Additional Coverage:
- A brain-training game that takes about 2 hours a week can reduce your risk of developing dementia by 25%, study finds (businessinsider.com)
Can a Video Game Really Ward Off Dementia? A New Study Says Yes, But There’s a Catch
Local News Desk – Good news for gamers, or at least for those willing to embrace a specific, fast-paced challenge: a groundbreaking 20-year study suggests that playing a particular online speed training game could significantly reduce your risk of developing dementia. We’re talking a whopping 25% lower risk!
This isn’t just any old brain-teaser, though. While memory and reasoning games might feel like they’re giving your gray matter a workout, this extensive research, funded by the US National Institutes of Health, found they didn’t offer the same long-term protective benefits.
“It’s an astonishing result,” shared neurologist Marilyn Albert, who directs the division of cognitive neuroscience at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and analyzed the study’s data. She’s so convinced, she’s even planning to get online and try the training herself!
The ACTIV study, the world’s largest cognitive training study, followed 2,000 individuals aged 65 and up across the US. The results point to one specific game, “Double Decision,” available through Posit Science’s Brain HQ, as the unexpected champion in the fight against cognitive decline.
The Secret Sauce: Speed and Adaptability
So, what makes “Double Decision” so special? Participants in the study were divided into groups, trying out different cognitive games.
Only those who played the speed training game saw a measurable, long-term improvement in their brain health, leading to that 25% lower dementia risk. Researchers tracked dementia diagnoses using Medicare claims data, making the findings even more robust.
And here’s another surprising detail: the training commitment wasn’t astronomical. Participants initially completed one or two 60- to 75-minute sessions per week for six weeks. They then received “booster” sessions – up to four 75-minute sessions a year later, and again three years after that.
A Gamer’s Testimonial: Sharper Than Ever
Joyce Grego, a 71-year-old retired teacher, isn’t part of the study, but she’s been playing “Double Decision” for years. She started around 2019, drawn by new insights into brain plasticity.
“People used to think that your brain was static, it didn’t grow,” she noted. Now, she dedicates time daily to brain games and feels a distinct difference from her peers.
Grego describes herself as “sharper,” with improved word recall and heightened awareness, especially while driving. “I just am very aware of my surroundings, and I feel like I take so much in, and I just attribute it to this, especially Double Decision,” she explained.
The game’s effectiveness may lie in its adaptive nature. It demands dual tasking and constantly adjusts to your skill level, speeding up as you improve and slowing down if you’re struggling. This continuous, personalized challenge, pushing players right at their limits, is thought to be crucial.
“It goes really fast,” Grego admitted. “And sometimes when you’re doing it, you feel like, *I have no idea where this is, what circle I’m supposed to hit.
- But you do know. Your brain encompasses and sees the whole image.”
Grego is such a firm believer that she’s even paid for subscriptions for family and friends, though she acknowledges many find it too hard or time-consuming. Her response? “Hard is good.”
The Unanswered Question: Why Does it Work?
While the results are compelling, scientists like Albert are still trying to pinpoint the exact mechanisms behind “Double Decision’s” success. “My guess is that this cognitive training task does something with brain connectivity,” Albert speculated, suggesting it might help maintain the crucial connections between different brain regions that often diminish with age. However, she readily admits, “we don’t have any data at all.”
This leaves us wondering if other real-world activities that demand speed and dual decision-making – like certain sports or specialized brain gym exercises – could offer similar benefits. “I wish I could say yes, because I don’t want to have to say that you have to do this task,” Albert confessed, even calling the game “pretty tedious.”
For now, the science points to this specific online game as a powerful tool in supporting brain health. While researchers continue to unravel the “how” and “why,” the message is clear: if you’re looking for a way to potentially lower your dementia risk, a little bit of fast-paced, challenging brain training might be just what the doctor ordered.