The sad fact about getting older is that one of the first things to go is your mental wellness and wellbeing. As you hit around middle age, you will probably start to notice that you begin to forget things. Memory can be one of the first things to go, and this can be in the form of forgetting the name of someone you used to know to forgetting where you have put your car keys. As the brain power fades, many refer to these times of forgetfulness as ‘senior moments’, indicating that they come on with age.
Whilst many people joke about their ‘senior moments’, in truth it can be very upsetting to find yourself unable to recall something that you know you should be able to remember, and the feeling that your mental capacity is slipping away from you can be truly frightening.
Most people do accept, however, that this is a sign of encroaching old age and that there is nothing to be done. It has been found by neuroscientists, however, that there is actually a lot that you can do to help you hang onto your mental capacity.
The brain is a muscle just like any other in the human body, and requires regular exercise in order to keep it in shape. When you think, your brain makes neural pathways and connections, and this effectively exercises the brain and keeps its functions alive.
Using this knowledge, a web-based company in San Francisco has developed a ‘brain training programme’ that is designed to help people regain and even improve their mental abilities. Called ‘Luminosity’, the programme was developed with the help of a cognitive psychologist and encourages patients to exercise their brain skills. It keeps track of progress along the way and then modifies games and activities to make sure that you are building on the strengths you have developed as well as constantly varying the work that the brain is doing.
