Research outcomes
Our Research and Education Committee works hard to review scientific research and translate it into new ideas for our content team to implement into our brain exercise sessions. Below are some of the activities that the committee has put together.
Spring 2026:
Created by Research committee
Brochure: Improving Care for Seniors
Research-backed best practices to help improve lives for seniors, brought to you by UCLA’s Brain Exercise Initiative's Research Committee. An easily distributable and understandable brochure to help support practices already implemented at senior care centers as wella s offering potential recommendations to keep in mind to support individual family decisions.
Spring 2026:
Created by Research committee
Activity: “KenKen puzzle”
A KenKen puzzle is a math based logic puzzle that combines arithmetic with Sudoku style reasoning. The goal is to fill each row and column with the numbers 1 through 3 without repeating a number in any row or column. The bold outlined boxes, called cages, include a target number and an operation, such as 3+ or 4+. The numbers inside each cage must work together to equal that target using the given operation. We chose to introduce KenKen because it makes math feel more like a game than a worksheet. Instead of only practicing addition or number patterns directly, students get to solve a puzzle that requires strategy, trial and error, and logical thinking.
Spring 2026:
Created by Research committee
Activity: “Count the Money”
This activity asks seniors to count different combinations of coins and bills and say the total amount of money for each row. Seniors practice identifying the value of each coin or bill, adding them together, and connecting math to a real life skill they will use when buying things or handling money. We introduced this activity to make math more fun by turning addition practice into a hands-on, everyday challenge. Instead of only solving straight math questions, seniors get to “shop,” count money, and see how math connects to real situations.
Spring 2023:
Created by Member: Luka Cvijanovic
Activity: “Small Sudokus”
Based on the publication “Sudoku and Changes in Working Memory Performance for Older Adults and Younger Adults” (Grabbe 2017), Luka knew sudokus were an excellent candidate for a new activity. The study cites that sudokus improved working memory in a four month period (Grabbe 2017). Thus, Luka found a way to create simple sudokus and corresponding instructions for our participants. The sudokus provide spatial arithmetic puzzles for our participants, tapping into a different type of working memory that is strengthened.
Spring 2023:
Created by Member: Alexandra Butnariu
Activity: “Language Comprehension”
Alexandra created a new activity that involves teaching novel languages to participants. The activity begins with showing participants new words and their translations. The participants are tested on the memorization of these words; in the following month, words from previous sessions are touched upon and covered. In addition, longer phrases can be incorporated throughout the year and increase the difficulty. Alexandra cites Christopher Melinosky, MD as the inspiration behind this; he states “people who regularly challenge their minds may spend a shorter part of their lives in a state of decline, even if they do get Alzheimer’s” (Web MD).
Winter 2023:
Created by Member: Charlotte Forman and Rob Tsai
Activity: “Music Trivia”
Charlotte was inspired to create a presentation-friendly music trivia game by Nair et. al 2013. This publication details the beneficial effects of music on a variety of populations; it is stated that music therapy was beneficial in helping curb some depressive symptoms in dementia patients (Nair et. al 2013). Inspired by the idea that listening to music can have such profound effects, Charlotte and Rob decided to create a memory-based game involving music. The activity involves playing a popular song. Then, the participants are encouraged to guess different facts about it. These can include artist, band, year released, album, etc. While allowing participants to enjoy popular music, their recall abilities were also being tested. Charlotte and Rob created an amazing new activity that has been employed in BEI presentations since Spring of 2023.
Winter 2023:
Created by Member: Lauren Chao
Activity: “Memory Interference Testing”
Lauren wanted to create a new activity to test cognitive function unrelated to recall. She was inspired by the publication “Effects of Process-Based Cognitive Training on Memory in the Healthy Elderly and Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Shin et. al (Shin et. al 2020). The study’s results demonstrated the benefit of using interrupting, irrelevant stimuli in working memory tests. Therefore, Lauren designed a simple activity. There would be a series of pictures shown in sequence (i.e. farm animals: goat, cow, pig, sheep). Then, an image would be shown and the participants would be asked if the image was or was not included in the series. This type of “memory interference” is a simple way to test cognition and memory.