Skip to main content

Brain training

Mind games may improve our performance at work”, reads the headline in The Times today. The newspaper reports that a new study has shown that volunteers who took part in “rigorous exercises designed to tax their mental agility… stimulated problem-solving abilities in the brain that can be applied to a variety of circumstances.” It says that other forms of mental exercise such as Sudoku or crosswords “have limited value because they help mental improvement only at similar tasks”. This story is based on a non-randomised controlled experiment using student volunteers to look at the benefits of a particular form of working memory training on “fluid intelligence” – the ability to solve new problems. Because the groups in this study were not randomised, it is not clear whether all of the benefit seen was due to the training received. More importantly, the study did not assess whether the training had any effect on their jobs or studies. Although this study by itself does not prove that brain training improves intelligence, other studies have suggested that keeping the mind active may have various benefits, including a reduced risk of dementia. In general, it would seem sensible to keep the mind as well as the body active. There are many ways to do this, and it certainly has not been proven that the only way to do this is by using a computerised training program.

Popular posts from this blog

PF-ROM Exercises

"Pain-free range of motion’ or early mobilization exercises can help you heal" PF-ROM is physical therapy talk for “pain free range of motion.” When a therapist evaluates an injury, he or she will be interested to see how far you can move affected joints without hurting. Sometimes, of course, you can’t move at all without pain. But in most injuries, even many serious ones, you will have at least some painless movement. And whatever you’ve got, you should use. When you are hurt, the pain-free range is your new best friend: that’s the range you’ll be exercising in for a while. Pain free range of motion exercises are also known as “early mobilization.” Use it or lose it “Use it or lose it,” they say. And it’s true. While many seemingly simple medical questions are controversial, this one appears to be straightforward: plenty of recent research demonstrates that early mobilization is A Very Good Thing. A 2006 study of people with surgically repaired achilles tendon ruptures sh...
Read more

What is dementia?

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. This may include problems with: memory loss thinking speed mental sharpness and quickness language understanding judgement mood movement difficulties carrying out daily activities There are many different causes of dementia. People often get confused about the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia and, together with vascular dementia, makes up the vast majority of cases. People with dementia can become apathetic or uninterested in their usual activities, or may have problems controlling their emotions. They may also find social situations challenging and lose interest in socialising. Aspects of their personality may change. A person with dementia may lose empathy (understanding and compassion), they may see or hear things that other people do not (hallucinations). Because people with dementia may lose t...
Read more

Stress at work

People with high-stress jobs have twice the risk of developing serious depression or anxiety compared with others in less stressful occupations, The Independent reported. The link between rising rates of depression and rates of work stress means that “one in 20 cases of depression or anxiety annually is attributable to high stress at work”, it stated on August 2 2007. Highly stressed jobs include head chefs and construction workers, the paper reports, and least stressful jobs include looking after children at home, “where there are no deadlines to meet, greater flexibility and no fear of public failure”. The researchers explain that “time pressure is the single most important cause of stress and of the illness to which it leads,” the newspaper said. The research supports the intuitive link between stress at work and the mental health of young working adults. Where did the story come from? The research was carried out by Maria Melchior and colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry, K...
Read more