Targeting Weak Brain Skills in Older Adults

3 min to read

For many seniors with declining cognitive skills—such as working memory, processing speed and auditory and visual processing—it may feel as though their independence and community contributions are slipping away. But for some, the science behind one-on-one brain training has helped reignite hope for both mental well-being and confidence.

Also known as “personal brain training,” one-on-one brain training can provide a more direct and intense route to target weak brain skills.

“Cognitive skills, also known as ‘brain skills,’ are the fundamental tools we need to learn, read, remember and pay attention,” explains LearningRx CEO Kim Hanson. “They include attention, auditory processing, memory, visual processing, logic & reasoning, and processing speed. Using a gold-standard of cognitive skills testing, it’s possible to identify which brain skills are weak. Although all cognitive skills can be affected, for older people it’s common to see memory, attention and processing speed affected.”          

Unlike digital brain games, one-on-one brain training uses customized exercises and incorporates immediate feedback, intensity, and loading, among other features, to target brain skills.

Brain Training for Seniors

Although most seniors are struggling with working memory deficits, declining attention and slowing processing speeds in daily living, others are looking to stay in the workforce or even return to the workforce in a very competitive market. Some older adults are concerned about losing their independence and want to work on brain skills like logic & reasoning or visual processing in hopes of being able to maintain their driver’s license or live alone longer.

“At LearningRx, we’ve helped countless adults and seniors sharpen their cognitive skills to increase memory, processing speed, reading skills and even confidence,” explains Hanson. “Here are examples of real clients who saw improvements after completing a program.

• Samuel: As a 73-year-old physician, Dr. Caughron was searching for ways to combat age-related brain fatigue and memory loss. He enrolled in LearningRx personal brain training in hopes of maintaining his mental sharpness with his patient population. After just six months of one-on-one brain training, he noticed his ability to recall information (such as passwords and lock combinations) had improved. Watch his video here: http://studentshoutouts.com/2018/11/15/73-year-old-physician-fights-memo...

• Ms. Billie: Knowing that her mind wasn’t what it used to be, Ms. Billie came to LearningRx primarily for memory help. Her memory improved so much that she took part in our Pi Day Contest and was able to remember enough digits that she earned the right to “pie” her brain trainer! Watch her video here: http://studentshoutouts.com/2017/04/20/ms-billie/

• Sally: After losing her father to Alzheimer’s, Sally began noticing some of her own memory issues and decided to enroll in LearningRx one-on-one brain training. In just 12 weeks, Sally increased her memory by 59 percentile points! Watch her video here: http://studentshoutouts.com/2016/11/08/56-year-old-sally-is-ready-to-age...

• Mary: As the owner of an insurance agency, Mary is at an age to retire. After she started to shy away from social situations and traveling, Mary came to LearningRx with memory concerns. Since graduating from one-on-one brain training and improving her memory and confidence so much that she isn’t ready to retire! She says she’s more assertive and organized and her son doesn’t need to repeat himself so much. Watch her video here: http://studentshoutouts.com/2016/10/15/mary-says-shes-not-ready-to-retir...

• Wayne: After a childhood traumatic brain injury impaired his ability to read and remember, Wayne finally decided at 72 that he wanted to become a good reader. Since completing his one-on-one brain training program, Wayne is not only reading better than before, but also his memory and attention skills have improved. He says he experienced “a sense of euphoria” following his sessions with his trainer. Watch his video here: http://studentshoutouts.com/2016/10/12/wayne-becomes-a-proficient-reader...

Researching Brain Training for MCI

“LearningRx personal brain training has had a significant impact on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) for many adults,” says Hanson. “And because MCI is the first stage of Alzheimer’s disease and Baby Boomers continue to take a strong interest in their well-being, we expect to see many more seniors enrolling in LearningRx across the country.”

LearningRx’s sister research nonprofit, the Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research, completed a series of case studies of older individuals with previously diagnosed MCI. The study examined the outcomes from a combination of optimized diet, exercise, nutritional supplements and cognitive training. After using fMRIs and standardized measures used to monitor treatment effectiveness for MCI, the results proved to be worthy of being published in the Open BioMedical journal Integrative and Complementary Medicine. Read the results here: https://www.gibsonresearchinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-...

Whatever your reason for looking to work on your brain skills, one-on-one brain training can help. Schedule a cognitive skills assessment today to find out which skills need to be strengthened to have your brain operating at peak performance. Visit www.LearningRx.com to find a LearningRx Centre near you.

About LearningRx®

LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training company in the world. Their training programs are delivered through more than 200 locations in North America and in 48 countries around the globe (as BrainRx®). LearningRx has helped more than 100,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. In addition to their in-Center training programs that partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task—a key advantage over digital brain games—the company also offers online training through real-time videoconferencing. This virtual delivery method allows clients to train from the comfort of their own home while still receiving the benefits of one-on-one brain training with a personal brain trainer. LearningRx's pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for over 35 years and have been subjected to peer-review in more than a dozen scientific journals. To learn more, visit https://www.learningrx.com