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Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Brain Fitness Program Clinical Trial Attracts 500
Senior Citizens
Program is designed to address the root causes of
age-related cognitive decline
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Healthy Aging
Studies show the Brain Fitness Program improves memory by 10+
years and significantly increases processing speed in healthily
aging adults. Importantly, follow-up testing shows benefits last
beyond the end of the program. Results from these studies have
been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and
have been presented at numerous conferences, including the
Society for Neuroscience, the company says. |
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Oct. 18, 2007 – More than 500 senior citizens, age
65 and over, have enrolled in a clinical trial of an innovative
computerized training program designed to enhance memory. These older
Americans are seeking to improve their cognitive health and contribute
to scientific research, according to Posit Science Corporation, sponsor
of the trial.
The IMPACT ("Improvement in Memory with
Plasticity-based Adaptive Cognitive Training") study’s principal
Investigators are Elizabeth Zelinski, PhD, of the University of Southern
California and Glenn Smith, PhD, Mayo Clinic.
The trial involves measuring the effects of a
cognitive training program -- the Brain Fitness Program on memory. Based
on the fundamental principles of brain plasticity, the Brain Fitness
Program is designed to address the root causes of age-related cognitive
decline.
It uses adaptive exercises that target auditory and
language systems to drive generalized improvements in cognition.
The
exercises are designed to improve the speed and accuracy of information
processing in the brain, and engage the brain's neuromodulatory systems,
including attention and reward, that contribute to learning and memory.
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Long-Term Care Insurer Makes Brain Fitness
Available to Customers
Dementia, Alzheimer’s the most costly claims for
long-term care insurance
In September, a major long-term care insurance
provider, Penn Treaty American, announced it would promote brain fitness
as a tool to “enrich” its client’s lives.
Penn Treaty is offering thousands of its
policyholders the opportunity to try the computer-based mental exercise
program, Brain Fitness Program, created by Posit Science Corporation and
hailed as one of the “medical breakthroughs of the year” by CNBC.
The program guides users through a series of
listen-and-respond exercises designed to improve memory, strengthen
communication, and sharpen thinking, with the ultimate goal of delaying
the onset of dementia-based impairment.
“We believe that each of our policyholders wants
to maintain their independence and health well into their senior years,”
said Stephen R. La Pierre, Senior Vice President of Penn Treaty. “We
need to be more than just a financial safety net if your health
declines; insurers also have a responsibility to coach policyholders in
ways of living longer, healthier lives.”
La Pierre says dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
are the most extensive and costly causes of long-term care insurance
claims.
A proactive cognitive health program can give
policyholders the tools they need to actively address their concerns of
developing dementia. Such a program may also reduce the frequency and
length of future cognitive claims.
“Scientific evidence convinced us that the Brain
Fitness Program from Posit Science Corporation could really improve the
cognitive abilities of many of our policyholders,” La Pierre said.
In recently published studies, participants using
the Brain Fitness Program showed statistically and clinically
significant gains on standard cognitive batteries, while participants in
control groups showed minimal or no gains. The gains are equivalent to
10 or more years of improved cognitive function (such as ability to
remember and faster processing speed) among populations over age 60.
“Penn Treaty was one of the first providers to
offer long-term care insurance more than 35 years ago, and continues to
be a true leader in this industry,” said Jeff Zimman, CEO of Posit
Science.
The Brain Fitness Program is the first component
of Penn Treaty’s comprehensive menu of wellness services and programs,
which will be rolled out over the next year as part of a greater
wellness initiative promoting healthy physical and mental fitness that
the Company expects could revolutionize the long-term care insurance
industry.
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This approach, described as "SAAGE" -- for speed,
accuracy, adaptivity, generalization, and engagement of neuromodulation
-- represents an exclusive approach to cognitive training that goes far
beyond general cognitive stimulation.
The IMPACT trial compares the benefits of the Brain
Fitness Program to a computer-based learning control matched for
computer usage and training intensity. It was chosen to represent
current clinical recommendations regarding "staying cognitively active."
Once completed, the IMPACT study will represent the
first large-scale randomized controlled trial of a non-invasive
cognitive intervention for aging adults that is available for
widespread, individual use. In addition to using standardized
neuropsychological tests to assess training-related changes in memory,
the IMPACT study will also measure the improvements in cognitive
abilities directly reported by study participants themselves.
According to a report commissioned by the National
Institute on Aging, the U.S. population of adults 65+ will double in
size within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1 in 5 Americans --
approximately 72 million people -- will be 65 years or older. Today's
older Americans are much different from their predecessors -- they live
longer, have lower disability rates, demand higher levels of healthcare,
and are significantly more proactive in identifying, evaluating, and
providing for their own health -- both physical and cognitive.
"Not all programs positioned as brain training are
alike," says Principal Investigator Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski of the Andrus
Gerontology Center at USC.
"The Brain Fitness Program is the first widely
available program to go beyond train-to-the-task approach and really
address the underlying brain functions that scientists believe lead to
changes in memory with age."
The hope is that the Brain Fitness Program will
demonstrate improvements in standard clinical tests of memory, but also
show that individuals feel more vital and confident after use, says
Zelinski. "Our obligation, as cognitive psychologists, is to really put
these programs to the test and evaluate their efficacy," continues
Zelinski. "The implications for a truly effective brain fitness training
program on the cognitive health of seniors would be enormous."
About Posit Science
Posit Science Corporation develops science-based
brain health programs. The company works with more than 50 brain
scientists from leading universities around the world to create training
programs that enhance cognitive performance. Its assessments and
exercises are based on neuroplasticity the -- brain's ability to
"rewire" through intensive, repetitive and progressively challenging
activity.
The company's Brain Fitness Program is distributed
without charge by Humana to its Medicare Advantage members, is licensed
to more than 100 retirement communities nationwide, is sold online and
by Authorized Providers.
Posit Science has received several grants from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). Posit Science was named "Best Small
Company" by the American Society on Aging, was named "Best Fitness
Initiative" by the Consumer Health World Conference and was selected as
one of the "medical breakthroughs of the year" by CNBC. For more
information visit
http://www.positscience.com/.
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