Imagine boosting your brain strength by 30% in merely a month with a simple exercise. Yes, that’s right, to maintain a sharp mind, better cognition, and reduce the risk of dementia, you must train your brain just like any other muscle in your body. Recent scientific research reveals that targeted brain training not only improves memory by up to 30% but also keeps your attention focused as you age.
An Effective Workout for The Brain
Research conducted by scientists at John Hopkins University indicates that brain training has enormous potential. Although earlier research on brain exercises for cognitive performance rendered mixed results, the John Hopkins research team believed that the focus should be on the types of exercises performed.
The research involved dividing participants into three groups, each assessed for baseline working memory, attention, intelligence levels, and brain activity. The participants were then sent home to practice specific computer tasks for a month, with each group assigned a different program: dual n-back, complex span, and a control task. Participants trained for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
The research found that the group practicing the dual n-back exercise showed a 30% improvement in their working memory, almost double the gain made by the complex span group. Furthermore, the dual n-back group exhibited significant changes in prefrontal cortex brain activity, the area essential for higher learning.
How Does Dual N-Back Work?
Dual n-back is essentially a memory sequence test that requires participants to remember continuously updating sequences of visual and auditory stimuli. During the test, participants see squares flashing on a grid while hearing letters, then remember if the square they just saw and the letter they heard were the same as one round back. As the test progresses, participants remember squares and letters two, three, or four rounds back.
Compared to the complex span tasks, dual n-back was more successful due to the constant need for participants to update items in their minds rather than merely remembering items in a sequence.
Training Your Brain at Home
There are many free websites, apps, and games that offer dual n-back exercises, such as BrainScale.net and Brain Workshop, allowing you to practice at home. To gain the benefits experienced by the participants in the John Hopkins study, aim for 30 minutes of practice per day, five days per week, for a month. Afterward, consistency is crucial for maintaining those improvements, so try to perform this exercise as often as possible.
By using the dual n-back training program, you can train your brain just like you exercise your body and maintain strong memory and focused attention throughout your life. Remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
