Neurofitness: How to Train the Brain in a Mental Gym

Life expectancy is increasing, and longevity barriers are stretching to surpass 100 years. In this context, keeping the brain agile and in excellent shape is no longer optional. Neurofitness, which “is not new but is now gaining a new scope,” according to Professor Bruno Ribeiro, head of the Cognitive Health unit at SHA, has become essential.

Neurofitness is a method based on specific exercises designed to get our brain in shape, increasing our cognitive reserve. Ribeiro also mentions that the method is based on concepts such as neurogenesis, the process through which new nerve cells are created. “This way, we can ‘grow’ our brain, and neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change its structure and reshape connections between neurons to become more efficient and faster.”

The professor explains that, with a series of exercises, specific brain areas that might be more forgotten and inactive can be activated, thereby increasing processing capacity, which will make the mind function better. One could say that neurofitness comprises a set of techniques or activities aimed at exercising cognitive processes. “It’s similar to a type of brain gym,” summarizes the professor.

Neurofitness can be explained through several theories, one of which is the concept of cognitive reserve, revealing that, for instance, people with more years of education recover better from brain injuries, age better cognitively, and are more resistant to cognitive decline. “There are specific studies showing, for example, how the brains of London taxi drivers had increased size in areas related to spatial memory,” notes the expert.

Furthermore, cognitive psychology recommends early stimulation in children with neurodevelopmental difficulties. “Undoubtedly, the new longevity barriers we are reaching motivate us to want to go further, but with a well-functioning brain,” says Ribeiro, who believes that almost everyone can benefit from neurofitness. “The benefits are multiple, but let’s talk about two examples: on one hand, by exercising my brain, I am increasing my cognitive reserve, that is, I am increasing my cognitive bank, which, if needed, will be more or less full, and this will be decisive in recovering from a brain injury. A brain injury can be a traumatic brain injury, a stroke, the onset of dementia, or a medical treatment with chemicals or radiation. On the other hand, taking the brain daily to this kind of mental gym gives us more energy, flexibility, and mental agility.”

Is There Scientific Evidence of Its Benefits?

Professor Ribeiro indicates that there are several studies on the effects of neurofitness. One of them is a controlled trial in special populations, and the rest are retrospective studies. “The controlled studies with special populations were conducted on cancer patients who, after their treatments, were divided into two groups: one received cognitive training or neurofitness, and the other control group did not receive any training. It is known that chemotherapy and radiotherapy produce cognitive decline, which is almost always reversible. What these studies have shown is that people who practice neurofitness recover their cognitive abilities better and faster after cancer treatment.

On the other hand, the retrospective studies try to find the reasons why, in the face of the same brain injury, some patients recover better than others, or why some patients show more negative cognitive symptoms than others, even though the disease is at a similar stage of development. “These results have shown that people with more years of education and who are more mentally active recover better and more. By the way, as a curiosity, in most of these studies and with similar injuries, women recovered faster than men,” says the professor.

In the Cognitive Health unit at SHA, patients are consistently recommended to practice neurofitness. “We advise our patients to enroll in these mental gyms. We conduct a complete evaluation of their cognitive functions and then program our training to strengthen the weaker areas. After two months, we re-evaluate to assess the progress.”

Additionally, he adds that “at SHA, we recommend engaging in intellectually challenging activities that are not obligatory, such as dancing, learning a new language, or studying something new.”