BrainyApp hits number one

Newly developed brain health app, BrainyApp, designed by Alzheimer’s Australia and Bupa Health Foundation, has already hit number one in the Australian app store, with 41,000 downloads recorded in the first 48-hours since its release last week.

BrainyApp, which may help people reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, has also shot to number three in the New Zealand app store.

While there is yet no cure for dementia, Alzheimer’s Australia chief executive, Glenn Rees, says the apps’ rapid success demonstrates Australians are eager for information and strategies to help them improve their brain health.

But Mr Rees hopes the app would be a “game changer” and stir some reaction in governments, persuading them to take dementia risk reduction seriously.

“We need to give priority to initiatives such as BrainyApp that raise awareness of dementia, and help people understand and reduce their risk of developing the condition,” Mr Rees adds.

Developer of the app, software company b2cloud, says the apps’ success shows people have a “real interest in this area”.

“It’s exceptional for an app like this to climb so quickly to the top of charts,” b2cloud’s managing director, Josh Guest, says.

BrainyApp is available as a free download for users of iPhone, iPod and iPad devices from the Apple App Store. Users who download BrainyApp by 29 November 2011 can also enter a competition to win an iPad 2.