Archive for the ‘Brain Exercises’ Category

Brain Training Report -Ruari – Stage 1, Session 2

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

Stage: 1

Session number: 2

Average n-back: 4.8

Double Switchback
This exercise was much more challenging then the first one. Holding the letters and sequences in my head was akin to cradling a water in my cupped hands. Having to recite them in reverse after repeating them in sequence effectively spread my fingers open. I found I had little retention time in my head as I worked to sort out the correct reverse sequence. The middle sequences suffered the most. More specifically, the sequence for the second grouping became jumbled as they waited their turn to become regurgitated. Eventually they got lost in the sea of previous responses.

So, retention time was weak. And I seem dependent on orderly mental repetition. Outside stressors reduced my comfort and attention level (upset child, mother-in-law, and wife all making guest appearances into my open ‘work’ space). I found this reduced my ability and desire to focus.

MindSparke Working Memory Training

This post was submitted by Ruari.

Brain Training Report – Ruari – Stage 1, Session 1

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Stage: 1

Session number: 1

Average n-back: 4.55

Got up to N-7, made one attempt at trial 19/20, failed miserably, and then completed on N-6.

Had a similar experience when attempting to break through the N-5 level. Seems brain expends much energy trying to synthesize everything and, after several sessions, needs a moment of respite. For me these ‘breaks’ both came after the successful climb to a higher level, and roughly five minutes of activity or halfway through and at the end. I should try to keep track of the time next time to see if this is a trend. If so, it will be interesting how the mental endurance develops with the training sessions. I suspect this is one of the main outcome goals.
Positive eperience thus far. Have attempted those puzzles in the past, albeit not much. could be that the progress is not as pronounced as with other users. Regardless, look forward to seeing it through.

MindSparke Brain Fitness Software

This post was submitted by Ruari.

Brain Training Report – PP – Stage 3, Session 27

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Stage: 3

Session number: 27

Average n-back: 2.2

I am doing double gapmatch. Strangely, I never seem to score above 12 in any session. The variations go to 12-0 (12 right and no wrong) to 12-7. This is from 27 sessions. Is it a mental block? Or am I mishearing something?

MindSparke Brain Training Software

This post was submitted by PP.

keerti – Stage 3, Session 8

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Stage: 3

Session number: 8

Average n-back: 2.3

am stuck around 2.3/2.4 had misunderstood directions for n-3 then had a crap day yesterday after using neuroPro the night b4 (seems to have a lag effect)is this static effect OK?

MindSparke Working Memory Training

This post was submitted by keerti.

keerti – Stage 2, Session 12

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Stage: 2

Session number: 12

Average n-back: 4.85

after a week of sessions suddenly started to notice an improvement in short term memory which transferred to long term. Also in the last two sessions I had denied the programs invitation to go to 5 . this time managed 5o go to 5 and stay there even got a match for both once! Oh, I had also used the neuro pro yeasterday

MindSparke Brain Fitness Software

This post was submitted by lester dalley.

Brain Training Report – BFI

Sunday, May 27th, 2012

Stage: 3

Session number: 14

Average n-back: 3.85

I’m sort of stuck on n=4, back and forth between n=5 and n=3. If I’m tired, it’s a bit more 3 and if I’m energized there are a few n=5′s thrown in.

I am curious what the top level for each stage is. I’m at 9 now on Double Ahead and Double Switchback, but I hobble through them. I’ve seen one person posting about a level 10. Is there a higher one? What’s the highest on stage 3 and stage 4? Just curious!

I achieve the sixes on up in the first two stages by imagining the visual flip linked to two letters at a time. The visual enhances the sound and the two letter group crunch enhances the visual. I have a data limit of about four, so I expect I will be at nine for a while.

I know original BFI is supposed to modify “over time”, but you don’t specify what time it’s modified over. As I’m recovering from a brain injury, my original probably is really pathetically low but it keeps going up – it’s at 300 now. When a person had to learn how to walk, talk, and eat again, I’m guessing the starting score ought stay pretty low.

My goal is to get my IQ back up to what it was before the brain injury. I think I’ve got some permanent damage to accessing certain memories, but it’s clear from psych tests they’ve done on me that that most if not all of the memories (mostly words but also faces) are indeed there; it’s accessing them that’s fallen by the wayside. There is also damage to the part of the brain that converts from short term memory to midterm such as working memory. I am hoping the separation of working memory from fluid intelligence done on the Double Gapmatch will increase my ability to access memories and convert from ST to medterm.

MindSparke Brain Training Software

This post was submitted by Lizzit.

Working Memory And Creativity

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Two new studies have drawn a link between working memory capacity and creativity.  Published in the May, 2012 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin a paper by Carsten De Dreu, Bernard Nijstad, Matthijs Baas, Inge Wolsink, and Marieke Roskes looks at two studies involving musical improvisation and brainstorming.

The first study recruited cellists with no formal training in improvisation.  After a working memory test, the participants each performed three, 3-minute theme-based improvisations. The researchers recorded the performances and played them back to professional musicians who then rated each of them by originality and creativity. On the first improvisation in each performer’s series there was no relationship between the received rating and the musician’s working memory capacity. But for subsequent pieces participants with higher working memory capacity produced higher-rated improvisations as they progressed, while lower working memory participants tended to produce poorer performances.

The second study involved brainstorming, with subjects aiming to come up with as many ideas as possible in several categories. Ideas were then rated by originality and rarity. The researchers also recorded whether participants tended to explore a variety of categories while brainstorming (flexibility), or whether they tended to produce several ideas from one category before moving on (persistence).  The study showed that participants with higher working memory capacity came up with more original and novel ideas than those with low working memory capacity. People with high working memory capacity also showed greater persistence than those with low working memory capacity.

 

Brain Training Report – cristina.p – Colors

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Stage: 4

Session number: 25

Average n-back: 3.5

Until today I hated the colors exercise because I just couldn’t get them right. Surprisingly, today I could even get to n5. Now I’m starting to like this exercise…

MindSparke Brain Training Software

This post was submitted by cristina.p.

N-back strategy

Monday, May 14th, 2012

Stage: 3

Session number: 3

Average n-back: 3.2

Hey there everyone! Here’s a little method that really boosted my n-back scores. From struggling with 3 and 4 seeming impossible when I tried this method out I was very surprised to find myself actually get up to 5 a few times! (And not do that terribly either!)

On n=2 memorize the first two squares and their letters, as the next two come up, commit them to memory as well. Matching them if they did obviously. After you remember the second block of two eliminate the first one. An example.

(H F) : (G F!)
(G F) : (G! R)

On n=3 it’s the same except your remember it in blocks of three as opposed to two. (HFR-QFS) The number of sequences you remember is double the N number. N for one block, and another N for the matching/next block.

Good luck everyone! I hope this works for you. If it doesn’t, just try and find out how your brain likes to do everything. Train well!

MindSparke Working Memory Training

This post was submitted by Andrew Clark.

Brain Training Report – Bjorn – Stage 3, Session 6

Monday, May 14th, 2012

Stage: 3

Session number: 6

Average n-back: 2.18

Hi,
I begin to feel low, because my results are worse and worse in stead of better and better.
I think this fact makes me tensed and my performance suffer still more.
Do you have any idea about how to behave in this situation?

MindSparke Brain Training Software

This post was submitted by Björn Hallenberg.