NeuroNation \ Brain Training, Mind and Brain

Study: NeuroNation improves memory

Prof. Dr. Niedeggen and colleagues at the Free University in Berlin recently conducted a study which found working memory training with NeuroNation to be effective. 

After training, participants showed improvements in both NeuroNation exercises used in training, as well as in tests that evaluated their working memory. The study demonstrated that improvements in cognitive performance – when training with NeuroNation – are transferable. This means that NeuroNation members can expect to experience their brain training benefits in other parts of their everyday lives as well, while training their brain with us [1].

NeuroNation has developed a course based on the collaboration with the Free University Berlin called MemoWork – which you can now find on our website.

What is working memory?

Your working memory is responsible for remembering and processing information. This is why it is so important in your everyday life – not only to remember our schedule and commitments, but also to solve complex problems quickly. Difficulties with your working memory become apparent when for example you tend to forget things you intended to remember. Or when you have to read a page three times to understand the content; forget what you came to the supermarket for; or daydream when you need to concentrate. As you can see, working memory is extremely important in your everyday life, so make sure to keep it active!

A stronger working memory saves you time and heartache. It helps you at school, at work, and on a day-to-day basis.

So more about the study…

The four week study was conducted with almost 30 participants who were divided into two groups; one trained their working memory using personalized NeuroNation brain training exercises which were designed to become more difficult and intense during training. The other group (the active control group) trained with exercises designed to strengthen the memory but not to improve working memory. This active control group trained with mnemonics exercises. Mnemonics are memory techniques which help people to remember information that would otherwise be difficult to recall. A well known mnemonic is the ’30days hath September’ song, often taught in schools to help young children remember how many days there are in each month. Other techniques involve for example simple memory games based on pattern recognition.

All participants regularly met in groups and discussed what the training and the exercises were about, and received tips on how to improve their performance.

By having the active control group train with memory techniques, researchers were able to see if these exercises also improved working memory performance, and whether learning memory techniques could be an alternative to computerized working memory training. Furthermore, researchers wanted to find out whether the Mnemonics group was better at long-term memory.

Before and after the four week training, participants were assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests.

What were the results?

The study showed that the experimental working memory group, those who trained their working memory with NeuroNation, was significantly better at mastering the untrained tests that challenged working memory at the end of the four weeks than the control group who trained with memory techniques.

In essence: memory techniques won’t help you get a better working memory, but you will see improvements using NeuroNation brain training.

Yet again: NeuroNation is shown to be effective

And NeuroNation doesn’t only help your memory. Studies show that brain training has transferrable benefits to other areas of your life, such as multi-tasking and remembering large volumes of information. 

MemoWork: The training for the study

Want the same results? We used the findings from this study to develop the ‘MemoWork’ course, which you can find on the NeuroNation website. Each of the exercises making up the course was based on the study described above, to provide you with the best possible training, and transferable benefits to your work and everyday life. ‘MemoWork’ is just one of many courses which we offer, based on the latest findings in Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology. So give it a go today – and experience the difference it makes!

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Sources:

Zeitschrift für Neuropsychologie, 23(3), p 149, 2012

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