Training your brain to work faster is key for cognitive health, say scientists.
Over the last few years, teams of scientists and researchers across the world have dedicated themselves to understanding dementia – and what to do to cut your risk. As a result, we have a much clearer grasp on the steps we can take to protect our brains. Getting enough sleep, exercising, eating nutritious food, giving up smoking, limiting alcohol and staying mentally and socially active get the green light.
Perhaps no surprises there. But now US scientists say they have found a missing piece in the brain health puzzle – a special kind of brain ‘training’ that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease by as much as 25%. In a study of 2,800 older adults, just a ‘modest’ amount of cognitive training – known as ‘speed training’ – significantly reduced dementia diagnoses, say the study authors.
‘This is an astonishing result, and it comes at a critical time,’ said Dr Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, the company behind the brain games used in the study. ‘The number of people affected by Alzheimer’s keeps growing; new expensive drugs only slightly slow the rate of decline; and while observational studies suggest lifestyle changes can reduce Alzheimer’s risk, people aren’t sure which specific actions to take. These results change what’s possible – now – for better brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention, by demonstrating a specific type of cognitive training reduces the incidence of dementia.’
Play the game!
So how does the training work? One of the games used in the research is Double Decision – a car and a road sign flash on screen and the player remembers where they were…. the game gets harder as the player improves.
‘We developed speed training to make brains faster because we knew that speed is fundamental to cognitive performance,’ says Dr. Karlene Ball of the University of Alabama, one of the scientists behind the research. ‘Speed training results in better mental health (depression, health-related quality of life and greater confidence and control), better real-world function (functional independence, balance, gait, reaction time, driving) and now – lower risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia.’