[Bill Hemmer, Cnn Anchor:] Think self-improvement and most imagine diet and exercise. Think self-advancement, and you may consider the latest trend in beefing up the muscle between your ears. In tonight's cover story, CNN's Doctor Sanjay Gupta explores the options of getting smart.
[Doctor Sanjay Gupta, Cnn Medical Correspondent:] The operators of these machines say they may make me smarter. I'm wired up, bombarded with flashing lights and having my brain waves scanned. Here at the mind spa in Atlanta, they use biofeedback so-called "mind machines" and even a music dome to make the brain focused, fast and efficient.
[Robert Dallas, Dallas Research The Mind Spa:] And then I put the positive in the center of your head.
[Gupta:] First, my brain waves are examined.
[Dallas:] What you see in your case is you've got a lot of activity in the full spectrum. What I would work on is maybe your high beta being a little more dominant.
[Gupta:] Next, I'm given glasses. The flashing lies are supposed to stimulate my brain and increase my level of beta waves which were associated with heightened attention.
[Dallas:] The change is permanent. It's definitely permanent. Now, we do have people come back for follow up sessions after they've completed a pretty comprehensive program, maybe 6 months later or a year later but that's just because we so easily get back in the mental rut.
[Gupta:] Intelligence researcher Robert Sternberg is more skeptical about the longevity of these types of mind enhancing systems.
[Robert Sternberg, Yale University:] There are different kinds of things you can do that temporarily increase the effectiveness with which you use the intelligence you have.
[Dallas:] Down in here, you notice the beta is much more even. It's much more balanced with everything going on over here. You don't see any of this spiking. With practice, of course, the idea is that then you would get to the point where you could, that state would be more available to you. The brain could choose it.
[Gupta:] Scientifically valid or not, the mind spa has a devoted clientele.
[Unidentified Female:] I can run over if they're free you know if they have a space, I can jump in and get on a piece of equipment for a half an hour and then it is like being rejuvenated.
[Gupta:] Another controversial option Ginko Biloba, an herbal product widely claimed to enhance cognitive function. Experts disagree about how well it works, how much you should take, and how long it lasts, but a number of studies show it can provide at least some benefit in clearer thinking. And then there are stimulants. Some, like Ritalin, are available by prescription to people with ADHD. They are tightly regulated because they come with certain risks, such as addiction. There is also a class of drugs widely discussed on the Internet known as nutropics or "smart drugs." They are said to improve cognition without the side effects of stimulants. But experts say there's not enough scientific evidence to support their use. Most nutropics are not FDA approved and not available in the United States. [on camera]: But getting smart doesn't necessarily involve drugs or a trip to the mind spa. Studies show that you perform your best when you are well rested. well fed, and relaxed. Dr. Sternberg says your brain is like a muscle.
[Sternberg:] If you exercise your intelligence you will increase it. So the best single thing you can do as an adult is to read challenging material, to write, to solve puzzles. play chess, but it's to keep using your intelligence.
[Gupta:] From students to executives, intelligence does matter. As measured by IQ tests, it is the single best predictor of individual performance at school and on the job. And while there is no single best method, for most people willing to put in the effort, experts say it is possible to get smart. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reporting.