Posts Tagged ‘computer training’
The folks at the Dakim BrainFitness System were kind enough to send a unit to me to use for a few days so that I could review their program. In the weeks since I sent it back to them, I’ve had some time to think about the program and I’m happy to say that it’s an excellent alternative to other computer-based brain fitness training programs.
Unlike most other programs, the Dakim System isn’t a software package that you have to install on your own computer. It arrives in a box, complete with a computer that’s already set up with the program. All you have to do is open up the box and plug in the computer.
And the computer that comes with the system is the most user-friendly machine I’ve ever seen. The initial set up is explained to you by the computer over speakers that are built in to the unit. And you don’t have to use a keyboard or a mouse to use the system. You just touch the screen to answer questions as the computer is set up. That’s also how you interact with the computer when you start the training program.
The training program includes a nice variety of tasks that tap attention, memory, and problem solving. The tasks use materials that are likely to be familiar to users over 50, such as movie clips from old films, and change quickly enough to keep you from getting bored. The unit can be connected to the Internet to get updated materials, so you will be able to use the System for a long time to come. The new material requires that you pay a monthly subscription, though, so that’s an extra cost of the system.
The program has multiple levels of difficulty, so you will be able to make steady progress as you work with it. The program is just right for many users over 50, but doesn’t include tasks that focus on working memory (remembering more than one thing at a time and then thinking about them) and it’s not clear to me how well it will help you develop processing speed (how fast you can take things in and make decisions about them). Other programs include these tasks, but in our experience they may be too difficult for many users. The Dakim System is likely to be accessible to almost every user.
Overall, then, the Dakim BrainFitness System is probably best suited for people who don’t already have a computer and don’t already know how to use a mouse and keyboard. The touch screen format makes the unit very easy to set up and use. The program content will give users a regular mental work out that will help them keep their brains working. I give the Dakim BrainFitness System an A+ for usability. The program content will help users keep the minds active, and will help you track your progress.
Update at 2:15 PM:The folks at Dakim point out to me that several of the subtests do, in fact, help train working memory. I stand corrected. They also let me know that they’re working on a speed of processing task for inclusion in a future update.
I’ve seen a lively discussion in some groups about the best ways to do brain training. The discussion revolves around not only what to do but also how long and how often someone should do the training.
As with most things about brain training, there isn’t much good research to guide you. As with learning almost anything, though, one reasonable strategy is to train for 20-30 minutes at least once a day. Twice a day is likely to improve the training effect, but it’s not clear by how much. It’s important not to do too much of one activity. Too much learning in one area without allowing yourself a break may result in interference in your learning.
You should also consider other factors in your training. The best software programs, for example, give you a number of choices in activities, and don’t to any one thing for very long. Although the free n-back training software is very good, some people may find it boring after 20 minutes a day over several weeks. You shouldn’t take your level of motivation for granted. It’s what will keep you training after the initial thrill of trying out cognitive training wears off.
One of the most publicized issues in brain fitness is computer-based training to help you improve your mental functions. Several companies advertise computer software programs to increase brain abilities. Some of these programs are pretty expensive, and when I’ve given talks to consumers I’m often asked whether they’re worth it.
Several studies have shown that computer training can improve mental abilities. It’s not clear that any one program is better than any other. Having worked with a number of these programs, I see some elements in common that I think are likely make them helpful.
Working with computers seems to help people develop sustained attention. When a computer is giving you new tasks like math problems every few seconds, you have to pay close attention for as long as you’re working. Some programs promote sustained attention to what you hear and others do it for what you see. Both modalities may be helpful.
Another cognitive ability that is improved by computer training is processing speed. Processing speed may be a key ability that underlies other mental abilities. We slow down as we age, but training is clearly effective in speeding us up.
One widely-cited study showed that a particular kind of working memory training (dual n-back task) improved performance on a measure of fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence is the kind that declines most drastically with age, so this finding is especially intriguing.
So if you’re interested in maintaining and improving your brain fitness, it makes sense to spend some time every day in computer-based activities that engage your attention and demand that you think quickly. You can use one of the expensive computer packages, but I think you are likely to get similar effects from less expensive and even free programs. See my computer training page for links to computer training programs, with my comments on each. Click here to go to the computer training page.
A lot of advertising today touts computer software for brain fitness or brain training activities. Some of the software is (relatively) inexpensive, and some costs a fair amount (for example, about $400 for one program). Several websites offer memberships that give you access to stimulating games and other training activities.
How do you decide what software you should use?
First, I think it’s important to remember that nothing has been shown to stop cognitive aging or to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Brain fitness, a brain gym, or any other cognitive fitness program may help you maintain your current level of function and may improve some specific skills, such as memory and thinking speed. These are important benefits and make brain fitness programs worth considering.
As for the software, as with many things, it depends. Some software programs have been subjected to more rigorous testing than have others. On the other hand, most brain fitness software programs have similar content. They often include activities that try to help you improve your working memory, your ability to think and react quickly, and your capacity to do several things at once. Some software programs have very original ways to improving your ability to do things. Posit Science’s new offering, Cortext, now includes a software program that helps you improve your visual attention to the world around. This program was developed by Dr. Karlene Ball at the University of Alabama, and has been shown to improve older driver’s skills. It’s called the Useful Field of View, or UFOV.
Some activities built in computer brain training software and often used in brain gyms are pretty much the same whether you’re using an inexpensive handheld trainer. Others, like the UFOV, are only available in a specific package. So whether one program or another is best for you may depend on what kind of memory or other cognitive problems you are having trouble with, and what you want to improve.
A recent article in the International Herald Tribune describes some of the available software programs, and some creative ways that some older adults are figuring out how to maintain their function. The author of the article quotes Dr. Gene Cohen, Director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University, who says that what’s essential is some activity to “challenge your brain.” (Click here to see the article.)
One man, for example, reads books upside down to improve his cognitive flexibility. Another man takes opportunities to memorize numbers he sees around him. The author quotes one of the persons in this article as saying “Smart people find new ways to exercise their brains that don’t involve buying software or taking expensive workshops.”
I would say there are three important issues in deciding whether you use brain fitness software or go to a brain gym.
- The first is whether you want an evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses to help you guide your work in the brain gym. A comprehensive assessment also will give you a baseline to help determine whether any of your abilities change over time.
- The second issue is whether you want to benefit from a specific training activity that is only available in a specific software package. Some people think doing the brain puzzles of Sudoku (a game that asks to do mental arithmetic across several parts of a puzzle) is helpful. You can do that in books you can buy at the grocery store, or you can do it in an inexpensive handheld gaming device such as the Nintendo DS. On the other hand, if you want to work on certain visual or auditory skills, some of the software programs may be a better bet.
- The third issue is whether you want the help, encouragement, and support you can get from the staff in a brain fitness program. Just as many people do well in working out in a gym they have in their home, others find that actually going to a health club helps them stick with their program. This may be especially true if you have a personal trainer or are in a group.
It’s a really “hot” topic, and an often-discussed topic: Can cognitive training on computer software help you improve your memory and stave off Alzheimer’s?
I think the answer to the first question may turn out to be at least a partial yes. I think it’s pretty clear that computer-based training can improve your memory. A lot of research has shown that older people can learn new things, just as younger people do. Sometimes the way older people who are taught may have to change, and sometimes older people need a little more help, but older people can learn new things. My colleague, Dr. Sara Czaja at the Center on Aging here at the University of Miami, has shown that older adults can learn how to do diverse jobs such as entering data on a computer or working with a computer to answer customers’ questions about their insurance policies. Another colleague in the Center, Dr. David Loewenstein, has also shown that even people with memory problems can improve their memory.
A large, multi-center (done at several different locations) trial sponsored by the National Institute on Aging showed that certain kinds of cognitive training had significant effects on reasoning, memory, and psychomotor speed. Perhaps most exciting was the demonstration that some of these training effects were still evident after five years. More recently, several of the companies who sell cognitive or brain fitness software for brain gyms have shown that people who use the software may show improvements in memory and other abilities. I think it’s pretty safe to conclude that older adults can benefit from cognitive training.
Will doing the training keep you from getting Alzheimer’s disease, or from getting memory problems if you don’t already have them? That’s really a good question, but as in many cases, there isn’t a very good answer. Just as cognitive reserve (see my post from April 25 for more about cognitive reserve: click here) may mean it takes longer for someone to have recognizable memory problems, cognitive training may work in much the same way. We know that a lot of the people who participate in cognitive training activities feel that they are helpful.
I think computer-based cognitive training may be very useful in helping participants feel that they understand how their mind works and better able to cope with daily challenges to remember things and solve problems. And as far as we know, there are few or no side effects of computer-based training.
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I saw an interesting blog post yesterday evening on the site of the Huffington Post about the potential benefits of meditation – or at least about what one woman thinks might be the benefits. (more…)
Although many people are excited about the potential for using computers to train their brains, we shouldn’t forget that other techniques have been used to the train the brain for many centuries. I’m thinking about the large number of techniques for meditation. While free computer software still requires an investment in a computer, meditation only asks you to sit or lie quietly and focus your mind.
A recently-published study shows parts of the brain in long-term meditators are larger than the same parts of the brain in people who don’t meditate. The article by Eileen Luders and her colleagues appeared in a recent issue of the journal Neuroimage (Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 672-678, April 15, 2009). The study showed that portions of the orbitofrontal cortex and the hippocampus were larger in persons who had been regular meditators for 5 or more years. The study is interesting because the parts of the brain that were larger are often thought to be important in helping people keep themselves emotionally balanced.
A number of strategies are likely to be helpful for meditators. There has been a great deal of interest over the last several years in mindfulness meditation. Researchers have studied how it can be used in reducing anxiety and depression. Mindfulness is based on Buddhist meditation (for a brief article, click here) but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to practice meditation. In fact, one of the most important persons who has promoted mindfulness is Jon Kabat-Zinn, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts. You can see a video presentation by him on YouTube by clicking here.