When Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto gets an idea in his head, big things tend to happen. In fact, a couple years ago, the company banned him from speaking to the press about his hobbies. An interest in puzzles begat BrainAge. A physical fitness kick gave us Wii Fit. You get the idea. Lucky for educators, his latest interest is leveraging Nintendo consoles and handhelds in the classroom.

http://education.zdnet.com/?p=3746

A recent article in Time concludes “getting a good night’s sleep, excercise, and eating right” are more likely to “maximize a brain’s potential” than a computer game. The interesting thing about this is that neuroscientists can’t agree. Some believe these games can alter the dopamine receptors, which would theoretically aid in learning and cognitive functions, while others believe the phrase “practice makes perfect” better describes the improvement, and  does not carry over to cognitive functions.

Read The Original Research Paper (Draft POF)

The study, published online Tuesday by the journal Nature, tracked 11,430 participants through a six-week online study. The participants were divided into three groups: the first group undertook basic reasoning, planning and problem-solving activities (such as choosing the “odd one out” of a group of four objects); the second completed more complex exercises of memory, attention, math and visual-spatial processing, which were designed to mimic popular “brain-training” computer games and programs; and the control group was asked to use the Internet to research answers to trivia questions.

All participants were given a battery of unrelated “benchmark” cognitive-assessment tests before and after the six-week program. These tests, designed to measure overall mental fitness, were adapted from reasoning and memory tests that are commonly used to gauge brain function in patients with brain injury or dementia. All three study groups showed marginal — and identical — improvement on these benchmark exams.

But the improvement had nothing to do with the interim brain-training, says study co-author Jessica Grahn of the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. Grahn says the results confirm what she and other neuroscientists have long suspected: people who practice a certain mental task — for instance, remembering a series of numbers in sequence, a popular brain-teaser used by many video games — improve dramatically on that task, but the improvement does not carry over to cognitive function in general. (Indeed, all the study participants improved in the tasks they were given; even the control group got better at looking up answers to obscure questions.) The “practice makes perfect” phenomenon probably explains why the study participants improved on the benchmark exams, says Grahn — they had all had taken it once before. “People who practiced a certain test improved at that test, but improvement does not translate beyond anything other than that specific test,” she says.

The authors believe the study, which was run in conjuction with a BBC television program called “Bang Goes the Theory,” undermines the sometimes outlandish claims of many brain-boosting websites and digital games. According to a past TIME.com article by Anita Hamilton, HAPPYneuron, an example not cited by Grahn, is a $100 Web-based brain-training site that invites visitors to “give the gift of brain fitness” and claims its users saw “16%+ improvement” through exercises such as learning to associate a bird’s song with its species and shooting basketballs through virtual hoops. Hamilton also notes Nintendo’s best-selling Brain Age game, which promises to “give your brain the workout it needs” through exercises like solving math problems and playing rock, paper, scissors on the handheld DS. “The widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve general cognitive function in the wider population lacks empirical support,” the paper concludes.

Click on image to read reviews

Not all neuroscientists agree with that conclusion, however. In 2005, Torkel Klingberg, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, used brain imaging to show that brain-training can alter the number of dopamine receptors in the brain — dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in learning and other important cognitive functions. Other studies have suggested that brain-training can help improve cognitive function in elderly patients and those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but the literature is contradictory.

Klingberg has developed a brain-training program called Cogmed Working Memory Training, and owns shares in the company that distributes it. He tells TIME that the Nature study “draws a large conclusion from a single negative finding” and that it is “incorrect to generalize from one specific training study to cognitive training in general.” He also criticizes the design of the study and points to two factors that may have skewed the results.

On average the study volunteers completed 24 training sessions, each about 10 minutes long — for a total of three hours spent on different tasks over six weeks. “The amount of training was low,” says Klingberg. “Ours and others’ research suggests that 8 to 12 hours of training on one specific test is needed to get a [general improvement in cognition].”

Second, he notes that the participants were asked to complete their training by logging onto the BBC Lab UK website from home. “There was no quality control. Asking subjects to sit at home and do tests online, perhaps with the TV on or other distractions around, is likely to result in bad quality of the training and unreliable outcome measures. Noisy data often gives negative findings,” Klingberg says.

Brain-training research has received generous funding in recent years — and not just from computer game companies — as a result of the proven effect of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to remodel its nerve connections after experience. The stakes are high. If humans could control that process and bolster cognition, it could have a transformative effect on society, says Nick Bostrom of Oxford University‘s Future of Humanity Institute. “Even a small enhancement in human cognition could have a profound effect,” he says. “There are approximately 10 million scientists in the world. If you could improve their cognition by 1%, the gain would hardly be noticeable in a single individual. But it could be equivalent to instantly creating 100,000 new scientists.”

For now, there is no nifty computer game that will turn you into Einstein, Grahn says. But there are other proven ways to improve cognition, albeit only by small margins. Consistently getting a good night’s sleep, exercising vigorously, eating right and maintaining healthy social activity have all been shown to help maximize a brain’s potential over the long term.

What’s more, says Grahn, neuroscientists and psychologists have yet to even agree on what constitutes high mental aptitude. Some experts argue that physical skill, which stems from neural pathways, should be considered a form of intelligence — so, masterful ballet dancers and basketball players would be considered geniuses.

Jason Allaire, co-director of the Games through Gaming lab at North Carolina State University says the Nature study makes sense; rather than finding a silver bullet for brain enhancement, he says, “it’s really time for researchers to think about a broad or holistic approach that exercises or trains the mind in general in order to start to improve cognition more broadly.”

Or, as Grahn puts it, when it comes to mental fitness, “there are no shortcuts.”

Credit: Time.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Brain games don’t make you smarter, study finds (healthzone.ca)
• Brain training ‘boost’ questioned (news.bbc.co.uk)

In a recent interview with Gizmodo, Bill Nye the Science Guy (yup…he’s still around) revealed his rationale as to why technology isn’t making us stupid:

“storing information outside of [our] bodies…is the hallmark of being a human…it frees up some part of your brain to do something else.”

While this viewpoint may scare some people – the idea of outsourcing pieces of your brain’s functionality – it points to our innate human desire for efficiency. It’s also a reality known as “digital immersion”. As the world becomes increasingly connected, technology becomes more prolific and integrated into our lives, it only makes sense to use our brains for things that require the utmost power.

And while I agree with Don Tapscott that it’s a shame the youth of the Net Generation are reading much less literature than previous genertations, as argued in his article ”How Digital Technology Has Changed Our Brain” it’s not making them (or any of us for that matter) dumb. Our digital world provides new ways learn, communicate and connect in ways that are far superior to days of old.

Consider these 3 examples:

> Many small businesses owners have successfully learned to plan, create and track an Online Ad campaigns via Google

> James Buck used Twitter to communicate he’d been arrested in Egypt, and his release was quickly negotiated

> Obama supporters connected with like-minded individuals and raised funds through an iPhone app

For what it’s worth Tapscott also argues that …

Google, far from being an anesthetic that dulls young brains, can activate them and help them achieve spectacular results. Here’s just one telling sign: The number of students taking Advanced Placement exams increased by 75% between 1999 and 2005, and their scores on those exams have been improving, too.

But is anyone else benefiting from this? Nintendo will argue it’s not just the youth, but the elderly too.

The Nintendo DS is an interactive, two-screened device which, when paired with the Brain Age program claims to keeps one’s brain in tip-top shape. Developed by Ryuta Kawashima, the premise is that performing certain reading and mathematic exercises helps stimulate the brain and ward off degeneration. With Alzheimer’s and other neuro-degenertative diseases become more common, and the fear of them increasing, the idea of training one’s brain provides hope. And while many are not yet covinced, with over 2 millions units sold so far in 2010, it’s definitelty good business for Nintendo.

So what’s the verdict: is technology making us stupid? I’ll let you decide.

Nintendo’s ‘Brain Training for Adults’ has proved to be a big hit in Japan already. Now even doctors are suggesting that it is a good way to exercise failing brainpower.

The game has a number and puzzles game that Nintendo says (and of course doctors now believe) can stimulate the brain and ward off dementia.

Nintendo has sold more than 3.34 million sales of the game since May 2005, which is operated with a plastic pen and touch pad on its DS console.

What’s more, hospitals have even started putting Nintendo DS units in waiting rooms andThe overseas version of the game called ‘Brain Age’ will hit the US shops on April 17 and reach Europe by June. Now, anyone saying gaming is not good?

Via: The Inquirer

• Genes and Age: Over this category, we have no control.
• Medical Risks: The most important medical risks are blood pressure, lipid profile, and glucose.
• Lifestyle Factors: Exercise, diet, stress, social life, and ongoing cognitive challenges.

Games like Brain Age and Brain Academy for the Nintendo DS have already been touted for their therapeutic qualities, but less attention has given to other activities.

Researchers want to know if music and fitness games can delay the onset of Alzheimer's

Unlike some studies, CFIT does not limit itself to puzzle games like Brain Age. Researchers are following a diverse early intervention program that includes music, fitness, diet, and board games. Wii Fit is an integral part of the program, along with singing, playing music, and low tech puzzle games like Connect 4.

CFIT is also different  in its focus on prevention rather than treatment. Other studies have looked at using the Wii to treat Alzheimer’s suffers. However, by then “it’s too late,” asserts Dr. Kenneth Kosik of the University of California Neuroscience Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Kosik, who is one of the founders of CFIT, suggests that people with family histories of Alzheimer’s Disease begin an intervention program when they are in their 50s or younger.

CFIT researchers also believe that socializing is an important component of Alzheimer’s prevention. The more isolated one is, the more rapidly one experiences declining mental capacity. Although social activities are included in the program regimen, online social networking and online gaming are not part of the study.

The CFIT program is still in the early stages, and it will be some time before the results are known. Even if a positive correlation is found between program activities and disease prevention, the study will still be faced with the task of identifying which activities have the most impact.

Changing Public Perception

Critics of video games have tried to link on-screen violence to violent behavior in schools and other settings. However, more people are discovering the benefits video games offer, as the Nintendo Wii, DS, and Apple iPhone expand the market of gamers beyond the core 18-34 male demographic.

In a recent interview, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto expressed his disdain for censorship as a way to deal with objectionable content. “When it comes to the question of how each individual game designer or developer should make their games,” he said, “I don’t think we should try to intervene in how they are trying to express themselves in whichever format.”

Nevertheless, he explained that part of his job is “to make video games as relevant as possible for a wide ranger of generations of people.”

I do not think we should limit the audience to a particular category, for example, young kids or young males, or a limited number of people. At least, that’s how I’ve been trying to make my own games. We just talked about the opportunities for the Academy recognizing video games as an art form. We really appreciate that kind of opportunity because that can change the mindset of the general public, to how they conceive video games per se.

In the end, formal recognition of video games as art will probably have less of an impact on public perception than Miyamoto thinks. On the other hand, programs like CFIT have the potential to change public opinion if they can demonstrate the social and health benefits of video games.

Nintendo DS Lite bundle featuring "brand ambassador" Olivia Newton-John: "A sharp mind is as important as a healthy body."

Similarly, with the DS, Nintendo has sought to expand the market with games like Brain Age, Brain Training, and Nintendogs. In the following commercial spot, Nintendo “brand ambassador” Olivia Newton-John discusses how Brain Training helps keep her mind sharp.

One common feature in Nintendo commercials for both the Wii and DS is the lack of gameplay footage. In the above video, for example, the game is shown for a total of three seconds. The remainder of the commercial focuses on the actors. The idea is to get potential customers to identify with the player, not the game.

This approach is very similar to the one that Unilever took with its Dove brand beauty soap (see “Hips Feel Good” – Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty). In 2004, Unilever re-launched Dove by taking the focus away from the soap’s technical merits (such as real cream moisturizers). The Campaign for Real Beauty instead appealed to human emotion, values, and morals in a form of “societal marketing” that focused more on the consumer and consumer needs. Commercials that once centered on the soap, instead focused on “real” women.

Prior to 2004, Dove commercials focused on the soap

True Colors – Dove’s soap-free 2006 Super Bowl commercial demonstrated the power of societal marketing

Societal marketing has become an increasingly important and profitable marketing strategy for companies. Often it focuses on environmental issues, such as reducing greenhouse gases (e.g., hybrid cars, solar power, recycling), but it can also focus on promoting healthy behavior (e.g., diet and exercise), while discouraging unhealthy behavior (e.g., drug abuse and smoking).
Traditionally, and often unjustly, video games have been associated with unhealthy outcomes like violence and obesity. In much the same way as Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty helped consumers rethink the definition of beauty, games like Brain Age and Wii Fit are getting people to reevaluate the role of video games in society.

Still, Nintendo’s market expansion efforts have not always worked according to plan. In North America, for example, it took much longer than in Europe and Japan to convince consumers that the DS was more than an expensive child’s toy. Whereas European sales were driven by adult-oriented games like Brain Age, North America continued to be dominated by children’s games like Pokemon.

Today, other companies are following Nintendo’s lead by making games and gaming console’s that fill the needs of adult non-gamers. The most successful of these will have differentiating features that are attuned to shifting societal values and that appeal to fundamental emotional needs.

In this January issue of our eNewsletter, we will first brief you on the enlightening demos that will take place on Wednesday, January 20th, as part of the SharpBrains Summit, and then present the 15 most stimulating SharpBrains articles of 2009.

Expo Day

If you want to see and discuss the latest programs and technologies for brain fitness, presented by Summit Sponsors, Wednesday January 20th is your day. Each demo will last 30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.

9am. Baycrest/ Cogniciti will introduce the new Memory@Work workshop, designed to teach what memory is, how lifestyle factors such as distraction and stress can affect memory, and how to enhance memory performance at work with the use of enabling strategies.

10am. CogniFit will demo CogniFit Personal Coach and CogniFit Senior Driver, two online programs designed to assess and main cognitive functions for healthy living and safe driving, respectively.

11am. Posit Science will demo InSight, a software-based cognitive training package designed to sharpen brain’s visual system. This is the program being tested by Allstate for safer driving.

Noon. Happy Neuron will introduce HAPPYneuron PRO, a new platform for professionals for the effective delivery and management of cognitive remediation and rehabilitation programs in a patient centric manner.

1pm. SharpBrains will help navigate this growing field by discussing The State of the Brain Fitness Software 2009 report and The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness consumer guide, and summarizing key Summit take-aways.

Learn more and register HERE. Please remember that discount code sharp2010 gives you 15% off, and that registration closes on January 17th.

We want to thank our most recent sponsor, the Arrowsmith Program, a comprehensive suite of cognitive programs for students with learning disabilities available in public and private schools in Canada and the U.S. More information here.

And now, let’s review the (in our view) 15 most stimulating articles of 2009.

The Big Picture

100 is the new 65: Why do some people live, and well, to 100? Researchers are trying to find out, reports Meera Lee Sethi at Greater Good Magazine.

Learning about Learning: an Interview with Joshua Waitzkin: Scott Barry Kaufman interviews “child prodigy” Joshua Waitzkin on The Art of Learning.

Debunking 10 Brain Health Myths: Does your brain have a “Brain Age”? Is a Magic Pill to prevent memory problems right around the corner?  Check out the facts to debunk 10 common myths.

Why is working memory relevant to reading and mathematics: A recent large UK study identified 1 in 10 students as having working memory difficulties. Dr. Tracy Alloway elaborates why this matters.

Change Your Environment, Change Yourself: Dr. Brett Steenbarger explains why new environments  “force us to exit our routines and actively master unfamiliar challenges.”

Tools

Retooling Use it or lose it: Alvaro Fernandez discusses why routine, doing things inside our comfort zones, is the most common enemy of the novelty, variety and challenge our brains need.

Does cognitive training work? (For Whom? For What?): Dr. Pascale Michelon, dissects a couple of recent press releases and the underlying studies to clarifying what they mean – and what they don’t mean.

New Study Supports Neurofeedback Treatment for ADHD: Dr. David Rabiner reports the promising findings from the first well-designed controlled trial on the effect of neurofeedback treatment for ADHD.

Do Art Classes Boost Test Scores? Is there a “Mozart Effect?”: Some researchers suggest so; others are not convinced. Karin Evans offers a  thoughtful review of the evidence and asks, “Now, is this the right question?”

Does coffee boost cognitive functions over time? Dr. Pascale Michelon reports good news (long-term effects seem more positive than negative, so coffee leads to no clear harm) and bad ones (no clear beneficial effects on general brain functions).

Industry

Brain fitness heads towards its tipping point: How do you know when something is moving towards a Gladwellian tipping point? When insurance companies and policy makers pay attention, Dr. Gerard Finnemore reports.

Visual Representation of the State of the Market 2009: Paul Van Slembrouck beautifully presents the main findings of our 150-page market report, The State of the Brain Fitness Market 2009.

Michael Merzenich on brain fitness: neuroscientist Michael Merzenich discusses neuroplasticity, technology, safe driving, mental health, and the need for standards, automated assessments and “personal brain trainers”.

Brain Teaser

Stimulate your Concentration Skills: when one really wants to memorize a fact, it is crucial to pay attention. Dr. Pascale Michelon challenges you to count a few simple letters.

Resolution

Finally, an article that may inspire some New Year Resolutions. In Yes, You Can Build Willpower, Daniel Goleman discusses how the brain makes about 10,000 new cells every day, how they migrate to where they are needed, and how each cell can make around 10,000 connections to other brain cells. Implication? Meditate, mindfully, and build positive habits.

Wishing you a Happy and Productive 2010, and looking forward to meeting many of you (200 so far) at the inaugural SharpBrains Summit!

The game is broken up into two parts. The first being the once-day tests that will track your progress in memory, math, reaction time and patterns. The variation in the tests are pretty basic and act more like glorified flash card exercises than a mental workout. One test will have you memorizing objects as they fall onto the screen, while others will have you lead a dog on the trail to find his misplaced bone and another will have you complete basic arithmetic problems before time runs out .

The problem with the tests is the goals aren’t as intuitive like with other games like Brain Age. So, if you want to just skim over the instructions, which there are a lot of, and get right to the game you’ll end up scratching your head wondering what’s going on pretty regularly.

Another issue is the difficulty of the quizzes can vary between the ridiculously kindergarten simple to the downright pulling-your-hair-like-you-did-for-your-SATs-because-you-were-too-busy-to-go-to-the-prep-classes hard.

The best worst example is the face recognition quiz. You are shown a face for a few seconds and asked to memorize the features after which you’ll be given four faces to choose from. In back-to-back questions, the faces I was asked to choose from had no similarities what so ever–I was asked to memorize a woman’s face and I was given one that looked like a man–and then the next question had nothing but small variations in the nose and upper lip between all four choices.

The next part is the game show. Here you’ll compete in the quizzes with computer opponents, or if you can find someone else that’s willing to improve their mental abilities through the Xbox, a friend. The game show basics are all here. You and your opponent will go through the tests and compete for points so you can unlock more in-game mascots that will keep you company as you play. This section of the game some more playability because of the computer opponents you’ll face, but it’s not a big enough difference from the daily tests.

Aside from the inconsistent difficulty, Encleverment Experiment is an average thinking game with a funny and engaging presentation and with an art style and narration that seems like it’s pulled off of a Saturday morning cartoon. But the real problem with this game it missed the bus for the mental-exercise craze that was all the rage a few years ago. With other games, like Big Brain Academy, that got the degree of difficulty and playability just right then Encleverment Experiment can’t compare. But if you need a quiz game for the Xbox, this would be an OK choice.

I hope you all had a very fulfilling Turkey Day! I know I did! I’ve shopped since 1 a.m. Friday morning. We got a steal at Toys R Us!! We were there from 2 a.m.-5 a.m. and my sister came out with a whole cart-full of toys for less than $120. After that we hit up Wal-Mart and got the Nintendo DS for $98. I got a pink one and a blue one for my little nephew. Now what I’m going to do with that thing, I don’t know but the Brain Age game looks really fun. Hopefully they have games a 23-year-old can enjoy. LOL

Today was another shopping day, but for my birthday. Happy Birthday to me on Monday November 30. I’ll be 23 years old. My sisters took me jewelry and shoe shopping. Praise God for them! I am so blessed and so thankful! After shopping we went out to eat because we were tired of leftovers already!

So, what do yall think about Tiger Woods and his wife? Oh my goodness!  The tabloids are saying that he’s been having an affair with Rachel Uchitel and his wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, went “ghetto” on him because of it. Uchitel was denying the claims but the source said Tiger had to go get a “Kobe Gift” for Elin. You do know what that is right? About the cost of five houses on one finger. She beat him like a mad woman. I wonder what’s going to happen next?? Until then, I’ll keep myself entertained by watching the #TigerWoodsWife trend on Twitter.

Now, our friend Ben is one of the most uncoordinated humans God ever placed on earth. The reason I never tried out for “Jeopardy” was that I realized that, no matter how much I knew, I’d never have the coordination to hit the button faster than anyone else. And now they’re telling me that the ability to stand on one leg is the determinant of brain agility? Aaaarrrgghhh!!!!!

If memory serves, you were supposed to try for 45 seconds if you were in your 30s and 30 seconds if you were 40 or over. Of course, despite attempting to ignore the article, eventually our friend Ben succumbed to the challenge. I calculate from this attempt that my brain is roughly 3,500 years old, making me an archaeological treasure if nothing else.

Our friend Ben did have a takeaway from this: If this really is the determinant of brainpower, it’s certainly the best endorsement I’ve ever seen for yoga. As I understand it, yogi adepts could stand on one leg for their entire lives if they chose to do so.

More power to them! Myself, I think I have to go lie down on the sofa now. And Albert, we need to talk. The only thing I’ve ever read about your legs was that you couldn’t manage to wear two matching socks to save your life, not that you stood or hopped around on one leg to prove your brain’s agility. But maybe you were too busy thinking about relativity or the meaning of life or the origin of the universe or something. I’m counting on you to let me know. And while you’re at it, could you put in a good word for poor Pluto? Like my brainpower, it’s recently been officially downsized…

The Wii and DS operate in a completely different stratosphere when compared to the 360 and PS3. Yes, the PS3 price drop has helped a lot, especially in Japan, but Nintendo’s consoles just appeal to such a wide variety of gamers (young and old, casual and hardcore, male and female) that it’s tough to break down what really sells systems. But hey, I’ll give it a shot.

Nintendo Wii

System Seller: Wii anything
I was tempted to put the Wii itself as its own system seller, because that’s pretty much true. The Wii moves so many units because of all they hype generated around it. People gravitate to all the “Wii” games, Wii Fit sells a lot of systems, but many people are just content getting the Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. Even Wii Play sells tons of units, although that isn’t really a system seller as much as it is something that people pick up when they get a Wii (for the extra controller or whatever). The Wii, unlike any other gaming system, sells to the average consumer with its accessibility, which is why it is destroying the competition.

Must Haves: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime: Trilogy, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, Wii Sports: Resort (or equivalent)
The sad thing about this list is that two of the games came out around launch (Trilogy is all the Metroid Prime games with the new Wii controls though, so I guess it’s technically new) and Galaxy came out like 2 years ago. For serious gamers, there’s not a lot to offer on the Wii, especially 3rd party content. That being said, Zelda and Mario, like all Nintendo first party games, are excellent, and Metroid Prime is one of my favorite video game series ever. Metroid also uses the controller very effectively and is the best first person experience I’ve had on the Wii. I threw Wii Sports: Resort on there because if you own a Wii it’s almost mandatory that you own a good party game, but really there are a lot of choices out there: Boom Blox is pretty fun - you could even get away with a game like Warioware: Smooth Moves, and of course almost everyone owns Mario Kart (just check the NPDs). Thankfully, Nintendo is releasing a couple of new Mario games this year and next, so hopefully there will be a reason for me to dust off my Wii soon.

Upcoming: New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Fit Plus

Nintendo DS

System Seller: Pokemon (kids), Brain Age (adults)
It’s no surprise that the average owner of a handheld console is much younger than the average owner of a home console. What better way to keep the kids occupied on long car trips than have them “catch them all”? I played Pokemon on the GBA, and it was a surprisingly deep game, and according to reviews the DS versions are still decent. Regardless, Pokemon probably sells the most DSes to kids, whereas older adults, including very old adults (like my parents) like the DS for games like Brain Age, simple brain exercises that people like to play to keep themselves young. If you’re old, you buy the DS, if you’re young, you buy the DS. No wonder it’s sold the most units in the current generation.

Must Haves: Square-Enix RPGs, Professor Layton series, Phoenix Wright series, Elite Beat Agents (Ouendan in Japan)
The crazy thing about the Nintendo DS is that there is something for everyone. For the most part, the “casual” stuff sells systems, and that’s what a lot of people focus on. But if you like old-school RPGs, there are the re-releases of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, for people who like puzzles, there is Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright tickles one’s adventure fancy, and Elite Beat Agents is for rhythm game fanatics. And if none of those genres floats your boat, there are legions of other game types out there (I’m sure I’ve forgotten a bunch of excellent games). As espion4ge has stated elsewhere, the DS really is one of the best values in gaming and a great investment for any gamer, especially if you’re on the go. If you spend time shopping with your wife (check), take public transportation (check), or like to play games before you drop off to sleep (now outlawed in my household), the DS is a great buy. Just do yourself a favor and go with the Lite over the DSi, so you’ll save yourself some money.

Upcoming: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth

So that’s my take on the best games out there for the current systems. Of course, most of it is based around my preferences, so I’d love to hear what games you all love to play on your systems! Especially if it’s the PSP…haha.

Scientific publication Frontiers in Neuroscience recently published a special issue on Augmenting Cognition, and invited me to contribute with an article titled Preparing Society for the Cognitive Age. Groundbreaking brain research has occurred over the last 20 years. The opportunity to improve brain health and performance is immense, but we need to ensure the marketplace matures in a rational and sustainable manner, both through healthcare and non-healthcare channels. Click Here to read my article.

Announcements

In May 2009 SharpBrains published The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2009, the main industry report for leading organizations preparing their members, their clients, and their patients for the cognitive age. 150-pages long, the report includes a market survey with 2,000+ respondents, detailed analysis of 20+ vendors, research briefs written by 12 leading scientists and data and trends for 4 major customer segments.

Below we share the full Executive Summary of the report and announce an exclusive webinar on September 29th to discuss the State of the Market in more depth with buyers of the report.

To order the report and access both the report and the webinar, you can click Here. (Only $975 -a 25% discount- using Discount Code Frontiers2009 before September 28th).

State of the Market

Advances in neuroscience and the interest of baby boomers in the concept and implications of neuroplasticity are driving popular interest and effort into retaining mental sharpness. This in turn has fueled the interest of healthcare and insurance providers to test and introduce brain fitness products. A variety of developments in 2008 underline the sector’s annual growth and plants seeds for significant future breakthroughs:

Innovation by pioneering institutions: We estimate that around 300 residential communities added computerized cognitive training programs in 2008, making for an estimated accumulated total of over 700. Insurance providers Allstate and OptumHealth launched major initiatives, while the USA Hockey League announced an upcoming hockey-specific brain fitness software package.
Research themes got reinforced:
1) Lifestyle, led by aerobic exercise, can improve cognition and reduce dementia risk,
2) Building the cognitive reserve through leading mentally stimulating lives provides neuroprotection to help stay sharper longer,
3) Specific cognitive abilities can be assessed and enhanced through the use of appropriate tools.

Funding events and acquisitions: A number of developers raised money during the year: Dakim ($10.6m), CogniFit ($5m), Lumos Labs ($3m), Scientific Brain Training ($1.5m), Vivity Labs ($1m). Scientific Learning bought Soliloquy and Posit Science bought Visual Awareness.

Public policy & public sector initiatives:
1) a new US Army policy required computerized cognitive screenings of all soldiers before deployment,
2) the Government of Ontario invested $10m in Baycrest to develop and commercialize brain fitness technologies.
3) The Mental Health Parity Act will take effect in January 2010,
4) a growing emphasis by Medicare to reduce hospital readmissions (which can be predicted by patient’s functional status, including cognitive functioning).

Market Survey

In January 2009 we conducted an online survey to understand emerging beliefs, attitudes and habits among decision-makers and early adopters. Highlights of the 2,000+ responses were:

61% of respondents Strongly Agree with the statement “Addressing cognitive and brain health should be a healthcare priority.” But, 65% Agree/Strongly Agree with “I don’t really know what to expect from products making brain claims.” In sum, interest and confusion.
The top three out of ten predictions (“Over the next 5 to 7 years we will see…”) with the highest percentage of respondents who Strongly Agree are: 1) “…a wide selection of computer-based programs, for different uses” (33%), 2) “…more locations and tools integrating physical and mental exercise” (27%), and 3) “…brain fitness becoming a mainstream topic, for most if not all ages” (27%).

Customer satisfaction among buyers (both of electronic products and puzzle books) was good overall but could be better. To the statement, “I got real value for my money,” the results were: 18% Strongly Agree, 35% Agree, 33% Neutral, 11% Disagree, 3% Strongly Disagree.

Top four products among buyers: 1) Posit Science, 2) Puzzle Books, 3) Nintendo Brain Age, 4) Lumosity.com. They seem to attract different demographic groups, and present different levels of customer satisfaction: Posit Science (53% Agree) and Lumosity.com (51%) do better than Puzzle Books (39%) and Nintendo (38%) at “I have seen the results I wanted.” Given very different price points, the rank changes with “I got real value for my money”: Lumosity.com (65% Agree), Puzzle Books (60%), Posit Science (52%), Nintendo (51%).

Competitive Landscape

In 2008 the competitive landscape started to become more clearly defined, with a number of players taking the lead in specific niches both on the assessment and training sides of the market.

Our Market and Research Momentum analysis resulted in the categorization of twenty-one companies into four groups to better predict long-term sustainability of company and approach.

- Leaders: Brain Resource, Cognitive Drug Research, Lumos Labs, Posit Science
- High Potentials: Applied Cognitive Engineering, Cogmed, CogniFit, Houghton Mifflin, NovaVision, Scientific Brain Training, Scientific Learning, TransAnalytics
- Crosswords 2.0: Dakim, Nintendo, Vivity Labs
- Wait & See: Advanced Brain Technologies, Brain Center America, CNS Vital Signs, CogState, Learning Enhancement Corporation, Vigorous Mind

Our product analysis shows that the products with higher levels of clinical validation are also the ones focused on more specific cognitive needs. It is important to evaluate the clinical validation per cognitive skill(s) targeted, together with other product attributes, to find a potential product to match specific needs. Not even the training products with relative higher levels of clinical validation, by Cogmed and NovaVision, should be seen as the best intervention for every single individual and purpose.

The Science

There is growing evidence that cognition is more malleable that once thought, and that lifestyle, non-invasive interventions, and invasive interventions all play a role in augmenting or maintaining cognitive abilities. With that context, technology-based assessments and training tools may be an important part of the overall mix.

Computerized programs have been found to be an efficient and scalable way to assess and train a range of specific cognitive skills. However, they have not been found to be “general solutions” that can address all cognitive priorities for everyone. Consumers and professionals need to make informed decisions about which, if any, tools may be worth trying without falling prey to manufacturers’ inflated claims or negating the value of those tools as a general principle.

We asked thirteen leading scientists to examine the state of the research, and emerging implications, in five areas:

The neuroprotective value of cognitive activity in general: this is well established through a variety of long-term epidemiological studies.

The importance of using cognitive assessments as predictors of driving safety: driving may well become one of the major areas where cognitive assessments and training can play a significant role in the next few years. Update: in July 2009, AAA announced a new initiative to deploy Posit Science’s DriveSharp to Assess and Train Older Driver’s Brains

The value of computerized cognitive training targeting working memory, auditory processing, visual processing: a growing amount of published evidence shows the clear benefits, and the limitations, from different training approaches.

The cognitive effects of action and strategy videogames: it is impossible to answer the question “are videogames good or bad” without clarifying a) which videogames, b) good or bad for what? Specific games are showing the kind of benefits that justify educational and health uses.

The need for objective markers: innovative approaches are trying to solve this major bottleneck.

Customer Segments

The demand for brain fitness software presents different dynamics in each of the four main customer segments:

Consumers: “Brain fitness” is quickly becoming a mainstream cultural phenomenon – with all of the opportunities and challenges that this development represents. On the one hand, it was time for adults of all ages to start paying more attention to the impact of lifestyle options on cognitive health, including the potential usefulness of new tools beyond crossword puzzles and Sudoku, driven by recent scientific findings such as adult neuroplasticity and the cognitive reserve. On the other hand, the overwhelming amount of superficial media coverage and aggressive claims is creating significant confusion among consumers, and skepticism among researchers and healthcare professionals.

Healthcare and Insurance Providers: A good number of innovators are actively testing and incorporating a variety of brain fitness tools, which over time should help better integrate cognitive health issues into mainstream healthcare. Seniors housing operators have quickly been adding cognitive training to their range of health and wellness activities. Insurance companies are running major initiatives aimed at driver safety and improving the accuracy of diagnostics. Drug companies are adding cognitive testing to their trials. Growing evidence is supporting the use of specific cognitive interventions in clinical conditions such as attention deficits and stroke/traumatic brain injury, among others.

K12 School Systems: Despite growing potential, there were few meaningful market developments in this segment in 2008. Revenues and the competitive landscape were basically stagnant. It is in the applied research area where we are starting to see seeds of potential future growth, given emerging evidence that cognitive training does not only contribute to cognitive development but, when directed appropriately, can also impact academic performance in subjects like math and reading.

Military, Sports Teams, Corporate: Three of the trends we identified last year, including baseline assessments, training to improve performance, and applications for the aging population, continued and grew significantly in 2008. First, the US Army introduced a new policy requiring mandatory computer-based cognitive baselines for soldiers before deployment, in order to better identify the extent of potential brain damage such as Traumatic Brain Injury. Second, the USA Hockey League partnered to develop a new cognitive simulation training to improve the performance of hockey players. Third, the Conference Board and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives launched a booklet and website to raise awareness about cognitive fitness issues among large corporations.

Future Directions

Innovative partnerships will be required to transform the growing amount of mainstream interest and research findings into a rational, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approach to brain/ neurocognitive fitness. There are no “magic pills” or “general solutions” but there are useful tools when used appropriately. Better information, assessments, taxonomies and integrated research efforts are required for the field to mature. The priorities are not the same for all individuals, or for all objectives (such as safer driving, preventing Alzheimer’s symptoms, improving memory). The field holds much promise, but the picture is complex.

We continue to predict that between now and 2015 brain fitness will become a mainstream concept, consumers and professionals will be able to leverage better tools, and that a growing ecosystem will enable this opportunity.

The key question, of course, is how much value will computerized cognitive assessment and training tools deliver in the real world? The US brain fitness software market may grow to be between $1 billion to $5 billion by 2015. Whether the market reaches the high end of that range or stays closer to the lower end depends on how the whole field addresses the most important problems.

When asked “What is most important problem in the field?” respondents to our survey prioritized Public Awareness (39%), Navigating claims (21%), Research (15%), Healthcare Culture (14%), Lack of Assessment (6%), and Other (5%). We believe that in years to come we will see progress in all those areas, and a deeper understanding of “Who needs what when?”, the most important unanswered question so far.

The Webinar

On Tuesday September 29th, we will host a 90-minute webinar to review the findings of the report in more depth (60-minutes) and discuss our clients’ perspectives and questions (30-minutes).

Time: Tuesday September 29th, 9am Pacific Time/ noon Eastern Time.

To order the report and access report and webinar, click Here. (only $975 -a 25% discount- using Discount Code Frontiers2009 before September 28th).

To preview several pages of the report, click Here. To view an infographic, click Here.

If you are an existing client, we will contact you directly with Registration details.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Unwitting pawn or diabolical mastermind?

The first piece in the puzzle of Nintendo’s most recent bid for world domination was the Brain Training series on the DS. It seemed innocuous enough – players are asked to complete a series of puzzles, and the “age” of their brain is evaluated. A fantastic educational tool which encourages us to utilise more of our brains. Right?

Wrong. The true purpose of these games is to assign us our places in Nintendo’s New World Order. Think about it. The game evaluates your relative intelligence based upon the human brain’s optimum performance. Nintendo can then collect and collate this data, and assign you your role. Those with the “youngest” brains will enter the higher positions – ministers, bureaucrats, teachers, etc.; while those with the “oldest” brains will be consigned to the most menial jobs – manual labour, street cleaners, police officers, etc.

Of course, as of yet Nintendo has no way of collecting this data. But trust me, they’re working on it. You can already share your scores with friends and families who use the same DS. And with the console’s internet capabilities it is only a matter of time until you’ll be asked to send your results to Nintendo.

At first this will take the innocent form of leader boards, allowing players to see where they rank on a local, national, and even global basis. But this will give Nintendo access to this information. And when that happens, what you thought were just a few innocent puzzles will turn out to be your sentence to a lifetime of servitude.

But what will become of those of us who refuse to take part in this charade? When Nintendo finds they have no data on us, what then? Will we be forced to take part? Will our results be fabricated, and they assign us to the most degrading work they can? Or will it be the start of something altogether more sinister. Labour camps? Mass extermination? Or possibly (and this is the slimmest of hopes I can allow myself to contemplate) will it lead to the first germs of a resistance? Will we fall through the cracks, giving mankind it’s only chance at salvation?

This was the first came that I purchased – Professor Layton and the Curious Village. It has great puzzles.

Do supplements improve memory? Do you need both physical and mental exercise –or is one of them enough? Which brain training approach, if any, is worth one’s time and money?

We tried to address these questions, and many others, in our recent book, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (182 pages, $24.95), that we presented at Games for Health Conference last week. The book is the result of over two years of extensive research including more than a hundred interviews with scientists, professionals and consumers, and a deep review of the scientific literature, led by neuropsychologist Elkhonon Goldberg and myself with the help of cognitive scientist Pascale Michelon. As we wrote in the Introduction, what we wanted to do first of all was to debunks these 10 myths on brain health and brain training:

Myth 1. Genes determine the fate of our brains.
Facts: Lifelong neuroplasticity allows our lifestyles and actions to play a meaningful role in how our brains physically evolve, especially given longer life expectancy.

Myth 2. Aging means automatic decline.
Facts: There is nothing inherently fixed in the precise trajectory of how brain functions evolve as we age.

Myth 3. Medication is the main hope for cognitive enhancement.
Facts: Non-invasive interventions can have comparable and more durable effects, side effect-free.

Myth 4. We will soon have a Magic Pill or General Solution to solve all our cognitive challenges.
Facts: A multi-pronged approach is recommended, centered around nutrition, stress management, and both physical and mental exercise.

Myth 5. There is only one “it” in “Use It or Lose it”.
Facts: The brain is composed of a number of specialized units. Our life and productivity depend on a variety of brain functions, not just one.

Myth 6. All brain activities or exercises are equal.
Facts: Varied and targeted exercises are the necessary ingredients in brain training so that a wide range of brain functions can be stimulated.

Myth 7. There is only one way to train your brain.
Facts: Brain functions can be impacted in a number of ways: through meditation, cognitive therapy, cognitive training.

Myth 8. We all have something called “Brain Age”.
Facts: Brain age is a fiction. No two individuals have the same brain or expression of brain functions.

Myth 9. That “brain age” can be reversed by 10, 20, 30 years.
Facts: Brain training can improve specific brain functions, but, with research available today, cannot be said to roll back one’s “brain age” by a number of years.

Myth 10. All human brains need the same brain training.
Facts: As in physical fitness, users must ask themselves: What functions do I need to improve on? In what timeframe? What is my budget?

Do you have other myths in mind you would like  us to address?

We have started to receive great feedback from the healthcare community, such as this email from a neurosurgeon in Texas:

“I really like the book, it is comprehensive without being too technical. I have recommended it to several patients. There are some other books that I expected would be greeted with enthusiasm, but were too complex for most of my patients. I think this book is right in the sweet spot”.

And this great book review by an Internist Physician and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow, titled Is Your Brain A Couch Potato?:

“…a short, sweet, entertaining read of a complex topic, with timely (written in 1/09) reviews of 21 top technology products, as well as informed and expert predictions of where this burgeoning brain-fitness field is headed. More importantly, after you read it, you’ll have a good, detailed sense of where you, personally, can act to improve your own couch-potato brain – and how to keep it fit and flexible your whole life. The SharpBrains Guide To Brain Fitness reminds of us all why books (and not just googling a topic) can be well worth your time and money. Two Stethoscopes Up – check it out. life.”

—Doc Gurley, book review for SFGate.com (06/08/09)

The book:  The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (available via Amazon.com Here, review copies available upon request).

Description: While most of us have heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” very few understand what “it” means, or how to properly “use it” in order to maintain brain function and fitness. The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness is an invaluable guide that helps readers navigate growing brain research and identify the lifestyle factors and products that contribute to brain health and fitness. By gathering insights from eighteen of the world’s top scientists and offering tools and detailed descriptions of over twenty products, this book is an essential guide to the field of brain fitness, neuroplasticity and cognitive health. An accessible and thought-provoking read, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness educates lifelong learners and professionals in healthcare, education, business, etc., on emerging trends and forecasts of what the future will hold.

Products Reviewed (we reviewed scientific studies published before January 2009, when the manuscript text was closed):

- Overall brain maintenance: Brain Age series (Nintendo), BrainWare Safari (Learning Enhancement Corporation), FitBrains.com (Vivity Labs), Happy-Neuron.com (Scientific Brain Training), Lumosity.com (Lumos Labs), MindFit (CogniFit), (m)Power (Dakim)

- Targeted brain workout: Classic and InSight (Posit Science), Working Memory Training JM and RM (Cogmed), DriveFit (CogniFit), Earobics (Houghton Mifflin), Fast ForWord (Scientific Learning), IntelliGym (Applied Cognitive Engineering), Vision Restpration Therapy (NovaVision)

- Emotional self-regulation: emWave PC and Personal Stress Reliever (HeartMath), Journey to the Wild Divine (Wild Divine), RESPeRATE (InterCure), StressEraser (Helicor)

(3)  Experiencing writer’s block?  Don’t write.   Play Crashdown!  That’s what I’m going to do! Click groups of three or more same colored squares as fast as you can!  If you’re successful, the game gets harder (like Tetris).  Click here!

(2)  What’s your brain’s age?   Test your memory!  Test your reflex!  The game takes less than a minute! The “ideal brain age” is 20-years-old (not mine).  Read the rules then click Play! The original is in Japanese, so unless you read the language, follow below:

1. Click Start
2. Wait — 3,2,1
3. Memorize the numbers and their positions on the screen
4. Click each circle from the smallest to the largest number
5. At the end of the game, you’ll know your brain’s age!
6. Play here!

(1)  Bloxorz — What’s your spatial IQ?  Get the block to fall into the square hole (use arrow keys).  Thirty-three stages in all.  I’ve mastered stage 7.  How about you?

Ready, get set, PLAY!

Love to hear your favorite games!

*****

PS — Deliver popular games (and posts) to your friends’ inbox (with their permission, of course).  Subscribe to FeedBlitz!  Click!  Here’s how!