No proof in ‘brain-training’ games

Think you’re keeping your brain sharp by playing Sudoku on your smartphone? You’re probably just getting better at the game, according to researchers at Florida State University’s Institute for Successful Longevity. An increasing number of people believe brain training helps protect them against memory loss or cognitive disorders, said Neil Charness, the William G. Chase Professor of Psychology at Florida State University and director of the Institute for Successful Longevity. The theory behind many brain games is that if you improve overall working memory, you can enhance performance in many areas of your life. Brain games are available online and through mobile apps that typically sell for about $15 a month or $300 for lifetime memberships. In January 2016 the Federal Trade Commission fined Lumos Labs, manufacturer of the popular Lumosity brain-training games, $2 million for unsubstantiated claims that the games could help protect against dementia and improve memory. In addition to their own study, the researchers did “a comprehensive examination of the available literature and found very little compelling evidence that playing brain games increases cognitive ability or the ability to do everyday tasks such as finding your car in a parking lot or remembering where you left your keys,” said Wally Boot, associate professor of psychology, Florida State University. If you want to boost your brain, aerobic exercise beats mental exercise, Charness said. “Go for a brisk walk instead,” he said.