It’s one thing to have those “senior moments” that seem to coincide with the many unrequested invitations to join AARP in my mailbox. But when a close family member has dementia or Alzheimer’s these memory slips can become worrisome. There isn’t a cure yet, but the O’Fallon Public Library’s software, BrainHQ, provides more than an ounce of prevention – particularly with the exercise “Double Decision,”
According to the November issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions research showed that “multiple clinical trials indicate that speed training improves older adults’ everyday function.”
This news provides hope knowing that there are non-pharmaceutical measures (i.e., speed of processing training) that may reduce the risk of dementia. The best part is that this exercise is available for free to O’Fallon library cardholders. In fact, this brain training software is only available to libraries.
Sometimes, the most daunting thing is to simply get started. First, have your OFPL card number handy. From our website homepage, go to eResources, then click on Research.
Next, on the Research page, click on Health and Wellness. BrainHQ is the first on the list.
You will need to register. First, enter your OFPL card number in the place for “Username or Barcode.” Then enter your library password.
Next, register with BrainHQ using your name and email address (required).
Create a password.
In his article for Medical News Today, Honor Whiteman said, “the speed-of-processing training involves a computer game called “Double Decision,” wherein the user is asked to spot an object, such as a car, in the center of their gaze, while also identifying an object in their peripheral vision, such as a road sign. As the game goes on, the user is given less time to spot each object, and distractors are added to the screen to make it more challenging.”
Of course, there are many challenges on BrainHQ and having tried a few of them, I recommend watching the tutorials to learn how each exercise is played. Sometimes a mouse is used and others require the arrow keys.
From the BrainHQ Press Release:
BrainHQ is an online brain-training system that represents the culmination of 30 years of research in neurological science and related medicine. It has more than two dozen brain-training exercises.
In more than 100 studies, BrainHQ exercises were shown to have health benefits, including better performance at standard measures of cognition (speed, attention, memory, executive function) and at standard measures of quality of life (mood, confidence, maintaining functional abilities at everyday tasks, and health-related quality of life), and in real-world activities (balance, gait, driving).
During the holiday season, we often reflect on the previous year and set goals for the coming months. If you or a loved one are concerned about the possibility of memory loss, make a resolution to utilize this free resource. After all, an ounce of prevention….
Happy brain exercising!
The O'Fallon Public Library News 