WOULD YOU WANT TO KNOW YOUR BRAIN AGE?

For the price of a new smartphone, you can now have a non-invasive scan to measure your cognitive health and connectivity. Daily Express Health Editor HANNA GEISSLER bravely signs up for an test and reveals the pros and cons of having your head read

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STARING at a white cross on a board in front of me, I soon discover that the hardest thing about having my brain activity measured is resisting the urge to fall asleep. I must sit still for 10 minutes while the magnetoencephalography or MEG scanner silently works its magic, with small coils attached to my head.

All in all, it feels a bit like sitting in an old-fashioned salon hair dryer.

I am at Aston University in Birmingham to discover my brain age. The technology here has been used by ambitious start-up MYndspan to launch the world's first consumer MEG brain-scanning service. For £600, anyone can book a slot and receive a fascinating insight into their brain connectivity and cognitive health.

Fitness trackers, smart watches and even jewellery that measure vital signs are booming in popularity, meaning more personal health data is at our fingertips than ever for those who want it.

And MYndspan's chief executive, Caitlin Baltzer, believes brain health should be no exception. The makers want this technology to be "as accessible as possible, coming to every city, so that everyone can get a scan", in the same way that we have regular check-ups at the dentist.

However, critics have suggested that commercial brain scans may cause unnecessary anxiety and add to pressure on GP services from people worried about their results.

So is it a valuable, empowering experience or a gimmick? I'm here to find out.

According to Caitlin, MYndspan attracts two types of people: the "worried well" and those at higher risk of suffering head injuries, such as athletes.

Jacob Oliver, 20, is among the latter. As a scrum half with the Newcastle Falcons, who has played for England under-19s and under-20s squads, he has taken his fair share of knocks, including two concussions.