Rewiring at 52: A Foray into Modern Brain Training

Sarah sat at her desk, eyeing the small device that had just arrived in the mail. "Thinkie," she murmured, turning over the sleek sensor in her hands. At 52 years old, she'd been noticing some minor lapses in her memory and focus lately, and her daughter had suggested trying this new brain training system.

Hesitant but curious, Sarah opened the Quick Start Guide and began reading about how to set up her new Thinkie System. She discovered that it was developed by a Seattle-based startup owned by Mitsui Corporation, one of Japan's largest companies. The Thinkie mission -- to advance global understanding and improvement of cognitive health -- piqued her interest.

As she scrolled through the preliminary information, Sarah was relieved to discover that Thinkie was completely safe and non-invasive. The sensor, she read, used infrared light weaker than a TV remote control to measure changes in blood flow to her prefrontal cortex. "It's safer than a microwave oven," she chuckled to herself.

Sarah was impressed to learn that Thinkie was based on nearly 30 years of scientific research. The system didn't directly stimulate her brain; instead, it measured changes in blood flow to the brain, which correlated to the increased brain activity that occurred while she played the specially designed games. These brain training games, though seemingly simple, were crafted by neuroscientists to effectively increase blood flow to the brain.

Intrigued, Sarah decided to give it a try. She placed the sensor on her forehead, just above her left eyebrow, and started her first game. As she played, she found herself concentrating hard, even though the tasks seemed straightforward. She remembered reading that the simplicity was intentional –- speed and accuracy during gameplay were more important for brain training than the game's complexity.

After a few games, Sarah checked her cumulative Thinkie score. She was surprised to see it didn't reflect how well she performed in the game, but rather how much her brain activity had increased during gameplay. "Interesting," she mused, "so it's not about winning, but about how hard my brain works."

Over the next few weeks, Sarah made a habit of using Thinkie for 10 minutes a day, three days a week, as recommended. She found herself looking forward to these rather brief training sessions, curious to see how her scores would change over time.

A month later, Sarah took the Brain Age assessment. To her delight, the results suggested a measurable improvement in her cognitive function. She recalled reading that some users had seen an average brain age rejuvenation of 3.7 years after just three months of use, which gave her further incentive to stick with Thinkie.

As she turned off the Thinkie sensor that evening, Sarah felt a sense of accomplishment. She knew Thinkie wasn't a miracle cure for cognitive decline, but it gave her a tangible way to preserve and even improve her brain health. Plus, she had to admit, the games were pretty fun.

"Who knew," she thought with a smile, "that playing simple games could be so good for my brain?" Sarah set the Thinkie sensor on her nightstand, ready for tomorrow's session. In this small device she had found not just a tool, but a daily reminder that it's never too late to invest in cognitive health.

All Sarah's questions and more are answered at our FAQ.