![]() Budson says there are at least six more that should be a priority.ġ. Budson.īut don’t overlook strategies that have already been shown to help maintain brain health, with physical activity and dedicated time for exercise topping the list. "Consider it a hobby, something you do to have fun, rather than something critically important for your brain," says Dr. That said, if you’re using an app or brain training computer program and you like it, keep doing it, in moderation. Budson says that based on the information out there, it appears that while computerized brain training programs may help people get better at specific tasks that they practice using each program, the programs don’t seem to help them do better on other, unrelated tasks or improve their cognitive performance over all. "Interestingly, some of the effects of social media seem to be linked to their tendency to increase negative emotions, working against your attempts to maintain a positive outlook," says Dr. A 2021 study published in The Journal of General Psychology said this may have to do with how scrolling on these sites affects your mood. For example, some studies have linked frequent use of social media to a higher risk of memory problems later in life. In addition to a dearth of research confirming the value of electronic brain-boosting programs, there is some additional evidence linking certain types of screen-based activities to worse brain outcomes. In 2016, the regulatory agency fined a number of companies and ordered them to purge their marketing of misleading statements. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has already moved to penalize some app and computer game makers for making claims that it deemed unsubstantiated. For example, a 2020 International Psychogeriatrics study of people ages 80 and older, which was structured much like the University of Iowa study, found no improvements in thinking or memory in either the computerized cognitive training group or the control group. Budson.īut more commonly, tests of electronic programs seem to fall flat, says Dr. ![]() The researchers found that at the end of the study period, the people in the brain training group were faster at processing information and had better working memory (a measure of how well they could recall information and apply it to tasks), compared with those who played the traditional computer games, says Dr. The researchers asked a group of adults to follow a 10-week computerized brain training program and compared them against a control group of people who played traditional computer games. Researchers from the University of Iowa published one such study in 2019 in The Journals of Gerontology. ![]() That said, there are some studies that have shown positive results, he says. And unfortunately, when researchers do use careful research methods, the benefits of using these apps and games often evaporate, says Dr. Research into these apps often hasn’t followed best research practices, such as controlling for other factors that may influence the results. But the problem is there’s not a whole lot of concrete proof that this is the case. Andrew Budson, chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.Īnd it is theoretically possible that some do - after all, there are hundreds on the market. "The companies who make these games would like you to think so," says Dr. But is it true? Can electronic products really help your brain health? These are the promises of an ever-growing number of smartphone apps and computer games being sold as a means to help protect and even improve your mind and memory. "Improve your memory." "Get a personalized brain training plan." "Keep your mind sharp." These programs can be fun, but evidence that they improve or maintain brain health is limited.
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