Lumosity: NOT generalizable.

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I've said before and I'll say it again, "brain training" games -- like those developed by lumosity -- have very little proven

efficacy. Do they change the brain? Yes. But so does just about everything else. Let me explain... there was a story that we used to tell in the lab and it went like this...

"If I throw you a set of keys, and you catch it, there will be neuroplastic change. 

If I throw you a set of keys, and you try catch it drop it, there will be neuroplastic change. 

If I throw you a set of keys, and you just watch the keys hit the floor, there will be neuroplastic change."

So do "brain traing " games change your brain? Yes. The change your brain to be better at the games. If the end result you want is to be better at the games, have at it, and become better at those games. But are the skills that you gain from these games generalizable to anything else in your life? Not that we know of.

Here is a recent article that says... well, let's put it this way... if you work for luminosity, you'll hate it...

A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community 

Again, the key word here is "generalizable." Here's another article that makes the same point: "The authors conclude that memory training programs appear to produce short-term, specific training effects that do not generalize."

More here

Clinical research indicates you are smarter if you don't buy lumosity

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Lumosity is a scam. It costs $15 a month and it will change your brain. What does it do to your brain? It makes your brain better at playing the lumosity games.

Really you don't need fancy software and a computer interface to do what human brains have been doing for the last 200 thousand years. 

Heck, these guys don't even use the word neuroplasticity right. Their tagline is "Lumosity is based on the science of neuroplasticity." But neuroplasticity is not science. 

(note: The previous link was to luminosity's website. But they must've gotten enough flak about the whole "science of neuroplasticity" thing that they took it off their website. However, others have found, and recorded, the same statement.)

Neuroscience is a science. Biology, chemistry, zoology -- these are sciences. Saying neuroplasticity is a science is like saying E=MC2 is a science. In fact, both E=MC2 and neuroplasticity are theories. Given the fact that lumosity has a huge stable of neuroscientists, you think they'd be able to figure the nomenclature.

The fact is, the best way to "train your brain" is to challenge your brain. This challenging of the brain -- also called learning -- changes neurons. Learning stresses out neurons which react by creating new dendrites, that then form new synaptic connections. The best way to rewire your brain to learn something new is the old-school stuff; learning a new language, learning a new musical instrument, learning a new sport, etc.

I'm not sure I could put it better than this: "The (lumosity) scam is a pretty smart one because it melds together not just one but two classic plays in the world of conning – the idea that you don’t have to work hard for something because there’s a hidden shortcut, and the inherent belief that you could be brilliant if only you could tap some hidden skillset lurking somewhere in your brain-case."

How can stroke survivors drive this sort of change in their brain? It involves a lot of hard work. The work has to be very challenging. The bottom line is, there is no game, or machine or pill that will help you learn. And there's no game, machine or pill that will help you recover from stroke.

More up-to-date blog entry on "brain games" here.