You can Join a FREE Study Designed to Preserve or Boost Your Brain Performance
By JOHN OWEN
The Brain Health Project is a scientific study currently being undertaken by the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas, a nonprofit research institute dedicated to helping people understand and address their brain’s health and performance.
The Center for Brain Health team conducts leading-edge research and creates science-backed programs to help people be more proactive about their brain health. The fact that human longevity has increased by more than 50 percent in the last century means that our bodies can outlast our brains. According to the American Heart Association, in 2020, 54 million people worldwide had Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias—a 144 percent increase in the last 30 years.
Many research studies have shown that cognitive decline is largely preventable. The Brain Health Project hopes to prove that most of us can—by adopting healthier brain habits— preserve, extend, and even improve our cognitive function.
Participating in The Brain Health Project is like having a personal trainer, a brain health coach who will help you improve, track, and measure your brain fitness. They currently have more than 25,000 people enrolled in the study with a target of 100,000 enrollees. The program will track participants for 10 years, building a database of how people respond to various methods designed to improve their brain function. Nearly 80 percent of participants in an early trial experienced improved cognitive performance, with many also noting reductions in stress and anxiety. The good news? You can enroll today for free!
Their easy-to-use online platform (https://centerforbrainhealth.org/project ) gives you access to:
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A unique, science-backed assessment of your brain’s fitness level, which they call the BrainHealth Index. It will provide a snapshot of your brain’s health and performance, allowing you to track change and improvement over time.
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Interactive, self-paced brain training using what they refer to as Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics(SMART)™ Brain Training and other modules.
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Quarterly face-to-face virtual coaching sessions via Zoom. You’ll work with your coach to set personal goals and start building brain-healthy habits using their online training. Topics include sleep, stress management, and social relationships.
SMART™ Brain Training is the proprietary methodology developed and tested by the Center for Brain Health researchers and other teams over three decades. It teaches techniques that prime the brain, calibrate mental energy, reinforce strategic thinking, and ignite innovation. This methodology provides the building blocks of their brain training programs for individuals.
When you enroll in the brain health program, you might be surprised to learn that there is an opportunity for engagement every day. And they’re not bashful about encouraging you to keep working on your training with text and email reminders. Topics include Strategic Attention, Integrated Reasoning, Innovation, and application of SMART Strategies. Each session has a short video introduction explaining the purpose of that session, followed by a variety of brain tasks. Each group of tasks takes five to 10 minutes and you’re expected to do one a day. The interface with the program is simple and easy to navigate.
John Owen transitioned from life as a graphic artist/website designer to a biomedical executive at age 61. After 20 years in the biomedical business, he now uses his knowledge of medicine and physiology to write about successful, vibrant aging. This is excerpted from his forthcoming book on super-agers.
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