Last Saturday, more than 1,300 people glimpsed a unique vision of brain fitness – one that more closely resembles cross-fit mixed with gaming than how we currently treat cognitive health. Adam Gazzaley of the University of San Francisco walked the CNS 2017 audience through the work his lab has been doing not only to create custom video games that improve cognition but also to commercialize and give widespread access to these tools. He envisions a world of digital medicine, prescribed the same way as pharmaceuticals now but easily accessible right in your home. Watch his talk here:
Here are some highlights:
Ready for the @adamgazz talk at #cns2017! pic.twitter.com/A3Vi3Q4crM
— Cog Comm Science Lab (@cogcommsci) March 25, 2017
Lovely setting for the keynote address #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/SxE8RCHlks
— Joe Bathelt (@JoeBathelt) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz: We’ve specialized equipment in physical fitness. What to do to optimize the core of what makes us human, our cognition? #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Gazzaley (@adamgazz): Currently, we have poor assessments for cognitive function, and poor targeting of specific brain networks #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz Over 50 years trying to develop molecules to improve cognition and have not worked #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Gazzaley (@adamgazz): brain plasticity is the foundation of learning- how do we tap into this plasticity to elevate brain function? #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz: Need closed loop systems – intervening, recording & continuously refining w/ data – to make more targeted, personalized #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Gazzaley (@adamgazz): We built such a closed loop system to improve attention, working memory, and multitasking in older adults #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz using custom video games with other tech to make the closed loop system #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/2rB6IlxmdY
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
What we learned is that everyone, even 80 year olds, want to level up in video games @adamgazz #cns2017
— Edward Hubbard (@EdNeuroLab) March 25, 2017
Continuous drop in multitasking with age, as assessed by adaptive video games @adamgazz #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/XIUegDfW19
— Edward Hubbard (@EdNeuroLab) March 25, 2017
Gazzaley (@adamgazz): so can we improve these metrics with video game training? #cns2017
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz Before and after training with video games led to amazing amount of functional plasticity #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
@adamgazz now moving from basic research to treatment studies, clinical recommendations #cns2017
— Edward Hubbard (@EdNeuroLab) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz Creating “digital medicine” – working on first FDA nondrug treatment for children with ADHD, 1st prescribable video game #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
Gazzaley (@adamgazz): pretty dramatic improvement, one month later… #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/H4Fvwt6v8p
— Nikola Vukovic (@vukovicnikola) March 25, 2017
We hope for diversity by getting lots of people, but we get the same people who live by Universities. #edneuro #cns2017 @adamgazz
— Edward Hubbard (@EdNeuroLab) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz working to make the tech accessible to everyone, e.g. foster children in India #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/BIozb6OYUp
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz Neuro Crossfit will be a big part of the future
To change something as complex as the brain, cannot silo products #cns2017— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 25, 2017
.@adamgazz showing us what is possible with his own brain #cns2017 pic.twitter.com/d3hJv0B6ri
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 26, 2017
“The collective enterprise of creative thinking and skeptical thinkings working together keeps the field on track” –@adamgazz #cns2017
— CNS News (@CogNeuroNews) March 26, 2017
-Lisa M.P. Munoz
