Brain Games: Do They Help?

Can computer games improve cognitive abilities? What do you think? A widely publicized study published in 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reportedly showed that computer based training (gaming) was effective in improving reasoning abilities and what scientists call fluid intelligence. A more recent attempt in 2012 to duplicate that study, however, failed, prompting another widely publicized story titled: New Evidence Shows Brain-Training Games Don’t Work. So what is the truth?

First, it’s important to realize that staying mentally active, and learning new things, is well validated as facilitating cognitive health and function. For example, an August 2014  study out of the Mayo Clinic, published in JAMA Neurology, looked at nearly 2,000 Minnesotans aged 70 to 89 and followed up with them every 15 months for an average of six years. Higher education levels, and more occupational and cognitive activity were independently associated with a lower risk of dementia. “Doing cognitive activities at least three times a week was highly protective,” noted Prashanthi Vemuri, lead author in the study.

The difference was measured in years. Those who had more education got at least five years of protection; mid and late life cognitive activity provided about three years of protection on average for ApoE4 gene carriers and about seven years for non-carriers. The overall effect of “lifetime intellectual enrichment”—all these factors taken together—was strong. Those who ranked in the 75th percentile could delay the onset of cognitive impairment by more than 8 years, compared to those with low lifetime intellectual achievement (the 25th percentile).

This is highly significant considering the Alzheimer’s Association’s recent claim that if we could just delay Alzheimer’s (AD) even 5  years we could cut rates in half. An 8 year delay means that instead of getting dementia at say 80, that would not set in until age 88.  In which case your spirit could be up in heaven fully functional, playing a harp or golf, having escaped AD altogether, with your life’s savings left for your family rather than some institutional care center. 

The Answer to The Question

So what about computer generally? Are they helpful for the brain? The simple answer is…yes!  Computers are great for the brain and can help to improve memory. Multiple studies have found that people with mild age-related memory decline can improve significantly and reduce the risk for further loss with computer usage.  

Gary W. Small, MD Director of the UCLACenter on Aging in Los Angeles, proved this point a number of years ago.  In his research with seniors he found that internet searching activates circuits in the brain, and “computer based games” can significantly increase cognitive function. In fact just learning how to use a computer and surf the internet or play a game can be a great activity for seniors, stimulating neurons, improving memory and protective cognitive reserve.

Several studies have demonstrated the value of computer based mental training programs, both in the US and Europe. In one study, healthy seniors in their 70’s trained on a computer game designed to boost visual perception. After just ten hours of training, they not only improved their perceptual abilities, but also increased the accuracy of their visual working memory by about ten percent – bringing them up to the level of younger adults.

In another study reported in 2014 from Johns Hopkins University they found ten targeted computer game based training sessions, followed by four booster training sessions 11 and 35 months later, resulted in significant improvements in memory, reasoning, and speed of thought or processing. But what was most amazing was their finding that even 10 years later those in the experimental group still showed better reasoning and speed of processing, and less difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), than those in the control group.

These are likely among the reasons why researchers in the Finnish FINGER study to prevent Alzheimer’s chose to include computer based activities  in their interventions for seniors with mild cognitive impairment. And likely one reason why their “processing speed” scores improved by a whopping 150%  in the first 2 years!

Latest Controversy

Since I posted this on April 10th readers have responded with two more related studies. The first out of Canada, suggested computer games, like those done on Luminosity, did NOT improve memory or cognition. However, they only played the games for 15-20 min 3X a week for 3 weeks. In other words, they had less than 4 hrs of training!  That’s hardly a fair test, as we know. at least in seniors, it often takes two months or more to notice significant, sustainable gains.

The latest related study appeared just last Wed April 8 in the online edition of the journal Neurology.  In this study researchers from the Mayo clinic tracked 256 adults, aged 85 and older, over four years. They found , “those involved in crafts and social activities both in midlife and later life were about half as likely to experience mild dementia.  So were those who used computers in later life.”  Final analysis:  “Engaging in cognitively stimulating activities has beneficial long-term effects on cognitive [thinking] function,” said study author Rosebud Roberts, chair of the division of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

A good computer brain game should at least be “cognitively stimulating.” But the study emphasized the importance of starting early.  As those who  started later in life had fewer gains.

Another Reason to Consider  

The other great benefit from such standardized empirically validated online brain training programs is that one is able to better track their progress. If you are using a good gaming program on a regular basis, and then introduce something new, like Perceptiv or more exercise for example, you will be able to see, often within days, if it is making a difference for your brain, and in the best programs you can see what  domains are affected by that.

One of my clients, who uses a computer gaming program on a regular basis, recently reported that her doctor had changed her meds, and she felt she wasn’t doing as well cognitively. But what really grabbed her attention was the next time she played her games, when she saw a dramatic drop in her scores.  This motivated her to call me to discuss options.  Once she tweeked some things, in her case adding the natural hormone enhancer pregnenolone to her diet, much to her delight, she saw her scores shoot back up to higher than they had ever been. There is nothing better to gain such insight and motivation than regular use of a good computer training and tracking program.

Last week I spoke at the funeral of my brother-in-law who died after a 10 year battle with AD. You may recall me talking about him in class. While no one can say for sure why he developed this, we know for many years he smoked and he was never much or a “reader”.  He also retired from civil service at the age of 57 to go fishing and watch TV. Not the most brain stimulating activities. Five years later he was showing significant signs of cognitive decline. I tried to get him involved in computer based brain games, but by then he had already lost so much eye hand coordination that he could not work the games.

Famed lifestyle and anti-aging Psychologist and CE trainer Lynn Johnson, PhD, recently noted that an early retirement without a driving purpose, is one of the worst things you can do for your physical and mental health.

So what if you are retired without a driving purpose, or you don’t like your job, or it’s just a no brainer? Computer based games, expertly designed and tested for cognitive enhancement by real neuroscientists, seem worth considering.

Not only might these activities improve mental function, and the ability to think, plan, remember and solve problems, they may also lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

 In Addition to Good Nutrition  

In this column I have written many articles on the importance of good nutrition for the brain.  However, even when our brain has all of the nutrients it needs, it still needs challenging mental activities in order to grow new protective pathways and cognitive reserve. Otherwise the brain will atrophy and begin to lose abilities. It’s very much a “uses it or lose it” organ.  On the other hand, too many mental tasks at one time, can be stressful and impair memory, so a healthy balance and variety seems best. And the research shows they only need to do this 20 min 3-4 days a week to see improvements.
But in all fairness I think one should give it at least 6 week or more to see lasting results.

So, do computer games improve human cognition? Well the really good science based programs apparently do, others, not so much. If you have played computer games on a regular basis over time, and found them to be helpful, or not, I would like to know. Please email me your results at  DavidRJL@aol.com 

The Best for Less 

A few years ago The Wallstreet journal had a panel of experts review the various computer based brain training programs available for seniors, including Luminosity, BrainHQ, etc.  Cognifit® developed at Oxford and now sold out of Israel, was selected as being “the best” program available for personalized brain training. Plus this has a lot of great real scientific evidence supporting it’s efficacy for a variety of cognitive disorders in both young and older subjects.  For example, on point,  in one study they found it more effective for improving cognitive fitness in 80 year old subjects than any physical activities.  In another study those with mild cognitive impairment made the most gains. See the research summaries here: https://www.cognifit.com/neuroscience

In recent years they have added new features that make it even more fun and effective for seniors. It’s also available as an App for a hand-held device.

At $19.95 a month I’ve found it to be a great investment for my brain. But a partner of mine, Dr. Michael Cox has recently arranged to purchase permits in bulk. So as one of my readers, if you would like to try this program the cost for you would be only $14.95. And if you find it fun and tell your friends, and we can get enough in our group, we could bring that down to just $10 a month!  So I suggest you click on this link visit Cognifit®. Watch the video, then arrow down to check out it’s many features and benefits. Maybe try it for a few days for free. And if you would like to learn and play for less, just send me an email at DavidRJL@aol.com, and I will have them send you an access link, and when all have replied we’ll see what kind of discount we can get. But for $14.95, or less, I think it’s worth a try. Your brain will likely love you for the fun that it will have!