Multiple studies have shown that Posit Science training programs produce many benefits for healthy adults by improving cognitive performance. There is also great interest in the science community for using our products to address cognitive decline in clinical populations. The goal of brain plasticity based training programs is to re-normalizing brain function through rigorous and challenging cognitive exercises. This approach has great potential for improving brain function in clinical as well as healthy populations.

One area of increasing interest to scientists is a disorder called chemobrain. Chemobrain refers to cognitive decline resulting from chemotherapy. About 75% of patients who undergo chemotherapy for cancer treatment report declines in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and the ability to multitask.

Chemotherapy has long term effects on brain physiology. Dr. Daniel Silverman and colleagues at UCLA found that patients who underwent chemotherapy five to ten years previously had reduced metabolism and altered blood flow in the brain compared to a matched control group.[1] These changes were particularly evident in the pre-frontal cortex and basal ganglia, areas which are fundamentally important for attention and forming memories.

A recent pilot study showed that Posit Science exercises can improve the lives of patients suffering from chemobrain. Sarah-Jane Kim, the lead researcher on the project, recruited 45 female patients who had undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer. The patients completed 40 sessions of the Brain Fitness Program, the auditory training program offered by Posit Science. The patients noticed significant improvements in cognitive performance and health related quality of life following training.[2] This study shows the great potential Posit Science programs have for improving the lives of people suffering from chemobrain. In future postings I will discuss successful applications of our programs to other clinical populations.

1.         Silverman, D.H., et al., Altered frontocortical, cerebellar, and basal ganglia activity in adjuvant-treated breast cancer survivors 5-10 years after chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2007. 103(3): p. 303-11.

2.         Kim, S.J., et al., Effects on health-related quality of life in individuals with ‘Chemobrain’ using a brain-plasticity-based training program, in Annual International Neuropsychological Society Meeting. 2008: Waikoloa, Hawaii.

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2. Promising Results in Controlling Tinnitus with Brain Training
3. After Chemotherapy, Brain Can Be Impaired For 5+ Years
4. Brain Scan Study Provides Further Evidence of Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Decline