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“Top-down SMART brain training is about exercising the executive networks, which are essentially the brain’s CEO,” said lead author Erin Venza, MS, CCC-SLP, head of clinical operations at Center for BrainHealth. “Cognitive strategies to think strategically and problem-solve creatively can empower people to thrive in their lives, even when facing ongoing challenges.”
Evidence of SMART’s efficiency and efficacy is especially meaningful for active duty and veteran warriors. “These findings suggest that SMART brain training can contribute to a faster return to mission readiness, which is critical for our warfighters,” added Jennifer Zientz, MS, CCC-SLP, director of programs at Center for BrainHealth. “Like a single-issue pair of boots, we only get one brain – so we need to take the best care of it we can.”Over the past 15 years, Center for BrainHealth has trained more than 6,000 members of the military – active duty, veterans and families – from every branch. This work has informed the development and testing of SMART protocols. About Center for BrainHealth
Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations leverage 1) the BrainHealth Index, a proprietary measure that uniquely charts one’s upward (or downward) holistic brain health trajectory whatever their starting level; and 2) Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™) brain training, a strategy-based toolkit developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.
