Tablet-Based Video Games Could Improve Brain Function in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

AHA Publisher — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 07:00:28 +0000

University of Massachusetts Amherst via News-Medical – A University of Massachusetts Amherst biomedical informatician will use a $436,836 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the use of “serious games” played independently on computer tablets to improve brain function in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Sunghoon Ivan Lee, assistant professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences, aims to develop a human-centered platform that can motivate patients to stick to a therapeutic regimen of mobile game-playing at home on their own. Neuro-World, a collection of six games developed by Lee’s industrial partner in South Korea, Woorisoft, is designed to stimulate working, or short-term, memory and selective attention. People with MCI experience cognitive decline beyond what’s expected from normal aging, but not severe enough to significantly interfere with their daily activities. “There aren’t many solutions to stimulate cognitive ability in people with cognitive disabilities, especially in their homes, outside clinical settings,” says Lee, whose research focuses on designing and implementing mobile-health (mHealth) technologies that address the practical needs of people with motor or cognitive impairments. The goals of therapeutic treatments for MCI are to slow down the progression of the disease and lessen the impact of symptoms, preferably with non-pharmacological interventions like serious games because they are low cost, noninvasive, safe and without adverse side effects. Lee’s work addresses a key challenge of serious games in healthcare – developing a system that doesn’t require substantial involvement of trained caregivers and clinicians to oversee and motivate patients to follow the game protocol. Lee was introduced to Neuro-World by Hee-Tae Jung, a former post-doctoral researcher Lee had supervised at UMass Amherst. “I was intrigued by the Neuro-World concept and the science behind it,” Lee says. In a small, pilot study with stroke survivors to validate the efficacy of the system, Lee, Jung and colleagues found that Neuro-World games were capable not only of improving patients’ cognitive function but predicting the expected improvement, based on an analysis of their game performance. “We hope that knowing playing games can improve their cognitive function can further motivate patients to play more games,” Lee says. Using the NIH funding, researchers at UMass Amherst, University of Montreal and Rutgers will conduct a study with 50 people diagnosed with MCI. Half will be asked to play the video games for 30 minutes twice a week for 12 weeks. The other half will not play the Neuro-World games. Both groups will also receive conventional therapy. In addition to evaluating the ability of game-playing to improve cognitive function, researchers also aim to develop machine learning-based algorithms to predict cognitive function from the game performance. Finally, Lee and colleagues will conduct in-depth interviews with participants to understand their experiences with the games. They will use that information to optimize the system’s design in an effort to maximize patients’ participation with the game-based training. “We thought people with MCI would be the population that could really benefit from serious games – before they move into a more serious condition like dementia or Alzheimer’s.” (Sunghoon Ivan Lee, Assistant Professor, College of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst) He hopes the study will advance the research and expand the options for effective, safe and low-cost mHealth therapies for people with cognitive impairments. “We believe that outcomes of this project will open a new door leading to previously unexplored datasets and understanding of patient-technology interactions to promote positive behavior changes to enable self-administered, serious game-based cognitive training,” Lee says. “And that can form the basis of a wide range of future investigations of hemiparesis rehabilitation and personalized disease management.” To read the original article click here.

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Discover How Eating Mixed Berries Can SUPERCHARGE Your Brain Function

AHA Publisher — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:00:39 +0000

Joy Jensen via NaturalHealth365 – You probably know about the popular adage, “you are what you eat.” Right? Well, science continues to back that saying up … especially when it comes to your brain function. Growing research supports the positive (and negative) effects of the foods you eat on your body, mind and spirit – in particular the brain. That’s especially true of foods containing flavonoids, which are found in many vegetables, fruits, and other plant products. Rich in antioxidants, they work by powerfully warding off the threat of toxins, as well as other health benefits. Flavonoids have been shown to help protect the brain and support brain function. In fact, new research shows that eating mixed berries, which are high in flavonoids, can help improve brain function and cognitive performance. New study concludes: Eating the right foods can really boost brain function Researchers wanted to test findings from previous animal models and conducted research on a group of 40 healthy adults between 20 and 30 years of age. Participants were provided with a berry smoothie that included blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries blended with water. A placebo was matched for vitamin C and carbohydrates. After consuming the smoothies, participants in the study engaged in tasks designed to measure mental flexibility, response times, and more at two, four, and six hours after drinking the smoothie. The results showed that those drinking the berry smoothie had increased accuracy on cognitive tests even up to six hours after consumption. They also had quicker response times! Those who had the placebo saw a decreased performance throughout the day as cognitive fatigue set in. Researchers concluded that consuming mixed berries, which are an excellent source of flavonoids, improve cognitive brain functions in the test subjects. While this new study backs up the brain function benefits of mixed berries, it’s not the first study to show the benefits of a high intake of berries. A previous study published in Annals of Neurology reported that a high intake of blueberries, strawberries, and other flavonoid-rich berries delayed memory decline in aging women. Best of all, it’s a simple dietary modification you can make to reduce memory decline and boost brain function. Understanding the extra health benefits of consuming enough flavonoids Beyond improving brain function and slowing age-related memory decline, a high intake of flavonoids offers many other health benefits, too! Additional benefits include: Decreased diabetes risk: One meta-analysis showed that a high intake of flavonoids was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Cancer-fighting benefits: Some flavonoids may keep cancer cells from multiplying, although additional research is needed. Reduced heart attack risk: Flavonoids found in soy, coffee, and tea may reduce the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. How can you enjoy the benefits of flavonoids? I’m glad you asked! One of the best ways is to start eating more berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Organic, of course. (To avoid eating unwanted chemicals in your diet.) Toss them into your salads, slice them in cereal, top your yogurt with berries, or eat them alone as a healthy snack. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealthResearch.org, Harvard.edu, Healthline.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Tablet-Based Video Games Could Improve Brain Function in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Discover How Eating Mixed Berries Can SUPERCHARGE Your Brain Function