Brain Training: It Works...Kind Of

The IMPACT study which we reported on in December 2007, funded by Posit Science, conducted by the Mayo Clinic and USC Davis, has just announced publication at the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. (Reference: 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.) Computer Exercises Improve Memory And Attention, Study Suggests (Science Daily)

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.

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.

This is a very interesting study, in that it shows both that cognitive training works, and that it doesn't work.

What do I mean?

Well, it is time we move beyond this superficial discussion on it works/ it doesn't work, and we started discussing Work for Whom? Work for What? And, What Specific Program are we talking about?

1) It works: the intervention (computerized cognitive training) showed cognitive benefits beyond the control (educational DVDs followed by quizzes). This is significant both in that it shows that people over 65 can improve their mental abilities, and that can be done in scalable ways, thanks to emerging technology tools. Obviously more research needs to be done, but results like these would have been considered impossible not so long ago.

2) It doesn't work: those cognitive benefits were closely related to the trained auditory areas. The results don't support grandiose claims that the program "helps rejuvenate one's brain 10 years" or similar, which we hear all too often.

This is but one study in a rapidly growing area (this one is pretty large, and multi-site, and conducted by independent researchers). The key questions are becoming:

1) Who may benefit most from improving on specific cognitive domains- auditory processing in this case?

2) How can healthcare professionals support patients from a preventive and brain maintenance point of view. (Please note the study above had nothing to do with Alzheimer's Disease, but with the enhancement of cognitive functions.)

3) How can consumers navigate the growing number of products and claims?

For more on all this, you may enjoy reading these notes on Brain Training: No Magic Bullet, Yet Useful Tool. Interview with Elizabeth Zelinski, including:

The program we used, Brain Fitness 2.0, trains auditory processing. The people in the experimental group improved very significantly, which was not that surprising. What was very surprising was that there was also a clear benefit in auditory memory, which wasn't directly trained. In other words, people who were 75-years-old performed auditory memory tasks as well as average 65-year-olds, so we can say they reversed 10 years of aging for that cognitive ability.

In short, if you are considering buying some of these new programs, for yourself, your patients, a loved one...you do need to do a bit of homework. Yes, it would be easier if there were more specific and categorical answers...but for the time being there aren't (apart from the general guidelines to stay active physically and mentally, manage stress levels, have a balanced nutrition). We published this 10-Question Program Evaluation Checklist to support your decision process.

Comments

[ExRepublican]

Agree. "Kind of" is true. But 'kind of' can be huge when dealing with Alzheimers or other brain diseases. These programs will not cure Alzheimer'­s/dementia­, - although my advice to younger folk is to do it NOW, before the fact. These programs will help in sooo many ways to keep a diseased brain patient.

It's kinda like saying taking a 30 minute walk a day won't cure Alzheimers's, so why do it? It's useless, right? Do it because there are so many benefits to walking, staying active.

Reading a book/magazine won't cure Alzheimer's, but OMG, does it help the process? Absolutely.

A few comments from Posit Science in next post.

[ExRepublican]

continued, from Posit Science:

"Almost everyday researchers discover more about how the brain can change throughout a person’s life. Next month, Posit Science will host a panel of innovative researchers to bring you more about this extraordinary wave in brain research. A free Brain Awareness Week event, the panel will take place by conference call on Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. ET) and will feature Dr. Fred Wolinsky, professor of health management and policy at the University of Iowa, Dr. Ron Ruff, neuropsychologist and professor at UCSF and Stanford University, and Posit Science’s own Dr. Henry Mahncke discussing newly published studies that show how brain training programs can affect memory and attention, depression, and even lifespan. This hour-long event is a Brain Health Education Forum, a quarterly informational service produced by Posit Science. Click here to register for this free brain health presentation.
Training Changes Brain’s Chemistry
It’s easy to see how physical exercise changes the body: If you lift weights, your arm muscles will get bigger and more defined. Seeing how cognitive training changes the brain is a bit trickier, but Swedish scientists have made a recent breakthrough. Using PET scans, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have shown for the first time that brain exercise changes the number of receptors for the neurochemical dopamine. Learn more about how dopamine affects memory."

[AlvaroF]

It should be clear that the program involved in the study you mention:

"It"s easy to see how physical exercise changes the body: If you lift weights, your arm muscles will get bigger and more defined. Seeing how cognitive training changes the brain is a bit trickier, but Swedish scientists have made a recent breakthrough. Using PET scans, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have shown for the first time that brain exercise changes the number of receptors for the neurochemical dopamine. Learn more about how dopamine affects memory."

is Cogmed working memory training, not Posit Science. Which is my point: consumers and professionals need to become better informed in this very promising area. It is not a better of expecting magic cures, but understanding needs and identifying programs that may help address those needs.