{"id":28516,"date":"2014-09-03T11:15:14","date_gmt":"2014-09-03T15:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=28516"},"modified":"2021-11-01T15:58:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T19:58:02","slug":"train-your-brain-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/tech\/train-your-brain-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Great Apps to Train Your Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether it’s to focus at work<\/a>, do better at school, or just stay sharp, there are various reasons for wanting to boost brainpower. But maintaining psychological well-being is equally as important.<\/p>\n

\u201cStress and anxiety<\/a> are among the most pressing and far-reaching public health problems we face,\u201d says Tracy Dennis, Ph.D, professor of psychology at Hunter College. \u201cMental changes affect every part of our lives: physical health, sense of well-being, work, educational productivity and community involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nadine Kaslow, Ph.D., professor and vice chair at Emory University\u2019s Department of Psychiatry and president of the American Psychological Association, says apps can help promote mental health through participation in activities designed to reduce symptoms and improve psychological functioning.<\/p>\n

Then there are apps that don\u2019t directly target mental health, but aim to increase cognitive functioning. \u201cWe know that apps like Lumosity can improve memory, problem solving skills and processing speed, especially in older adults,\u201d says Dr. Kaslow. \u201cThere are also studies that show that people who engage in these video games are less likely to develop brain plaques associated with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Keeping your mind active is as important as physical exercise and these apps can help you stay fit mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Put Your Mind to the Test<\/h3>\n

These days, hundreds of brain-training apps claim to put the \u201csmart\u201d in smartphone and guarantee cognitive improvement with minimal daily use. Don\u2019t think your flaky memory or scatterbrain can be restored? Studies are mixed, since this technology is in the early stages of development. But this 2012 systematic review<\/a> that analyzed 151 computerized training studies published between 1984 and 2011, found that certain training tasks had a big effect on working memory, processing speed and brain function. In short, playing computer games for a few minutes a day can literally change your mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you do things in the world, you lay down new neural pathways,\u201d says Dr. Dennis. \u201cThe more you do something, the more available that pathway is, so you may be able to use your brain resources more effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

New brainteaser apps show up every day in mobile app stores with claims to improve memory, increase I.Q., or enhance other cognitive skills. They may be fun to play, but how many of them actually work? The goal here after all is to train your brain, not just play video games.\u00a0Most of the below selections are based on established treatments that have been extensively studied and validated by independent research sources.<\/p>\n

For the most part, brain apps can\u2019t make you smarter or happier, but they can help you perform certain tasks better or have more control over your emotional state. Keep in mind that most games are designed for people who are reasonably healthy, not for those with mental disorders, and are no replacement for a mental health professional. While you\u2019re not going to notice any drastic transformation, it\u2019s worth giving one of these apps a try, since engaging in various types of new and cognitively demanding tasks is good for the brain (plus, it\u2019s fun!).<\/p>\n

Cool Apps for Your Brain<\/h3>\n

1.<\/b> Lumosity<\/a>\"lumosity[1]\"<\/a>
\n<\/b>This popular app is split into sessions of three games tailored to your goals: memory, attention, problem solving, processing speed or flexibility of thinking. The games are played against the clock and change every time. Developers say just one session a day can improve mental skills and users can track progress and compare performance with others. (Free for limited access, upgrade for $15 a month or $80 a year; available for iOS)<\/p>\n

2.<\/b> CogniFit Brain Fitness\"cognifit\"
\n<\/a><\/b>Improve cognitive abilities, such as memory and concentration, with sleek, fun and\u00a0addictive games\u00a0designed by neuroscientists. Users can track progress and access insights about overall brain health. Competitive players can challenge friends, too. After an initial quiz, the app adapts each game\u2019s difficulty to your profile and gives you recommendations based on your results. Developers found that users saw improvement by spending at least 20 minutes, two to three times a week, playing the games. (Free for four games or full subscription for $13 a month or $120; available for iOS)<\/p>\n

3.<\/b> Personal Zen\"personal-zen\"
\n<\/a><\/b>Players follow two animated characters, one of which looks calm and friendly while the other looks angry, as they burrow through a field of rustling grass. This game, developed by Dr. Dennis and researchers from Hunter College and the City University of New York, reduces anxiety by training your brain to focus more on the positive and less on the negative. \u201cThe habit of thinking about the world in a more positive light \u2014 like looking for a silver lining in a bad situation \u2014 is one of the key ways we can promote our own resilience in the face of adversity,\u201d says Dr. Dennis. Even a single session of play can build resilience over several hours. She suggests using the app right before a stressful event<\/a>, but 10 minutes a day will help build more enduring positive effects. (Free; available for iOS)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

4.<\/b> Brain Trainer Special\"brain-trainer-special\"
\n<\/a><\/b>Like Lumosity,\u00a0this Android app contains games that have you memorizing letter sequences, phone numbers and solving assorted math problems to keep your mind in tip-top shape. Difficulty levels range from easy to brain-tingling hard. (Free; available on Google Play)<\/p>\n

5.<\/b> Brain Fitness Pro\"brain-fitness\"
\n<\/a><\/b>Brain Fitness Pro\u00a0employs a series of\u00a0memory training\u00a0exercises to increase focus, memory and problem-solving skills. Developers say that intensive working memory training dramatically increases attention and general cognitive skills and that these benefits remain long term.\u00a0($4; available for iOS)<\/p>\n

6.<\/b> Happify<\/a>\"happify\"<\/a>
\n<\/b>Train your brain to be happier? Yep, research shows that some activities help build your ability to conquer negative thoughts, show gratitude, cope with stress, and empathize \u2014 all essential ingredients for a fuller, happier life. Using fundamentals of positive psychology, which involves focusing on the strengths and virtues that enable individuals to create fulfilling lives, the app\u2019s quizzes, polls and gratitude journal \u2014 combined with a positive community \u2014 gradually teach life-changing habits. The goal is to build these skills and keep users smiling all day. (Free; available for iOS)<\/p>\n

7.<\/b> Positive Activity Jackpot\"positive-activity-jackpot\"
\n<\/a><\/b>This app was originally developed for service members returning from combat with high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. It uses augmented reality with an Android phone\u2019s GPS to find nearby activities and diversions for someone coping with depression. If you cannot make up your mind what to do, \u201cpull the lever\u201d and let the app\u2019s jackpot function make the choice for you. PAJ is based on a form of behavioral therapy called\u00a0pleasant event scheduling, which encourages a daily schedule of enjoyable activities to improve moods and overcome despondent thoughts. (Free; available on Google Play)<\/p>\n

8.<\/b> Fit Brains Trainer\u00a0\"fit-brains\"
\n<\/a><\/b>More than 360 unique games and puzzles aimed at stretching and improving your mental agility lead users through various tasks. Sessions get harder as you improve and will always challenge you and provide a solid brain workout. Keep track of your progress and performance tools and the program offers training recommendations for best results. (Free; available on iOS<\/a> and on Google Play)<\/p>\n

9.<\/b> Eidetic\"eidetic\"
\n<\/a><\/b>Eidetic uses a technique called spaced repetition to help you memorize anything from important phone numbers to interesting words or facts. It works differently from typical brain training apps by using items that have meaning and context, like your beau\u2019s phone number, bank account details, or a new quote worth reciting. Notifications remind you when it\u2019s time to test yourself and spaces out tests over time to make sure you retain the information in long-term memory. (Free; available on iOS)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

10.<\/b> ReliefLink<\/a>\"relief-link\"<\/a>
\n<\/b>Dr. Kaslow developed this award-winning app for suicide prevention but it can be used as a general mood tracker. \u201cIt\u2019s like MyFitnessPal in that you can track all sorts of things that are relevant to your mental health,\u201d says Dr. Kaslow. <\/b>It also includes unique coping methods, such as voice-recorded mindfulness and relaxation exercises, or relaxing music. The map locator pinpoints nearby therapists, support groups and mental health treatment facilities, too, in case you ever need to talk to a professional.<\/p>\n

While brain-training apps will never completely take the place of face-to-face intervention and prevention approaches, Dr. Dennis sees their potential as an adjunct to other stress-reducing activities, whether that\u2019s exercise, yoga, or seeing a therapist. She adds, \u201cApps can also be gateway treatments that empower the individual to make positive changes, which can then lead to seek out other health promotion tools.\u201d And while technology can help sharpen the brain and calm the nerves, true mental health is much more holistic. \u201cWhat\u2019s most important is feeling you have meaning in life and social connections,\u201d says Dr. Kaslow. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean you have to be happy, but it does have to do with having purpose.\u201d And there\u2019s no app for that\u2026yet.<\/p>\n

Originally posted May 28, 2014.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keep your mind sharp now that the school year’s begun! Here are the best apps that can help promote better mental health \u2014 from boosting memory and brainpower to soothing frayed nerves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,25,10,16],"tags":[287,202,187,282,341,370],"class_list":["post-28516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apps","category-gear-gadgets","category-tech","category-tracking","tag-apps","tag-brain","tag-happiness","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2healthy-aging"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}