How do we improve brain fitness?

Brain is such a human machine, which if uses, will give more. If we don't use it, it will degrade. We all do physical fitness. How do we improve brain fitness?How do we improve brain fitness?A commercial brain fitness program has been shown to improve memory in older adults, at least in the period soon after training. The findings are the first to show that practicing simple visual tasks can improve the accuracy of short-term, or “working” visual memory. The research, led by scientists at UCSF, is also one of the first to measure both mental performance and changes in neural activity caused by a cognitive training program.



In the study, healthy older participants trained on a computer game designed to boost visual perception. After ten hours of training, they not only improved their perceptual abilities significantly, but also increased the accuracy of their visual working memory by about ten percent – bringing them up to the level of younger adults. Few brain training programs have been subjected to such rigorous research evaluation to reveal such a transfer of benefits, the researchers say.



Working memory is the ability to hold information in mind for brief periods. It is essential to accomplish immediate tasks, such as engaging in conversation with several people.



If improvements in a simple perception skill can transfer to a higher level function such as memory, as this research found, then other interventions might further improve brain function in aging people, the scientists say. The researchers recorded participants’ brain activity before and after the visual perception training, and found a direct link between improved performance and changes in brain activity. After the training, activity had decreased in a key brain area involved in processing visual input. The people who improved the most in the visual training showed the biggest drop in neural activity – as if the brain didn’t have to work as hard to take in information. The research is being published in the journal PLoS One on July 14, 2010.



“This confirms our understanding that the brains of older adults, like those of young people, are ‘plastic’ – the brain can change in response to focused training,” said Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at UCSF and senior author of the research paper. Gazzaley is associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at UCSF.



“The study shows that perceptual improvements with simple discrimination training can transfer to improved working memory in older adults, and it also shows that this increase in memory accuracy is linked to changes at the neural level.”



There are many brain fitness programs being marketed, but there has been little rigorous testing and evaluations of their effectiveness, Gazzaley said. “We zeroed in on one specific regimen, and we can see that at least with this approach, some brain fitness program claims may be warranted.”



Gazzaley’s team worked with researchers at Posit Science Corp., a producer and promoter of brain fitness programs. Posit Science was co-founded by Michael Merzenich, PhD, a leader in brain plasticity research and an emeritus professor at UCSF. Posit Science funded the research.



Memory improvement was measured about one week after the visual perception training ended. The scientists did not assess how long the memory improvement might last beyond that period without continued training.



A further test showed that if participants had to multi-task during the memory testing, they did not receive the memory boost from the previous perception training. Gazzaley hopes that more studies can lead to ways to help people improve their ability to mentally process simultaneous tasks – a skill that declines in many older adults.



The study involved two sets of 15 healthy adults from age 60 to 89. One group participated in the training. The second group served as the control, taking the memory tests but not the visual perception training. No participants had dementia, but the group showed a range of mental fitness typical of an aging population. The average age was 72. Most were college educated, middle class people.



People in both groups were given a baseline working memory test consisting of watching dots move across the computer screen, followed by a short delay and then re-testing to see if they remembered exactly in which direction the dots had moved. The memory test was given to both groups again after the experimental group had participated in ten hours of visual perception training. This training challenged players to discriminate between different shapes of sine waves, or S-shaped patterns, moving across the screen.



The training program was designed so that as a participant’s skill level improved, the task became progressively harder. The drills lasted 40 minutes, and were given three to five times a week for three to five weeks. All trained participants improved their ability to distinguish between the two different moving shapes.

.How do we improve brain fitness?The MOST important thing is to eat naturally..without medicines, chemicals, "starving" your self etc.



first, it would be best for you to eat as healthy as possible..this will also help you considerably to lose weight gradually and naturally..



eat fresh fruits, vegetables, drink plenty of WATER..avoid all cokes, caffeines, smoking, alchohol etc. as these also add weight as well as they contain chemicals which disturb your natural bio rythmns as well as brain chemistry. try not to eat too much meat, and the meat you should eat should be "lean meat" such as steamed chicken and rice, or steamed fish with rice..and vegetables,, this should be your staple diet rice and vegetables with fruits..AVOID "JUNK FOOD" and "Fast Food" as this type of food is very unhealthy, lacking in vitamins really and has plenty of fattening molecules which make one gain weight and is very bad for overall health.



if you snack,, try fruits with yogurt or fruit yogurt and nuts.. nuts are very healthy for your body .and contain proteins.



go for walks every evening or morning or whenever you get time each day for 1 hour or 2 hours..make this somewhere you enjoy walking even if you have to drive a bit to there..and make this a daily routine..you will enjoy it once you get into it ..and it makes you feel great after..just walking for 1 hour or 2 hours.



if you do this..every day for one month ..you should lose around 10 pounds (.714 stone) per month until you get to your natural healthy weight.. look up on the internet for an idea of what your weight for your height should be ..and when you get to this weight,,your body will look very nice and you will feel very good.



10 pounds (.714 stone ) each month in 3 months you should lose 30 pounds (2 stones, 2 pounds)..for sure...but no junk food and dont drink alcohol or smoke, dont eat junk..just healthy food with vitamins and walking 1 hour or 2 hours every day..and drink plenty of water..this is guaranteed way to lose weight naturally and for good, if you stick to this, which you should,,as it makes you feel so much more positive due to the vitamins and lack of chemicals making you feel depressed...



btw, forgot to mention,,just in case you dont know how to really make healthy meals..buy a "food steamer" at your local deparment store..they are very cheap and work very well..as well as buy a "rice cooker" which is also very cheap..eating rice is a great way to get your necessary carbs "healthy carbs" to lose weight and has lots of natural energy inside. you can buy asian rice at most large supermarkets or if you have a local oriental market..they sale quality asian rice.. thai or indian rice is good "jasmine rice".. buy corn or canola oil to sprinkle on vegetables or rice before steaming to add to taste as well as you can buy several nice spices like "cumin" or "Curry powders", etc.just sprinkle on the vegetables before steaming to give nice taste.



drink "Green Tea" as this is very healthy and helps burn extra fat faster...you can buy quality green tea at most oriental shops or large supermarkets as wellHow do we improve brain fitness?sudoku,chess,crosswords etcHow do we improve brain fitness?
eat healthy,drink tonsa water...work out,try challenge urself with quizzes,playin puzzles or solvin sudoku (very good for the brain)

also,get enough rest.a tired brain never ever works properly.