A long-term study, the first of its kind in the world, has found that just over a month of simple mental exercises can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 25%.
These findings come as the number of people living with dementia is expected to reach 2 million by 2050, increasing the burden on healthcare systems and making the search for prevention methods an urgent priority.
The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, are a follow-up to the ACTIVE (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Older Adults) study, the largest randomized controlled trial evaluating cognitive training in the United States.
20 years of research
The study included more than 2,000 participants aged 65 and older, followed for 20 years, and randomly divided into three groups that received different types of mental training, in addition to a control group that received no training.
One program focused on so-called “dual speed and attention training” through a computer task called Double Decision, in which participants were shown a scene of a car and road sign for several seconds before it disappeared, and were asked to identify the type of car and the location of the sign.
As the participant’s performance improves, the exercises become progressively more difficult, the distractions increase, the cars become more similar, the background becomes more complex, and the brain is stimulated to activate wider areas.
The other two groups received training to improve verbal memory, thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Importance of booster sessions
Approximately half of the participants received an additional booster session. After one year of basic training, I received four sessions, and about three years later, I received four more booster sessions. Results after 20 years showed that participants who received dual speed training and attention training with booster sessions had a 25% lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared to the control group.
In contrast, the remaining programs, such as speed training without additional sessions, showed no significant effect on dementia rates.
“Although there is considerable skepticism about the usefulness of brain training, our results provide strong evidence that brain training can reduce the risk of dementia,” said study leader Marilyn Albert, professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University.
He added that the magnitude of the effect was surprising, noting that repetition and gradual changes in task difficulty may be important factors in achieving the effect.
reserved opinion
Despite the positive results, some experts expressed concerns. Professor Baptiste Laurent from University College London noted that the primary analysis showed no clear statistically significant differences between the groups, and that the positive results were based on a single sub-analysis, making the evidence debatable.
Dr Susan Koolhaas from Alzheimer’s Research UK also cautioned that the study does not prove that training directly prevents dementia, as the diagnosis was based on health records rather than detailed clinical tests, and that it was not possible to say with certainty about the effects of training on the brain diseases that cause dementia.
additional research required
Experts agreed that additional research needs to be conducted to understand how this type of training works, identify which groups benefit most from it, and understand how it can be combined with known strategies to protect brain health, such as practicing regular physical activity, managing blood pressure and heart health, maintaining social connections, and adhering to a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Alarming numbers in Europe and the UK
This follows a recent report by the European Organization for Alzheimer’s Disease, which predicts that the number of people with dementia on the continent will increase by nearly two-thirds over the next 25 years, primarily due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Deaths from dementia are rising faster than expected in the UK, with around 2,500 additional deaths recorded in the UK last year alone, new data reveals.
As cases continue to rise, experts recently proposed 56 evidence-based recommendations to reduce the risk of dementia, including improving hypertension control and increasing public health awareness.
