While computers are the closest analogy when it comes to discussing the human brain, increasing the processing capacity of the brain is not as simple as installing an additional RAM module in a computer. When neurologists and neuroscientists talk about the processing speed of the brain, they refer to the speed at which a human being can acquire new information, analyze it and formulate an answer about it. Based on this definition, the key to improving processing speed lies in developing stronger brain connections, which allow brain signals to travel at faster speeds. While most of these conditioning occurs in the brain during childhood, it is still possible to sustain and potentially improve your brain processing speed.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Develop a Healthy Lifestyle for the Brain
Step 1. Get plenty of aerobic exercise
What we call the processing speed of the brain is, in fact, nothing more than the way electrical signals travel through axons - the circuits that connect different parts of the brain. The white matter of the brain is made up of all these connections, and is fed by the blood vessels, so that all vascular problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can starve the axons by depriving them of much needed oxygen and glucose. For this reason, keeping fit and getting plenty of exercise is the first tip given by almost every neurologist in order to support axons and potentially improve brain processing speed as well.
A regular routine of cardio exercises has been linked to an increase in the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, an important part of the brain in the learning and processing process
Step 2. Eat the right foods
Physical health goes hand in hand with brain health. In addition to getting the correct amount of exercise, you should also eat a balanced diet. Focus on some specific foods that relate to your brain health, including:
- Avocado: Avocado is a great ally in preventing vascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, and healthy blood flow is essential for a healthy brain. Avocados are high in fat, so limit yourself to a quarter or half a day.
- Blueberries: Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, therefore they protect the brain from oxidant stress and can reduce the effects of diseases related to aging. Other antioxidant-rich foods include pomegranate and dark chocolate.
- Wild (caught) salmon: essential fatty acids are essential for brain function and fish such as salmon, sardines and herring are rich in them. Make a commitment to take a 120-gram serving two or three times a week.
- Nuts and seeds: Both are an excellent source of vitamin E, which helps to combat cognitive decline over the years. Aim to eat 30 grams of it every day.
- Beets: Beets can stimulate blood flow in the brain, which could help improve cognition. You can eat them in a salad or drink their juice.
Step 3. Get enough sleep each night
The National Institutes of Health recommends that adults get seven to eight hours of sleep a night, while advising teens to extend it to nine. While you sleep, your brain forms new pathways, and research has shown that getting enough sleep makes you more skilled at learning, problem solving, and memorizing. Sleep also plays an important role in the body's repair of the heart and blood vessels, which supply the white matter of the brain.
- Lack of sleep, even simply losing 1 or 2 hours for multiple consecutive nights, can affect your reaction and processing times; Research confirms that people who don't get enough sleep may take longer to complete an assignment.
- Prolonged sleep deprivation has also been linked to vascular problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, all of which can cause the brain's axons to deprive of oxygen and glucose.
Step 4. Try taking nootropics
These are over-the-counter supplements that aim to improve brain function. These "smart drugs" may be able to increase concentration, attention, memory and motivation. Some of the most popular include:
- Bacopa Monnieri
- L-Theanine
- Pick me up
- Artichoke extract
- Ginseng
Step 5. Don't stop learning
Even in adulthood, the brain continues to make new connections. Learning a skill develops new connections, and being able to master them surprisingly strengthens them, allowing information to travel through axons more quickly. More specifically, when you learn, some brain cells called glial cells can form sheaths of proteins and fatty substances (called myelin sheaths) around axons, isolating them and consequently speeding up their electrical signals.
- Learning new skills can both increase myelin sheaths and form new ones around those axons that previously lacked them.
- Thicker myelin sheaths can improve a wide range of brain skills, from reading, memorization and decision making.
Step 6. Start playing a musical instrument
Studies have shown that learning to play an instrument is another way to develop strong connections in different areas of the brain. Musical activity is thought to involve a considerable number of specific coordinations, visual to read music, auditory to hear what you play, and motor to physically play the instrument; the connections between these areas of the brain become stronger and firmer.
The group that benefited most from playing an instrument were children who started before the age of seven; however, even adult musicians have shown an impact on their executive functions, that is, on those high-level functions that, among other things, allow people to quickly process and retain information
Step 7. Maintain a social network, not necessarily a virtual one
Maintaining an active social life is actually beneficial to your cognitive skills. Hot discussions need quick thoughts, so maintaining a well-developed social network is a great way to mentally challenge yourself and keep you active.
Step 8. Stop smoking
If you still don't smoke, don't start. If you are a smoker, know that you should quit. In addition to putting you at risk of developing cancer or emphysema, smoking has been shown to reduce the overall volume of the brain, and especially the hippocampal area. Smokers see their brain volume shrink faster, which can affect their cognitive abilities.
Method 2 of 2: Brain Games
Step 1. Enlarge this image by opening it in a new window
Put simply, science is still unaware of the effects of brain games. When analyzed in rigorous scientific terms, they sometimes show an effect on cognitive abilities, while sometimes they don't. The rise in popularity of brain-training games is also too recent to provide long-term results, for better or for worse. The observations made show that there are many who believe that games are useful, so here is a widely used example in which you can decide to try your hand. Start by opening the image for a clear and enlarged view.
Step 2. Notice which direction your eyes are facing
Start from the top, and moving from left to right down, say aloud the direction your eyes are facing, for example "down, left, up, right …". Time yourself as you analyze the faces and initially try to complete the analysis without making a mistake within thirty seconds, then within fifteen.
Step 3. Start over by looking at the perspective of the face
Once you are quick to notice the direction of the gazes, try to focus on their perspective, as if it were your own face looking off the page, for example "down, right, up, left …". This approach is more difficult because it requires further processing to acquire the perspective of the observed face.
As in the first test, time yourself and try to complete the exercise without errors in different time intervals, first thirty seconds, then fifteen
Step 4. Return to the first exercise, but include the use of one hand
Return to the game from step 2, but this time point your index finger in the opposite direction to what you are saying, for example "down [points up], left [points right], up [points down]…". This challenge will be even more difficult for the addition of a motor component to the verbal one.
- Similar to why playing a musical instrument can improve processing speed, this exercise also requires the coordination of multiple brain modalities, visual to interpret the information in the image, verbal to pronounce the direction aloud and motor to point the finger. in coordination with the rest.
- You can continue to add other components as well, for example by saying the direction in perspective of the analyzed face only if it is green, or every three faces. By incorporating different rules into the game, you will reduce the dependence on simply memorizing the order in order to reduce time and errors.
Step 5. Expand your repertoire of brain games
This was just one example. There are many websites dedicated to timed games for reasoning, memory and speed of calculation. You can also find a wide variety of word games and logic puzzles, the purpose of which is to train your cognitive skills.
- Luminosity, Brainist, Fit Brains, and Games for the Brain are all examples of websites dedicated to brain training.
- In addition to websites, there are numerous brain training apps aimed at mobile devices and video games such as Brain Training for the Nintendo DS.
