Memories are vital to our ability to function on even the most basic of levels. Our respective “realities” are in fact a large part due to the constantly shifting kaleidoscope of our remembrances. Here we will touch briefly on the difference between short-term/working memory and long-term memory as well as how the two filter and add meaning to our worlds.

What if we could remember everything we experienced? As enticing as it sounds, our finite brains would quickly find themselves overwhelmed with the random details of yesterday’s weather forecast alongside the nutritional information off of last month’s box of raisin bran.

Thankfully, the vast majority of our memories are fleeting mental wisps lasting only seconds to minutes. These temporary impressions make up what is called short-term or working memory.

Working memory can be thought of as a staging area where the mind takes meaning from such items as:

• Specific immediate memories of very recent sensory input (IE the sour smell of expired milk).
• The temporary recollection of details from long-term memories (IE what happened the last time you drank sour milk).
• Conclusions and ideas made in the past (Sour milk is bad).

Notice how working memory can temporarily pull details from long-term memory for short-term use. Although constantly changing and ephemeral itself, working memory is vital to our ability to make decisions and take action over time (such as our pouring that sour milk down the drain). For a brilliant and more in-depth description of working memory read Elizabeth Buchen’s “Working Memory: What it is and how it works”.

When an experience or piece of information sticks and doesn’t evaporate with short-term memory, it is said to have entered into the realm of long-term memory. This journey is called consolidation and takes place after prolonged exposure to a piece of information or experience. The longer the exposure, the better the consolidation, the more robust the related memories will be.

Long-term memories can store much larger quantities of information than working memory and for much longer periods of time (often as much as a lifetime). These resilient long-term recollections are made up of both consciously learned facts, such as “Madrid is the capital of Spain” and subconsciously learned knowledge, such as the ability to balance and ride a bike.

We derive meaning and the ability to act via the synergistic relationship between long-term and working memory. Working memory combines elements from our long-term stores with immediate sensory information in order to generate ideas and plans of action. For example, remembering that the taste of peanut butter is pleasant as we toast toast, might just have us use our memorized skill of unscrewing a jar in order to manifest the pleasurable experience of peanut butter on toast. Which is just one more potentially delicious result of a fit and active mind.

Instead, Tilapia is loaded with omega-6, which can cause inflammation that is bad for the heart. In fact, one of the authors of the study said, “the inflammatory potential of hamburger and pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia.”

So make sure your fish provides the right kind of fish fats! Some good options are Salmon, Mackerel, Trout, Whitefish, and Bluefin Tuna.

A recent British study published by the American Heart Association suggests that the balance of cholesterol in our blood may affect not only heart health but also memory performance. It is widely accepted that diets promoting “Good” cholesterol, otherwise known as high-density lipoprotiens (HDL), can reduce cardiovascular disease, but it now appears that high HDL may also be good for memory.

Researchers tested 3,600 British civil servants for both HDL levels and memory performance over time, first at an average age of 55 and then again at 61.

The results?

• Participants with higher HDL levels did consistently better at recalling items from a list of 20 words after 2 minutes.
• For those whose HDL levels declined between tests there were also declines in memory performance.

Reference:

Singh-Manoux, A., Gimeno, D., Kivimaki, M., Brunner, E., & Marmot, M. G. (2008). Low HDL Cholesterol Is a Risk Factor for Deficit and Decline in Memory in Midlife. The Whitehall II Study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 28, 1398.

This game will be free for a short time only.

The URL for the game is: http://games.lumosity.com/name_tag.html

We welcome any feedback you have to offer and will be in touch with more new games in the next month.

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• Through cognitive training (exercises for the brain), older people can improve their abilities.
• Those who have had a decline in their thinking abilities can get back to where they were 14 years earlier.
• Certain abilities are more likely to decline with age than others. Four abilities that typically get worse are:
  • processing speed
  • reasoning
  • memory
  • spatial orientation
• Cognitive training can impact everyday tasks. For example, reasoning training can make people better at solving problems around the household or logistics of transportation.

Reference:

Schaie, K. W., & Willis, S. L. (2005). Intellectual functioning in adulthood: Growth, maintenance, decline and modifiability. Washington, D.C.: American Society on Aging and Metlife Foundation.

CHICAGO – When it comes to remembering things, new research shows men are more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, the transition stage before dementia. The research will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12–19, 2008.

“This is one of the first studies to determine the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment among men and women who have been randomly selected from a community to participate in the study,” said study author Rosebud Roberts, MD, with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and member of the American Academy of Neurology. Mild cognitive impairment can also be described as impairment in memory or other thinking skills beyond what’s expected for a person’s age and education.

For the study, 2,050 people living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were between the ages of 70 and 89 were interviewed, examined, and given cognitive tests. Overall, 15 percent of the group had mild cognitive impairment.

The study found men were one-and-a-half times more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than women. The finding remained the same regardless of a man’s education or marital status.

“These findings are in contrast to studies which have found more women than men (or an equal proportion) have dementia, and suggest there’s a delayed progression to dementia in men,” said Roberts. “Alternately, women may develop dementia at a faster rate than men.”

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The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of over 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke.

Our new partners are Pequot Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), and together we will be able to continue our research into how to increase brain performance and maintain brain health in the best - and most enjoyable - ways possible.

The official press release is on the next page.

Brain Fitness and
Game Development Organization Raises $3 Million to Further Research

Brain researchers’ quest to improve brain fitness advanced by
Pequot Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners investment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – June 3, 2008 – Lumos Labs, developer of Lumosity.com, the leading web-based provider of scientifically-tested brain games, today announced that it has raised $3 million of equity financing from Pequot Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), and existing investors including Michael Dearing.

The investor group brings expertise that will catalyze the ongoing development of Lumosity.com and support Lumos Labs’ mission to improve lives by enhancing brain fitness.

“Lumos Labs is at the center of a booming interest in cognitive exercise and the emerging science about the remarkable plasticity of the brain,” said Amish Jani of Pequot Ventures. “Lumosity.com has seen tremendous demand from users and partners alike by leveraging the power of the web to deliver a unique platform for brain fitness.”

Lumosity.com’s programs consist of game-like exercises designed to train and improve cognitive functions. The programs target different parts of the brain, and are experimentally tested with the help of collaborators at top academic institutions. Users pay a monthly subscription to use the program and track their progress with detailed performance reports and feedback.

“In our analysis, Lumosity.com stood out from its competitors because of its best-in-class combination of engaging games and scientific rigor,” said Tim Chang of Norwest Venture Partners. “This unique combination has led to a strong market demand for Lumosity.com’s offerings and has created a leader in the emerging market for brain fitness.”

“We’re excited to take basic neuroscience and psychology findings out of the lab and deliver them to consumers in a way that is actually improving their lives,” said Michael Scanlon, Chief Scientific Officer of Lumos Labs. “This investment will enable us to significantly expand the diversity of games we offer, while further advancing the field through creative innovations and research with our academic collaborators.”

About Lumos Labs
Founded in 2005, Lumos Labs, Inc. creates innovative neuroscience-based tools that empower people to lead better lives through improved brain health and performance. Lumos Labs is a pioneer in developing scientifically designed and experimentally tested online brain fitness programs. The company works in collaboration with leading scientists in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford, UCSF, and other leading research institutions to bring beneficial and innovative products to market. Lumosity.com is the online brain performance program researched and developed by Lumos Labs, and is scientifically demonstrated to improve cognitive function in adults through a series of engaging exercises and brain games. For more information, please visit www.lumosity.com.

About Pequot Ventures
Pequot Ventures is the direct venture investment arm of Pequot Capital Management, Inc. Pequot Ventures is focused on today’s most dynamic startup and growth-stage companies in the technology industry. For more than a decade, Pequot Ventures has partnered with talented entrepreneurs and experienced managers to build market-leading enterprises. With nearly $2 billion in capital commitments, Pequot brings energy, insight and substantial sector expertise to create competitive, sustainable businesses and long-term value. Pequot Capital Management and Pequot Ventures recently announced that they have decided to separate their businesses, effective July 1, 2008. As part of the separation, the investment principals of Pequot Ventures will form a new firm, FirstMark Capital. FirstMark will assume the investment management operations of Pequot Ventures and, with investor approval, will take on the full responsibility for the assets currently under the management of Pequot Ventures. FirstMark Capital will continue to invest in high-growth businesses which are leading the technology revolution. Select investments include: Netgear, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR); First Advantage Corp. (NASDAQ: FADV); StubHub, Inc (Acquired by eBay, Inc.); Netegrity, Inc. (Acquired by CA Inc); Flarion, Inc. (Acquired by Qualcomm, Inc.); OutlookSoft Inc. (Acquired by SAP AG); Analex Corp. (Acquired by QinetiQ); Vallent (Acquired by IBM) and Syndesis (Acquired by Subex). For more information, please visit www.pequotventures.com.

About Norwest Venture Partners (NVP)
Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) is a global venture capital firm that has actively partnered with entrepreneurs to build great businesses for more than 45 years. NVP focuses on investments in information technology including: Internet, media and consumer, software, services, enterprise and communications systems and semiconductor/components. The firm currently manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital out of its office in Palo Alto, California. NVP has funded over 400 companies in the U.S. since inception. Some of the firm’s recent investments and transactions include Adventity, Airespace (acquired by Cisco Systems), deCarta, DoubleFusion, Jigsaw, KACE, mBlox, Omneon, Open-Silicon (acquired by Unicorn Investment Bank), Persistent Systems, Rackspace, SideStep (acquired by Kayak), Spinnaker Networks (acquired by Network Appliance), Winphoria Networks (acquired by Motorola) Yatra, and Yipes (acquired by Reliance/Flag Telecom). NVP has also funded such market leaders as Actel Corporation, Cerent (acquired by Cisco Systems), Documentum, Extreme Networks, Forte Software (acquired by Sun Microsystems), PeopleSoft and Tivoli Systems (acquired by IBM). For more information, please visit www.nvp.com.

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PRESS CONTACT:
Belinda Banks
SS|PR
609-750-9110
belinda@sspr.com

An increase in BPI indicates improvement. An increase of more than 200 points represents a substantial improvement of at least 1 standard deviation. Remember that BPI is a way to track your own personal progress - it is not intended as a way to compare yourself to other people.

How is BPI calculated?

The BPI scales are based on an analysis and ranking of over 7,200,000 real game results. We used these game results to create a distribution of scores for each activity so we know how an individual score stacks up to all others. We then evaluate your game scores and use a proprietary algorithm to derive your BPI. Each time you play, we update your BPI to accurately reflect your current brain performance.

How is overall BPI calculated?

Your Overall BPI is your average BPI across each of the four cognitive areas: attention, memory, processing speed and cognitive control. This number provides a concise measure of your overall brain performance. If you are weak in one area, it will bring down your overall score, so it’s a good idea to focus on the games where you scores are lowest.

Can I compare my BPI in one area to another?

Yes. The BPI converts scores in very different activities to the same scale based on average scores across all users. For example, a BPI of 400 in Birdwatching is equivalent to a BPI of 400 in Word Bubbles.

“A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A study in the open access publication, Journal of Neuroinflammation revealed that caffeine equivalent to just one cup of coffee a day could protect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) from damage that occurred with a high-fat diet.”

We’re all equipped with a blood-brain barrier, which acts as a filter to isolate the brain from chemicals found in your body that shouldn’t be in your brain. One reason high cholesterol is bad for your brain is that it damages the blood-brain barrier to the point that it’s not as good at keeping harmful chemicals out.

Though this study found that daily caffeine helps protect the blood-brain barrier in rabbits, it’s still (sadly) too early for coffee drinkers to cast away fears of fat intake. Even if the results translate to humans, a high-fat diet is bad for your body and brain in a number of other ways. Still, this is one more reason to appreciate your morning java.