Restoring the Mind

Exercising one's noggin at "brain gyms" sounds suspiciously like other health fads that have parted gullible consumers from their money. (I've tried brain-exercise games on the Wii and have shown no evidence of mental improvement, but you already know that if you read these posts).

Improvements in scanning technology may have reached the point, however, where it's finally possible to associate specific parts of the brain in a detailed way with specific skills such as memory, speech, and math. For people who have experienced loss of function through injury or stroke, the brain exercise regimen at Vibrant Brains of San Francisco and Foster City seems to help recovery. Whether exercises can make a great mind out of a merely good one remains to be seen. At least it looks like fun.

Here is the WSJ article that features Vibrant Brains.

"Wii"-habilitation

Per an AP article in today's Chron:

Nintendo's Wii video game system, whose popularity already extends beyond the teen gaming set, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries.

If you can get your doctor to write a prescription, you may be able to deduct the Wii purchase as a medical expense. Depending on your plan, the Wii may even qualify for reimbursement as physical therapy equipment. But sorry, greedy geeky game guy, you’ll just have to pay for Resident Evil yourself. © 2008 Stephen Yuen

Let Me Rephrase That

I finally bought one, but…..

Colleague: "What are you doing this weekend?"
Me: "I’m going to play with my Wii."

Although there are thousands of Google hits on that phrase and its variations, don’t expect to see it in Nintendo's next holiday marketing campaign.