![]() ![]() In 2014, the Stanford Center on Longevity published an open letter signed by 69 international neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists saying that there is no compelling scientific evidence that playing brain games improves cognitive abilities in everyday life, although isolated benefits could exist. Lumosity isn’t the only app that promises more than it may be able to offer. The FTC settlement specified that with respect to “performance at school, at work, and in athletics delaying age-related decline in memory or other cognitive function and reducing cognitive impairment,” scientific evidence would require tests that are “randomized, adequately controlled, and blinded to the maximum extent practicable.” The idea of boosting mental fitness clearly has widespread appeal, but is that due to scientific evidence, or empty marketing promises?Ĭo-founded by Michael Scanlon after abandoning his neuroscience PhD at Stanford University, Lumosity says its in-house research team designs and conducts studies to test the effects on the consumer's memory, attention and processing speed – but that didn’t seem to help its case. Nintendo is resurrecting its fourth best-selling DS game, Brain Age, and now bringing it to the Switch in Japan this December. Of course, smartphones weren’t the original home for brain training games. In 2018, consumers spent an estimated $1.9 billion (£1.5bn) on brain training apps such as Lumosity, Peak and Elevate – a fourfold increase from $475 million (£383m) globally in 2012, according to SharpBrains, an independent market research firm tracking brain health technology. And there are a lot of people who buy it. All you’ll have to do is set aside a few minutes each day to complete puzzles, memory games and word quizzes.Īt least, that’s the idea. In the same way that we might go to the gym to exercise, a daily mental workout is said to produce physical changes in the brain. Some also suggest they could help stave off memory loss, dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease. Search “brain training” and you’ll find endless apps and websites promising to make you smarter, sharper and keep you mentally agile. ![]() Tags: Health news Science news Gaming Gaming News Sea Hero Quest Gaming App Gaming App Trauma University of Hertfordshire Follow Gaming News on abp LIVE for more latest stories and trending topics.With an ageing population worried about cognitive decline, brain training apps have soared in popularity. This method could make diagnosis and treatment of the long-term effects of TBIs more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective.Ĭalculate The Age Through Age Calculator Published at : 11:24 AM (IST) The researchers hope that their findings will lead to larger-scale studies that will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved and potential treatments to improve navigational abilities. This study, featured in the journal PLOS ONE, marks the first time the diagnostic tool was utilized on subjects with TBIs.ĪLSO READ: Startups Working In Gaming, EVs, AI To Be Focus Of Early-Stage Investment In India Originally, Sea Hero Quest was created by game developers Glitchers, with the collaboration of academics and game developers worldwide, to help scientists understand how navigational abilities differ based on age and gender. The results suggest that gaming apps can be a low-cost and efficient way to detect and treat long-term effects of TBIs.ĪLSO READ: ‘Gaming Has Been A Boy’s Club, Still Is, But It’s Changing’: Women In Gaming Talk About Their Journey, State Of Sectorĭr Rebecca Knight, senior lecturer in psychology at the university, stated that using these apps could lead to a large amount of data and greater insights into the mechanisms behind these deficits, creating interventions to better support people managing the long-term effects of their injury. The study found that TBIs patients had significant deficits in their navigational abilities that were not previously identified through self-assessment. Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom decided to test patients' navigational abilities using the mobile game Sea Hero Quest. However, despite the significant impact of navigation-related challenges on daily life, patients with TBIs are rarely tested for their wayfinding and ability to orient themselves. These issues can be challenging to diagnose and treat because the human ability to navigate is a complex process controlled by a network of mechanisms that involves several cognitive processes in the brain, making it susceptible to damage. According to a recent study, gaming apps may be useful in identifying navigation-related issues caused by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that persist in the long term.
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