We’ve seen — and done — some negative coverage of the so-called brain training industry, in which companies provide computerized games that ostensibly improve memory, attention, and other mental capabilities while — so some of the ads suggested — warding off cognitive decline. In January, one of the leading brands in this space, Lumosity made a deal with the Federal Trade Commission to cough up $2 million for partial refunds as compensation for deceptive advertising.
And yet, even the doubters haven’t entirely ruled out the possibility that some form of cognitive training may be beneficial. A 2014 statement from dozens of cognitive scientists taking the industry to task for making claims without evidence also acknowledged “some intriguing isolated reports do inspire additional research.”
Now, there may be some solid evidence that the training works. Last Sunday, at the Alzheimer’s Assn.’s International Conference in Toronto, researchers of a long-range study announced that a relatively small amount of cognitive training resulted in a significant reduction in the risk of developing cognitive decline or dementia over 10 years.
The results are still preliminary, as the study is currently under review for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
The ACTIVE Study
The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly, or ACTIVE, study divided 2,785 participants with an average age of almost 74 into three intervention groups and one control group. The intervention groups received, respectively, classroom-based memory strategies, classroom-based reasoning strategies and computerized speed-of-processing training in the form of a game by Posit Science, a for-profit company that offers subscriptions to its “brain training exercises” for a monthly fee.
