Computer Exercises Improve Memory and Attention

	Tweet

Study results to be published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society show that computerized brain exercises can improve memory and lead to faster thinking.

Prior studies have shown that older adults perform better on cognitive tests after repeatedly practicing those tests, but this large-scale study is the first to link a commercially available software program to improvement on unaffiliated standard measures of memory and to better performance on everyday tasks.

The Improvement in Memory with Plasticity-based Adaptive Cognitive Training (IMPACT) study was funded by the Posit Science Corporation, which owns the rights to the Brain Fitness Program, tested in the study.

Elizabeth Zelinski, PhD, of the USC Davis School of Gerontology and Glenn Smith, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic were principal investigators on the study, published with colleagues from the University of California, San Francisco, Stanford, and California State University, Los Angeles.

Of the 487 healthy adults over the age of 65 who participated in a randomized controlled trial, half used the Brain Fitness Program for 40 hours over the course of eight weeks. The Brain Fitness Program consists of six audio exercises done on a computer, and is intended to “retrain the brain to discriminate fine distinctions in sound, and do it in a way that keeps the user engaged,” Zelinski explained.

The other half of participants spent an equal amount of time learning from educational DVDs followed by quizzes.

Those who trained on the Brain Fitness Program were twice as fast in processing information with an average improvement in response time of 131 percent. The active control group did not show statistically significant gains, the researchers found.

According to the researchers, participants who used the Brain Fitness Program also scored as well as those ten years younger, on average, on memory and attention tests for which they did not train.

Many participants also reported significant improvements in everyday cognitive activities such as remembering names or understanding conversations in noisy restaurants.

“The changes we saw in the experimental group were remarkable — and significantly larger than the gains in the control group,” Zelinski said. “From a researcher’s point of view, this was very impressive because people got better at the tasks trained, [and] those improvements generalized to standardized measures of memory and people noticed improvements in their lives. What this means is that cognitive decline is no longer an inevitable part of aging. Doing properly designed cognitive activities can enhance our abilities as we age.”

“This study has profound personal and public implications for aging baby boomers and their parents,” said Joe Coughlin, PhD, Director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute Technology. “This means boomers may now have tools for a future that is not their grandfather’s old age. It also impacts most aspects of independent living – from aging-in-place to transportation to all the great and little things that we call life. This is big news for aging and for all of us.”

The multi-site IMPACT study is the largest study ever of a commercially available brain-training program.

Smith et al., “A Cognitive Training Program Designed Based on Principles of Brain Plasticity: Results from the Improvement in Memory with Plasticity-based Adaptive Cognitive Training Study.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: April 2009.

Source: University of Southern California

RELATED STORIES:
Is Estrogen Going to Your Head?   People Keep Driving Even When Sleepy   Non-epileptic seizures may be misdiagnosed longer in veterans   Murder rates affect IQ tests scores: study   Low Childhood IQ Linked to Type of Dementia   Scientists Identify Critical Genes for Down Syndrome   Pediatricians Asked to Screen for Spousal Abuse   New Autism Susceptibility Genes Identified   Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help Treat Patients With Dental Phobia   Anti-Drinking Ads Can Increase Alcohol Use   Start gambling early, get a losing hand   Mental Health of Prisoners

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

Such a very nice post. I love brain teasers so this post regarding computer exercises that improve memory and attention really caught my attention. Especially that I spend 10 to 12 hours in front of my PC everyday.

posted by Rachel on 02/12/2009 at 6:29 am -08:00