Can You Reduce Brain Fog by Playing Brain Age?

Do you experience brain fog?  According to the Arthritis Foundation, brain fog or fibro (fibromyalgia) fog is “commonly used for the cognitive difficulties that can occur with fibromyalgia.  These include confusion, lapses in memory, word mix-ups and difficulty concentrating.”  It is terribly frustrating when this occurs because it is difficult to pull yourself out of it.  Sometimes it seems like your brain is just numb to anything.

I recently starting playing the Nintendo DS Brain Age 2 game, in hopes of stimulating my brain.  After years of having juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in multiple joints, increasingly potent medications and the onset of fibromyalgia, my brain does not function as I would like.  At times it feels as though I am in a perpetual fog that will not lift.

First, I can tell you that the game is just fun.  It takes you through three different tests in order to determine your brain age.  The overall process takes about 5-10 minutes.  When you are finished, the game computes your brain age score (however good or bad).  The game also keeps a record of your brain age scores and displays them graphically so you can gauge your improvement (decrease in brain age) or downhill performance (increase in age).

Second, your brain definitely receives a workout with this game.  You will sometimes be asked to provide a losing answer which is not an inherent way of playing a game.  All of the tests, really make you think in a way that you may not be used to or have not done in a while.

Now will it help your brain fog?  I hope so.  The game is designed to stimulate your brain.  It is essentially mental exercise.  In order to attain a better brain age, you must be able to concentrate more and effectively use your memory.  Those are the areas we struggle with when we are dealing with brain fog. 

I play the game for about 5-10 minutes every day and my brain age has been improving!  I feel like it gets easier every day for my mind to accomodate what I want it to do.  So why not try it out?  You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Recommendation:  If you have arthritis in your hands or fingers, I would recommend a larger and thicker stylus in order to prevent any hand pain while playing the game.

Good luck!

Let’s hear it.  Have you tried Brain Age?  Do you feel or see an improvement in your cognitive abilities?  Has your brain (fibro) fog lifted?