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Posted by Phil Butler on August 12th, 2007
About a month ago I began testing a fascinating new beta called Lumosity. The service is designed to exercise user's brains with a series of games that promote cognitive skills. According to Stanford neuroscience graduate and Co-Founder Michael Scanlon these exercises build cognitive ability in processing speed, cognitive control and attention. Playing these fun and simple games for as little as 30 minutes a day can promote quicker thinking, improve memory, increase alertness, improve concentration and even elevate a user's mood.
Lumosity was created by Lumos Labs a cognitive R & D company that builds software tools to improve brain health. Lumos was started in 2005 by Kunal Sarkar, Michael Scanlon and David Drescher, all of whom possess impressive scientific and/or business credentials. Lumos Labs also has a scientific advisory board comprised of some of the leading neuroscientists in the world.
30 Sessions To A Better Brain
Lumosity's system consists of 30 sessions filled with progressively more intense game exercises. The sessions focus on a progressive development in the areas of attention, memory, processing speed, cognitive control. Each session has games designed to improve hone these aspects of cognition. The feedback aspect of the system provides users with “brain performance indexing” scores so that progress and function can be measured. The BPI as it is called reflects a user's skill based on data from half a million results. Increased BPI indicates improvement in an activity and it corresponding cognitive area. A score of 1000 for instance reflects a highly tuned ability in a selected activity.
As an example “birdwatching” is focused on attention and the user is forced to process visual stimulation into memory. A letter is flashed onto the screen briefly, followed almost simultaneously by a bird in a landscape. The user must remember the letter and pinpoint the location where the bird was shown in order to solve a letter puzzle. Believe me it is a lot harder than it sounds to get a good score. Other exercises include; memory match, monster garden, speed match, spatial speed match, color match, lost in migration and chalkboard challenge among others. The key to success with this system is daily practice and progressively more difficult sessions.
Example of the author's brain growing
Conclusion
Lumosity costs about $80 per year but there is a trial available on the site. The monitization scheme is the down side for me and probably a million other potential users. The exercises are fun and obviously effective in stimulating the suggested areas of cognitive ability. As for Lumosity's extended claim of increased cognitive ability, I obviously cannot say. I do tend to remember the items on the grocery list better and I can now spot a yellow bellied sapsucker while reading a speed limit sign. Seriously, research has shown that exercising brain faculty in this way is helpful and healthful. As for paying $80 to hone these skills, I think free games that emulate Lumosity could probably be aggregated by most users, but progress would be more difficult to track.
Birdwatching is difficult but fun
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| Startupulse » Blog Archive » Lumosity | August 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm |
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Comments |
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| HMTKSteve | August 13th, 2007 at 5:25 am |
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How does this site stack up to the “Brain Games” available for the Nintendo DS? | |
| Svetlana Gladkova | August 13th, 2007 at 6:19 am |
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I honestly wanted to register but I hate to register for free trials when I need to send my billing information. I know myself quite well and I realize that I will definitely forget to cancel my account after the 14-day trial if I do not want to proceed with the paid plan. Is it only me or someone else is facing similar problems? | |
| Karen | August 14th, 2007 at 12:30 am |
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try reading www.sharpbrains.com/blog if you want good & free brain exercise … | |
| warren | January 14th, 2008 at 12:36 pm |
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you dont need a credit card to sign up for the trial | |
| rxb | February 25th, 2008 at 7:54 pm |
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I signed up for the free trial. When it is over, you are not automatically enrolled. | |
| Svetlana Gladkova | February 26th, 2008 at 1:21 am |
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It’s true - the management in Lumosity have decided to change their policy in relation to free trials after they heard a number of complains (including mine, I think) that people are hesitant to sign for a free trial when it requires providing your credit card details. That’s a wise move that will definitely give them more people signing for free trials and eventually more people signing for the paid version as well. | |
| pramod | March 31st, 2008 at 10:56 am |
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i would like a free trial | |
| judie lundburg | April 12th, 2008 at 2:22 pm |
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i’m ‘interested in the 14 day trial. What do I do to get it or start? | |
| Svetlana Gladkova | April 14th, 2008 at 1:51 am |
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I think now it’s as simple as going to http://www.lumosity.com/ and click the ‘Start Training!’ arrow in the upper banner they have labelled with free trial. | |
| J | May 2nd, 2008 at 1:32 pm |
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Anyone else sucking at Monster Garden in the “extreme” mode? | |
| sint10 | May 17th, 2008 at 11:53 am |
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ToTal score is 168. | |
| retro | June 6th, 2008 at 1:08 pm |
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Lol–yeah, I was doing GREAT at monster garden until the “extreme” level–now I’m kinda…….’whatever’…! Totally sucky! | |
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