Cognitive Exercise Update

Oct 25, 2023 | Dona Locke | @DrDonaLocke | Comments (3)

In the HABIT program, we discuss the benefits of cognitive exercise as one aspect of our brain wellness series and our patients and partners receive subscriptions to BrainHQ which they activate and practice in our cognitive exercise class. If you'd like to learn more about BrainHQ, I would encourage you to check out their You Tube Channel, which has a number of explanatory videos. In our own independent comparative effectiveness study comparing the five components of HABIT to one another, we found that BrainHQ-based cognitive exercise class had a positive impact on psychomotor speed and basic attention abilities at 12 months post-HABIT. And if the cognitive exercises were continued post-HABIT by the patient, they show even more benefit at 12 months.

With that background in mind, I found this announcement from Posit Science, the company behind BrainHQ, rather exciting so I wanted to bring it to your attention!

From Posit Science

"A year ago, I shared news that Posit Science received an NIH grant to develop a model curriculum for community-based classes in dementia prevention with the YMCA of San Francisco and experts at UCSF. It's a year later, and the curriculum has been developed, and the first class (of many planned classes) at the Y has graduated.

The news team at CBS San Francisco (KPIX TV) has covered both the grant and experiences of a program graduate. You can learn more here and here.

The model program arose from the Lancet Commission finding that 40% of dementia cases could be prevented through known lifestyle adjustments, studies of BrainHQ in the areas of dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment, and the experience of the Y in its highly successful model Diabetes Prevention Program."

So, whether you are a HABIT alumni or other individual living with MCI or just interested in healthy cognitive aging, this is more data indicating the importance of cognitive exercise. BrainHQ is one of those ways--Are there BrainHQ users out there who want to give their impressions? What other ways are you keeping cognitively active?

Interested in more newsfeed posts like this? Go to the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) blog.

tullynut | @tullynut | Oct 29, 2023

I am participating in a study through FSU using such “games” to monitor impact. I qualified for the study because multiple family members have/had dementia and so far, at age 71, I show no signs. I completed the first 6 weeks of computer “games” in 3023. Will do so again in 2024 and 2025. I was surprised at how challenging it was at first but I developed strategies that allowed me to get better in visual scanning and responding. I think I am much more observant of visual field in walking and driving. The only other factor, in my family at least, is that I was dx with a clotting disorder about 13 years ago and have taken 2 low dose aspirin every day since then. My affected family (2 siblings and our mother) did not take low dose aspirin. JMHO. I think brain games are a very good thing and if it is ok with doctor to take low dose aspirin every day it might also be a good thing.

Dona Locke | @DrDonaLocke | Oct 31, 2023

In reply to @tullynut "I am participating in a study through FSU using such “games” to monitor impact. I qualified..." + (show)

I appreciate your story. Some of my patients find it hard to continue the exercises because there are challenging as you stay. How did you persevere through that? I also wonder if anyone else reading this might have tips for keeping at it even when it is frustrating or challenging at first.

tullynut | @tullynut | Oct 31, 2023

1. The staff were clear that the tasks may be frustrating and that the timing of the sessions could be variable if that helped.
2. They also suggested working for shorter more frequent time periods to reach the weekly goal.
3. As I progressed thru the exercises I figured out how to change my approach (instead of trying to visually scan the entire image to see/perceive multiple details I discovered lookin at the image as a whole image and simultaneously observed pieces and parts in quadrants, upper/lower left/right, helped a lot. The staff wereNOT allowed to coach so I assume that being able to adjust how a complex task can be approached and making necessary shifts in the approach are higher level skills that would likely diminish or be lost with cognitive impairment or dementia
4. I do believe that the staff being available by phone during training was really helpful. I also believe that participants who get very frustrated and don’t or won’t complete the tasks or who find the process so frustrating that they withdraw may be at early stages? That is only based upon what I have seen with my mother, older sister, and younger brother who have/had been diagnosed with dementia/MCI. Again, JMHO.