Recently, the business of 'brain-training' software has rapidly grown in profile. Earlier this year, the the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to study the effectiveness of Posit Science software in restoring memory and attention in victims of traumatic brain injury. The company Luminosity has secured a grant through the Navy to study how its brain training games can improve cognitive ability and fluid intelligence.

Can game-like software really help adults with brain injury improve memory, attention and language skills, over the long-term?

Early research looked promising, but critics doubt that short-term improvements in memory would last longer than the three-month period observed in most studies. The randomized clinical trial through the DoD would test 132 service members with mild TBI over a six month period – the final test would be 3 months after the end of cognitive training.

In short, more research needs to be done to gauge the impact of 'brain-training' on cognitive skills in specific populations (e.g. adults with brain injury), over a longer period of time.

Recent articles:

New York Times/The Bay Citizen – Turning to Software to Help Treat Brain Injuries

Ars Technica – Brain Training Boosts Working Memory, But Only In Some People

Fast Company – Why "Brain Gyms" May Be The Next Big Business

Blogs.Forbes.com – Luminosity Looks to Make Military Smarter with Navy Grant

SportsConcussion.org features the story of an all-star athlete struggling with post-concussion syndrome.  Symptoms can linger – in this case, for over a year – if concussed students don't get adequate cognitive and physical rest:

Looking back, Neal said, "I shouldn't have fought through the symptoms like I did in the beginning. I should have immediately reduced my classes because I probably did myself more harm than good by trying to power though. I didn't realize what a difference cognitive rest really made."

Successful (again) at Brown: http://www.sportsconcussions.org/feature-stories-Neal-Rooney-post-concussion-syndrome.html