A "brain training" Smartphone/tablet/ipad game developed in Britain may improve the memory of patients with schizophrenia

Looks like it limits you how many times you can play to once per day?

This sucks. After my first hospitalization I was put on medication. My memory skyrocketed. I was able to remember the names of streets forwards and backwards to the hospital (like over 20 miles); I remembered 50 digits of pi in < 30 minutes for two weeks; I could remember 7 license plates at once while in the car. Since then, I have declined. Now itā€™s hard to remember just a phone number, which is 7 digits. Iā€™m hoping I can get some of it back. I have low self-esteem because of this. I bet a lot of people can relate to the memory problems.

1 Like

I figured out how to play more than once a day.

1 Like

I think Lumosity is better no? others look like copycat.
Lumosity really helped me to have photographic like memory.
But you have to do it consistently like daily workout for your body to see the improvement.

THe issue is that there is no research to show that Lumosity helps with schizophrenia (unlike the other game above). Also - there is lots of research that suggests that the Lumosity program doesnā€™t really help in areas outside of what they are practicing - that is, its not ā€œgeneralizableā€ learning /memory enhancement.

1 Like

I will try this one and see if I get any improvement.
Thank you : D

I hope it is not marketing tactic thoughā€¦ (yikes)ā€¦

I think Peak on the whole is a small upgrade over Lumosity, it has better games, and the advanced training modules are good.

Just to emphasise, for the schizophrenia memory training you need to select the menu from the start screen (icon in the top left), select Advanced Training, and buy the Cambridge University Memory Training module. Itā€™s not part of the main Peak brain training course, you wonā€™t see it automatically by just playing, itā€™s a separate module that you have to access individually.

3 Likes

After a day of training, Iā€™m now at the 62nd percentile. Thatā€™s up from the 5th percentile!

3 Likes

Thanks. Iā€™ve been only playing it for a day, but I like it better already than Lumosity.

1 Like

Letā€™s see how other people are doing! I talked to my doctor about my memory and she said sheā€™s not worried. She thinks itā€™s a combination of depression and the antipsychotics. So she is going to lower the antipsychotics and add Cymbalta to my Wellbutrin. Iā€™m looking forward to the results!

2 Likes

Well, my memory and problem solving scores are similar to yours, but my other scores are lower and so my overall Peak Brain Score is currently about 360. Iā€™ve been playing for about two weeks, and this is my first encounter with brain training. Also I only play the free version, so my progress is going to be a bit slower.

From what Iā€™ve seen of others statistics you can expect to plateau after about 5 months. I guess there is a limit to the extent to which neuroplasticity can rewire and fine tune the brain.

On the Cambridge University Memory Training module I am up to seven card sets after a week, itā€™s quite challenging on the perception side as well as the memory one. I think the game does up to 12 card sets, so thereā€™s a lot of room for improvement.

1 Like

Any chance you could do a screen shot of this and post it so that everyone can see what youā€™re talking about.

Thanks so much for all your updates so far - very helpful!

Everyone - it would be really interesting to see what the result was of someone using both this new Cambridge University Memory Training module in the Peak Game, and then add on Sarcosine.

I would think that if you used the Memory Training for a month regularly, then added on the Sarcosine, and then see what happens to your scores - it would be very intersting to help us understand whether Sarcosine is really helpful or not.

If some people decide to do this please report back - and let us know how it goes.

There is a new study that suggests that the sarcosine should really help:

Here is what the Menu open looks like, pick Advanced Training and you should see the second screen where you can select the Cambridge University Memory Training module.

1 Like

Thanks - great stuff!

Iā€™m confused. Is glutamate too high or too low in schizophrenic brains? I thought Iā€™ve heard both. Would like to know the answer. Thanks.

My interpretation of this is that there is too much (called ā€œhypofunctionā€) glutamate, and sarcosine helps to decrease that level.

Here is where I get that understanding from:

I donā€™t have a computer I only have my iPhone 6 with 64GB it works well as a replacement and better than spending on a MacBook Pro. The only annoyance is battery life no keyboard and small screen for larger projects like novels and games. I would really like to get this app!

Itā€™s available for the iPhone as itā€™s downloadable from iTunes.

1 Like