Look at shapes A and B. Are they the same size and shape?

The answer, surprisingly, is yes. To most people, shape A appears to be shorter and wider than shape B. But it's just a matter of alignment; shape B is simply aligned further to the right than shape A.

Despite knowing they are the same exact shape and size, your brain may still be having trouble perceiving them that way.If you were to print the 2 shapes out on paper and cut them out, you could see that they are exactly the same in all dimensions. Or, you can take a look at the proof image below, which shows shapes A and B with parallel red lines superimposed on them, and it's easy to see that they are just out of alignment.

As one more proof that the shapes are equal, you can use your mouse to move the red shape on top of the blue shape and see for yourself!

This is called the Jastrow Illusion. Because the leftmost diagonals of the shapes are in a continuous line, our brains subconsciously follow that line and perceive that the two shapes are sitting on top of one another. But in reality, one is just slightly shifted on the horizontal axis.

Looking for more brainy fun? BrainHQ has four free brain fitness exercises. Try them now!Brain Trick

Observe the two sets of circles below. Which of the orange circles is larger?

You may be surprised to find out that they are exactly the same size. The deception occurs because of the size of the surrounding blue circles and their relative distance from the central orange circle. These adjustments cause the brain's visual perception system to distort the relative size of the inner circles. Another factor at play is the "completeness" of the surrounding circles; if we removed a few of the blue dots or spaced them out, the illusion would not persist.

Titchener Circles are also called an Ebbinghaus Illusion, for its original discoverer. The illusion is similar to a Delboeuf Illusion, shown below.

The two black circles appear to be different sizes, but they are the same. The one on the left appears larger because of its context within the white outlined circle.

Interestingly, these illusions are perceived differently by adults and children, which provides evidence that they are context-sensitive. Because adults have higher sensitivity to context, illusions of this type fool them more often and more easily. Since children are not as context-sensitive, they are less often deceived by this kind of illusion.

Looking for more brainy fun? BrainHQ has four free brain fitness exercises. Try them now!Brain Trick

Comparing Your Performance in BrainHQ
About 10,000 BrainHQ participants of different ages and backgrounds have reported their demographicinformation including age, gender, and education level. We can now usethis information to provide feedback on how an individual’s performancecompares to others in a similar demographic.

It'swell known that as we age our ability to hear, see, encode, remember,attend to and make decisions about the stimuli in our environmentgradually decreases. Not surprisingly, these changes were clearlyvisible in performance on the different training tasks available in BrainHQ. In each of the 723 levels of BrainHQ exercises, averageperformance declined across the age range that we considered (from about20 to about 100).

The figure below shows a typical pattern, displaying participants' bestthreshold values on one level of the Eye for Detail exercise. As you cansee, there is a wide variability in performance at each age, but onaverage (roughly shown by the green line) there is a slow, consistentdecline with age.

We also asked you to provide a few other bits of demographic information, including your gender and educational background. With a few exceptions, differences were not seen related to these variables.

What does my score mean?
As you can see from the display above, even within a given age range there is a fair bit of variability in performance on the task. Your percentile score within a given group roughly corresponds to theproportion of people in that group that you are performing better than or equal to. The blue dot on the left shows a 25-year-old with a score slightly above average (shown by the green line) for 25-year-olds. This score ranks that person in about the 60th percentile. The same score for a 75-year-old (the blue dot on the right), comes in closer to the 80th percentile for 75-year-olds.

Tocompute the number you see in the center of your personalized display,we simply average your percentile scores for all the levels on which youhave done enough training to make a good measurement (those levels forwhich you have beat your original baseline at least once). The levelsyou have done--and your performance on them--are also shown in thecolors of the individual suites (the center ring), exercises (middlering) and levels (outer ring) you have completed. For example, the twopictures below show a beginning BrainHQ user (left) and a very experiencedone (right). Note a few things:

• The user on the left shows lighter colors in most areas, indicating lower individual scores.
• Matchingthe number in the middle, the ring is nearer to making a completecircle for the experienced user, showing higher overall performance.
• There are also more gray segments, indicating completely untrained areas, for the beginner.
• These areas don't contribute to the overall shape of the graph or the number in the middle.

What can I do to improve my standing?
Lookingagain at the top image, notice again that although performance decreases withage, there is fairly wide variability within an age group. This isbecause age is not the only factor contributing to performance in ourtasks, just as it is not the only factor contributing to perception ormemory in real life.

Thegood news is that the main thing influencing performance is entirelyunder your control: practice. Across exercises and also across age, thegreatest predictor of the threshold reached by a BrainHQ user tends tobe the amount of time that user has spent training. This is true notonly at the beginning of training where (as many users have noticed)threshold scores are sometimes limited by the number of trials in alevel, but even after dozens of sessions in an exercise.

• How much time should I spend on BrainHQ?
• How should I choose a brain training category?
• How many times should I repeat a level?
• Do I have to complete all the levels in an exercise block?
• What if I don’t like an exercise?
• What if I get bored with an exercise?
• What if I want to take a break from training?
• How long do I have to train before I see benefits?
• Can I get benefits if I only use the free exercises?

How much time should I spend on BrainHQ?

Recommendation
Try to fit in at least 90 minutes of brain training a week. Many people tell us that 3 times a week for 30 minutes at a time works best for them.

Why?
Brain exercise is like physical exercise: making real and lasting changes takes effort.

How should I choose a brain training category?

There are currently five categories in BrainHQ:

• Attention
• Brain Speed
• Memory
• People Skills
• Intelligence

Recommendation
There are two smart ways to choose categories. If you’d like general brain enhancement, you should train in all the suites. We recommend you start with Attention, and train on those exercises for a week. Move onto the next suite the following week. Cycle through the suites in the order shown above. Then repeat! If you would like to improve in a specific area, such as memory, we recommend you train twice as much in memory as in the other categories. However, the categories build on one another, so we encourage you to spend some time training outside of the specific area that interests you.

Why?
Long-lasting changes in neural connections require sustained training on a task. That is why it is important to train within a single category for a week. Doing so can produce significant changes in brain processing that allow more efficient processing of the exercise tasks.

How many times should I repeat a level?

Recommendation
You must beat your baseline for each level to unlock the next level. That means you have to repeat each level at least once. However, many people ask whether they should repeat levels more than once to increase their performance (shown in their number of stars). That’s a great idea. We recommend you challenge yourself to achieve the highest number of stars you can! That said, there is also a benefit to training in many different levels.

Why?
The benefit to training many times in the same level is that the brain changes best when it is challenged. Getting to a point where the exercise is hard for you--where your brain is challenged--helps your brain make lasting neuronal improvements. The benefit to training in multiple levels is that every exercise level is a little bit different that the other levels. Each one works out a slightly different set of neurons. In order to exercise as many neurons as you possibly can, you must train in many similar (but not the same) ways.

Do I have to complete all the levels in an exercise block?

Recommendation
We generally recommend doing your best to complete each exercise block (which we call a “stage”) you begin. When you complete all the levels in a stage, you unlock the next stage. However, if you are having trouble then you should focus on other exercises for a while.You can always come back to the stage later.

Why?
Every level of every exercise is a little bit different that the other levels. Each one works out a slightly different set of neurons. In order to exercise as many neurons as you possibly can, you must train in many similar (but not the same) ways.

What if I don’t like an exercise?

Recommendation
It’s a good idea to complete as many BrainHQ exercises as you can. However, if you really don’t like one, skip it!

Why?
All of our exercises target important areas of cognitive processing. However, we have built in some redundancy in the exercises within a category. You will still obtain most of the benefits by training on the other exercises in that category. Also, if you continue to use an exercise you dislike, you may want to quit your brain training. Continue to exercise your brain is far more important than completing any individual exercise!

What if I get bored with an exercise?

Recommendation
If you find yourself getting bored with an exercise, take a break from that exercise for a while and come back to it at a future date.

Why?
It is important that you are motivated and alert when doing the exercises to maximize the training effect. Being alert and interested causes the brain to release more neuromodulators (brain chemicals important to learning and remembering). Being bored makes this neuromodulatory release more sluggish, so you don’t learn and remember as well.

What if I want to take a break from training?

Recommendation
We realize that there might be times where it will be difficult to maintain your training. For example, you might need to take a break to go on vacation or maybe your life has become extra busy for a while. The good news is that even after taking a break from training the benefits of training remain for a long time. However, we recommend that a break should not last longer than 3 months. One of the great things about BrainHQ is that when you return to training the exercises quickly adapt to your current performance level.

Why?
Although some benefits from brain training can last for a long time(several years according to some studies), there is a decline associated with long periods of non-training. So if you stop training for more than three months, you are likely to move a little backward.

How long do I have to train before I see benefits?

Recommendation
People see benefits at different times; some see them with as little as two hours of training, while others take much longer. We recommend you give yourself at least five hours of training to see noticeable improvements in brain performance. Benefits will continue to expand as you train beyond that.

Why?
As with physical fitness, brain fitness requires a sustained effort before you can see visible change. That’s why it’s important to give yourself some time.

Can I get benefits if I only use the free exercises?

Although the free exercises have limited content, they can still help your brain. The exercises continually adapt to your level of skill. So if you keep repeating the levels, you will continue to train your brain.

However, you will get a more robust and thorough brain training experience with a subscription to all exercises.

Nearly 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Even though 75% of these injuries are classified as “mild”, they can have severe consequences on people’s lives, particularly if repeated. New b rain imaging techniques have confirmed the neurological damage that even mild TBI can cause—while new advances in the field of brain plasticity have given hope by showing that even an injured brain is capable of change and repair. As a result, there is a growing awareness from clinicians of the need—and the potential—to provide new solutions fo r people suffering from the consequences of TBI.

Common Consequences of Traumatic Brain
People who have a TBI often complain of cognitive, behavioral, and physical sy mptoms and these symptoms can prevent a full recovery; preventing them from getting back to where they were before their injury.

BrainHQ from Posit Science
BrainHQ is a web based cognitive training program built upon the p rinciples of brain plasticity—the brain’s ability to re wire and change even in the presence of illness or injury. The program can be used from any Internet connected computer at home or in a clinical office. The fun and engaging cognitive exercises continuously adapt to each individual’s abilities, ensuring that the experience is appropriately challenging for people a cross a wide range of functional abilities . Clinicians can securely review patient progress and performance data for charting and repor ting purposes.

BrainHQ Improvements in TBI related Symptoms
The suite of cognitive training exercises in BrainHQ is supported by over 60 peer reviewed publications demonstrating improvements in cognitive, behavioral and functional deficits like those experienced after TBI.

How Can I Start Using BrainHQ With My Patients?

• Register for your free account at www.brainhq.com
• Cognitive exercises are available for evaluation immediately upon sign up
• Call us at 1 800 291 2826 to set up your group
• Clinicians managing groups can assign licenses and monitor client usage, progress, and performance

Citations

There are dozens of conditions that can affect brain performance and mental function. Here, we share information about injuries, diseases, and disorders that affect the brain, plus scientific evidence and customer stories about what kinds of things can help.

Chemobrain
Learn how Posit Science exercises have helped cancer survivors with memory loss and other cognitive problems--and learn more about this condition.

Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 1.7 million people in the U.S. every year. Find out about the latest research on brain injuries and learn what works to combat the symptoms.

HIV-Related Cognitive Decline
A surprisingly common corollary of HIV infection is a decline in cognitive performance. Learn more about it and discover what research has been done on our exercises with HIV patients. 

Cognitive Impairment due to Heart Failure
Many people don't realize that a common side effect of chronic heart failure (CHF) is a decline in cognitive performance. Learn more about it and discover what research has been done with our exercises with heart failure.

Henry Mahncke, PhD
President & CEO
Dr. Mahncke leads the Research & Outcomes team, designing scientific research and implementing outcomes trials to advance the company's product development. Dr. Mahncke did his graduate work and earned his doctorate in neuroscience in Dr. Merzenich's lab at UCSF. He then worked as an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company. While at McKinsey, Dr. Mahncke worked with leading global healthcare and consumer products companies in devising market strategies. Dr. Mahncke has also served in the consulate of the British government as a Science and Technology consultant. He holds a BA from Rice University and a PhD from UCSF.

Jeffrey Zimman
Chairman
Jeff Zimman is the co-founder and Chairman of Posit Science, the leading provider of brain fitness software. More than 60 articles in peer-reviewed science and medical journals have shown that the company's patented technologies significantly increase processing speed, improve memory and attention, and enhance quality of life (including improvements in mood and every day activities, such as driving).The company's distribution partners include health, long term care and auto insurers, retirement communities, adult education programs, hospitals, clinics, senior centers, national retailers and AAA auto clubs. Its products, scientists and science are currently featured in three documentaries on public television about "Brain Fitness" and the company has won numerous awards and accolades. From 2003 to 2008, Jeff served as President and CEO; he now focuses his efforts on strategic relationships and corporate development. Jeff is a former Venture Partner of VSP Capital, a former Managing Director of Lazard, where he founded and ran the investment bank's early stage advisory business, and a former partner of Cooley Godward, where he headed the corporate and securities practice in the law firm's San Francisco office. Earlier in his career, Jeff was an award-winning newspaper reporter, covering business and technology. He earned his AB degree at Bowdoin College and his JD and MBA degrees at Stanford University.

Michael M. Merzenich, PhD (Blog:

What happens when you stare at this oddly colored arc? Your brain will make a candy-colored surprise out of thin air.

1. Stare at the black dot for 20 seconds.
2. Look up at the sky or a light-colored wall.

Why do you see a rainbow where there is none? This type of illusion is called an "afterimage" illusion. There are two kinds of afterimages - negative and positive. In a positive afterimage, the original color of the image is retained, but in a negative afterimage, like this rainbow illusion, the colors become inverted.

Negative afterimages happen because staring at something brightly colored overtaxes the visual system's cells and they become overstimulated, which makes them less sensitive. In response, the cells for the bright color weaken while their opposing color signal strengthens. In other words, staring at something green for too long will result in a reddish afterimage.

Brain Trick

Alertness is a critical facet of attention and focus. Although we don’t often realize it, our level of alertness drives success in things like higher-order reasoning, problem solving, learning, and memory. Studies show that a person’s state of alertness may be one of the qualities that separates underachievers from average and above-average achievers.

When we are at the right level of alertness, we may describe the feeling as being “in the zone.” In that mode, we are able to be productive, shift focus, multitask, and perform optimally. This relationship between alertness and these other more complex brain operations is why training the brain to get your alertness “in the zone” is so important in any brain fitness regimen.

Scientists have identified two types of alertness: tonic alertness and phasic alertness. These two alertness measures work in concert to determine your attentional state. Tonic alertness describes your overall level of alertness. It is critically involved in sustaining your focus on something, and provides the “tone” that’s necessary for higher-order cognition. Phasic alertness describes the degree to which you can rapidly shape your responses in a given moment. It’s extremely important for “selective attention”— the ability to pay attention to important things while filtering out unimportant things. Your level of phasic alertness may fluctuate millisecond by millisecond.

Freeze Frame targets both tonic and phasic alertness. It requires the brain to maintain a “relaxed and ready” state of alertness over increasingly longer delay periods. In the exercise, your brain is required to discriminate between target images and distractor images. When you see a distractor—something that is not the target—you press the space bar. When you see a target, you have to “freeze,” or prevent yourself from pressing the space bar.

This may sound easy, but the longer the delay between the targets, the more likely it is that internal distractions or mind-wandering can trip you up. As you progress in the game, your approach will hone your alertness state to one that’s “in the zone”—relaxed, ready, and engaged. As your tonic and phasic alertness levels get closer to optimal, the exercise adapts to your performance to make it more challenging. This is achieved by speeding up the images and by making the distractors both more frequent and more similar to the target.

One other note: In the early levels of the exercise, the targets will be images that are exactly alike. In later levels, however, your target might be a single element of an image—such as a particular person. A target image would then be any image that contains that person in it—a much more difficult task than when the entire image is an exact match.

Freeze Frame At-a-Glance

Click on the video below to see how BrainHQ can improve anyone's daily life.

BrainHQ has four free brain fitness exercises. Try them now!

Or, for full access to all of BrainHQ's clinically proven exercises, subscribe now.