Surely you’ve seen the countless commercial products advertising brain training. They pop up everywhere making claims of science based gaming such as, “Challenge your brain with scientifically designed training” or “Improve your cognitive capacities while having fun playing”, but do they really work to improve brain function like memory? The skeptic in us all would probably dismiss these products as marketing ploys designed for profit and containing no real value, but after a bit of research, you may be surprised at what we’ve found.
ARE BRAIN GAMES SCIENCE DRIVEN?
First off, we were surprised to see that all the major producers of brain fitness games have a strong neuro team. Whether they’re neurologists, neuropsychologists, electroneurodiagnostic technicians, neurochemists, neuroscience nurses, neuropathologists and even neurosurgeons, these highly trained professionals all come together and the final product is an aggregate of cognitive research, experience and development all employed to develop your neuro capabilities. One major producer of brain-training programs, Lumosity, collaborates with researches from 36 top Universities around the world, publishes studies on the effects of their product in diverse populations, and designs unique games centered around improving common neuro tasks. So, while yes there is clearly a marketing hook to get consumers curious, the actual games themselves are backed by real science.
WHAT BRAIN GAMES CLAIM
Another refreshing aspect of brain-training programs is that they do not make ridiculous claims, like “preventing Alzheimer Disease” or “instant results”. Instead, they create games with the understanding that results will be gradual, and that results maintain health and benefit the brain as a whole. Furthermore, any more aggressive or specific claims are backed by results. For example, Stanford University School of Medicine recently collaborated with a brain-training program where they found an increase of prefrontal cortex activity in cancer survivors following training. Participants showed increased scores on tasks measuring processing speed, cognitive flexibility and memory recall.
THE VERDICT
So, do brain games really work? Yes, and no. The answer depends heavily on how you define work:
• Will brain games increase your IQ and make you better in school? Probably not.
• Will brain games prevent serious neuro disorders? No.
• Can brain games increase cognitive power in unique groups of people already dealing with implicated areas of the brain? Possibly.
• Can brain games, over time, keep the brain in “shape” and help players offset natural cognitive atrophy that would have happened otherwise? Possibly.
Brain-training programs have no adverse physical effect, as far as we know, but there are other potential problems. They’re expensive. Money spent on brain games could be spent on healthy food, or social activities- both of which have been shown to be more beneficial for the brain. They take time. The opportunity cost used playing, for example, 7 hours of brain games a week could have been 7 hours a week of exercise, which has been proven to be more beneficial on the brain. In reality, the final verdict is this: if you have the time and money, and enjoy the challenge of brain games, go for it, but don’t practice them expecting to improve your odds for becoming the next Jeopardy champion.
To learn more about Newport Beach Neurologist, Dr. Duma, call us at (949) 642-6787.
