Cognitive Health and Performance
10 Popular Cognitive Improvement Apps or Programs for Brain Fitness
These tools, if used correctly, might stimulate your brain and provide better mental flexibility and cognitive reserves.
Mental Stimulation and Cognitive Training at Any Age
Mental stimulation and cognitive training, such as neurobics, have been a topic of interest to me. I wrote a lot about cognitive flexibility to give different perspectives to readers and provide customizable options for cognitive reserves based on my experience and reviews in previous posts.
Mental or neural stimulation is not exclusive to technology and tools. We can use other tools, processes, and approaches. Our lifestyle habits like eating, sleeping, exercising, resting, and socializing can also stimulate our brains and contribute to cognitive health and performance.
Maintaining cognitive health is a lifelong process. It might involve a combination of these tools. Most individuals can use these tools alone, and some people with physical and mental impairment can use them with supervision from caregivers and healthcare professionals such as therapists.
In this post, I aim to provide several options and practical guidance for individuals seeking to engage in mental stimulation and cognitive training, mainly through the use of technology-based tools, programs, and services that are available to the public via subscription or direct purchase.
My goal is to give you some options and jumpstart your research to find a suitable program that might meet your goals. Please also don’t limit yourself to the program introduced in this post. Something that works for one might not work for another. We are individuals and unique.
As I conducted a comprehensive literature review and observed people using cognitive enhancement tools, I excluded them in this post and planned to share my reviews and case studies in a forthcoming post.
Many more cognitive training tools and programs on the market claim to improve specific cognitive skills, such as memory, focus, attention, task-switching, and problem-solving.
It is difficult to determine the top 10 cognitive training tools in a short post. Popularity can vary depending on the specific audience, their needs, and their perceptions. I considered the needs of all age groups, from children to seniors and in between.
There might be better programs for your needs. For example, I heard that citizens in some countries like China, Japan, or India use remarkable brain-stimulating programs in local languages. I did not get a chance to try them.
Summary of 10 Cognitive Enhancement Apps and Programs
In the following sections, I provide some examples of cognitive training tools that I reviewed and tried over the years.
The programs I introduce in this post reflect personal opinions and reviews from the science and gaming communities.
I have no affiliations with these companies and their products. The links go to the vendors’ public sites for information purposes.
It is essential to keep an open mind and consider various options to find the best program for your needs and goals. Most of these sites provide free trials before making a subscription commitment.
1 — Lumosity
Lumosity has been a valuable tool for many years in my personal and professional life. I first discovered it in 2005 when a colleague introduced it to me when it was released as beta. I was immediately attracted as they turned science into a game.
The company behind it, Lumos Labs, Inc, had conducted scientific studies to investigate the effectiveness of its brain training games. As someone always looking to improve my cognitive skills and performance, I found this to be a strong selling point at the time.
In addition to its brain training games, Lumosity also offers mindfulness activities to help promote relaxation and focus. This has been particularly helpful in my busy and often stressful life.
With over 50 exciting games and activities designed to challenge specific cognitive skills such as memory, attention, task switching, and problem-solving, Lumosity games have contributed to cognitive flexibility.
I am grateful to the founders of Lumosity, Kunal Sarkar, Michael Scanlon, and David Drescher, for creating such a valuable and innovative app.
Based in San Francisco, California, Lumosity is available on iOS and Android devices and has helped millions of people worldwide improve their cognitive skills and overall well-being.
2 — Elevate
After using Lumosity for several years, I discovered Elevate in 2014, when it was selected as the app of the year in the iOS store. I found it highly engaging and helpful in stimulating my cognitive abilities.
Elevate stands out with its unique exercises and feedback system. Even though there were similarities in principles of cognition, Elevate’s approach is slightly different from Lumosity’s. I found them complementary, giving different options.
Developed by Elevate Labs in San Francisco, California, Elevate offers a range of games and exercises designed to challenge and stimulate the mind, improving cognitive skills.
Whether it be remembering sequences of numbers or identifying objects in a visual field, the app provides a variety of options for users to choose from based on their goals and interests.
As I progressed through the program, I appreciated the feedback and guidance provided by the app, which helped me to track my progress and make the most of my training.
Elevate is available on both iOS and Android devices. It looks like a valuable resource for people seeking to boost their cognitive abilities.
3 — BrainHQ
I came across BrainHQ before Lumosity and Elevate when I reviewed the papers of Dr. Michael Merzenich. He is a reputable neuroscientist and professor emeritus at the University of California.
Dr. Merzenich is a leading expert in the field of brain plasticity. Since I had a strong interest in neuroplasticity, I closely followed the studies of Dr. Merzenich.
Interested readers might check my experience and perspective with neuroplasticity in an article titled Here’s How I Activated Neurogenesis to Transform My Depressive Mind into a Joyful State in 5 Steps.
BrainHQ is a brain-training program developed by Posit Science. Their program represents the culmination of 30 years of research in neurological science and related medicine. I read some reviews suggesting that BrainHQ might effectively improve specific cognitive skills.
BrainHQ aims to help people improve their cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, and processing speed, through a series of challenging brain-stimulating exercises.
It takes less than five minutes to do each BrainHQ level. Players can use it in tiny bites or long blocks, depending on their schedule. BrainHQ works on almost any computer or mobile device.
If you want, you can set up personal training goals and have BrainHQ send you training reminders when you want them.
4 — Cogmed
Cogmed is a computer-based program that uses specific tasks and activities to improve working memory.
The program supports 200,000+ users in 20 countries. Working memory is the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind for a short time.
I summarized my research and experience on working memory in a recent article titled Here Are 12 Steps I Used to Skyrocket My Working Memory.
According to the vendor site, “Cogmed has already helped more than 200,000 people suffering from attention deficit, a key component of several conditions like ADHD, ADD, Stroke, traumatic brain injury, long-term effects of premature birth, and side-effects of cancer treatment.”
“Cogmed is designed by neuroscientists, with a proven effect on attention and working memory. It has been validated in several large-scale clinical trials and experiments, with findings published in 120+ scientific articles.”
My understanding from the review, Cogmed is administered by trained professionals, including psychologists and educators, who work with users to set goals and provide support and guidance throughout the program.
This platform is available to individuals and organizations such as schools, clinics, private companies, and charity organizations worldwide.
5 — Memorado
Memorado brain training app features 20+ brain training games with hundreds of levels to challenge concentration, memory, mental speed, and logical reasoning.
The app compiles tests and games to enhance cognitive performance. It also includes mindfulness practices.
As everyone is unique, Memorado offers customized solutions for any age group and skill level. Memorado provides daily IQ and cognitive performance tests, tracks progress, and shows subscribers where they can improve by motivating them.
Based on reviews on social media, this company seems to have a strong connection with educative research communities. They offer scientifically researched games to help subscribers grow and connect cognitive functions.
The Memorado Brain Training app is used in many countries. Anecdotes in social media indicate that long-term users might increase cognitive performance and even IQ by over 70%. I couldn’t find documented evidence on these claims, but they sound compelling.
6 — CogniFit
CogniFit program focus on cognitive strengths, areas for improvement, and how users' abilities improve over time with their brain games that constantly adapt to unique profiles.
The company has a focus on families. The platform can be accessed through a web browser. It supports both iOS and Android devices. The platform offers various cognitive training exercises focusing on mental fitness and alertness.
They offer mind-stimulating games, such as Robo Factory, IQbe, Treasure Island, Neon Lights, Drive me crazy, Visual Crossword, Match it!, Space Rescue, Math Madness, Puzzles, Crossroads, Jigsaw, 3D Art Puzzle, and many more.
The exercises are designed to challenge specific cognitive skills using principles of neuroplasticity. These exercises involve completing mental tasks and offer competitive games.
The site links 15 scientific papers linked to credible sources such as PubMed. My favorite paper was on Frontier, titled”
“Does combined cognitive training and physical activity training enhance cognitive abilities more than either alone? A four-condition randomized controlled trial among healthy older adults.”
7 — Total Brain
The Total Brain app is a neuroscience-based mental health and brain performance program that allows users to self-monitor all 12 brain capacities and risks, practice self-care, access professional care, and measure treatment impact over time.
The site mentions that “with digital neuroscience, brain capacities and risks can be measured, improved, and managed — just like physical health.”
The app aims to provide mental health conditions' strengths, weaknesses, and risks while monitoring and assessing the impact of self-care programs and treatment.
From a self-care perspective, subscribers can enhance mental health and brain performance by utilizing complementary tools for resonant breathing, brain training, positive psychology, meditation, and other available assets.
8 — MentalUP Educational Games
The MentalUP Educational Games app includes 100+ brain-stimulating and entertaining brain games. Schools and families use them to help children develop their mental skills and contribute to their success at school and their exams.
The site has no ads. Games come with clear instructions. They can be customized based on age and education level. The reports page for subscribers provides a record of progress with accomplishments.
I haven’t used this site, but some of my friends subscribed to their children. I tried eight complimentary brain games, such as cubes, math operations, conditional statements, equalization, time games, and true or false type games.
Some friends mentioned that the player avatars could be upgraded with cosmetic items by spending the in-game currency earned through success. This motivates their children. I believe MentalUP Educational Games can be helpful for kids of different ages.
9 — Brain Fitness Foundation
Brain Fitness Foundation provides cutting-edge, neuroscience-based programs and treatments to foster community and improve the mental well-being, brain health, and cognitive fitness of underserved populations of New York State. It is an independent, nonprofit organization.
They offer three programs. The first one is called. Mindflex™. It is an after-school program designed to help adolescents at risk for mental illness improve attention and focus, achieve mental clarity, and increase resilience and ability to cope with challenging situations.
The second one is for seniors. It is called Brain Reboot™. This program implements daily schedules at their clinic for the elderly, helping them regain and sustain a sense of mental well-being, mood and memory improvement, and cognitive function.
The third one is for veterans. This neuroscience-based diagnostics and interventions program helps veterans struggling with PTSD regain emotional balance, decrease heightened anxiety, and reconnect with themselves and the world around them.
10 — Dual N-Back
I left this to the end as it is not a single app. Dual N-Back can be completed online or through various apps available for iOS and Android devices in different app stores.
Dual N-Back is a cognitive training task that involves remembering a sequence of positions on a grid and has been found to improve working memory and fluid intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is a type of cognitive ability that involves problem-solving and adapting to new situations. It is believed essential for various cognitive processes, such as learning, decision-making, and abstract thinking. I plan to cover fluid intelligence in another article.
This 2021 study in Nature informs, “working memory training is a prevalent intervention for multiple cognitive deficits. However, the transfer effects to other cognitive tasks from gains in working memory induced by different training techniques remain controversial.”
The study, comparing different cognitive approaches, concluded that “the dual n-back task training method perhaps has a more prominent transfer effect than that of the method of loci.”
The Dual N-Back task involves looking at a grid of letters or numbers and remembering the position of the current letter or number, as well as the position of the same letter or number from a certain number of steps back in the sequence, such as one step back and two steps back.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Cognitive training tools, such as brain games and cognitive exercises, have the potential to be highly beneficial for a wide range of individuals.
These tools may be handy for those looking to maintain or improve their cognitive, mental, and neurological health and those seeking to enhance specific cognitive skills, such as working memory, attention, task switching, mental flexibility, and problem-solving.
Cognitive training may be beneficial for older adults at an increased risk of age-related cognitive decline and individuals with certain medical conditions, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
While some research suggests that cognitive training may improve specific cognitive skills in these groups, the long-term benefits of such training are not yet fully understood.
Takeaways
Determine your goals for cognitive training and performance.
Research and select suitable cognitive training programs.
Consult with qualified healthcare professionals before starting.
Set aside regular time for training, such as 15 to 30 minutes.
Gradually increase the difficulty of the program.
Mix up your routine to prevent boredom.
Stay consistent with your training.
Monitor your progress, obtain feedback, and adjust as needed.
Engage in other activities that support brain and mental health.
Beware of addictive behavior for programs causing dopamine spikes.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle, including nutritious food, restorative sleep, regular exercise, rest, fun, and meaningful social connections.
Cognitive training should not be the sole treatment for any medical condition. Individuals with underlying health issues should consult healthcare professionals before starting a cognitive training program.
Despite their limitations, cognitive training tools might be valuable for people looking to improve their cognitive function and overall brain health.
In my perspective, it is crucial to focus on lifestyle fundamentals that can support hormonal balance, optimize neurotransmitter function like dopamine, and enhance BDNF before considering brain stimulation games and neurobics activities to improve cognitive health and performance.
I aim to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
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