Here is a list of five evidence-based strategies you can use to actually train your brain. You basically need to make healthy choices and stay active, both mentally and physically. I apologise in advance, but the most efficient way to take care of your brain is very boring. Now that you know these don’t work, what can you do instead?įive alternatives to brain-training games Because the idea of becoming more mentally fit is appealing-the lack of scientific evidence and the FTC lawsuit did not prevent the brain-training industry to thrive. Yet, as we mentioned, Nintendo just launched the latest version of their popular brain-training app. Luminosity in particular was fined $50 million, later reduced to $2 millions. In 2015, the FTC sued companies selling brain-training programmes for deceptive advertising-specifically for suggesting their products were effective to treat or slow the onset of brain-related disorders. We encourage continued careful research and validation in this field.” In the judgment of the signatories below, exaggerated and misleading claims exploit the anxieties of older adults about impending cognitive decline. The promise of a magic bullet detracts from the best evidence to date, which is that cognitive health in old age reflects the long-term effects of healthy, engaged lifestyles. “We object to the claim that brain games offer consumers a scientifically grounded avenue to reduce or reverse cognitive decline when there is no compelling scientific evidence to date that they do. In 2014, a group of 69 neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists signed an open letter stating that there is no scientific evidence that playing brain games improves cognitive abilities. It doesn’t prevent people from spending a fortune on addons and special games inside these apps. In other words, playing brain-training games makes you better at brain-training games-but nothing else. A large study with over 11,000 participants published in Nature found that participants improved on the tasks in which they were trained, but there was no evident cognitive improvement outside of the training tasks. Some even went so far as claiming they could prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.īut the science doesn’t stack up. All these apps make similar bold claims: they will help you increase your mental fitness, slow down age-related cognitive decline, improve your memory. Pseudoscience galoreĬonsumers spend almost $2 billion a year on brain-training apps such as Lumosity (more than 100 million users worldwide), Elevate, Peak, and CogniFit. While the longevity of the game itself is a testament to its success, there’s one big problem: brain-training games don’t work. The latest version was released early 2020 in Europe and Australia. The app consists of mini-games supposedly designed to stimulate various parts of the brain and help combat normal aging effects on the brain. “Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!” claims the fifteen-year old Nintendo brain-training app, also known as Dr.