May 16 2007, 8:00 AM EST
News source: Business Wire
The influx of brain exercise programs during the past six months has lead SharpBrains.com, the nation's first online brain fitness center and leading provider of mental exercise information and programs, to establish a 10-question checklist to help consumers choose the best brain fitness program for their needs.
"An overwhelming number of brain exercise program developers have emerged lately whose fitness claims may or may not be supported by actual science, or their programs may train areas that users don't really need," said Alvaro Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of SharpBrains. "Consumers should seek programs with science-based methodology and results that train meaningful and measurable functions. They should also be cautious when they hear gimmicks - does one's brain really have an 'age?' - or when a program appears to be more entertainment than exercise."
There are more than 20 computer-based programs on the market today, all of which promise to improve memory, concentration, problem-solving skills and other areas of brain function. SharpBrains experts, under the supervision of Dr. Goldberg, spent more than 18 months interviewing scientists and reviewing leading brain exercise programs worldwide. Given the variety of programs and scientific approaches, SharpBrains developed a research-based criteria to evaluate all programs, which forms the basis for the below list of evaluative questions upon which consumers should base their decisions.
"Research shows that physical exercise, good nutrition, stress management and brain exercise are the four critical pillars for attaining and maintaining good brain health," said Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, neuroscientist and Chief Scientific Advisor and Co-Founder of SharpBrains. "Most people are well-versed on the first three but are in the dark when it comes to undertaking a brain fitness regimen."
"It is also useful to start with the end in mind," continues Mr. Fernandez. "Ask yourself, 'What am I trying to achieve? Do I want to improve my memory, my ability to process new information, my capacity to manage stress and difficult situations, or just do my best to help prevent potential long-term problems?'"
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More News 10 Questions to Choose the
Right Brain Fitness Program for You
BASED ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
1. Are there scientists (ideally neuropsychologists) and a scientific
advisory board behind the program?
2. Are there published, peer-reviewed scientific papers written by
those scientists? How many?
MEASURABLE CLAIMS AND BENEFITS
3. What are the specific benefits claimed for using this program?
4. Does the program tell me what part of my brain or which cognitive
skill I am exercising, and is there an independent assessment to
measure my progress?
5. Is it a structured program with guidance on how many hours per week
and days per week to use it?
ENSURES CROSS-TRAINING
6. Do the exercises vary and teach me something new?
IS IT EXERCISE - OR ENTERTAINMENT
7. Does the program challenge and motivate me, or does it feel like it
would become easy once I learned it?
GOOD FIT FOR ME
8. Does the program fit my personal goals?
9. Does the program fit my lifestyle?
10. Am I ready and willing to do the program, or would it be too
stressful?
An expanded list is also available at www.sharpbrains.com/hottopics under "Brain Fitness Program: How to Select the Right One" with in-depth explanations about why each of the above questions is important.
In addition to the evaluative list, SharpBrains recently announced that the company has partnered with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at UC-Berkeley and San Francisco State University (SFSU) to bring educational tools to dozens of college campuses and health centers nationwide with the introduction of the first ever national brain fitness curriculum.
The first class in the continuing education curriculum, called "
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