Submitted by Armen Hareyan on Jul 12th, 2007
Lumosity Online Brain Fitness Games
Lumosity is a scientifically developed online brain fitness program demonstrated to improve memory and attention with fun and effective brain workouts.
Brains need exercise just as much as bodies, and now there's a new way to meet the challenge with entertaining online exercises that take just 10 minutes a day.
The 30-session program developed by Lumos Labs offers a daily mix of games, exercises, progress reports and brain health tips.
Designed for adults of all ages, Lumosity was developed in collaboration with experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford and UCSF, and then tested in a randomized, controlled study that was presented at neuroscience conferences in 2006 and 2007. Significant improvements in cognitive functions such as memory and attention were noticeable within a few weeks of training. In the NIH-funded ACTIVE study, researchers observed that gains made from cognitive training were maintained five years later.
Lumosity Beta users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for information such as names and numbers, increased alertness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving. A survey revealed that over 95% of the users considered the program to be fun.
Each cognitive training task has been structured as a game. A visual attention exercise simultaneously displays a bird and a letter for a fraction of a second, requiring users to identify both at the same time using peripheral vision. One of the working memory activities asks users to navigate a maze by remembering the location of hazards. "Working memory is fundamental to higher cognitive functions, including reasoning and reading comprehension, and improvements here will impact performance on many cognitive tasks", said Dr. Moriah Thomason Caires, a neuroscience researcher at Stanford.
The difficulty level of each exercise adjusts to the ability of the user. As she progresses, the birds appear faster and there are more hazards in the maze. Each activity includes useful information such as what part of the brain is being exercised, and a progress report provided after every session makes it easy to track improvement.
"Research has shown that making brain fitness part of a healthy lifestyle early will lead to optimal cognitive performance and better long-term brain health," said Michael Scanlon, chief scientist at Lumos Labs. "We designed Lumosity to help adults of any age build their cognitive abilities without feeling like they're doing homework. People have to be motivated to train, and we believe that the results we're seeing stem in part from the fact that the program is enjoyable and you can see your progress."
Lumosity costs $79.95 for unlimited use of the 30-session program and full access to all games and exercises for one year. After completing the initial program, users can continue to track their improvement and keep sharpening their skills by training on specific exercises or repeating the program.
Source:
Lumos Labs, Inc. 