Can brain games actually lower your dementia risk? It could depend on the type, new study says

Here’s what the experts found over a 20-year period.

Key Points

• A new study suggests that cognitive training may reduce dementia risk.
• This is the first study to examine long-term links between brain training and dementia risk.
• Cognitive training and healthy habits may reduce dementia risk and support brain health.

When it comes to lowering dementia risk, diet and lifestyle habits are often top of mind. But new research suggests another strategy may be just as powerful for protecting your brain.

In a recently published 20-year study of adults ages 65 and older, researchers found that certain types of cognitive training may help delay the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Of the three approaches studied—speed of processing, memory and reasoning—only speed-of-processing training was linked to a significantly lower risk of dementia diagnosis.

While previous research has suggested that certain lifestyle or cognitive interventions may help lower dementia risk, most studies have typically been shorter term or observational. This new study stands out as the first large-scale randomized clinical trial to examine whether cognitive training is linked to dementia risk over a 20-year period, making it the longest and most rigorous investigation of its kind to date.

How Was the Study Conducted?

The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study was a four-arm randomized controlled trial, meaning participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups to test different types of cognitive training and allow researchers to fairly compare their effects on brain health. The study included 2,021 adults aged 65 and older from six metropolitan areas.

Participants were recruited between 1998 and 1999 and, after baseline testing, randomly assigned to one of four groups. Over the course of five to six weeks, participants in the three training groups attended up to 10 sessions lasting 60 to 75 minutes each in small groups. The groups included speed-of-processing training, memory training, reasoning training and a no-contact control group.

Researchers continued following participants who completed at least eight of the 10 initial sessions. Those participants were randomly assigned again to receive booster training sessions at 11 and 35 months after the start of the study, with follow-up continuing through 2019. Each booster included up to four 75-minute sessions.

To examine the effects of the cognitive training, researchers compared results to the no-contact control group. They also analyzed whether receiving booster sessions influenced outcomes and whether age at the start of the study played a role.

The study adjusted for several factors that could influence dementia risk, including baseline cognitive impairment, functional limitations, self-reported Alzheimer’s disease, recent stroke, certain cancers, ongoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and vision, hearing or communication difficulties that could have interfered with the training.

What Did the Study Find?

The results showed that only participants who completed speed-of-processing training and later received booster sessions experienced a 25% lower rate of dementia diagnosis.

Speed training differed from memory or reasoning training because the difficulty level adapted to each participant’s performance over time. The speed training involved computer-based exercises that progressively challenged participants to quickly identify visual targets at the center and edges of a screen as the tasks became faster and more complex. Additionally, researchers noted that speed training focused on improving both visual processing and attention—otherwise known as divided attention.

By contrast, the memory and reasoning training did not significantly reduce the risk of dementia diagnosis. One possible reason is that those programs focused on teaching specific strategies to improve performance, while speed training relied on repeated practice without explicit instructions. That distinction may matter when it comes to strengthening automatic, unconscious thought.

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

If you’re looking to reduce your risk of dementia, cognitive training may be one piece of the puzzle. However, the study doesn’t suggest that cognitive training alone will lower your risk for dementia.

In fact, cognitive decline is influenced by many factors. A combined approach that targets multiple modifiable risk factors—including physical activity, cardiovascular health and cognitive engagement—may work together to help slow decline.

Here are some practical ways to incorporate more brain-healthy habits into your daily routine:

• Exercise regularly. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.
• Support heart and brain health through diet. Focus on whole foods high in fiber, protein and healthy fats along with colorful vegetables and fruits—all key components of the MIND diet.
• Engage your brain. Consider computer-based cognitive training programs a few times per week, along with social and intellectually stimulating activities.
• Stay on top of preventive care. Schedule regular checkups (about every six months) to monitor blood pressure, weight and lab results.

Our Expert Take

A new study published in Translational Research & Clinical Interventions suggests that a specific type of cognitive training—focused on speed, divided attention and progressively challenging tasks—may help delay the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The findings suggest that just a few weeks of structured cognitive training could have long-lasting benefits for brain health. While more research is needed, it’s an encouraging possibility that simple, accessible tools could help delay dementia diagnosis and preserve independence and quality of life as we age.

Read the original article on EatingWell