Brain Fitness Assessment

“I started the Brain Fitness Program to improve my memory, yet I have noticed so many additional benefits. Getting up and coming to the office three times a week is encouraging me to be more active. Each time I go to the office, I take a walk around the block when I get home. I have noticed an improvement in my walking and I have already lost five pounds!”
NeurExpand Patient

Just like a dentist can examine you and tell you about the status of your teeth, we can examine you and tell you about the health of your brain. After all, your brain is an organ that can also decay if you don’t maintain it, and now it can be strengthened to resist future cognitive problems, including memory loss.

At NeurExpand, we have a complete set of assessments to determine your brain’s level of functioning today and its risk for atrophy in the future. Here are examples of the test and evaluations we offer:

Memory Screening

We measure your memory, fluency, and higher brain functions. We compare your results to others in your age group who share similar characteristics. This screening provides a quick snapshot of where you stand compared to others.

Full Neurocognitive Evaluation

You will meet our memory specialist who examines your ability to write, draw, solve puzzles, and remember lists and pictures. The results of this evaluation, which may take up to three hours, give us a detailed picture of your brain function. We will know a great deal about all your brain’s strengths and weaknesses. This information will guide us to tailor a specific treatment plan to enhance corners of your brain that need an upgrade.

Sleep Health Assessment

Poor sleep, either insomnia or sleep apnea, can be harmful to your brain — both in the short term and in the long term. To assess your sleep, we can provide you with a take-home kit that will allow you to undergo a sleep evaluation in your own bed. Based on the results, you may need instructions on how to improve your sleep, information about different sleep aids, or a full assessment by one of our sleep specialists.

Cardiovascular Fitness Evaluation

Cardiovascular fitness is a key factor for your brain health and as such, checking your exercise capacity is critically important. You will exercise on a stationary bike, while our technician measures your heart and lung function. With this information, we will establish your physical fitness by VO2-max (the amount of oxygen your body can use with increasing amount of exercise). We will then determine just how much exercise you need for a bigger, better brain. In addition, dietary changes suggested by our experts can also help you improve your cardiovascular health.

Dietary Assessment

What you eat can impact your brain in both negative and positive directions. We obtain a full review of your diet and guide you on how best to maximize your diet toward a stronger brain. We will give you specific recommendations regarding the type of nutrients that are most beneficial for you.

Detailed Brain MRI

Using the newest MRI technology and software, we will measure the exact volume of the different parts of your brain that are important for your memory and cognition. We will establish a baseline to measure how your brain responds to the treatment and make adjustments if necessary.

EEG Brain Mapping

We use Q-EEG technology, a non-invasive method to measure electrical activity in different parts of your brain at baseline and when you are thinking or solving puzzles. This brain wave information can then guide feedback therapy to improve your cognitive abilities. The difference over the course of the program can be dramatic.

The brain-mapping images above show the range, power, and types of brain activity across the head.

The middle green color in the images indicates normal brain function as compared to a group of carefully selected, healthy people in a similar age group with normal brainwave activity. The other colors identify insufficient or excessive amounts of activity that can be related to various symptoms, such as cognitive difficulties or memory problems.

In this picture, the colors show the strength of electrical impulses, and the frequencies are labeled as Alpha, Beta, High Beta and Theta. You can see the improvement from top to bottom over a two-month time period. In the December images, the Theta waves have decreased because the color is changing from red and orange to orange and yellow. This is a significant transition toward normality that likely would lead to increased focus, attention, language skills, and auditory memory.

The brain map and other assessments are used to determine locations and treatment styles for each individual.

Gait and Balance Evaluation

Prevention of falls is an important component of protecting your brain against injury. By simply standing on a machine that measures balance, we establish your baseline equilibrium. We will provide you with exercises to improve your balance, if needed.