Last week I posted my review of Lumosity (you know, the set of games that are supposed to train your brain), and not long after that I bumped into 12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Brain.

One of the suggestions is – you guessed it – mind exercises. However, rather than listing programs like Lumosity, the author suggests games like Scrabble and crossword puzzles, as well as activities like learning new languages and interacting with others.

Free activities, and games you probably have lying around the house. (I know I’m not the only nerd with some random edition of Scrabble in a closet. Hmm…on that note, I wonder if Monopoly counts…no, that probably falls under stress inducing.)

Common sense tells me the more you use your brain, the sharper it becomes.

Also included in the top 12 are foods to improve memory and help control anger, activities to reduce stress, and suggestions for getting better sleep. (Not a mind-blowing source of information – on the other hand, I didn’t know the bit about bleached foods contributing to bad nerves – but definitely a refresher.)

Post from: Blisstree

Free (Or Nearly Free) Ways To Boost Brain Power

Wow, what a week it has been, my friends. The weather here has been sunny and in the upper 60s/lower 70s (which Chopper loved), I found a ridiculously inexpensive and surprisingly potent scented oil while wandering aimlessly around Wal-Mart (mmm, Christmasy cinnamon), and I finally found the name of the song on one of the new Blackberry commercials (it’s “Live the Proof” by Jim Boggia, if anyone’s interested. It’s great. Seriously.).

And, of course, we Americans elected our leader for the next four years. Something I (but not Chopper) found even more exciting than the rest of it.

So, what else went down this week?

This week at Mental Health Notes, in addition to questions about physician-assisted suicide and a review of Lumosity, quite a few famous names were the topic of discussion, including William Shatner, Brooke Smith, Maurice Benard, and Barack Obama.

Regarding mental health advocacy, educational opportunities abound. It may be too late to attend the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s 3rd Annual Rebecca’s Dream Gala, but the DBSA is currently accepting registrations for both the Peer Specialist Training 5-Day Course and the next Peer Specialist Continuing Education (CE) Webinar, “Trauma-Informed Care: What the Peer Specialist Needs to Know.” Too, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is promoting the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) free teleconference training, “Children’s Mental Health Problems and the Need for Social Inclusion.”

In the world of mental health news, 92% of the 1,137 people who took a ComPsych Corp survey claim economic woes contribute to their sleeplessness, depressed African-American heart patients are less likely than depressed Caucasian heart patients to be on antidepressants, and young ADHD patients are more likely to become addicted to nicotine. But, there’s some good news, too: Kidney transplants may improve mental performance (keep in mind this is good news for patients with kidney disease and related cognitive impairment – so, not something any ol’ body should go rounding up friends and scheduling a kidney domino theory over.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, my fellow bloggers are chatting it up about lots of interesting stuff:

• Mark gives a list of important A.A. history dates for November at A Dozen Steps.
• Mary Emma at Alzheimer’s Notes has a guest post from Dee regarding easy finger foods for Alzheimer’s patients.
• Kristina talks about two studies regarding autism genetics at Autism Vox.
• Cherie rounds up a list of giveaways at Diabetes Notes.
• Grace tells us about how seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is linked to a mutation at Genetics & Health.
• Scott talks about bullies (and his method for handling them, ha) at Health and Men.

That’s all for this week’s Saturday Sanity!

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: What A Busy Week!

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been reviewing Lumosity, the “scientifically designed brain training program.” You’re probably somewhat familiar with it, given that it’s been featured in media sources and magazines like The New York Times and Women’s Health, as well as all over the Internet.

There’s been some controversy surrounding programs like Lumosity, and the source of much of the controversy gathers around one question:

Do these brain games really work, or are they just rip offs?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you whether or not they work. I’m not a scientist, or a doctor, or Derek Shepherd. However, I can tell you that I had fun playing the Lumosity games, and I did feel a bit sharper, mentally, afterward.

Read on for my review.

Lumosity includes 30 “sessions” and each session includes three to five games. You have to unlock each level, or session, you’re currently on before you can move on to the next level. (It sounds more confusing than it is!) Of course, you can always play a particular game more than once. I did.

Each game is designed to test and strengthen your attention, memory, processing speed, or cognitive control, and once you get rolling you can check your history for information about your Brain Performance Index, as well as keep track with your sessions and courses (Basic Training, Speed Boost, and Memory Boost).

Even though the games get more difficult the more you play them, you’ll probably get better at playing them. My score always increased each time I played a particular game. For example, my first score for Birdwatching, one of my favorite games, was 602. My fourth score was 3800.

Other favorites of mine were:

• Word Bubbles – With this one, you have to create as many words as you can that start with the three letters the game gives you. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
• Lost in Migration – In order to succeed at this game, you have to really slow down and focus on what you’re supposed to focus on and not allow yourself to get distracted or rushed.

I did not enjoy:

• Raindrops: It’s a math game, so naturally it frustrated me.
• Color Match: For some reason, I kept getting the rules confused!

According to my history, my memory and processing speed are both sharper than my attention and cognitive control. Though, really, I thought I was doing a good job at paying attention! (Well, maybe with the exception of Color Match.)

Lumosity offers a free trial, so give it a go and form your own opinions. Don’t forget to head back here and let me know what you think!

In the meantime, check out these posts for more brain game-related fun:

• Review: Google’s Top 5 Brain Games
• Time To Give Your Brain A Workout
• Keep Your Brain Active And Healthy The Fun Way!

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Game Review: Lumosity