Who can benefit from Spark!?

Employees of all ages, education and professional background who have access to a computer and emails. Everyone needs to keep their brains fit.

How does Spark! analyse results?

Individuals:
For each Spark! exercise the system measures the accuracy of the answers and the response time. Accuracy is more important than speed but both are used to compute the scores. Results are compared to other people with matching gender, age range and level of education. This standardisation process assures that feedback is personalised and relevant. At the completion of the program, you’ll also receive a Personal Cognitive Performance report which details how you have progressed over time within each cognitive area.

Organisation:
Aggregated results by overall scores and by cognitive function will be provided at the conclusion of the 6 month program. Comparisons by team or department are also available.

Why should age, gender and educational level be considered?

Age, gender and education level are the three primary variables that influence your cognitive reserve and your natural cognitive orientation. Therefore from a cognitive performance perspective, your peers are people of the same age, gender and education level as you and they can be expected to have a similar cognitive performance as you. Therefore, scientifically, it is essential that all comparisons relative to others are performed factoring these 3 important data points. With over 40M comparison points in the database, these comparisons are very accurate.

How does the personalised program work?

Based on the results from previous completed exercises the system performs a profile analysis to determine the most relevant exercises for each training session and delivers a balanced cross-training workout. Spark! brain training system computes the difficulty level for each exercise based on the individual profile and cognitive performance to date. It continually adapts as the exercises are completed with recompilations of the appropriate levels done after each session.

How are cognitive profiles determined?

The more you train, the more your cognitive indicators develop and the more your profile becomes refined. You can check your performance process at any time by reviewing your cognitive profile.

What are cognitive abilities?

Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills needed to carry out any tasks from the simplest to the most complex. Every task can be broken down into the different cognitive skills needed to complete the task successfully. Exercising these abilities can help improve their performance.

What is brain fitness?

Research shows that brain fitness leads to a sharper memory, faster processing of information, better attention and focus and other improved cognitive skills.

How prevalent is brain decline?

For every 10 years beyond 20 years of age, average memory performance declines by about 8%, problem solving ability by 7% per decade and ability to focus and concentrate by 8% per decade. (Park & Reuter-Lorentz 2009)

My job is challenging so why do I need this?

Variety, novelty and increasing challenges are necessary to work all the mental muscles. Just as cross-training in a physical fitness routine (mixing cardio with strength training and flexibility) is necessary to get a balanced workout so cross-training is for mental fitness. In this instance cross-training works your brain through exercising motor co-ordination, memory, focus and attention, language skills and visualisation. Spark! also provides a baseline score, regular weekly workouts and instant feedback on your personal progress and a comparison to other people of the same gender, age and education.

Are my results shared with anyone?

Individual results are never disclosed and remain private. Aggregated results by team or department are provided to employers at the conclusion of the program. The Personal Cognitive Performance report delivered at the conclusion of the program is confidential, and only sent to the individual.

What system requirements are required to run Spark!?

Flash 8 or greater needs to be installed on desktops, and the browser needs to be cookies enabled. The following email addresses need to be white listed to ensure they don’t get flagged as spam or junk:

braintraining@braindepartment.com,
info@braindepartment.com,
support@braindepartment.com
The following URLs need to be accessible:
http://braindepartment.com,
http://app.braindepartment.com,
http://games.braindepartment.com,
https://gamesau.happy-neuron.com

Can I access Spark! remotely?

Wherever you can access your work emails on a desk top or laptop computer you can access Spark!
At this stage the exercises will not be available on iPhone or Blackberry devices.

Why is it necessary to do the program 3 times per week?

By maintaining a regular routine this enables improvement to be experienced faster.

3×15 minutes per week is going to yield a better result than batching the exercises and doing them in one or two sessions. Research suggests that this is a minimum level required to achieve measurable and sustainable results.

What can affect performance?

Difficulty with concentration and focus when completing the exercises may be a symptom of general tiredness or high stress levels. For peak brain performance a mixture of physical exercise, good nutrition, adequate sleep and stress reduction are necessary adjuncts to brain training.

What’s the difference between Brain Games and Brain Training?

Doing a “brain game” or crossword puzzle only activates a small part of the brain. The 3 key principles for good brain exercises are novelty, variety and an increasing level of constant challenge, all of which are features of the Spark! program.

How long before I see progress?

From the first Spark! session you will immediately be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses over the 5 main cognitive functions and after a few workouts you can expect to notice an overall improvement and feel sharper and more alert.

Don’t be discouraged if your Spark! scores vary from time to time. There can be a number of factors affecting your results such as whether you are tired, particularly stressed, or distracted.

Adhering to a personal training program designed specifically for you, 15 minutes 3 times per week, you should notice significant improvements in your thought processing and speed of response abilities.

What does scientifically developed mean?

Each Spark! exercise is specifically designed by a team of Neurologists and Neuroscientists headed by Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Bernard Croisile, M.D. Neurology, Ph.D. Neuroscience, at Scientific Brain Training in France. Dr. Croisile has been the Chair of the Neuropsychology Department at the Neurological Hospital of Lyon France, since 1992.

Prof. Franck Tarpin-Bernard Ph.D., Scientific Brain Training’s Chief Technology Officer, is instrumental in taking the science and creativity of Dr. Bernard Croisile and his scientific team and making their ideas come alive as innovative, engaging and challenging brain fitness solutions. Prof. Tarpin-Bernard also serves as a Professor in Computer Science at Grenoble University.