CogniFit's blog

We are pleased to announce that you can access your CogniFit program in different languages. You can use the program in French where brain fitness can be referred to as “jeux d’entraînement cérébral”, in German “Gehirntraining”, in Italian “Allenamento per la mente” and in Spanish “Juegos para el cerebro”

Computers Boost Brain Plasticity

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:53:30 -0400

New studies are showing how computers can boost brain plasticity with patients who suffer from mental illnesses for example. Brain plasticity the brain’s ability to make new connections and function more efficiently, the more connections your brain makes the better it work for you.

So as science identifies more ways to increase brain plasticity it can help a lot of people. In this particular study they focused on computer training programs that are designed specifically to increase cognitive abilities. There was one study conducted on people who suffered from schizophrenia and another study focused on people who had other mental illnesses.

Each set of patients did computer activities designed to focus on the front area of the brain. The past 20 years have seen major advances in neuroscience research and we have learned much more about the mechanics of the brain and the changes it goes through in a lifetime.

In the group of people with schizophrenia the doctors used 31 patients with a longstanding history with the disease as well as 15 healthy control patients so they could compare the difference. The patients received 80 hours of intensive computer training in the laboratory. In the first round of MRI reality monitoring they did a word association test.

The healthy people showed increased functionality when recalling these words. The people with schizophrenia showed no increased brain plasticity. After the training the patients with schizophrenia identified a much larger amount of words and showed significantly more brain activity when doing it. The study was completed over a 16 week period the more computer training tasks the patients did the more they started to catch up with the healthy patients in terms of processing and brain plasticity. Also by the end of the study their social functioning was very much improved also.

The same results were found with the other patients. The scientists with this study used the Stroop test to measure attention, flexibility and functioning during an MRI. These patients as well showed an increase in brain plasticity and functioning after using computer brain training programs. In addition one of the more startling findings was that the mind at rest also saw increases in activity. With the healthy group and at rest mind went into a decline of activity.

The other unexpected finding is though there as increase in brain plasticity there was no increase in grey and white matter. The scientists attributed this to the natural decline of plasticity seen in patients. Today we have new technique that can help maintain and improve brain health of individuals through brain training. Leveraging brain plasticity, brain training has been proven to be an important tool to have a healthy lifestyle.

Through computers and online programs, you can actually leverage that plasticity of your mind to exercise the cognitive abilities that are important for your daily life. Memory, concentration and other abilities need to be maintained as long as possible and can be even further improved over time. Thanks to computer, the world today can remain even healthier and even sharper!

Being Overweight May Lead to Decreased Cognition

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:41:35 -0400

A new study asks the question does a big belly lower your cognition. A Korean study suggests that it might. We all know being overweight is unhealthy in general. It can wreak havoc on your heart, joints and many other key body functions. Little was known before now though about how it affects the brain.

The study consisted of 250 adults age 60 or older and was designed to see if there is a link between obesity and cognitive decline. Prior to the study the researchers calculated the participant’s BMI or Body Mass Index and used scans to check cognition based tests. Subjects with the highest BMI performed the worst on the cognitive skills test.

The biggest association seemed to be with people with large amounts of visceral fat which is fat found around the torso otherwise known as belly fat. The results suggest that with extra belly fat people could be at a higher risk for brain diseases such as dementia. Oddly there was less of a link with obesity and lower cognitive skills in the people over 70 compared to the people between 60-70.

Although researchers are not 100% sure the difference about the age groups they believe is based on the fact that people by that age who have dementia likely would have lost a lot of weight. The conclusion is that by decreasing obesity you decrease your chance of cognitive decline or risk of dementia.

The more the loss of cognition goes on the more likely people are to suffer long term problems. There are many reasons to not be obese but considering how important the brain is for day to day functioning keep your brain fit may be the best reason of all to lose weight.

There have been many general health activities that have lead to a healthier brain and better cognition. Some of those other things include physical activities and eating right. Overall the healthier you are the more likely you will not deal with a loss of cognition or dementia later in life.

Cognition refers to mental processes the brain goes through. These processes can include things like remembering, producing or understanding language and solving problems and making decisions. Cognition can be conscious or unconscious and can also be called cognitive process or cognitive skills. The better your cognition is improved with things such as being a healthy weight, eating right and physical activity. When your cognition is improved you will become a better thinker and processing information will be easier for you.

Leveraging existing brain games and other serious brain training tasks, you can actually also assess yourself and all your important cognitive abilities. When you know where you are standing, you can then decide to train on these core cognitive skills and improve them over time. This is a key part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a sharp brain over time.

It is proven that you can improve your quality of life by remaining sharp and maintaining a good level of cognitive health and development.

Magical Facts About Brain Parts And Brain Functions

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0400

We have heard about brain plasticity at one point or the other and its effect on our brain function and the different brain parts. Brain plasticity does not mean that the brain is made of plastic. Rather, brain plasticity refers to the neuroplasticity of our brain. Our brains reorganize themselves which makes them to keep changing. Brain reorganization has to do with the newly formed connections between one brain cell and the other. The brain cells are referred to as neurons.

Brain plasticity occurs due to a collection of factors including our activities, our learning and environmental factors. Additionally, brain plasticity may be caused by a brain injury resulting to a loss of a few brain functions. The brain is able to relocate the lost functions to another healthy place.

For, instance, if an individual experiences a brain injury that makes him or her to be unable to move their hands; the hand movement can be restored through simulation and practice. This implies that the brain gradually shifts the functions and commands related to this activity to another healthy region within it. Moreover, it is amazing to know that in our entire adulthood, we learn new things and when doing this enhances our brain plasticity.

Majority of us have this misconception that, inter-neural connections remain static with aging. However, this is not true. New connections between our neurons continue even if we age and continue to learn new things. When an individual attempts to continue to grow his/her expertise in a given field, the particular area of the brain which is concerned with the field continues to grow and hence facilitates the learning. Research has also proved that people who know multiple languages have more brain plasticity than the rest.

This also applies to individuals that like getting involved in providing solutions to mathematical problems. Also, painters, poets and artists who utilize their creativity and imagination tend to have more brain plasticity than others. There are those people that have an interest in mind games like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc. For these game players, new inter-neural connections continue to develop resulting to the strengthening of the specific areas associated with these mind games.

Research has also shown that brain plasticity is more common in musicians than non-musicians. Cortex volume has been found to be high among professional musicians. On the other hand, amateur musicians have intermediate cortex volume and the non-musicians have the lowest volume, so far.

Brain plasticity and brain function can be improved by those who prefer to learn abstract things. This is made possible because of the learning functions and memory retrieval involved in the process of learning abstract things. There are a few forms of brain plasticity that are worth mentioning. The first one is synaptic plasticity which is concerned with the way people learn and retain new information. The second one is neurogenesis.

This has to do with the ability of the brain to create brain new cells as a way of replacing the dead ones in several brain parts. It can also be helpful in retaining the function of the brain.

Attaining One’s Dreams May Be Determined by Brain Fitness

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0400

The ability to conduct simple daily activities is hinged on brain fitness. Balance and co-ordination and other locomotive functions are all the brain’s doing. Apart from the physical, intellectual functions like planning and decision making require a perfectly working brain. Factors that challenge brain fitness include poor diet, depression and drugs. Lack of exercise; both physical and mental exercise, result in low brain fitness.

Poor diet may either refer to malnourishment or the taking of unhealthy foods. Malnourishment deprives the brain of essential energy and causes significant reduction in cognitive functions. Lack of water is especially known to cause the brain to shrink. If prolonged, poor feeding will not only cause low brain fitness but also irreversible brain damage. Foods with a lot of fat on the other hand will increase the risk of blood clots and aneurism. Even before such blockage occurs, the brain fitness will decline due to poor circulation and low oxygen.

Exercising has been proven to not only increase cardiovascular fitness but also influences brain fitness. Physical exercise increases circulation and removes harmful toxins through sweat. It is also regarded as a stress remover which contributes to the brain’s overall health. After a hearty exercise session, an individual releases endorphins which help in better oxidation and hormone balance. Stress and depression cause poor brain fitness and may deteriorate to diseases like dementia and schizophrenia. Brain fitness must therefore start with good physical and mental health.

The right diet should be taken as well as the right medicine. To deal with depression or emotional instability, it is recommended that the individual should seek therapy and other support systems. Next the subject should indulge in brain fitness activities that boost memory and mental manipulation. These may be in the form of games and puzzles.

Simple habits such as reading and activities that require calculation will greatly increase brain fitness. Brain fitness does not only mean increasing one’s intelligence quotient, but also increasing emotional intelligence. This means that one must be able to interact with people meaningfully without buckling under social pressure.

Being socially cognitive enables one to sustain important relationships. Social interaction requires one to process a lot of information and those with impaired brain fitness find this difficult to do. Developmental disorders such as child abuse and autism adversely affect cognitive social behavior. Some of the brain’s impressive abilities are taken for granted in everyday life.

These are such as facial recognition and voice recognition. Such unconscious processes are not subject to brain fitness training but are considered to be innate. A brain fitness program is designed only to improve cognitive function only. The exercises are important to combat the threat of dulling of these functions by malaise and aging.

Memory is usually the first victim of mental impairment which throws all other cognitive functions off balance. The restoration of brain fitness often requires a concerted effort of socializing, exercise, brain training, diet and supplements. It may also need a specialist for specific problems or a coach to aid with one’s progress in the neuroscience field.

Unleash Your Full Potential With Brain Training

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:49:52 -0400

The brain is what sets aside the human being as a highly adaptive and dynamic species. Unfortunately many do not attain their full potential due to lack of brain training. From childhood, the brain works on a use or lose policy.

The average human being uses a small part of its full potential. Modern conveniences and audiovisual entertainment may be partly to blame for this growing concern. It is documented that the brain functions less when watching television than when the body is fast asleep. The need for brain training has never been more necessary than in this generation.

The brain has its cognitive functions mainly in the frontal lobe. This is where most of the conscious processing and learning takes place. Mind training can be said to occur in this region.

Buddhism specifies the frontal lobe as the site for meditation and the channel of enlightenment. In truth meditation has a strong correlation with scientific mind training. It would seem the ancients had some insights into neurotransmission and the physiology of frontal lobe glands.

The mind can be divided into the conscious and the unconscious functions. Instructions that regulate the functions of the organs are transmitted from the brain via the nervous system. With brain training, the mind is able to consciously influence these functions including heart rate and metabolism.

Cases have been recorded whereby a person can consciously regulate his own body temperature. These examples reveal the limitless abilities that can be tapped into with brain training. The most important element in brain training is memory. There is short term and long term memory which are accessed when making everyday decisions. Low performance at home, work and school is mainly caused by poor memory and poor reflexes.

Just like a muscle, the brain must be conditioned if it is expected to perform optimally. Examples of everyday brain training are crossword puzzles and quizzes. Surprisingly, video games are good for the alertness of the brain and for reflexes. They increase decision-making and problem solving mainly because they are more interactive than television.

The conscious brain functions at a relatively low rate as compared to the unconscious brain. Everyday cognitive abilities are processed by the unconscious. They help everybody recognize the things that are obvious but also things that are not so obvious. Braining training can enhance even this covert operation of the brain.

The unconscious also accesses long term and working memory but mostly uses the immediate observations to draw conclusions. It may be referred to as the root of the gut feeling or intuition.

Brain training will enable a person to make conscious decisions with more accuracy and less iteration. Indecision and low performance may be brought on by a number of things. It may be from stress, exhaustion, depression or lack of practice. To recover and maintain optimum performance, it is advisable to enroll in a scientific brain training exercise. The training may be general or specific to a desired task. Brain training improves one’s control of his circumstances and thereby boosts confidence.

Alzheimer’s Disease Its Symptoms And Potential Treatments

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00:06 -0400

Alzheimer’s is a serious disease of the brain. While it typically affects older people, it is a progressive and generally irreversible disease which has serious consequences for the victims and their families and can also touch younger people even if it is very rare.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very difficult condition not only for the patients but also for the family and loves ones around them. Today, we have still not find any successful treatments that can cure completely the disease. Let’s discuss some of the causes, symptoms and treatments for this devastating illness.

It is not generally known why some people become affected with Alzheimer’s. Genetics may play a role or even lifestyle. But if the disease does develop, it creates physical changes to the brain which has significant long-term impacts. If someone is affected by Alzheimer’s, they generally gradual changes in mental function. The disease itself causes the brain cells to function in a degrading fashion and eventually causes them to wither and die.

Over time the volume of the brain actually decreases with serious impacts. In the early stages of the disease, the patient tends to exhibit bouts of forgetfulness. They may forget information like names, addresses or appointments. This is sometimes seen as having a senior moment. But as the disease progresses, the impacts become more severe. Over time the person will forget more significant information such as their names, address, etc. Eventually they will not recognize loved ones or even who they are.

There is no cure for this difficult disease. However a number of treatments have been developed over the years to help to slow the progression of this disease. There are a number of drug therapies which have been shown to slow down the deterioration and help to retain a good quality of life to its sufferers for many years than previously thought. And there are promising new developments which will hopefully provide an effective cure and prevent the degradation of mental functions which normally occurs from this disease even if as of today no final treatment has been found.

A number of exciting clinical trials are underway and there is great hopes that in the coming year we will find an effective solutions for this very difficult disease which impact not only the mental health of individuals but can also affect all the people around them. In the mean time other techniques are being employed to help to teach sufferers to challenge and optimize their existing mental capacities in order to provide the best quality of life possible.

These may employ brain plasticity and help to reinforce and form new neural pathways. The importance of diet and mental exercise is also applied to help to minimize the impacts of this disease and even avoid its formation. So while this is very much a serious problem for many sufferers and their families, there are a number of promising treatments which may offer hope in terms of delaying the progression of the disease or even reversing its impact. There are many useful resources to help provide information and support to individuals and their families who are suffering from this difficult disease.

Why Your Brain Parts Are So Critical

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0400

The brain is thought as the most complex organ in our bodies. It controls virtually everything we do, our organs and allows us to process information and perceive the world around us in an amazing manner. The brain itself is made up of many brain parts which individually perform certain key functions which are vital to our life. Let’s review this further.

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It is most closely associated with higher brain functions and critical thought. This is the part of the brain which is much larger than other animal’s brains similar in size to us. It is what gives us our unique mental abilities and our ability to think.

Within the cerebrum are other parts which have specialized functions. For example the front lobe of the cerebrum is associated with reasoning, speech, movement, emotions and problem solving skills among others.

The parietal lobe is associated with movement, balance, and perception of stimuli. The occipital lobe is most closely associated with visual processing. And the temporal lobe is associated with perception and the ability to recognize auditory stimuli. It also controls memory and speech.

The cerebrum is also split into two halves. The right half of the cerebrum controls many functions on the left side of your body. And the same thing occurs with the right half of your cerebrum. The latest studies are showing that still we need to have those two parts, or two hemispheres, working together for a proper functioning of our brain. For example, creativity needs the two parts of the brain to work together and not only one part as we usually define how the brain works.

Mind exercise can help you train your cognition and can improve the functioning of the two parts. The ability to process, organize, store and retrieve information is largely performed by the cerebrum. So you can thank this brain part for allowing you to remember many aspects of your fifth year birthday party even though it may have occurred many years earlier. As you may know, your memory is a key aspect of your life and you want to do everything you can to preserve it in a good condition for the long run.

The cerebellum is another key brain part. It is also referred to as the little brain. This brain part plays a critical role in movement as well as posture and balance. This is the part which allows you to regain your balance if something happens to through it off. So if you are an accomplished skier or surfer, you can thank your cerebellum for helping you to stay on your feet.

The limbic system is that part of the brain which seems to control emotion. It is an older part of the brain, meaning that other parts seem to have evolved more recently. And another key brain part is the brain stem portion. This is most primitive part of the brain and is very much involved in automatic functions. This includes things like heartrate, breathing rate, perspiration, temperature control, etc. Many of the functions which the brain stem controls are done without any kind of conscious thought or effort.

Introduction To Different Brain Functions

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:00:06 -0400

Most of us would agree that our brain is an amazing organ. It controls virtually every part of our bodies and allows us to learn and process complex information almost instantaneously and easily. The brain is also the organ that consumes the most energy of our body. It is said that the brain is composed of 100 billions neurons (latest study put that number to 70 billions).

It is also a very fragile organ and any injury could have a dramatic impact on the cognitive and intellectual abilities of the concerned individual. Understanding the different brain parts is key to better understand your brain and ultimately yourself. So let’s explore brain function in different areas of our minds.

The cerebral cortex is a very large portion of our brain. It is the outermost layer and allows us to analyze sensory data like sight and sound. It also controls many memory functions and helps us to learn new information and make decisions. The frontal lobe is another very critical part of our brain. It plays a critical role in cognition and memory.

The prefrontal area of the frontal lobe provides us with the ability to concentrate. It is also called the Gatekeeper since it provides us with judgment and inhibition. This area also controls and influences many personality and emotional traits. This area of our brain also plays a very important role in controlling our movements and in balance. We could not stand or walk otherwise. And our ability to speak is controlled in this area of our brains as well.

The parietal lobe helps us to keep our bodies in balance as well as process sensory information. And the occipital lobe is a critical area which provides us with the ability to discriminate visual information. Without this function, we might be able to discern an object but we would have no idea what it was or what it meant. The temporal lobe is the area most closely associated with language and response to auditory stimuli. It is also the area where memory is accessed and processed.

The hypothalamus performs some automatic functions such as regulation of body temperature and endocrine function. And it can control a stress function such as a fight or flight response. This area can also control appetite and it is the pleasure center of our brains. The thalamus is the processing center of the cortex. It controls both automatic functions as well as some controlled functions such as affection.

Our ability to assess and understand different functions of the brain has developed and improved over many years. Scientists have amassed a great deal of knowledge in these areas. However there is still much to be learned. And there have been many instances where certain areas of the brain which have been damaged can have other areas retrained to perform the same functions.

In any case this research and study has helped us to better understand how different areas of our brain function and how they can be affected by a variety of circumstances and situations. For example, brain training can have a great impact on your brain and cognitive abilities. New research has shown that a healthy brain is a fundamental aspect of a healthy lifestyle.

New Developments and Hope Around Brain Injury

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:47:05 -0400

The brain is truly an amazing organ and it is responsible for controlling virtually every part of our bodies while at the same processing information and enabling us to respond and experience the world around us. It is a very complex organ. But it is also an extremely sensitive organ that is protected only by our skull.

Brain injury can have tremendous and devastating impacts on the way we live our life and function everyday. However recent advances in medical science offer hope to some victims of serious injury. Let’s discuss this further.

As indicated earlier the brain is very susceptible to injury and is very fragile. It is protected from most types of injury because it is surrounded and protected with a hard bony structure called the skull. In addition the brain floats within the skull and is protected from normal movement. However if the brain suffers a more serious injury, there can be many consequences.

A common type of serious injury can occur with a car accident for example. In that case the skull can be impacted or suffer a large blunt force. Other type of accidents is when practicing violent sports where you are not well protected. The skull can be impacted and even broken.

Or in the case of a bullet wound, an object can actually pierce through the skull and enter the brain which can obviously have much more serious conditions (even if a simple accident can be a dramatic event for your brain). But even if the skull is not pierced, serious injury can occur with a blunt force trauma. In this case the brain can suffer a large force which causes it to impact the inside of the skull.

At the point of impact the brain suffers an injury and swells. Since the volume within the skull is fixed, pressure builds on the brain and can cause either further injury. If the brain becomes damages, it can result in death to certain areas of the brain due to clotted blood vessels which disrupts the supply of blood to critical area. There are also many other kinds of damage which can occur.

The damage to certain areas of the brain can result in many problems. It can result in paralysis of movement or speech. Or there can be significant long term impacts in one’s ability to perform certain mental functions easily like critical thought, language or visual processing. However recent medical developments offer hope to some victims.

There have been a variety of surgical techniques which can help to correct some of the damage suffered from injuries. In addition a number of treatments have been used to help to train other undamaged areas of the brain to take over certain functions that were previously controlled by the damaged sections.

At the same time many of these techniques can take time and a great deal of effort. But there have been some impressive results and scientists and researchers are working very hard to improve the techniques used to help people who are suffering from the effects of brain injury. There are also brain games that you can use to train your cognitive abilities which might have been impacted by the injury. In any case, it is important to try to maintain a healthy lifestyle to try to recover from that injury.