BrainHQ

BrainHQ is the consumer brain training program from Posit Science. Its home page describes it as the result of 30 years of research in brain science and neuroplasticity, designed by an international team of neuroscientists led by Dr. Michael Merzenich, who is known for work on adult brain plasticity.

The program has more than two dozen exercises organized into six categories: Attention, Brain Speed, Memory, People Skills, Intelligence and Navigation. Each exercise page on the BrainHQ site explains the scientific principle behind the task, the cognitive skills it challenges and what the player actually does.

Every exercise adapts as you play. According to BrainHQ, a level gets a little harder when you are doing well and a little easier when you struggle, and a level takes less than five minutes, so you can train in short sessions or long blocks. A personal trainer feature tracks performance and chooses which exercises to serve next, and you can set training goals and reminders. BrainHQ runs on most computers and mobile devices.

Access works on two tiers. You can sign up for a set of free exercises, or subscribe for full access to the whole library. BrainHQ also sells gift subscriptions. Check the BrainHQ site for current prices, since we do not track them here.

How it fits on TrueIQ: BrainHQ is a training product, not a diagnostic test. Improving at an exercise shows that you got better at that exercise. Whether gains carry over to everyday life is a separate research question, so read any claims with the original studies in hand. If you want a measured snapshot of cognition rather than practice, look at research batteries such as CANTAB from Cambridge Cognition, also listed in this category. If you are comparing brain training apps, Lumosity is the closest alternative listed here, and it publishes its own study results with stated limitations.