Over the past couple years, people have been turning to apps such as Luminosity in the hopes of improving memory and reversing the effects of aging on the brain. Unfortunately, none of the studies done on these games show any strong evidence or measured real-world outcomes. In fact, in October 2014 a group of more than 70 scientists published an open letter objecting to the marketing claims made by brain training companies. Soon after, another group of scientists published a letter saying there was a scientific basis! Confusing, right!?
Not really. Daniel Simons, a professor at the University of Illinois, reviewed over 130 studies with six other scientists to understand the discrepancies. What they concluded was the following:
1. Some brain games only work in making you better at that specific game. The skills learned aren’t transferable to real-life situations.
2. In many of the studies, the placebo effect wasn’t accounted for. In other words, many people improved simply because they were trying harder or were more confident.
3. Most of these brain games do not work the brain hard enough or over a long enough period of time.
BUT WAIT! What about BrainJogging!? Brainjogging can counter all three of the points mentioned above!
1. Information entered into the Brainjogging program is customized to person. Individuals who do the cognitive exercises are using information they need in school and in their everyday lives!
2. Brainjogging has helped individuals improve processing, memory, and attention for the past 35 years! Studies have been done in the University of Tennessee, The Boys and Girls Club, and other locations. This doesn’t include the hundreds of students who have come to Camp Academia to have Brainjogging sessions. Children have come with dyslexia, ADHD, processing issues and autism. All of these individuals have been able to overcome cognitive deficits and lead productive lives. What better study could there be?
3. As for the last point, Brainjogging works specific areas of the brain. By targeting the areas of the brain needed for language, processing, and reading, Brainjogging is more effective than a brain video game that simply has the individual striving to get a higher score. When done twice a day, Brainjogging helps individuals process information faster and retain the information as well!
So to answer the question: Do brain games work? No! But BrainJogging does! Brainjogging is not a “game”. It is a cognitive therapy that helps strengthen weak neuronal connections by doing exercises created to target specific areas in the brain.
Resources:
Brain Game Claims Fail a Big Scientific Test, Jon Hamilton, NPR, Oct. 3, 2016
