Cognitive Training May Reduce Dementia Risk
Research indicates that engaging in a specific type of cognitive training might lower the risk of developing dementia two decades later.
Studies have shown that even a small amount of mental exercise can provide long-term benefits. For instance, a recent investigation examined individuals who had participated in targeted cognitive training over 20 years ago. This training focused on enhancing cognitive speed, encouraging the brain to process information more rapidly.
George Kovach, who began such training a decade back, reflects on his experience. He was motivated to take care of his brain health.
“I was interested in taking care of my neurons,” he explains. To pursue this, he enrolled in an online program called BrainHQ, which offers the cognitive speed training used in the study. Kovach believes he has completed over 1,300 days of exercises with it.
“These exercises are more demanding than typical video games,” he remarks, likening them to doing sit-ups for the brain.
At 74, Kovach feels mentally sharper than ever. Research involving more than 2,800 older adults supports his experience, revealing that those who engaged in 10 hours of cognitive speed training, along with some follow-up sessions, were about 25% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Psychologist Marilyn Albert from Johns Hopkins University notes that impressively, this protective effect lasted for two decades.
Albert comments, “This study provides solid evidence that we can significantly reduce our dementia risk.”
The findings are documented in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, utilizing Medicare records to track participants from a government-funded study that commenced in 1998. Albert admits she was surprised to witness such lasting benefits.
“The lasting impact over 20 years is quite remarkable,” she adds.
The study, known as ACTIVE, included various exercises aimed at memory, reasoning, and speed, but only the speed training showed a long-term effect. Henry Mahncke, a neuroscientist and head of BrainHQ, suggests that this training initiates a process called implicit learning, where one develops automatic skills similar to learning to ride a bike.
Mahncke explains how the exercises work: participants view a computer screen where a car or truck appears briefly at the center, alongside something else at the periphery. The challenge lies in determining what’s in the center within a limited time frame, which speeds up as one progresses.
Mahncke raises an interesting question: “What if participants had continued with the speed training? What if they did booster sessions annually?”
To explore this, an ongoing study called PACT, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has recruited over 7,000 individuals aged 65 and older. Jennifer O’Brien from the University of South Florida mentions that participants in this study will undergo 45 hours of training instead of just 10.
“They’ll start with a baseline training series followed by booster sessions after the first and second years,” O’Brien explains.
However, she emphasizes that there’s no need for extensive mental workouts to see benefits. A commitment of merely 10 hours over a month could be enough to yield lasting results. “Even if you stop after that, you may still notice some positive effects, and with yearly repetitions, the benefits could extend, potentially aiding in dementia prevention,” she notes.
The initial results from the PACT study are expected to emerge in 2028.
