After those grade school and university days are done, many people drop the brain barbell.

But no one sets out to soften their muscles, especially their intellect.

Cindi Ryerson opened the Millennium Cognitive Cafe on Oct. 20, as a unique brain fitness center in Bonita Springs, to keep that noggin strong from your mid-40s on through retirement. There is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but keeping active physically, socially and mentally may reduce the risk. >>> Read more . . .

Retiring may slow mental ability.

Oliver Sacks -- on learning new skills to keep changing your brain.

Great headline, but the article says, maybe not.

Study showed that retiring may have a negative effect on memory.
 

Revamping nursing homes -- adding music, strength training, computers, cognitive fitness -- to appeal to an aging population.

Santa Monica (June 11, 2010) –In response to the growing number of individuals concerned about maintaining their brain health and fighting the threat of dementia, Dakim, Inc. a leader in the development and marketing of computer-based brain fitness products announced today that its Dakim BrainFitness Software, the first brain fitness software created specifically for people over age 60, is now available for sale via a select group of retailers as well as on its own website. >>> Read more . . .

Last month I mentioned three new caregiving applications that entered the market recently -- this month, a summary list of other interesting products that have entered the market in recent (roughly the past 6) months, presented in alphabetical order. A number of products are expected to announce in the next few months -- expect another post when there's at least six more. >>> Read more . . .

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- May 4, 2010 -- A first in the brain fitness industry, HAPPYneuron announces that it has amassed more than 50 million cognitive performance results worldwide in its online cognitive cross-training database, further strengthening its position as the largest brain fitness database available on the market today. This record number of data points allows HAPPYneuron to quickly and reliably provide the highest standard of accuracy in peer performance feedback. >>> Read more . . .

There's no such thing as bad publicity.  This study is being reprinted on every website that has even a remote connection to boomers, seniors, or game-playing or is suffering from a slow news day. (Although you have to wonder how senior housing executives will react to seeing it published in McKnight's). So I am not going to set foot into the quagmire about whether this is a good study or a bad study -- as observed by Alvaro Fernandez of SharpBrains and Steven Aldrich of Posit Science.  I will also bet that this study will not slow the cognitive fitness market down, which SharpBrains sizes as $1 billion within 5 years -- you have to work hard to slow a market that fits so well with the fear, uncertainty, and doubt of baby boomers about aging and brain-related impacts. And like all studies (wine is good for you, wine is bad for you, more exercise, but not too much), no doubt there will be another study contradicting it soon enough. Instead, let's turn it around. >>> Read more . . .