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Brain Age Won't Actually Beef Up Your Prefrontal Cortex

Posted 01/30/09 at 04:47:06 PM  by Andy Salisbury

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According to a recent study at the University of Rennes, Brittany, Brain Age’s mind workout is no better than playing Scrabble or completing Sudoku puzzles.

The study, which was conducted on a group of 67 10-year-old children, had four groups; the first two did a seven-week memory course using the Nintendo DS, the third group completed puzzles using just pencil and paper and the fourth group did no extra work outside of their school curriculum. According to the results, children who trained on the DS didn’t show any significant improvements in memory tests.

“The Nintendo DS is a technological jewel. As a game it’s fine, but it would be charlatanism to claim that it is a scientific test,” stated Alain Lieury, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes.

Despite this research, it’s expected that Brain Age will still sell very well thanks to Nintendo’s clever marketing, and gigantic casual gamer crowd (many of whom will probably never see this study).

 

Image Credit: Nintendo

COMMENTS:4
TAGS: DS, nintendo, consumer electronics, Brain Age
COMMENTS
avatarNO CRAP

Submitted by winmaster on Sat, 01/31/2009 - 4:46pm

The point of Brain Age isn't that its some miracle makes-dumb-people-machine, its that it gets your brain working instead of you sitting there with your PSP smokin' pot and playing GTA. 

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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

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avatarlooks like nicole kidman

Submitted by smashingpumpin on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 9:06pm

looks like nicole kidman trying to digest some mumbo-jumbo scientology phrases.

_______________________________________________

...and what does this have to do with porn?

 

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avatarThat woman coulda had a

Submitted by gatorXXX on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 6:08pm

WOW!! She coulda had a V-8!!

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avatarSo...  Their point is that

Submitted by benvoliothefirst on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 4:47pm

So...

 Their point is that playing Brain Age is no better than any other mentally challenging activity that causes you to think critically, expand your vocabulary or math skills, or work out the neural pathways of your brain?

 Um... no shit?

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