Several excellent articles at The New Yorker, The Economist and CNNMoney discuss new health and industry opportunities around brain fitness, applied neuroplasticity and digital health, quoting SharpBrains’ CEO, professional market report and general-interest book. Enjoy!
5 ways to protect your brain, and boost your career (CNNMoney):
“Fernandez is co-author of a book called The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness that boils down the current explosion of new research in this area to specific advice on what to do now to guard against Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive impairment later on…By a lucky coincidence, there’s plenty of overlap between what’s good for your brain and what could turbo-charge your career. Consider these five tips…”
Cognitive training may be a moneyspinner despite scientists’ doubts (The Economist):
“(Most consumers) are not looking for a guaranteed way to avoid Alzheimer’s disease; they just want to enhance or maintain the performance of their brain “better than by doing the other kind of things they already do and that have far less evidence to support [them], such as crossword puzzles, taking vitamin supplements, watching educational TV shows, or simply doing nothing,” he says.”
Mentally fit — Workouts at the brain gym (The New Yorker):
“To everyone who has solved today’s crossword puzzle: Sorry, but that is no guarantee that you will end up less nutty than the rest of us. Alvaro Fernandez, the C.E.O. of SharpBrains, a market research firm concerned with brain health, told me, “Once someone has done hundreds or thousands of them, the marginal benefit tends toward zero, because it becomes just another routine, easy activity—probably a bit more stimulating and effortful than watching TV, but not enough to bring benefits other than becoming a master at crossword puzzles…Fernandez, of SharpBrains, told me, “If you find a game that addresses a relevant cognitive or emotional bottleneck, you can make a difference in your quality of life in ten to fifteen hours of training.”
