Mind training websites and games
 

So I signed up on a mind training website (luminosity.com) that provides games that apparently improve brain function in the fields of problem solving, calculation, memory, flexibility, speed, spatial recognition etc. I played more than a few games...
Be warned, because its fun, it is also a little addictive :D.

The main problem with the games is that you need coordination and dexterity with a computer keyboard and mouse to perform some of them well...but I'm hoping that maybe that too will improve with practice.

I'm going to give it a try for a few months...anything that might help maintain and maybe improve what has been lost.

Thought that some might like to check this sort of thing out for themselves.

With love, Erika

Hi Erika,

I've been doing Lumosity for about 6 weeks now, as is my teen daughter who has ADHD and other issues. I have myasthenia gravis and some mild nerve damage from high dose chemo, so the dexterity issue certainly is present for me as well. I have found, however, that my dexterity has improved.

I've made really fast progress with the program, in my opinion. I've had horrible chemo/menopause brain fog and it's interesting, because I began hormone replacement (bioidenticals) in mid-December and my progress has really improved--I have "personal bests" almost every time now.

My daughter has also improved, and is in the upper percentile in most everything. She is learning to drive right now, so a lot of the games should (in theory) help with that.

Glad to hear someone else is using Lumosity.

Cool! So happy to hear that you and daughter are finding it helpful. That's really encouraging. Thanks :).

I was really quite surprised to realize where and when my brain stalls out while playing, so I'm very hopeful that those areas will pick up.

My percentile levels are very low on the games which require typing in information or numbers (incoordination between brain and hands), and is also quite low on the speed games.
But to improve through use and practice is the point of these exercises right?

With love, Erika

Great website! I signed up for it and plan on using it everyday. Thanks! :)

Erika, when I began, my BPI was at about 20th %ile, with speed being, and still being my lowest. Now it is in the 30's, but that is 3X what it was when I started. My overall BPI is much better as well. I was very shocked to see how low I was after the initial trial and that's what motivated me to work on things.

Kitty, don't hate us when you try Penguin Pursuit for the first time!:p

LOL! :D Well, if I disappear for a while you'll know what happened! :o

Thanks for sharing you starting percentile 4-eyes.

I am kind of embarrassed to say that my speed percentile came in at 0.9 after my first five speed games :o. That is my lowest one.
The others came in between 15 & 25; so there is certainly room for improvement.

I share your initial motivation to continue with it because I know that playing the games will improve brain function. The games have already engaged my brain in new ways; even after one day (30 games played)...and that makes me:):):).

I am encouraged by your improvement in such a short time, and am hopeful that by making new synapses through continuing with the games will prove to benefit my brain as well.

How much time do you spend playing the games per day?

With love, Erika

Is this a free website?

There is a free 3 day trial that will get you access to some of the games. The sign up cost to get full access is around $76.00/year.

Most fun I've had by myself in a long time...oh those penguins and spinning ice flows :D!

With love, Erika

I signed up for the one month version....I think it was $14.95. I might change that to a yearly subscription but right now I just don't have the money to do that.

I think it's really going to help me learn to use my right hand again. It's numb and I use my left hand almost exclusively now. This will encourage me to use my right hand and get better coordinated with it. :)

Oh, and I played Penguin Pursuit and yes, it's totally addictive! :o

Erika,

I generally just do the 10 minutes a day. I will occasionally do a few more games later. During the holidays, I had a house guest for 10 days and only did the games 3 times. When I came back on, I was "introduced" to a whole bunch of new games. Guess they thought I'd become bored. LOL

Thanks, but I've Been with FREE Pogo for 10 years. They have a bunch of fast paced and mind bogglers too. My fav there is Word Whomp. Keeps my mind and vocabulary alive and well. I play the fast paced bogglers. when I need the Exercise..:D

Free POGO is awesome. Thanks for sharing that Sally:).

I think that anything that engages the brain with mental exercises, will have similar effects...even doing things like math in your head with the numbers on automobile licence plates apparently works.
Friends and I used to do that when I was a kid; but I tried it a while ago and was shocked at how anything over 2-step calculations caused my brain to stall out. I was forgetting the result of steps 1 & 2 while working on step 3 :confused:.
That's when I decided to do something so as to get the brain in gear before it turned into three bean salad :D.

There's lots of info with respect to how to go about doing this on the net, along with some specific suggestions and study results on how to re-engage the brain.
I found out that learning a new language or learning to play a musical instument were given high marks for improving brain function in neuroscientific research (Doing so after the age of 50 decreases the potentials for developing Alzheimers Disese); but so were playing these sorts of electroninc/computer games, learning new dance steps or doing things like Tai-Chi.

Overall, it seems that learning to do something that has a progressive learning curve, and practicing it regularly is the common denominator in the research articles.

I also remembered reading a research paper years ago that said combining new information with body movement, improves both physical and mental functions. The technique is gaining popularity in the treatment of Parkinsons Disease, post stroke and MS. This can be as simple as reciting newly learned phrases while walking or doing repetitive exercise.

I started using that technique a couple of weeks ago (walking and using a cross-country ski machine while pronouncing words and phrases) as a means to learn a new language more easily.
It's too early to tell how that will go though, because the brain-body connection, which affects general coordination, along with memory are still quite slow to come around.
I started with the computer games with the hope of improving those things.

Learning a new language and doing computer games has given me a better attitude all round; for I feel like I'm doing something that will be of benefit to the body and brain in the long run.
It does have me feeling a bit like a human Ginea pig though:D.

Good luck and wishing lots of fun (it actually is fun) to those who give any of these things a try :).

With love, Erika

Hmmmmm, perhaps I should dust off the Rosetta Stone Spanish set my daughter no longer uses....

I record jeopardy every day on my DVR and watch it at night when I get home from work. It is good at keeping my mind nimble. I might have to try lumosity though...sounds like it would be good, since I have ADHD and MS.

Computer games aid Stroke Patients...Maybe MS too?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18109711

With love, Erika

I have a face book game I am enjoying. I love the crime shows like CSI. This game is called Criminal case. You get these crime scenes and have to find these hidden clues. Once you have played one crime scene numerous times your brain kicks in and remembers where they are. Some of the things you find at the crime scenes are clues that you then have to put together to solve the crime. Plus you get a lot of your face book biddies to paly with you and send you 'energy', hints and things like that