Group therapy. Cognitive training: “upgrade” memory and thinking

Our brain works thanks to neurons and synapses. The former perceive and process information from outside world, transmit it to internal organs. The latter provide communication between neurons.

How developed our brain is depends on the number and variety of synapses.

Until about the age of 25, the number of synapses in the human brain increases, and cognitive functions reach their peak. After this, gradual degradation occurs. This is normal: over time, not only the body, but also the brain ages.

Nevertheless, we keep an eye on our figure by regularly visiting Gym, we use anti-aging creams, but we forget about brain aging. And in vain: memory, attention, thinking can be trained, developed and kept in good shape just like the body.

This is confirmed by modern scientific research. Scientists from the Center for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain at Oxford University proved in 2009 A positive-negative mode of population covariation links brain connectivity, demographics and behavior. that new synapses are formed in our brain throughout life, and also revealed a relationship between the number neural connections and quality of human life.

People with a large number neurons and synapses, as a rule, had high level life, higher education, tried to lead healthy image life and were generally satisfied with it.

How to train your brain

Eat different ways brain training: you can learn poetry, solve crosswords, read books. Even playing Tetris develops cognitive abilities, but only to a certain level. However latest research neuropsychologists show that the most effective way brain development are cognitive training - simple exercises, which pump up attention, memory and thinking.

Based scientific research in the field of neuropsychology, an online brain simulator was created - “Vikium”. It offers simple tasks for attentiveness, memory and reaction speed.

Exercises have game uniform to make something useful also enjoyable. Games provide pleasure, and what gives pleasure requires a person to repeat the action.

The tasks on Wikium seem elementary, but as you progress through the levels, the difficulty increases. In this way, we gradually pump up the brain without making much effort.

What workouts look like

Before training, you must pass an introductory test. It assesses the current level of your cognitive abilities and selects a personalized training program.

The workout lasts approximately 15 minutes and consists of a warm-up and core exercises.

Trainers are grouped in pairs to train specific brain abilities. For example, memory training includes 7 exercises: warm-up (to “switch on” your attention) and games to develop the volume, speed and accuracy of memorization. Each game complements the previous one and occupies a strictly defined place - for better effect from exercise.

This is what training for developing attention “Find an object” looks like. You need to find the item on the shelves that you see in the frame and click on it. In 60 seconds you must type maximum amount points.

Another exercise for memory development is “Signal lights”. You need to remember and reproduce the sequence in which the lights light up.

The service operates on a freemium model: 9 simulators are available for free - 2 for memory, 4 for thinking and 3 for attention. Premium account holders get access to all exercises. There are a total of 41 exercises on the site.

You can view statistics of your progress and compete with other users (for example, with friends). In addition to regular exercises, there are special courses: a course on goal setting, on the development of attention, and creative thinking.

You can study both from a computer and from a smartphone - the service supports adaptive layout of the web version for mobile devices.

Our brain is an amazing system that constantly performs interesting tricks. Are you familiar with the “red car” effect? A man buys a red car and suddenly starts seeing red cars on the street all the time. This distortion is called the “frequency illusion” or “Baader-Meinhof phenomenon” and occurs due to the brain’s selective attention and tendency to always confirm its point of view (confirmation bias).

The brain is not only susceptible to cognitive illusions, but is also able to respond flexibly to external stimuli. Is it possible, in this case, to “pump up the mind” by exerting a stimulating effect on it? A University of California meta-analysis found that short-term cognitive training leads to benefits in important cognitive functions measured by laboratory tests.

Working memory is capable of storing and accessing information in the short term. This is a narrow “intelligence bottleneck” that affects cognitive processes more high order, including controlled attention and reasoning.

An analysis of 20 scientific studies showed that working memory is not only trained, but also affects fluid intelligence.

Fluid intelligence is the ability to think logically, analyze and solve problems regardless of previous experience. Fluid intelligence does not depend on previously accumulated knowledge.

Just three weeks of regular cognitive exercise significantly increases the number of neural connections. This leads to accelerated exchange of information between different parts of the brain, improves the ability to remember new information, develops logical thinking, the ability to compare facts and quickly make the right decisions.

There are a lot of cognitive training options. We have collected several that are distinguished by their simplicity, small volume and quick results(at least you can immediately assess at what level your working memory is now).

Long-term memory test

Vikium

Vikium suggests first taking a test and determining the quality of your thinking. Based on the test results, you receive a training program. The course consists of daily 15-minute lessons.

The service operates on a freemium model: users can purchase access to all courses, specialized tasks, as well as the opportunity to compete with other participants. A premium account costs 1,990 rubles per year.

The project website states that solving the proposed problems will help you stop being distracted by external interference and irritants, and will teach you how to quickly switch between different types activities, concentrate on tasks and work more productively. The company even has games that work with a device that reads the electrical activity of the brain (alpha rhythm and beta rhythm) - you need to work with them with full concentration and in absolute calm.

Brain Metrix

But this is a real game, but it was created “according to the precepts” of neuroscientists. The one who can well predict the exact place where the ball will go will be able to show a high result.
When playing, try not to focus on where the ball is, but try to predict where it might end up.

You will find others on the website free games against the computer, which will help your brain better operate working memory. In some cases, they will immediately tell you the number of points, after which you do not need to continue the game - you have already achieved perfection.

Eidetic

Eiedtic uses spaced repetition to help you remember anything from important telephone numbers to facts from Wikipedia. The method is to repeat what is memorized educational material at certain, ever-increasing intervals. Spaced repetition does not involve rote learning.
Works only on iOS.

Fit Brains

The service works with the brain in six areas: focus, memory, speed, logic, visualization and language. Fit Brains is the only brain training program that includes emotional intelligence (EQ) training in addition to cognitive skills exercises. There are both paid subscriptions and free courses.

Brain training includes many types of training: memory tests, IQ tests, fluid intelligence, reflexive actions and creativity. Combining a variety of games with a planned training schedule will stimulate all the major memory areas of the brain and strengthen your skills.

As we get older, we need to train our minds more to maintain and sharpen skills. Even puzzles, riddles, crosswords, card games, and maybe some computer games may help stimulate the part of the brain associated with cognitive abilities, logical solution problems, memory storage and other mental abilities.

UPD. The Vikium project has been added.

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Scientists have long believed that certain games - such as puzzles - and exercise can help prevent the negative aspects of aging. Is this so, let's figure it out! Let's see if such cognitive games can really have a beneficial effect on the functioning of our brain - especially in older people?
According to the results of a large-scale study, mental exercises could help improve cognitive function in older adults by as much as 38% by 2050. Moreover, training of this nature will lead to improvements not only in areas related to everyday functioning, but also in many others (in the long term). Some participants showed improvement mental functions were recorded even after 10 years.

"Previous results from this clinical trial showed that the effect can last for five years", explained Dr. Richard Y. Hodes, director of the US National Institutes of Health. - "Now, these results show that certain types Cognitive training can provide long-term benefits - for at least ten years. It can be concluded that we should continue cognitive training as a therapy because it can help maintain mental capacity older people so that they can remain independent and socialized longer". The US National Institutes of Health supported these findings.

The study, called ACTIVE (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly), followed 2,832 people over 65 years of age over 10 years. Participants were trained to reason, process, and remember information, while the control group received no such training. From earlier research, scientists have suggested that these are three key areas that are primarily affected by aging, and disruptions in these areas affect most areas. Everyday life person.

The average age of the participants in this study was almost 74 years old (at the beginning of the experiment). Training sessions were conducted in small groups; Participants were asked to attend 10 sessions lasting approximately 60 - 75 minutes each. They performed the necessary exercises using touch screens - this was done in order to increase the speed of performing exercises - and special lists, the use of which helps to remember information.

The effects of exercise on brain function

So what impact does this cognitive training have? The researchers found that participants who received the training experienced improvements in daily functioning—areas that typically involve the very cognitive abilities they were training. Memory Improvements - When Talking About It real facts- is assessed, for example, by the ability to remember on one’s own when to find medicine and what products needed to be bought in the store, while the speed of information processing is assessed by the speed of reactions to what is happening around.

Is the effect really long-term? Five years after training, participants from all three groups continued to show improvement in the areas in which they received training. The only thing is that the effect of training in the area of ​​memorization decreased over time. After ten years, there were no further improvements in memory, although the learning benefits were otherwise still in effect. The results also showed that after 10 years, nearly 74% of those who trained in reasoning showed improvements compared to baseline. Those who trained to process information quickly showed improvement almost 62% of the time. But in the group that developed memory, as mentioned earlier, no improvements were observed compared to the initial level.

The study authors suggest that these results will allow other researchers to further study how these processes function and develop effective learning programs for training cognitive skills. The authors also suggest that “if measures were taken to slow down the advance functional disorders at least for 6 years, the number of people suffering from them would be reduced by 38% by 2050; it would have great importance for public health" Given the large percentage of older people, such an improvement could have a significant impact on mental health and the functioning of the population as a whole.

CogniFit: leader in mind games and cognitive stimulation exercises for children and youth

The development of children's cognitive abilities is extremely important for improving their learning and school performance in childhood and adolescence. Brain-stimulating exercises for children can help Train and strengthen over 20 core cognitive abilities, associated with such cognitive processes as:, or. How to start using the program? It's very simple, you just need .

This cognitive stimulation, training and rehabilitation program consists of various , which can be played online on any computer or mobile device. CogniFit uses our brain, which manifests itself already in the first stages of neurodevelopment, in order to stimulate and strengthen the intellectual development of children and adolescents. Brain exercises represent the most exciting therapeutic tasks, rehabilitation and educational techniques aimed at training and improving the child’s mental abilities.

Difficulty level of neurodidactic exercises, tasks and mind games automatically adapts as the child trains. The program automatically adjusts the complexity and type of tasks and exercises according to the unique characteristics of each child (age, learning disabilities, cognitive deficits and impairments, etc.).

All mental exercises, games and tasks for children and youth are systematized, and their effectiveness has been scientifically proven. CogniFit is a reliable neurodidactic tool for cognitive stimulation of both healthy children and children with learning difficulties. cognitive disorder or a neurodevelopmental disorder (dyslexia or ADHD). With this tool you can also compare the child’s results with the results of other children of his age.

Smart games and tasks for cognitive stimulation from CogniFit is used by families as well as educational and medical centers worldwide. The program demonstrates high efficiency among children, especially among children with special needs and those who have learning difficulties. This neuro-educational platform was designed to help identify neurological cause school failure and improve basic cognitive functions in childhood.

How do smart games and cognitive stimulation programs for children from CogniFit work?

In children's and adolescence especially plastic, in other words, has great ability to adapt to requirements environment . This makes learning easier and makes children very sensitive to cognitive stimulation.

Given this characteristic of the brains of children and young people, it is very important to use high-quality cognitive stimulation tools. Various studies have shown that personalized brain training from CogniFit helps stimulate and improve various cognitive abilities thanks to neural plasticity.

The CogniFit children's cognitive training program allows you to stimulate different patterns of neural activation. Repeated activation of these patterns through training can, on the one hand, strengthen existing neural connections, and on the other hand, promote the creation of new synapses and neural networks.

Thus, intellectual exercises for children from CogniFit ("CogniFit") use the ability nervous system to adaptation, which helps the brain train its cognitive functions. This can help your child recover from or minimize the effects of brain damage or learning disorders (such as dyslexia or dyscalculia) that affect various cognitive abilities. In addition, smart games for children from CogniFit also help test and optimize their cognitive skills.

Cognitive improvement in children. Why choose CogniFit brain games?

CogniFit cognitive tests and training for children and young people were created by scientists specializing in the field of neuroplasticity in order to improve the cognitive state of those who use them. Cognitive stimulation platform CogniFit has a number of advantages, what makes it unique:

• The design of the CogniFit platform is very intuitive, which allows you to easily and conveniently manage both your own training and the training of children, patients and students.
• Game design very attractive. This greatly increases motivation, especially in children who find it difficult to endure boring tasks.
• CogniFit evaluates and tests 23 with the help of tasks and brain exercises. This allows you to create a complete cognitive profile of the user and compare his results with other people of his age and gender.
• Instructions and results are presented in an interactive visual format, which makes it easier to understand the information provided by the program.
• CogniFit tests and training using numerous studies carried out in different countries.
• After testing or after each training session, the program sends accurate and reliable results workout. So we get feedback with a report on our cognitive state.
• In addition to training, the cognitive stimulation program from CogniFit evaluates our achievements in each session. This allows the program to understand which cognitive abilities are better or worse developed in order to better adapt to our individual needs during training.
• The process of choosing the type and level of difficulty of a workout is fully automated. You just need to start a session and click on the “start training” button. The program will make decisions based on our current cognitive profile data.
• Data is automatically recorded during training. This saves us from having to write down the results and Allows you to fully concentrate on your workout.
• Since the platform is presented online in 18 languages, she is very accessible to most people. All you need is internet access and a computer, tablet or smartphone. Thanks to its ease of use, the CogniFit program allows remote cognitive stimulation for children.
• CogniFit is recommended for use in children aged 7 years and older. This means that there is no age at which this platform stops being effective: studies have shown that CogniFit can help improve cognitive performance in children, adults and older adults.
• This intelligence training platform can help restore or improve cognitive performance in certain conditions. diseases or disorders, however it is also very useful for healthy people who want to optimize their cognitive functions.

Who are the CogniFit tasks and cognitive stimulation tools for?

A child's childhood is often difficult period for parents: various kinds of complications, diseases and disorders may appear, which are not always easy to cope with. Due to a lack of information and concerns about the child’s health, parents may not be as worried better times, because we always want the best for children.

Cognitive training CogniFit is recommended for children who, even if they do not have problems studying at school, want to improve some cognitive ability, which is slightly less developed than necessary at their age. Additionally, CogniFit may help improve cognitive health children with certain disorders and disabilities. Whether a child's disorder was discovered at age 7 or later, or early intervention has already been completed by that age, CogniFit is an excellent opportunity to begin or continue cognitive intervention.

Thus, CogniFit is suitable for almost every child:

• This brain training tool may help improve the cognitive status of children suffering from mental disorders or neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia or insomnia.
• CogniFit is also useful for training or restoration of some cognitive abilities impaired due to acquired brain injury , such as in the case of traumatic brain injury.
• However, training is useful not only for a child with any disorders, diseases or lesions, it also helps improve and optimize less developed cognitive functions in healthy children.

Who can use a cognitive stimulation program for children?

Despite its simple design, the CogniFit program is not designed to allow children to manage their own workouts. This can be done by adults using various platforms.

• Platform for family membersFor cognitive stimulation of children: This is an ideal tool that allows parents to regulate the type of tests and training that their child can do at home.

• Professional platform for doctors and psychologists: CogniFit makes it easy to manage and monitor patients' cognitive development. Cognitive training is an excellent auxiliary tool for correction; they can be used both in consultation and at the child’s home.

• Professional platform for teachers and educators: Teachers and educators can conveniently manage cognitive training for children with learning difficulties using CogniFit.

• Professional platform for researchers: In addition, CogniFit allows you to manage research involving children using its platform for scientific researchers.

Special cognitive tests and programs

In addition to the comprehensive one, CogniFit also offers specific programs for correction most common disorders in children. These workouts are designed to strengthen cognitive abilities in the following disorders:

• Children with dyslexia: Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects the ability to read. Dyslexia is very important to correct as it can negatively affect a child’s learning and future work. CogniFit offers special training for those suffering from this disorder.

• Children with ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that impairs a child's ability to maintain attention on an activity for a period of time. long period time, causing the child to appear restless and disobedient. With the help of CogniFit training for ADHD sufferers, you can work on correcting weakened cognitive abilities.

• Children with dyscalculia: Dyscalculia affects cognitive abilities related to counting. CogniFit offers specific training to stimulate these cognitive abilities. 3 times a week on different days, not in a row. This allows you to adapt the training to the children's schedule and needs, making adjustments easier.

  The session consists of two brain stimulation games and one test. Such a simple and attractive structure allows you to appreciate child cognitive development as he trains. Thanks to this the program CogniFit automatically selects game type and difficulty so that the child can optimize cognitive abilities that need improvement.

When people reach middle age, they often begin to notice that their memory and mental acuity are not what they used to be. It suddenly becomes more difficult for them to remember where they put their keys a couple of minutes ago, the name of an old friend, or the name of their favorite rock band.

Although seemingly harmless, this loss of mental focus can potentially impact your mental abilities, as well as your professional, social and personal well-being. will tell you what you can do to avoid these symptoms.

Your brain needs exercise

Neuroscientists believe that our brain needs regular exercise just like our muscles. They believe that performing mental exercises can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions.

Thinking is essentially the process of creating neural connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to self-improvement consists in the formation of neural connections and is inherited. However, since these connections are created through constant training, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate depending on the mental effort a person puts in.

Moreover, if the brain cells are not able to connect with each other, all exercises will be in vain. Therefore, before starting training, scientists recommend increasing the number and improving the quality of brain cell connections. To do this, include magnesium threonate supplements in your diet.

Improved connections nerve cells

Our brain is made up of about 100 billion neurons. On average, each neuron connects to other neurons through approximately 10,000 synapses. How big amount Such connections you have, the better your memory, the faster your brain can process information, and the better your attention and ability to concentrate will be.

To improve nerve cell connections, you need magnesium. We have already written to you about the benefits of magnesium for people striving. Unfortunately, this substance is one of the most deficient in the diet of most people. Scientists believe that chronic deficiency magnesium is capable of providing Negative influence on brain function. Therefore, we recommend that you include as many magnesium-rich foods in your diet as possible, and also consider taking magnesium supplements.

However, magnesium supplements generally do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier as easily. To overcome this obstacle, scientists recommend taking an innovative form of magnesium called magnesium threonate. Threonate is a substance that is a metabolite of vitamin C that acts as a carrier to help magnesium enter the brain. Other forms of supplements such as magnesium chloride, gluconate, citrate are not able to provide necessary help brain.

Puzzle games train your brain

Are you aware of the physical connection between your brain and the rest of your body?

In some areas, the brain is connected to muscles, in others - to your skin and internal organs. All these connections must function optimally to maintain the health of the entire body.

An excellent way to prevent disruption of connections between the brain and body is exercise, which can be divided into 4 categories:

• Memory and memories
• Attention and concentration
• Cognitive abilities and problem solving
• Reaction speed and spatial thinking

For the most effective strategy to improve your brain training, scientists recommend playing one game from each category daily.

Memory and memories - chess, cards and crosswords

Playing chess every day can effectively improve your short-term memory. A true player is capable of holding an incredible number of strategies in the cells short term memory. Games with balls are popular all over the world, both real and virtual. On this site you can play the popular ball game Lines 98 for free online without registration and in full screen. And also in many others Online Games, such as Zuma, Colored Balls, Balls in the Castle and many others.

Crossword puzzles or games that give your brain a variety of options to choose from are also extremely helpful. In particular, some card games will help you improve your memory.

Attention and concentration - reading and memorization

Reading comprehension actually requires concentration and attention. In addition, concentration is excellent. Games that require you to remember images or the order of shapes are very good for your brain. The fact is that short-term memory is closely related to the ability to concentrate on something.

Cognitive abilities and problem solving – numeracy

Some of the most popular brain training are games that involve numbers. There are literally thousands of different games that you can use to not only effectively improve your cognitive abilities, but also have fun!

Reaction speed and spatial reasoning - video games

You can actually play video games, especially if you want to improve your reaction speed. This type of training will speed up signal transmission from neurons and improve reaction speed.