Lumosity (brain training program)

Type of Psychology: Cognitive; Developmental; Educational; Geri-psychology; Neuropsychology

Summary: Lumosity is a computerized brain training program designed to assess and enhance cognitive ability. Lumosity is a commercial product distributed online, but is also used as a learning tool in colleges and universities across the country. In research, it has been tested as a clinical tool to help decrease cognitive decline and increase neuroplasticity and the formation of new neural connections. Although more research needs to be done on its effectiveness, brain training programs like Lumosity may be helpful as a rehabilitation tool, as well as a tool to foster peak performance in the healthy brain.

Introduction

Computerized brain training programs are designed to assess and enhance cognitive ability; much like personal trainers may assess or enhance one's physical ability. Numerous brain training products have been produced for personal and clinical use, and can be delivered online, via specialized software, or through gaming devices. Brain training programs are based upon evidence that living in a cognitively rich environment can increase neuroplasticity and strengthen certain structures in the brain. When an individual performs a task that is cognitively novel, the brain responds by forming new neural connections.

There are three basic purposes for brain training. The first purpose is for rehabilitation. Brain training programs are used in hospitals, psychiatric centers, nursing homes, and doctors' offices for the purpose of assisting in recovery from psychiatric or neurological problems. The second purpose is for brain maintenance and learning. Many colleges and universities across the nation use computerized brain training software in order to enhance students' knowledge about brain structure, function, and cognitive processes. Consumers of brain training programs use the training in order to maintain their neural strength. Finally, brain training programs can be used for peak performance purposes. The brain is a muscle, and the more it is used, the more neural connections are made. Brain training programs allow consumers a chance to play games and experience different situations, with the hope that new neural connections can be created. Peak performance users believe that brain training assists individuals in getting the most out of their brain, so that they can get the most out of their lives.

Lumosity

Over the past several years, brain training programs have increased in popularity. Lumosity, a computer based online brain training program, is reported to have over 70 million subscribers in 182 countries. These subscribers pay a monthly or yearly fee to access brain strengthening games created by neuroscientists hired by Lumosity.

A paid subscription to Lumosity allows the user access to over seventy-five games on the Internet and mobile, focusing on five key areas. These areas are speed, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem solving. Before initial paid registration, Lumosity asks users about aspects of the five key areas they would like to improve. Then, from those responses, plus factoring in the individuals age, Lumosity builds a personalized brain training program for the user. Initially, “fit tests” provide a baseline of brain function. Then, games are introduced, which expose the user to gradually increasing levels of challenge. As scores increase, the program adapts by introducing new levels or more difficult games. Periodic assessments gauge individual improvement.

Research on Brain Training Use in Children

Although Lumosity states that the consumer version of its program is not meant for users under the age of thirteen, numerous researchers have used Lumosity in clinical experiments with children and adolescents. Currently, Lumosity is being tested as a tool to increase working memory in students with Attention Deficit Disorder. Tests are also being done on Lumosity as a cognitive training tool for children with high lead levels in their blood. Another study is focusing on using Lumosity to increase levels of motivation and academic achievement in adolescents.

In 2014, Lumosity announced the launching of LumiKids, a “digital playground” application for children age two and up. LumiKids is currently in application form only, and provides interactive training in cognitive, motor, and social–emotional skills.

Research on Brain Training Use in Adults

Hardy, Drescher, Saker, Kellett, and Scanlon (2011) did a study on twenty-three participants with a mean age of fifty-four using the Lumosity brain training program. Specifically, the twenty-three person group was split into two. The experimental group was given brain training twenty minutes per day for five weeks, focusing on visual attention and working memory. The control group was given no brain training whatsoever. At the end of the study, the trained group performed significantly better than the control group on previously untrained measures of visual attention and working memory.

Another study, the Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study (IHAMS), focused on the effect of brain training programs on cognitive function in six hundred eighty one participants aged fifty and older. Participants who engaged in ten hours of brain training using online software (as opposed to those who trained on 10 hours of computerized crossword puzzles) improved drastically in cognitive function as measured by neuropsychological testing. This improvement was seen one year after the initial brain training as well, in both younger and older participants. Research has also been done on using Lumosity as an intervention to increase levels of executive functioning in those who have received chemotherapy; as well as a strengthening tool for individuals who need work regulating emotions.

Research on Brain Training Use and the Elderly

In the January 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the now famed Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study was presented. This National Institute of Health (NIH) funded study is the largest study on cognitive brain training ever performed. Within the ACTIVE study, 2,832 participants aged 65 and older were divided into four groups: Memory, Reasoning, Speed of Processing, and a control group. All groups with the exception of the control group participated in 10 sixty to seventy minute brain training sessions over five to six weeks. Subjects were post tested immediately following the sessions, and at one, three, five, and ten years later. All experimental groups showed a marked improvement in cognitive ability immediately after the training. During the follow up period, all experimental groups reported less difficulty in performing everyday tasks such as preparing meals, paying bills, dressing, and using the telephone. At the 10-year follow up, over 70% of the Reasoning and Speed of Processing group members were still performing Reasoning and Speed of Processing tasks above their baseline scores as compared to the control group. There was no difference after 10 years in memory performance between the Memory group and the control group. Researchers see this as encouraging, as even a small increase in quality of life of the elderly due to brain training would be a huge gain for older individuals as well as their caregivers.

A smaller 2014 study by Mayas, Parmenteier, Andres and Ballesteros used twenty-seven healthy older adults, split into two groups. The experimental group received twenty 1-hour brain training sessions using Lumosity. Upon comparison after the sessions, the experimental group showed less distractibility and a higher level of alertness as compared to the control group, illustrating that brain training really could increase cognitive performance in older adults. Many studies like the Mayas et al. study continue to be performed, as brain training may quite possibly have not only a positive effect on healthy adults, but also a positive effect on adults demonstrating varying rates of cognitive decline.

The Future of Computerized Brain Training Programs like Lumosity

Most of us end up doing similar activities every day. When activities are repeated, the brain tends to depend on similar neural pathways. To change, the brain must be exposed to new experiences so that it can work in new ways. Of course, individuals can go out and expose themselves to novel experiences and new hobbies, possibly increasing neural activity and creating new neural pathways. However, research illustrates that brain training programs like Lumosity can also assist with increasing cognitive ability and neuroplasticity in commercial and research based clients. The question remains, though, as to whether the tasks worked on in Lumosity can effectively transfer to increased brain power in the real world. Currently, the National Institute of Health has invited researchers to more rigorously test brain training programs and how they may deter cognitive decline in the elderly and other sensitive populations. Time and research will tell if computerized brain training programs are a trend, or if they can be utilized effectively in personal as well as clinical settings.

Bibliography

Hardy, J. L., Drescher, D., Sarkar, K., Kellett, G., & Scanlon, M. (2011). “Enhancing Visual Attention and Working Memory With A Web-Based Cognitive Training pProgram”. Mensa Research Journal, 42(2), 13–20. Print.

Lumosity (n.d.) Retrieved from www.luminosity.com.

Mayas, J., Parmentier, F.B.R., Andres, P., Ballesteros, S. (2014). “Plasticity of Attentional Functions In Older Adults After Non-Action Video Game Training: A Randomized Control Trial”. PLosOne.

Parker-Pope, T. (2014, March 10). “Do Brain Workouts Work? Science Isn't Sure”.

Rebok, G.W., Ball, K., Guey, L.T., Jones, R.N., Kim, H.Y., Kim, J.W. Marsiske, M., Morris, J.N., Tennstedt, S.L., Unverzagt, F.W., Willis, S.L. (2014). “Ten-Year Effects of The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly: Cognitive Training Trail on Cognition and Everyday Functioning In Older Adults.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62, 16 – 24.

Wolinsky, F.D., VanderWeg, M.W., Howren, M.B., Jones, M.P., Martin, R., Luger, T.M., Duff, K., Dotson, M.M. (2011). “Interim Analysis From A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Visual Processing Speed In Older Adults: The Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study. BMJ Open.