Games that push the brain to the limit capture the attention of scientists in the fight against dementia

These games are not what people usually think of as video games or puzzles. In some cases, players must distinguish and recall sounds, patterns, and objects, making quick decisions that become increasingly difficult as the games progress. A game gives users a split second to locate two identical butterflies in a flock before the image disappears.

Many scientists say it’s too soon to know if gaming is really able to prevent dementia, and to question whether it can lead to long-term improvements in memory and daily performance. But some scientists think the games are promising enough that they’re pouring millions of dollars into studying them.

Traditional games, such as Bridge, Sudoku, and . have long been recommended by neuroscientists CrosswordTo keep your brain sharp. Crossword puzzles do not help people quickly process information, although this skill can develop age-related deterioration into dementia.

Newer games, like the one called Double Decision developed by scientists, Try to stimulate and speed up neural activity and slow the decline in brain physiology that occurs with age.

In a healthy brain, myelination, insulating layer It keeps nerve fibers taut and densely bundled, says Chandramaleka Basak, M.D., associate professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. She says our myelin weakens and fades with age, interfering with memory and clear thinking.

In recent imaging studies, her team and scientists from the University of Iowa observed that people who played brain training games maintained or increased myelination in some parts of the brain compared to control groups who played other types of games that did not require speed or increased levels of difficulty.

Interest in studying brain training games has grown since a 2020 report published in The Lancet, which said that up to 40% of cases of dementia could theoretically be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes, such as modifying diet, exercise and managing high blood pressure.

Dementia is characterized by age-related loss of memory, attention, and speed of thinking that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease, is the most common type of dementia. 45-year-old women have a 20% chance of life Alzheimer’s disease developmentAccording to the Alzheimer’s Association. Men of the same age have a 10% chance.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have identified cognitive training, which includes anything from computerized exercises to puzzles and bridges, as a promising area of ​​dementia intervention research. There is no recommended age to start playing these games. You can find games online or at bookstores, community colleges, or local chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association.

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, says it has not been proven that brain training games prevent dementia. Studies to date have shown mixed results about the effectiveness of games. Doubts remain about its ability to produce long-term process improvements.

However, the research so far has been encouraging enough – and dementia is so prevalent – that scientists are studying games more. In 2019 the World Health Organization recommended cognitive training for older adults as a way to reduce the risk of dementia although the science behind it is not definitive.

The National Institute on Aging is funding 21 clinical trials to try to figure out what types of gaming might improve factors such as memory and attention and reduce the long-term risk of dementia. A series of studies involving nearly 3,000 people partially funded by the NIA suggested that the benefits of a course of exercise that required quick feedback and quick decisions were shown to help older adults after 10 years and reduce the risk of dementia by 29%.

training In the study it consisted of an initial 10 sessions of 60 to 75 minutes duration in which subjects played speed and recall games, and eight strengthening sessions later. The study was not initially designed to assess dementia risk, according to Dana Blood, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging. But the results are a major reason for his interest in cognitive training, and the NIA is currently funding a $7 million clinical trial to test the results further.

Brain training games can be fun but frustrating, regardless of your age and mental stamina. Applications generally charge a monthly or annual fee; Some offer a training routine that may be customized.

CogniFit, one such app, offers online cognitive assessments and brain training for $19.99 per month for its basic plan of 20 games and $29.99 for its premium plan of 60 games. It is suggested that users spend 10 to 15 minutes three times a week on non-consecutive days to increase their cognitive scores.

Double Decision is sold by Posit Science, whose games are offered commercially and used in studies funded by the US Department of Defense, NIA, and others.

The goal of double-decision is to gradually increase the amount of visual information the brain can absorb and the speed with which it processes the information — abilities that typically decline with age. Repetitive play trains the brain to think and react more quickly, focus better, and remember more, says Michael Merzenich, Posit Science’s chief scientific officer.

In the exercise, two different cars appear in the middle of the screen with the Route 66 sign floating in the ocean. One of the cars as well as the road sign flashes on the screen and then disappears. The player must remember the vehicle he just saw and the location of the road sign. The game speeds up and adds distractions like a herd of cows or dozens of road signs.

“Brain health can be controlled,” says Dr. Merzenich. “We should take brain health as seriously as our physical health.”