Cognitive Training: Advanced Strategies to Improve Your Cognitive Performance

Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw has been quoted as saying that “youth is wasted on the young.” Shaw would be thrilled to discover that we now know the vibrance of our youth and the wisdom that comes with age are not mutually exclusive.

Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience reveal that the brain’s capacity for growth doesn’t end in childhood or even middle age — it can be activated at any life stage through targeted cognitive training. 

Cognitive training — systematically improving brain function through specialized exercises — has evolved well beyond crossword puzzles and basic memory games. Today’s approaches leverage our growing understanding of the brain to create powerful solutions for anyone seeking to tap into their brain’s extraordinary potential for growth and performance.

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The Science of Cognitive Training

The brain is a dynamic organ, constantly forming new connections in response to challenges. This property, known as neuroplasticity, forms the foundation of effective cognitive training. 

When we engage in challenging activities, we stimulate the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) — which that “plays an important role for the development of brain circuits” and strengthens existing neural pathways. 

The benefits of advanced cognitive training extend across the lifespan:

• Older Adults can maintain their independence longer and significantly reduce their risk of cognitive decline.
• Those with neurological challenges, from mild cognitive impairment to traumatic brain injury or stroke, can reclaim some lost brain function.
• Young professionals and biohackers can improve their focus, processing speed, and mental endurance to achieve peak performance.

Unlike generic brain training apps with limited evidence behind them, the most effective cognitive enhancement strategies take a science-backed, personalized approach.

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How to Improve Cognition: Innovative Strategies

We’ve all heard the expression “use it or lose it” when it comes to aging. The field of cognitive enhancement has advanced dramatically in recent years, moving far beyond this basic principle. These innovative methods create a synergistic effect rarely seen with simple brain games.

1. Leverage Comprehensive Medical Programs

Making a measurable difference in your cognitive abilities starts by looking at you as a whole person. This is why piecemeal approaches often fall short

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the most effective enhancements come from integrated programs that combine multiple evidence-based strategies into one treatment plan.

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Rather than providing a single solution, comprehensive programs approach the entire cognitive ecosystem. They employ sophisticated assessments of your mind and body, which medical experts evaluate to identify your unique cognitive profile: 

• What makes you mentally sharp?
• In what areas do you struggle?
• Most importantly, which specific interventions will benefit your particular brain? 

These insights inform customized, evidence-based treatments tailored specifically to your needs. These might include therapies to enhance blood flow to the brain, targeted nutritional interventions, and specialized cognitive and physical exercises designed to strengthen the networks your brain relies on most. 

At Aviv Clinics, we take this approach by offering multifaceted interventions all under one roof. The Aviv Medical Program incorporates customized cognitive training regimens based on detailed brain imaging and performance metrics.

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It’s like having a cognitive personal trainer who understands your brain’s strengths and opportunities for growth.

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2. Biohack Your Brain with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

One of the most promising tools for cognitive enhancement is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT),Research has found that HBOT can “improve cognitive function by reducing neuroinflammation” and improving blood flow in the brain. 

Aviv Clinics offers a unique, scientifically-backed HBOT protocol (as part of The Aviv Medical Program) that alternates oxygen levels to bolster these regenerative effects . In clinical trials, this specific HBOT protocol has been shown to induce neurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells, as well as improve attention, information processing speeds, executive functions and other cognitive skills. 

While all hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases oxygen delivery to brain tissues, most HBOT treatment facilities are not able to deliver this specific, evidence-based protocol.  

3. Adopt Targeted Nutritional Strategies

It’s widely understood that what we eat has a major impact on our cognitive capabilities. Two nutritional approaches show particular promise for brain enhancement: 

• The MIND diet: A hybrid of the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, this diet specifically targets brain health through foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
• Intermittent fasting: Periodically restricting when you eat with periods of fasting activates autophagy, a cellular cleanup process that removes damaged components. 

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The right nutrition for longevity doesn’t only fuel your brain — it can also impact memory, learning, and overall function at the cellular level.

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4. Train with Neuroplasticity in Mind

Truly effective cognitive training demands novelty and progressive challenge. The goal is to go beyond routine mental processes and combine multiple mental skills that continually increase in difficulty. This is possible through activities like: 

• Learning to play a musical instrument
• Mastering a new language
• Taking up dance or physical sports
• Undertaking a new creative endeavor
• Using science-backed training platforms like BrainHQ

While completing a crossword or sudoku every day certainly isn’t harmful to your brain, repeating the same activities doesn’t spark the brain’s inherent capacity for change, or neuroplasticity.

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By learning new tasks and exercising varying skills, these activities can  induce meaningful changes in brain structure and function. The greatest benefits come from activities and programs specifically designed to target more than one cognitive domain simultaneously.

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5. Incorporate Movement That Challenges the Brain

Any physical exercise that requires mental engagement — also known as a dual-task training — has exceptional cognitive benefits. 

Dual-task exercises increase beneficial brain chemicals like BDNF while strengthening vital neural networks involved in attention, memory, and executive function. Research on how to improve cognitive function in elderly adults with dual-task exercise revealed that “participants who had a greater cognitive improvement after training had a greater increase in BDNF.” 

Some dual-task activities include:

• Tai chi and martial arts
• Dance choreography
• Complex sports requiring strategy
• Specialized cognitive-physical training regimens 

The right kind of movement creates profound changes in brain structure and function. At Aviv Clinics, this takes shape through a “cognitive gym,” which combines physical tasks with cognitive challenges in an interval training atmosphere. Our team also utilizes the Witty SEM matrix in conjuction with a treadmill for dual-task training.

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Combining physical activity with real-time cognitive challenges creates the dynamic environment needed to stimulate neuroplasticity.

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The Future of Cognitive Training

As neuroscience advances, we’re seeing the emergence of increasingly sophisticated technologies that can enhance our cognitive abilities. 

• Immersive virtual reality environments create powerful challenges in realistic scenarios that train multiple brain functions at once, which “promotes higher cognitive processing.”

• Neurostimulation technologies like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can “enhance cognitive functions such as immediate memory, learning, or working memory.”

• Multimodal brain training involves synchronized cognitive and physical stimulation and “utilizes different sensory systems” that can maximize neuroplastic effects. 

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Today’s cognitive training systems are becoming even more powerful through intelligence systems that continuously analyze and adapt training protocols based on real-time response patterns and neurological data — a feature that brings a new dimension to personalized training.

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Why Aviv Clinics Leads in Cognitive Training

Through the Aviv Medical Program, we combine cutting-edge cognitive training approaches into one comprehensive program for brain optimization, which can include:

• Detailed cognitive assessments
• Nutritional guidance
• Personalized cognitive training
• Virtual reality and dual-task training
• Individual physical training plans
• Our innovative, advanced HBOT protocol

The Aviv Medical Program has helped people of all ages reclaim cognitive function they thought was lost, achieving performance beyond what they believed possible. 

Improve Cognitive Function With Aviv Clinics in The Villages FL

Whether it’s maintaining mental vitality with age, recovering after a brain-related injury, or improving mental performance, the program is designed to unlock the brain’s remarkable potential.

Transformative results are possible. All it takes to get started is a consultation. Contact Aviv Clinics to learn how our personalized cognitive enhancement program can boost your mental performance and brain health.