Brain training MindSpa

What it is: Audiovisual stimulisation

Price: £175

From: MindSpa

What the company says

‘MindSpa is an effective way to learn, improve performance and increase the focus of children and adults. It will help people relax, leading to better sleep, and cognitive benefits. It helps generate alpha brainwave activity using frequencies of light and sound tuned to brainwave frequencies.’

The evidence

We were sent details of studies involving MindSpa, and A/V Stim’s website invites you to click a link to ‘published, peer-reviewed university research’. The link leads to an unpublished study claiming audiovisual stimulation while listening to Disney stories helped improve the maths of children with learning difficulties.

Our experts say

With MindSpa, you relax with your eyes closed while wearing headphones and glasses studded with brightly flashing LED lights (known as ‘audiovisual stimulation’).

Our experts said the study was irrelevant because the system used in it wasn’t MindSpa. Also, there was no control group so we don’t know if any form of regular attention, such as listening to the stories without the system, would have had the same effect. They doubted whether studies involving children with learning difficulties could apply to adults without the conditions.

There is good evidence sleep improves concentration, so techniques to improve sleep would have benefit.

Which? member says

Josephine Stephens, 59, said: ‘I get more benefit from listening to relaxing music on my £10 MP3 player.'