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SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new study shows that a novel online assessment (here) provides a valid scientific measure of the cognitive abilities of older adults related to living independently. The self-administered assessment can be completed in four minutes on most internet-connected devices (phones, tablets, computers) — with large implications for monitoring and improving cognitive aging. The assessment was developed by Posit Science, the maker of BrainHQ brain training exercises and assessments, and it was examined as part of an NIH-funded study in collaboration with university-based researchers.

“This is a game-changer in our ability to monitor and manage successful aging,” observed Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science. “Maintaining the ability to live independently is one of the greatest concerns about growing older, yet it’s rarely measured because of a lack of easily accessible tools. It can take a long time to schedule an office visit for a full battery of neuropsychological tests, and few people do so. Now, here’s a new tool you could use as a brain fitness tracker — to permit ongoing monitoring.”

The study examined whether a very short, self-administered, online test could provide a quick look at the “executive function” cognitive abilities of older adults. Executive function includes key cognitive building blocks (such as planning, flexibility, and inhibitory control), which underpin the goal-directed behaviors needed to maintain independent living.

“Clinician-administered batteries of cognition are the preferred source for insight into cognitive aging — especially to assist with diagnostic decisions,” said Dr. Mahncke. “We were looking for a brief, self-administered assessment that might be used, after an in-person examination (as it was in this study), for relatively quick, and perhaps more frequent, monitoring purposes.”

The study, conducted at McGill University, was designed to assess the usability and validity of Freeze Frame, a cognitive assessment available on the BrainHQ platform, in predicting executive function performance in healthy older adults. Performance on Freeze Frame was analyzed in relation to self-reported demographic variables and to neuropsychological function, using NIH-EXAMINER, a widely adopted measure of executive function.

Freeze Frame is designed to measure inhibitory control (a critical component of executive function), which is the rapid ability to suppress impulsive reactions in favor of task-relevant actions in rapidly changing environments — to support cognitive flexibility, working memory, and goal focus.

In the Freeze Frame task, participants are presented a target image at the start of a block of trials, in which a rapid (often split-second) stream of targets and foils are presented. Participants withhold any response when presented with a target, and they enter a rapid response to each foil. Each block dynamically adjusts to become harder or easier depending on the participant’s performance, and to pinpoint an overall score.

The study enrolled 92 healthy older adults (aged 65-83, average age 72). The study found that the Freeze Frame assessment significantly associated and positively correlated with the NIH EXAMINER executive function composite score.

Because cognitive performance generally declines with age, and because women tend to exhibit slightly better executive function, the assessment (as expected) showed a small but statistically significant relationship to age and gender, but no such association with years of education. A psychometric evaluation supported its usability, with an average completion time of 4 minutes.

“We’ve been building and testing assessments for several years to provide more cognitive performance data to enable ongoing monitoring,” Dr. Mahncke added. “The beauty here is each assessment ties directly to our brain exercises, which have been shown to improve both cognitive function and performance of everyday tasks. This creates a path for monitoring and maintaining independent living.”

BrainHQ exercises have shown benefits in more than 300 studies. Such benefits include gains in cognition (attention, speed, memory, decision-making), in quality of life (depressive symptoms, confidence and control, health-related quality of life) and in real-world activities (health outcomes, balance, driving, workplace activities). BrainHQ is used by leading health and Medicare Advantage plans, by leading medical centers, clinics, and communities, and by elite athletes, the military, police, and other organizations focused on split-second peak performance. Consumers can try a BrainHQ exercise for free daily at https://www.brainhq.com.

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R44AG039965 and 3R44AG039965-06S1. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Go stealth or go home… That could be the catchphrase for the latest Bell & Ross release. Full black, full ceramic, fully monochromatic and yet, the stealth watch that doesn’t go unnoticed. The latest member of the BR-05 family of sports watches with integrated bracelets, and specifically of the Skeleton sub-range – already available in an array of colours and materials – now dresses up in full black gear and high-tech ceramic for a bold, contemporary look. Here’s the BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic.

If you look at the brand’s page on MONOCHROME, you’ll see that this new edition is far from the first in the BR-05 Skeleton range. Most were made in steel, in blue, green, golden, or even with a cracked-like sapphire crystal. Last year, the brand launched the BR-05 Black Ceramic collection, comprising three models, including two with openworked displays. So, what has changed with this new BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic? Let’s find out.

This new Phantom Ceramic model is, for the most part, identical to the regular production BR-05 Skeleton Ceramic. Compared to a traditional steel model, the case has grown slightly and now has a 41mm diameter and a thickness of 11.2mm. The other specifications, such as the 100m water-resistance, the screw-down crown with lateral guards and the flat sapphire crystal, are all carried over from the steel editions. However, it’s now made from a material long associated with the brand: black ceramic. Darker, sleeker and stealthier, it gives the brand’s luxury sports watch a strong identity. In this new edition, the case retains brushed surfaces and polished accents, similar to a steel version.

New to the BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic, the dial plays on an entirely dark monochromatic colour scheme. Inspired by military stealth aircraft and modern design, the base of the dial features a transparent, grey-tinted sapphire crystal that discreetly reveals parts of the movement. But what truly sets this edition apart is the stealth treatment of the hands and markers, which are blackened and filled with dark grey Super-LumiNova. The dial is framed by a matte black flange, and for added contrast, the seconds hand is rhodium-plated. It’s a no-date watch, as expected.

Inside the case is a slightly revised movement, still based on the Sellita SW300 architecture, and designed according to B&R requirements. Only here, it’s the Swiss movement maker’s latest version of the movement, with an extended power reserve of 54 hours. Through the sapphire back, you can see a black-coated movement with a blackened 360-degree rotor.

Available on a black ceramic bracelet or a black textured rubber strap, the Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic is a limited edition of 500 pieces, now available for EUR 9,100 (rubber) or EUR 9,900 (bracelet). For more details, please visit www.bellross.com.