
References
1. Lumosity
[Internet]. [cited 2013 Sept 25]
2. Jaeggi S, Buschkuehl M, Jonides J,
Perrig W. Improving
fluid intelligence with training on working memory. PNAS Early Edition.
2008:10:1-5.
3. Redick TS, Shipstead Z, Harrison
TL, Hicks KL, Fried DR, Hambrick DZ, Kane MJ, Engle RW. No evidence of intelligence
improvement after working memory training: a randomized, placebo-controlled
study. J Exp Phychol Gen 2013:142:359-79.
4. Hardy J, Drescher D, Sarkar K,
Kellett G, Scanlon M. Enhancing
visual attention and working memory with a web-based cognitive training program.
Mensa Research Journal 2007: 42:13-20.
5. Zhuang JP, Fang R, Feng X, Xu XH,
Liu LH, Bai QK, Tang HD, Zhao ZG, Chen SD. The impact of human-computer
interaction-based comprehensive training on the cognitive functions of
cognitive impairment elderly individuals in a nursing home. J Alzheimers
Dis. 2013:1:36:245-51.
6. Owen AM, Hampshire A, Grahn JA,
Stenton R, Dajani S, Burns AS, Howard RJ, Ballard CG. Putting
brain training to the test. Naure 2010:456:775-8.
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