There’s no playing games, in one manner, when it comes to brain health, especially for older adults who are facing cognitive difficulties.
That’s why one brain-game system developer includes sensor tools to provide objective measurements of users’ brain activity and what regions are being activated in real-time.
MBK Senior Living’s Bellevue, WA, location, the Bellettini, will be offering Thinkie Inc.’s game suite to residents under a new partnership, the two companies announced earlier this month.
That effort will expand on an initial pilot program that began earlier this year between Seattle-area senior living communities and Thinkie, the company explained.
“We are thrilled Thinkie will be part of MBK’s Mind + Body Wellness program and available for all Bellettini residents to use and enjoy,” Kota Ageiwa, CEO of Thinkie Inc, said in a statement. “We believe The Bellettini is the perfect environment to benefit individuals who want to prioritize improvement in their cognitive wellness over time.”
The sensor used to track the users’ brain activity “hides” in a headband worn during gameplay, the company explained.
Both users and their caregivers can use Thinkie’s app to see how they are performing over time on a variety of metrics, including mental speed, memory and concentration, Thinkie’s website shows.
Although no game developer would deny that its products, even when aimed at the senior market, are largely for entertainment, many senior game companies have tried to bolster their offerings, both with new technology and studies that their games provide some additional, possibly clinical, benefit.
One intriguing ongoing study will use video gameplay by older adults living with Parkinson’s to track how well treatment is affecting their mobility. Like the Thinkie games, study participants will have their brain activity tracked in real time, with the ultimate goal of creating a three-dimensional brain map that could inform future treatments, McKnight’s Senior Living previously reported.
