EnableMe | enableme - stroke recovery and support

Brain training programs and apps are very popular, thanks to their promise of being a convenient way to improve your thinking and memory. But how do you know they actually work?

Researchers from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia have reviewed the scientific evidence to find out which brain training programs can help prevent cognitive decline, such as due to Alzheimer's disease. Less than 40% of the programs they examined had any evidence to back them up.

The programs that seem to work are often designed to use neuroplasticity. This is the process the brain uses to make new connections, and it is also used to recover from damage due to a stroke.

Although the research doesn't directly relate to stroke rehabilitation, Dr Tejal Shah, who is one of the scientists involved, makes some recommendations of what to look for when choosing a brain training program.

One recommendation is to go to the program's website to see if any studies have been done on whether that specific brain training program works for the purpose you need, which may be improving your memory, reasoning, or processing speed.

In our enableme podcast on neuroplasticity, we asked Dr Michelle McDonnell from the University of South Australia about whether brain training apps are useful for stroke recovery.

"Neuroplasticity has to be specific, so you have to train what you want to get better," Dr McDonnell said. "So brain training apps for memory might work, if you want to improve your recall of phone numbers and names. But that probably won't transfer to things like speeding up your thinking or your ability to put things together.

"However, there is also research being done on Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia on combining brain training with exercise for added benefit for learning and memory skills. So physical activity might promote neuroplasticity and improve your mood, as well as keeping you healthy and helping to prevent another stroke."

You can read more about the brain training research and recommendations in Dr Tejal Shah's article on The Conversation.

And to find out more about neuroplasticity, you can listen to our podcast.

So valuable to know this - thank you.

I started out with Lumosity, but after a few months felt it wasn't really helping.

Then I tried BrainHQ and immediately felt the stretch. The different categories and excellent progress tracking system make it easy to keep progressing, and to keep stretching a little further.

Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to manage this training, but highly recommend it.

Well worth the annual subscription.

My stroke impacted me cognitively and I commenced Brain HQ training exercises around eight months post stroke and have continued with them over the last two and a half years. These exercises target attention, brain speed, memory, people skills, intelligence and navigation. I can look back over the last two years and a half years and can clearly state that these exercises have improved my performance in all these areas and it has transferred to everyday life. In fact I believe without these exercises I would not have reached the point I have. So I am strong supporter of Brain HQ. For those stroke survivors interested it is well worth looking at the Brain HQ website and have a read of the science behind the exercises

The focus which Brain Training Games gave me when I first tried them was enough for me to continue exploring and exercising myself. Anything which gives someone a boost in a direction which they find helpful is worth a try.

Individual recovery where I was able to be self determined in my approach, I found was necessary to regain my sense of identity.

Sue