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Sleep deprivation, we are told, is bad - I didn't say it was all rocket science but some of the tips give you food for thought...

22 January 2008

Train your Brain

by Jacqueline Alexander

Can you really train your brain to improve its functionality? Since the arrival of a host of products designed to give our brain a regular work-out, the detractors have been telling us they don't work or that we are being encouraged into yet another sedentary activity at a time when obesity is one of the biggest challenges facing our beleaguered NHS.

As with all the 'good advice' we receive, there is a balance to be found. Yes, drinking water is good for us but just ask the actor, Anthony Andrews, what happens if you overdo it. He ended up in hospital suffering from hyponatraemia, otherwise known as a salt imbalance, after drinking several litres too much. And, yes, fruit and vegetables are good for us but living on two apples, three pears and a pomegranate a day is probably not.

So, when it comes exercising our grey matter, common sense has to prevail. A little daily work out is certainly not going to do you any harm particularly as many neurologists support the evidence of the benefits seen in trials. While there are others that disagree with this view, all seem to agree that regular brain-training, or to use the official terminology, cognitive exercise, will ensure you get markedly better at the tasks you practice. This conclusion, of course, is not fuelled by rocket science. It seems more in line with the old adage 'practice makes perfect' and we know that one is true.

Whether or not the benefits extend to improving the way your brain processes, reacts to or stores information is debatable, but if your enjoy a few innocent mind games then surely, as long as the games are fun, there's no harm done and you may find yourself thinking clearer, faster and more efficiently within just a few weeks.

Having investigated quite a few of these products via the free trials available on many web sites, my favourite so far, and my recommended choice is www.lumosity.com. Here you are offered a very easy-to-use system with good, clear instructions and, for those in need of a comfort blanket, practice runs before you embark on the real thing. The scoring system awards you 'lumosity' points and, after completing a number of exercises, you are given a BPI - Brain Power Index. Your sense of humour is not officially tested here but you will know how it measures up by the time you have finished.

The exercises are varied and diverse but each is visually appealing. The 'bird watching' exercise, which claims to improve your attention and your ability to process visual information, asks you to remember a letter at the same time as spotting the exact position of a bird on a landscape backdrop. Your efforts result in naming as many birds as possible by spelling out the letters. You get points for accuracy, speed and memory but most importantly, it's fun. Well, I think so but I am a fan of IQ tests as well so I am expecting others will disagree, possibly even vehemently.

As you progress through the challenges, you are presented with tips on improving your brainpower. Sleep deprivation, we are told, is bad. This example is a little too obvious to be useful but others tips give you food for thought which, I presume, is exactly what they were designed to do.

We are promised, but not guaranteed, that regular use of these exercises will help you with decision-making, planning and even suppressing inappropriate behaviour. I couldn't find any details of what is deemed inappropriate but I think they're missing a trick as I am intrigued by this promise and want to know more.

Once you have mastered the basics of the site and are starting to feel confident about your BPI, you can publish your score and challenge a like-minded individual to have a go. Equally, you can opt to quietly progress with training your brain and, if those neurologists in the pro-camp are right, you can amaze and possibly even impress your friends with your newfound brainpower, lightening quick reactions, powers of recall and ability to process complex data. It's worth a try.

www.lumosity.com

Jacqueline Alexander presents Web Watch every Tuesday at 5.45pm on BBC Radio Berkshire on 104.1FM, 104.4FM, 95.4FM, 94.6FM and DAB Digital Radio. To listen in, just visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire.

What is Web Watch?

Web Watch is broadcast on BBC Radio Berkshire, published in the Henley and South Oxon Standard and published online right here at web-watch.info.

As a cross-media project, Web Watch is designed to help you find the best sites here on the Internet.

You can catch Web Watch on air every Tuesday at 5.45pm when Jacqueline Alexander sits down with Phil Kennedy during the Drivetime show on BBC Radio Berkshire to chew the virtual fat.