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When it comes to reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, there's an app for that. Scientists have long said that playing games or solving puzzles, such as Sudoku or crosswords, can keep our minds sharper and potentially prevent cognitive disease. Now, smartphones are making it easier than ever for us to train our brains.
Dakim BrainFitness is like having a personal trainer for your brain. It contains more than 100 unique brain exercises that have been clinically shown to “cross train” the brain in memory and language abilities, which helps users better remember facts, names and faces; organize thoughts more quickly; and find the right words more easily. When used regularly, the app also tracks your progress on your attention, focus and concentration levels. dakim.com
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Clevermind is complete with an IRA—Intelligent Robotic Assistant a la the iPhone’s Siri—which can answer questions about the date, weather and time, plus offer direct links to popular websites with information about medications and medical concerns; nutrition and exercise information; social media platforms to help users easily stay connected to friends and family; trivia and other games; and news, movies and more, all in one easy-to-navigate interface that targets all scientifically proven elements that contribute to cognitive health. myclevermind.com
Eidetic promises to help its users “learn and remember anything,” from birth dates to interesting facts. It uses a learning technique called “spaced repetition,” which incorporates increasing time intervals between testing you on snippets you’ve previously learned. Here’s how it works: You enter information that you need to remember, such as your husband’s new phone number or the definition of a new word you learned. The app quizzes you periodically throughout the day and reminds you of the correct answer if you get it wrong—either in written or spoken form, depending on your preference. eideticapp.com
TrialMatch is a free, easy-to-use service that connects individuals with Alzheimer’s to their caregivers, health volunteers and physicians. Though there’s no way yet to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, one of the best tools scientists can use in their mission to find a cure is a clinical trial. To help, the Alzheimer’s Association created TrialMatch, with current studies at more than 700 trial sites across the country. Here’s how it works:
- Visit TrialMatch online at trialmatch.alz.org. (If you need help, email trialmatch@alz.org or call 800-272-3900.)
- Fill out a brief questionnaire to complete your profile.
- The Alzheimer’s Association compares your profile to its comprehensive clinical studies database to try to find a match.
- You receive information about studies for which you might be a good fit based on your preferences, location and characteristics, as well as details on how to proceed with the studies you select.