• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SuperGuide

Superannuation and retirement planning information

  • SuperGuide Premium
  • Account
  • Log In
  • SuperGuide Premium
  • Account
  • Log In
  • How super works
    • Super for beginners
    • Super rules
    • Employers guide to super
    • Super contributions
    • Super and tax
    • Accessing super
    • Super news
    • Women and super
    • Super tips and strategies
    • How-to guides
    • Super quizzes
    • Superannuation Q&As
    • Superannuation glossary
  • Super funds
    • Best performing super funds
    • Super fund rankings
    • Best performing pension funds
    • Pension fund rankings
    • Super fund average returns
    • Super investing strategies
    • Comparing super funds
    • Choosing a super fund
    • Choosing an investment option
    • Super fund fees
    • Insurance and super
    • Super fund profiles
  • SMSFs
    • SMSFs for beginners
    • SMSF administration
    • SMSF checklists
    • SMSF compliance
    • SMSF investing
    • SMSF pensions
    • SMSF strategies
    • SMSF Q&As
  • Plan your retirement
    • Retirement planning for beginners
    • When should I retire?
    • How long will I live?
    • How much super do I need?
    • Will I get the Age Pension?
    • How much will I spend in retirement?
    • Financial advice
    • Retiring overseas
    • Preparing for retirement
    • Retirement planning strategies
    • Retirement calculators and reckoners
  • In retirement
    • Income in retirement
    • Super lump sums
    • Super pensions
    • Age Pension
    • Working in retirement
    • Life in retirement
    • Senior concessions and services
    • Aged care
    • Estate planning
    • Super death benefits

Home / In retirement / Life in retirement / Some brain training programs are backed by evidence. Here’s how to pick them

Some brain training programs are backed by evidence. Here’s how to pick them

February 23, 2017 by The Conversation Leave a Comment

Reading time: 4 minutes

On this page

  • Less than 40% of programs come with evidence
  • How to pick an effective program
  • Identifying programs least likely to work
  • Training programs to prevent cognitive decline

Brain training has been touted as a way to prevent age-related cognitive decline. Many products are available for purchase. But are any actually effective?

We reviewed the merits of peer-reviewed clinical intervention studies that investigated commercial computerised brain training products in healthy people aged over 50 years.

We identified seven programs whose claims of efficacy were supported by evidence, but only two of these met our highest standards. These were BrainHQ and Cognifit.

Exercises from BrainHQ continuously adjusted difficulty depending on how the user was performing. One set of exercises included matching pairs of confusable syllables, reconstructing sequences of verbal instructions, and identifying details in a verbally presented story.

Other sets of exercises are visually engaging – for example, in one of the exercises the user is assumed to be a gardener. To grow plants, the user has to match pictures after they appear briefly on screen, one after the other.

Exercises from Cognifit contain 21 different tasks. In one of the tasks a hot-air balloon flies in the sky. On its way, it lands on different clouds. The user has to remember and reproduce its exact route.


Advertisement
SuperGuide Premium is ad-free

In another task, a letter grid appears in the centre of the screen. A picture of a well-known object appears in the lower left corner of the screen and the user has to find the name of this object spelled out in the letter grid.

Overall, both programs provided reasonable clinical evidence to support healthy brain ageing. Healthy brain ageing is a broad term that focuses on sustaining cognitive function and capacity to function independently as we age.

Less than 40% of programs come with evidence

To determine if particular brain training exercises are effective, it’s important to look at the scientific evidence behind these exercises and the purpose for which they are recommended (for example, to promote healthy brain ageing, or for dementia or other neurological diseases), and to understand the principle behind the design of such exercises.

We identified 18 computerised brain training programs available across the world that were marketed with scientific claims. Of these, only seven programs (less than 40%) had been assessed by peer-reviewed studies that reported formal outcome measures of the programs on specific cognitive domains such as memory, reasoning, processing speed and executive functions. We selected studies that had been conducted in healthy adults, aged at least 50 years.

Trials were regarded as “well designed” if they were randomised clinical trials with a control group. They were classified as being of high, moderate or poor quality as rated from one to ten on a checklist. Trials with a score greater than six are deemed high quality; trials with scores between five and six are moderate quality; and those with a score less than five are poor quality.

An example of a brain training activity on BrainHQ.
Screenshot, BrainHQ

We classified the seven computerised brain training programs into three categories according to the strength of the evidence supporting their claims of efficacy. This process included an examination of the quantity and quality of the clinical trial applied in each instance.

Compare super funds

Read more...

Advertisement

Level one

Programs in this category had at least two well-designed randomised controlled trials, one of which was of high-quality design. Two brain training programs met these criteria (BrainHQ and Cognifit).

Level two

Programs in this category were supported by only one randomised controlled trial of high-quality design. Three programs were classified at this level (Cogmed, BrainAge 2 and My Brain Trainer).

Level three

Programs in this category were supported by only one randomised controlled trial of moderate or poor design. Two were rated at this level (Dakim and Lumosity).

Our findings indicate some computerised brain training programs are backed by evidence in their claim to assist in promoting healthy brain ageing. However, such programs must be further validated using brain imaging methods to investigate their mechanism of action.

How to pick an effective program

Brain training programs feature different exercises that particularly target specific cognitive domains such as memory, reasoning, speed of processing, and executive functions. Effective exercises are mostly designed on the principle of the brain’s capability to rewire and reconnect – the neuroplasticity principle. Such computerised exercises are adaptive according to a person’s capability, continuously challenging and audio and/or visually interactive.

Some features to look for in deciding whether a program is right for you include:

Advertisement
  • the program is recommended for your specific purpose – for example, healthy brain ageing, rehabilitation, learning and concentration
  • the program is scientifically validated
  • the program is adaptive and engaging
  • the program is continuously challenging
  • the program features audio and/or is visually interactive
  • the program provides feedback about your progress.

Programs that train the brain to be more responsive using specific tasks and increasing levels of difficulties are thought to help rewire neural pathways according to the neuroplasticity principle.

Identifying programs least likely to work

In our review process, we identified 18 brain training programs. Of these, 11 had no clinical trials or empirical evidence to indicate they were effective in promoting healthy brain ageing.

Programs that train the brain to be more responsive are thought to help rewire neural pathways.
Screenshot, Cognifit

To spot the programs without adequate evidence, one option is to go to the program’s website and identify whether the company provides links to specific studies relevant to your purposes.

Most of the websites provide only supportive evidence – that is, they do not refer to specific clinical trials, but instead quote the principles of the brain’s ability to rewire or reconnect, or cite studies that used other programs. Very few have a list of studies that directly measured the impact of the program in question.

Findings from studies that are randomised, double-blinded (both the investigator and the user don’t know if the intervention is real or only a placebo) and have a control group that meets the gold standard of clinical trials are more reliable than non-randomised trials without any control conditions.

Training programs to prevent cognitive decline

However, evidence concerning how or where these software programs affect plasticity in brain cells or connections within the brain is lacking. Assessments using specific biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease (or other neurodegenerative diseases) such as blood and brain imaging would considerably enhance clinical validation of brain training programs. This would also enable greater understanding of the connection between computerised brain exercises and human cognition, and provide an insight into new therapeutic pathways.


Advertisement

It’s possible computerised exercises that are adaptable and continuously challenging may help the brain to rewire lost connections that are linked with dementia later in life. At the moment, however, there is little evidence computerised brain training programs can help prevent dementia onset. Thus, more longitudinal follow-up studies are required.

Regardless of whether new neural pathways are established, some mental exercises may work simply by increasing the blood circulation in the brain, similar to physical exercise. Thus, healthy brain ageing may be achieved by maintaining or improving cognitive functions via avenues such as brain training, but neuroplasticity principle social interaction, exercise, diet and other lifestyle strategies.

Tejal Shah, Visiting Fellow , Edith Cowan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Want to understand the super and pension rules in retirement?

Become a SuperGuide Premium member and access independent expert commentary on important retirement rules, including taking a super lump or starting a super pension, working in retirement, the Age Pension rules, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and the latest super rates and thresholds.

Includes performance rankings for 235 super funds and 166 pension funds, more than 600 articles, how-to guides, checklists, tips and strategies, calculators, case studies, quizzes and a monthly newsletter.

Find out more


Learn more about life in retirement in the following SuperGuide articles:

Reverse mortgages: What are they and how do they work?

December 2, 2020

Age Pension rates (March 2020 to March 2021)

September 18, 2020

Age Pension calculator: How much could you be eligible for?

September 18, 2020

Case studies: How is the Age Pension assessed?

September 17, 2020

How to maximise your Age Pension

September 17, 2020

Am I eligible for the Age Pension?

September 3, 2020

What is the Pension Loans Scheme, and how does it work?

September 2, 2020

What government services are available for older Australians?

September 1, 2020

How to make super contributions after you’ve retired

July 8, 2020

Video: Wellbeing in retirement

July 1, 2020

Worried about your post-virus finances? 10 tips to help stretch your retirement dollars

April 1, 2020

What strategies can I consider to reduce tax on my super pension?

April 1, 2020

Minimum pension payments for 2020/21 (including calculator)

April 1, 2020

Is a bucket strategy the solution for your retirement income plan?

March 23, 2020

How does your super affect the Age Pension?

March 1, 2020

Introduction to aged care

February 13, 2020

What concession cards are available for Seniors and Pensioners?

January 15, 2020

Your simple guide to state Seniors Cards: How they can save you money

January 1, 2020

How to choose an investment option for your super pension

December 11, 2019

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: What it is and how to apply

October 15, 2019

Have you got an exit plan? The importance of estate planning

September 4, 2019

Who gets your super when you die? A guide to death benefit nominations

July 12, 2019

Starting a pension from your super

July 1, 2019

Related topics

In retirement Life in retirement

IMPORTANT: All information on SuperGuide is general in nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether any information on SuperGuide is appropriate to you before acting on it. If SuperGuide refers to a financial product you should obtain the relevant product disclosure statement (PDS) or seek personal financial advice before making any investment decisions. Comments provided by readers that may include information relating to tax, superannuation or other rules cannot be relied upon as advice. SuperGuide does not verify the information provided within comments from readers. Learn more

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

How super works
Super for beginners
Super rules
Employers guide to super
Super contributions
Super and tax
Accessing super
Super news
Women and super
Super tips and strategies
How-to guides
Super quizzes
Superannuation Q&As
Superannuation glossary
Super funds
Best performing super funds
Super fund rankings
Best performing pension funds
Pension fund rankings
Super fund average returns
Super investing strategies
Comparing super funds
Choosing a super fund
Choosing an investment option
Super fund fees
Insurance and super
Super fund profiles
SMSFs
SMSFs for beginners
SMSF administration
SMSF checklists
SMSF compliance
SMSF investing
SMSF pensions
SMSF strategies
SMSF Q&As
Plan your retirement
Retirement planning for beginners
When should I retire?
How long will I live?
How much super do I need?
Will I get the Age Pension?
How much will I spend in retirement?
Financial advice
Retiring overseas
Preparing for retirement
Retirement planning strategies
Retirement calculators and reckoners
In retirement
Income in retirement
Super lump sums
Super pensions
Age Pension
Working in retirement
Life in retirement
Senior concessions and services
Aged care
Estate planning
Super death benefits
Advertisement
Compare super funds

Join SuperGuide Premium and give your retirement plans a boost.

Get access to independent expert commentary on the latest super, retirement and SMSF issues, including the top performing super and pension funds, how much super is enough, the latest super rates and thresholds and new super measures and strategies.

You’ll have access to more than 600 articles, how-to super guides, checklists, tips, calculators, reckoners and other tools, as well as a monthly newsletter.

Find out more

Footer

Important: Disclaimer

All information on SuperGuide is general in nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs.

You should consider whether any information on SuperGuide is appropriate to you before acting on it.

If SuperGuide refers to a financial product you should obtain the relevant product disclosure statement (PDS) or seek personal financial advice before making any investment decisions.

Learn more

About SuperGuide

SuperGuide is Australia’s leading superannuation and retirement planning website. Learn more

Superguide Pty Ltd ATF Superguide Unit Trust as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR) is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Independent Financial Advisers Australia, AFSL 464629

  • Contact us
  • Advertise on SuperGuide
  • Careers

Before using this website

  • New to SuperGuide?
  • Terms and Conditions of Use
  • Financial Services Guide
  • Privacy Policy and Privacy Collection
  • Copyright Policy
  • Editorial Policy and Complaints
  • Disclaimer

  • SuperGuide Premium
  • Subscriber feedback
  • Sitemap