Posit Science today announced the launch of BrainHQ, its next-generation computerized brain fitness training system.
Designed to improve the cognitive performance of virtually everyone who uses it, BrainHQ brings proven brain exercises into an online version with social features—all at a price anyone can afford.
“We spent the last eight years showing through rigorous scientific studies that we can build brain training exercises that improve cognitive performance,” said Henry Mahncke, PhD, CEO of Posit Science. “With BrainHQ, we’re making these exercises available to a much wider audience, with new, game-like and social features, as well as a number of exercises that are free to use. Our goal is to make brain training as common and useful as brushing your teeth—something everyone does every day for long-term health.”
BrainHQ deploys all of the Posit Science exercises that have been shown to drive substantial benefits in more than 60 scholarly articles published in science and medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association. Those benefits include significant gains in brain processing speed, attention, memory and numerous standard measures of quality of life.
“We’ve seen these exercises help people across the population,” said Dr. Mahncke. “Whether it’s a young Wall Street trader looking for an edge or an older diner trying to follow a conversation in a noisy restaurant, a 75 year-old behind the wheel of a car, a soccer Mom juggling appointments, or a soldier or athlete wanting to be their best…the BrainHQ exercises are proven to increase processing speed and sharpen the brain.”
At launch, BrainHQ features exercises in four broad areas: memory, attention, brain speed and people skills. There are hundreds of exercise configurations available to users, with more being added all the time. BrainHQ also incorporates informational content on the brain, with advice on improving brain health through best practices around diet, physical exercise, sleep, stress reduction and everyday activities. Features also include useful articles on how the brain works as well as tips on how to keep your brain sharp and healthy at any age.
“As pioneers in this field, we’ve learned a lot from our users that has driven the design of BrainHQ,” said Dr. Mahncke. “We know that people who undertake activities as part of a group generally stick with it and do better, so BrainHQ encourages you to build a friend network. You can see when your friends reach milestones, share thoughts on your experience, and give advice or congratulations. We also know that people want authentic feedback on how they are doing, so BrainHQ incorporates many features that provide continuous feedback and allow you to compare performance with your baseline and with other people. And we know that a lot of people have full schedules already, so we split BrainHQ into 90-second segments. That way, you can fit in training in short bursts or long marathons—whatever works for you.”
Several tools are also completely free of charge to BrainHQ users including core exercises, the friend network, and all of the informational content. “We want to make these proven brain exercises easy to try, easy to share, and easy to keep using – so we made a core set available to absolutely everyone,” said Dr. Mahncke. For more complete training, members can access a full array of exercises for just $10 per month or $99 per year.
“The fact that BrainHQ exercises are designed to push your abilities, while encouraging your efforts makes them fun to do,” stated BrainHQ beta user, Beverly Schwartz, of Philadelphia. “They provide feedback on my progress and allow me to train with friends.” Beta tester Gary Cramer of Shingle Springs, CA also enjoys the stimulation. “What I like most about BrainHQ is that it challenges my brain. I know I’m doing something useful and it keeps me motivated.”
What makes the BrainHQ exercises uniquely effective is the patented bottom-up, customized approach developed by Posit Science. The exercises improve brain function at the root, resulting in improved attention, memory, and executive function. Reasoning, as well as visuospatial, auditory-language, and interpersonal skills, are also improved with BrainHQ’s calculated methods of brain training. The exercises use intelligent algorithms that constantly adjust to individual performance, so that each user has a tailored journey through the stimuli. In studies, this approach has been shown to generalize benefits from the elemental skills practiced in the exercises to significant improvements in everyday activities.
“BrainHQ is a truly ‘state-of-the art’ program that incorporates all we have learned. It’s a huge step forward for brain science,” said renowned neuroscientist, Michael Merzenich, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Posit Science and professor emeritus of the University of California San Francisco. “Since these exercises can benefit virtually everyone, BrainHQ represents a big step forward in our mission of getting the science out of the lab and into the hands of those who need it most,” he continued. “Just a few minutes a day can improve your ability to think faster, focus better and remember more. And those skills, in turn, enhance the vibrancy of everyday life.”