 BBC News - One of Britain's top scientists is joining the likes of Chris Tarrant and
Nicole Kidman by putting her name to a new wave of computer games designed to
keep the brain fit.
As if the gym was not tyranny enough, now there's another fitness routine
that's playing on the insecurities of the masses - the brain workout.
But at least couch potatoes will not have to stir from the sofa to take part.
This path to cerebral salvation can be navigated sitting down, in front of a
screen, with a computer game.
A current advertising campaign by Nintendo suggests commuters put their
sedentary time to good effect by improving mind functions like memory and
concentration with a brain game.
The latest program to take the grey matter on a road test is MindFit, to be
launched by one of Britain's best-known scientists, Baroness Susan Greenfield,
on Thursday. Others include IQ Academy and Anagrammatic.
MindFit is PC-based software providing a collection of games (such as
Picasso, explained above) that its creators say can halt the mental decline
associated with ageing, based on trials in Israel among 121 volunteers aged over
50.
Bruce Robinson of MindWeaver, the company behind the software, says the
different exercises target certain cognitive functions like memory, visual
spatial awareness and concentration.
"If you use the analogy of a fitness room or gym then it has the equivalent
of all the machines to exercise this variety of functions and has an online
personal trainer aligning the exercises that you do to match your particular
abilities and match your own performance."
The exercises Olivia does include arithmetic calculations, recalling four to six
numbers in their correct sequence and working out the time difference between
two clocks. Another involves drawing a design from memory.
"In the beginning I wanted to do it because I wanted to make sure I stayed
with it, but I do enjoy it too," she says.
"I have noticed the difference to an extent. I can remember little snippets -
things I hear on the radio - a little bit more accurately."
Research done on animals has linked stimulation from visual tasks to the
strengthening of neuron connections in the brain, says Professor David Moore,
the neuroscientist who founded MindWeavers.
Stronger connections between neurons have not been demonstrated directly in
humans because a test would require putting an electrode into the brain, he
says, but neuro-imaging of whole human brains shows activity in the same areas
when people play these games.
Brain training is gaining popularity, Mr Robinson believes, partly because
people are getting more interested in monitoring their wellness and brain
health, and partly due to people living longer and dementia becoming more common
in society.
It is not just older people who are being targeted. The education system has
long been aware of the potential use of computer games and a survey last year
suggested about a third of teachers used gaming in the classroom, to sharpen
motor and cognitive skills.
Many brands have devised games that specifically aim to develop mental
agility in people of all ages.
Nintendo's Brain Training series, inspired by prominent Japanese
neuroscientist Dr Ryuta Kawashima, has sold 10 million units - helped by
endorsements from Chris Tarrant and Nicole Kidman. Olivia Doran, 69, from
Hertfordshire, received one as a Mother's Day present in March. She spends about
45 minutes a day on a hand-held console playing brain games and Sudoku.
Brain rewiring
"My 'brain age' was 75 when I started so that was a bit of a shock," she
says. "But my average has come down to 27 now and I'm proud of that. It goes up
and down. If you're tired when doing the exercises then your brain is a bit
poor."
Read the rest of this article...
|
"We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing."
