The question of what distinguishes brain games from brain training comes up frequently. You might frequently see commercials for “brain games” or “brain training” and be curious as to what they are all about. Are you spending your time and money on these things? And do they make the brain better?
Between brain games and brain training, there is a significant distinction. Similar to playing outside, playing brain games is something you do for fun. Word problems, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and quizzes are a few examples of brain games. On the other hand, brain training resembles going to the gym more. It is a method of stimulating the brain to enhance cognitive abilities like memory, focus, attention, and speed.
Is there clinical evidence to support the brain training program?
Scientific claims made by many businesses include things like “based on neuroscience” and “proven to work.” However, a closer look reveals that there is no solid scientific support for these claims. Independent, replicable, peer-reviewed, and formally published in scholarly journals are the requirements for scientific studies. When you dig deeper, you’ll discover that not many efficient brain training programs provide much in the way of this kind of scientific proof CogniFit Inc.
Do scientific studies support the “generalization” of brain advantages?
Clinical evidence may support some brain training programs, but it’s critical to carefully consider what the exercises are demonstrated to accomplish. Are they demonstrated to “generalize” into other areas of real life and produce improvements in the brain and memory that go beyond the exercise, or are they only demonstrated to improve your performance on a specific type of task? Another crucial distinction to be made is this one.
Were scientists involved in the design and evaluation of the brain training exercises?
Too frequently, “brain training” programs can be found without any scientists working for the company! How can a non-scientist create and evaluate successful neuroscience-based brain training programs? The short answer is that you shouldn’t rely on any program that wasn’t created and evaluated by real scientists. It’s also critical to consider how many scientists work for the organization. Do only one or two scientists serve in advisory capacities? Once more, common sense would dictate that it is inconceivable to anticipate success from a program without the deep, daily, and ongoing involvement of numerous staff scientists and important advisers.
You will have a better chance of finding a program that can improve your brain if you bear all of these things in mind when evaluating brain training programs.