WASHINGTON D.C. — Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, the maker of the brain health and fitness app BrainHQ, will address the 6th Annual What’s Next Innovation Summit at the National Press Club in Washington DC and will discuss how innovation in aging technologies touches everyone’s life.
“Since the 1960s, we’ve seen how America’s investment in NASA has resulted in all sorts of innovations that impact our daily lives,” Dr. Mahncke observed. “It’s a seemingly unrelated and endless list, including GPS, local weather forecasts, digital photography, wireless headsets, self-driving cars, cell phones, memory foam, computer chips, air purifiers, cordless tools, shelf stable foods, CAT scans, LEDs, athletic shoes, modern home insulation, and freeze-dried food.”
“My own journey with the neurotechnology we first developed to help aging older adults is filled with the same sense of wonder about all the unexpected innovations it has led us to,” Dr. Mahncke continued.
The BrainHQ neuroplasticity-based technology was first developed in the early 2000s to address the cognitive decline associated with normal aging. Almost immediately, Posit Science established a global network of independent university-based researchers to run studies evaluating the efficacy of the brain exercises. There are now hundreds of published studies on the efficacy of BrainHQ cognitive assessments and brain training.
“We started by building computerized brain exercises to address the progressive decline in mental speed of processing, which begins in our late 20s and accumulates with passing decades into age-related cognitive decline,” Dr. Mahncke noted. “We found we could reverse effects of aging on cognitive function.”
Studies in aging have shown significant improvement in standard measures of cognitive function (attention, speed, memory, reasoning, decision-making) in standard gerontological measures of quality of life (maintaining independent living, general health, health-related quality of life, mood, confidence), and in real world activities (gait, balance, fall risk, driving safety).
“Then, we learned from researchers that the underlying technology also applied to many health conditions.” Dr. Mahncke continued.
More than 100 studies have been published across many health conditions, including brain injuries (mild to severe traumatic brain injuries, and brain fog associated with cancer, COVID, HIV, and heart failure); mental illnesses (depression, anxiety/stress/fatigue, schizophrenia, bipolar) and neurodegenerative diseases (MCI/pre-dementia, Alzheimer’s/dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis).
“Perhaps, most surprisingly, we learned from American football legend Tom Brady, that you could also use the technology to make very high functioning brains even better,” Dr. Mahncke added. BrainHQ is now used by many peak performers, including elite athletes, special forces, think tank workers, police, emergency services, and SWAT teams.
“To underscore the analogy that investing in aging technology has unexpected multiplier effects — akin to space technology — we are now involved in research for NASA about how to build astronauts’ cognitive readiness to cope with the known cognitively corrosive impact of long space missions,” Dr. Mahncke concluded.
BrainHQ exercises have shown benefits in hundreds of studies. Such benefits include gains in cognition (attention, speed, memory, decision-making), in quality of life (depressive symptoms, confidence and control, health-related quality of life) and in real-world activities (health outcomes, balance, driving, workplace activities). BrainHQ is offered by leading health and Medicare Advantage plans, by leading medical centers, clinics, and communities, and by organizations focused on peak performance. Consumers can try a BrainHQ exercise for free daily at https://www.brainhq.com.