WHAT IS BRAINSUITE
BrainSuite is an examination that measures the hippocampus in your brain.
From the head MRI images taken of you, AI automatically measures the volume of the hippocampus, the region that governs memory. You receive a clear report showing where you stand compared with the average for your age group. BrainSuite was developed under the supervision of the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University.
WHAT YOU CAN KNOW
What you can know
Your hippocampal volume, as a number
AI automatically extracts the left and right hippocampus and calculates the volume in cubic millimetres.
How you compare with your age group
Your result is plotted together with the average for the same sex and age group, so you can see where you stand on a graph.
Pointers for your daily habits
Depending on your result, the report suggests habits you can start today.
WHY THE HIPPOCAMPUS
Why the hippocampus
The hippocampus is the gateway to memory — it works when you learn something new — and it is also the brain’s control tower, putting what you learn to use together with other brain functions. It is a small region, less than one per cent of the whole brain, and it is one where atrophy with age can be seen.
It is also a place where the effects of how you live show up comparatively readily, not only the effects of age.
Because it begins to change little by little long before you notice any decline in memory, capturing the hippocampus as a number gives you one indicator for maintaining cognitive function.
A region closely involved in how memories take hold
Change in volume can be followed as a number
Its relationship with daily habits is the subject of research
AI ANALYSIS
AI turns differences too small for the eye into numbers.
BrainSuite automatically extracts the left and right hippocampus from the head MRI images taken of you and calculates the volume in cubic millimetres. Using an analytical model built from a large body of brain image data, it shows where you stand now, objectively, against the average for the same sex and age group.
REPORT
The report
CONTENTS
The report is made up of four parts.
Hippocampal volume score
The volume of each side and the total are shown as numbers.
Comparison with your age group
You can see at a glance where you sit within the distribution for the same sex and age group.
MRI images
The cross-sectional images actually taken, and the hippocampal region the AI identified.
Lifestyle advice
Suggestions for your next step, from four angles: exercise, sleep, diet and social connection.
The report shown here is the Japanese version. An English version exists, but whether it is offered is decided by each medical institution — please check with the institution before you book.
MYBRAIN
After your examination, on MyBrain, our members-only site
MyBrain is a members-only site for maintaining and improving your brain health. If you have had BrainSuite, you can review your results, take the online health questionnaire and the memory and concentration tests, and book an online brain health consultation.
It also offers content you will not find anywhere else, including information on brain health such as sleep, diet and exercise, and a viewer that lets you see the brain images taken of you in 3D.
MyBrain is available in Japanese only.
What you can do on MyBrain
Plenty of information on brain health.
Review your BrainSuite results
From your own computer or smartphone, any time, anywhere in Japan.
Online tests (health questionnaire, memory and concentration tests)
Find out how your daily habits may be affecting your brain, and where your cognitive function stands now.
See your brain images in the viewer
View the brain images taken of you from a range of angles. The area marked in yellow is the hippocampus.
Book an online consultation
A 25-minute online consultation with CogSmart’s own physicians and nurses, free the first time.
Plenty of content on brain health
A large collection of columns and videos to help with brain health and improving daily habits.
← Scroll sideways to see them all (5 items)
BrainSuite is not a one-off. By having it a second and a third time, you can follow change over the years as you would with a health check, and review what you are doing to prevent decline.
FLOW OF THE DAY
How it works
Choose how to book
You can buy a ticket online, or apply directly to a medical institution that offers BrainSuite.
Buy a ticket →
Apply directly to a medical institution (Japanese) →
Book
Book with the medical institution and visit on the agreed day. If you have a ticket, tell them so.
Visit and MRI scan
After you arrive, you lie down in the MRI scanner and stay still. There is no pain.
AI analysis
Hippocampal volume is analysed from the MRI image data that was acquired.
Your report
You can view your results online, on your MyBrain personal page.
In some municipalities, BrainSuite is also available as a furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) return gift. See participating municipalities and how to apply →
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is the examination safe?
A. MRI uses magnetism, so there is no exposure to radiation. No pain and no injection are involved. Please be aware, however, that the scanner is loud and that you will need to stay in an enclosed space for a period of time. People with metal in the body, such as a cardiac pacemaker, may not be able to have the examination.
Q. Is there any supervision or evidence behind it?
A. BrainSuite was developed under the supervision of the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University. The interpretation of results and the advice are designed on the basis of research findings on hippocampal volume and daily habits.
Q. Where can I find the Brain-ID and password to log in to MyBrain?
A. There are two places: the results notification email sent to you by the institution where you had the examination, and the last page of your report.
Q. How do I get to MyBrain?
A. Through the "MyBrain" button at the top right of the BrainSuite website, or the URL in your results notification email. It works on both computers and smartphones.
Q. How long does the examination take?
A. The MRI scan takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Including reception, you can expect to be on your way within about 30 minutes.
Q. Is there any radiation exposure or pain?
A. MRI uses magnetism, so there is no exposure to radiation. It involves no pain either.
Q. When will my report arrive?
A. It varies by institution, but as a guide it takes two to four weeks.
Q. Does a ticket expire?
A. Please have the examination within 12 months of purchase. You may change the institution within that period.
MORE INFORMATION
Continue on the Japanese site
Find a medical institution (Japanese) →
The facility list is in Japanese. Please contact the facility directly to confirm whether it can accommodate English.
Read more about brain health (Japanese) →
The articles are written in Japanese and describe brain health and brain screening as they apply in Japan.
Start by knowing.
The examination takes about 10 to 15 minutes. It is available at medical institutions across Japan.