Brain Fitness for Executives -helping the brain grow
But now we know, thanks to leaps in neuroscience, that adult brains can grow and change. "Use it or lose it," says William Greenough, a researcher at the University of Illinois. "The brain needs both physical and mental exercise." In 1988, scientists showed that adult human brains can grow new neurons. This incredible ability can help individuals develop the cognitive powers to be more successful in their personal and working lives and even assist the baby-boomers push back their retirement age by protecting themselves against the declines in perception, cognition, and motor skills once thought to be an unavoidable part of growing older. Best of all, the brain's restorative capabilities are sparked not by high-priced pharmaceuticals or mechanical gizmos but by simple and fun coaching mental exercises.

Brain Gymnastics in the Workplace
"Use it or lose it," says William Greenough, a researcher at the University of Illinois. "The brain needs both physical and mental exercise." Clinical psychologist's have long recognized the great value of employing structured mental exercises in assisting individuals recover from stroke and traumatic brain injury and helping delay the devastation of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

It's only been in the past decade that scientists, using tools like MRI s, have been able to show in randomized trials that structured mental exercises remodels parts of the human brain, increasing brain volume and brain activity. "More tends to be better," says Arthur Kramer, a psychologist at the University of Illinois.