First Brain Training Consumer's Guide Debunks Ten Brain Health Myths and Reviews 21 Products

New Guide to be Unveiled by SharpBrains CEO on June 11th, during Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA

San Francisco, CA - How can you take care of your brain when every week brings a new barrage of articles and studies which seem to contradict each other? Do supplements improve memory? Do you need both physical and mental exercise -or is one of them enough? Which brain training approach, if any, is worth your time and money?

Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, will publicly unveil The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews, to Keep Your Brain Sharp (182 pages; $24.95) at the opening of the Games for Health Conference's Cognitive Health Track, Thursday, June 11th at 10.10 am, at the Hyatt Harborside, Boston, MA. This guide is the result of over two years of extensive research including more than a hundred interviews with scientists, professionals and consumers, and a deep review of the scientific literature. The guide debunks 10 popular myths on brain health and brain training (http://www.sharpbrains.com/) :

-    Myth #1. Genes determine the fate of our brains.

-    #2. Aging means automatic decline.

-    #3. Medication is the main hope for cognitive enhancement.

-    #4. We will soon have a Magic Pill or General Solution to solve all our cognitive challenges.

-    #5. There is only one "it" in "Use It or Lose it".

-    #6. All brain activities or exercises are equal.

-    #7. There is only one way to train your brain.

-    #8. We all have something called "Brain Age".

-    #9. That "brain age" can be reversed by 10, 20, 30 years.

-    #10. All human brains need the same brain training.

Endorsements

"Finally, an insightful and complete overview of the science, products and trends to debunk old myths and help us all maintain our brains in top shape."

--Gloria Cavanaugh, former President & CEO of the American Society on Aging and founding Board member of the National Alliance for Caregiving

"A masterful guide to the brain training revolution. Promises to stimulate a much needed conversation that will nudge society to build a new brain fitness (http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/) culture on solid, research-based, foundations."

--P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Duke University and Co-author of The Alzheimer's Action Plan

"…Buying this book is the ultimate no-brainer."

--Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com

"… a much-needed resource to help us better understand our brains and minds and how to nourish them through life."

--Susan E. Hoffman, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC Berkeley

"All of us researching healthy brain function owe SharpBrains a debt of gratitude for promoting a science-based approach to brain health education."

--Joshua R. Steinerman, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

"…a short, sweet, entertaining read of a complex topic, with timely (written in 1/09) reviews of 21 top technology products, as well as informed and expert predictions of where this burgeoning brain-fitness field is headed. More importantly, after you read it, you'll have a good, detailed sense of where you, personally, can act to improve your own couch-potato brain - and how to keep it fit and flexible your whole life. The SharpBrains Guide To Brain Fitness (http://www.sharpbrains.com/book/) reminds of us all why books (and not just googling a topic) can be well worth your time and money. Two Stethoscopes Up - check it out. Life."

--Doc Gurley, book review for SFGate.com (06/08/09)

About The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness, and the Authors

Description: While most of us have heard the phrase "use it or lose it," very few understand what "it" means, or how to properly "use it" in order to maintain brain function and fitness. The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness is an invaluable guide that helps readers navigate growing brain research and identify the lifestyle factors and products that contribute to brain health (http://www.sharpbrains.com/) and fitness. By gathering insights from eighteen of the world's top scientists and offering tools and detailed descriptions of over twenty products, this book is an essential guide to the field of brain fitness, neuroplasticity and cognitive health. An accessible and thought-provoking read, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness educates lifelong learners and professionals in healthcare, education, business, etc., on emerging trends and forecasts of what the future will hold.

How to Order: The book is available via Amazon.com (182 pages; $24.95): The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Brains-Guide-Brain-Fitness/dp/0982362900). Review copies are available upon request.

Alvaro Fernandez is co-founder and CEO of SharpBrains (http://www.SharpBrains.com/), a leading market research firm covering applications of neuroscience and cognitive science in education and healthcare. He received masters degrees in education and business from Stanford University, and teaches at UC-Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. A member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Councils, he is often quoted by the media including recently in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and CNN.

Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg is internationally renowned for his clinical work, research, and teaching in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. Co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of SharpBrains, he is also a Clinical Professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine and Diplomat of The American Board of Professional Psychology in Clinical Neuropsychology. He is the author of The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and The Civilized Mind and The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger as Your Brain Grows Older.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Gloria Cavanaugh

Introduction: Debunking 10 Brain and Brain Fitness Myths

Chapter 1. The Brain and Brain Fitness 101

Chapter 2. The 4 Pillars of Brain Maintenance

Chapter 3. Mental Exercise vs. Mental Activity

Chapter 4. Brain Training Software: Profiles, Evaluation Criteria and 21 Quick Picks

Chapter 5. A Growing Range of Applications

Chapter 6. Ready for the Future?

Chapter 7. Opening the Debate

Glossary

References

Products Reviewed:

-    Overall brain maintenance: Brain Age series (Nintendo), BrainWare Safari (Learning Enhancement Corporation), FitBrains.com (Vivity Labs), Happy-Neuron.com (Scientific Brain Training), Lumosity.com (Lumos Labs), MindFit (CogniFit), (m)Power (Dakim)

-    Targeted brain workout: Classic and InSight (Posit Science), Working Memory Training JM and RM (Cogmed), DriveFit (CogniFit), Earobics (Houghton Mifflin), Fast ForWord (Scientific Learning), IntelliGym (Applied Cognitive Engineering), Vision Restpration Therapy (NovaVision)

-    Emotional self-regulation: emWave PC and Personal Stress Reliever (HeartMath), Journey to the Wild Divine (Wild Divine), RESPeRATE (InterCure), StressEraser (Helicor)

About Games For Health

Games for Health, the leading professional community in the field of health games, unites the best minds in health care and game development to advance game technologies that improve people's health and the delivery of health care. For the first year, the conference features a 2-day, 13-session, Cognitive Heath Track, powered by SharpBrains. For more information, visit www.gamesforhealth.org.

Editor's Notes: for press passes and information during the conference, contact Shannon Varroney (703) 741-7057, svarroney at golinharris dot com. For other inquiries, contact Pascale Michelon (415) 318-3467 x 3, book at sharpbrains dot com.

###