There is a long-standing idea that games for the brain, such as puzzles and memorization exercises, can help prevent negative effects of aging. Recently, the applications for the phone with different tasks for memorizing and the reaction rate have become popular. But are these cognitive games really affect mental work?
What is cognitive training?
Cognitive training, also known as brain training, is a neurmacological approach, which includes the implementation of a number of regular mental actions aimed at maintaining or even increase human mental abilities. Some of the cognitive abilities to which the training is affected include:
Attentiveness
Cognitive flexibility
Solution of problems
Indement
Working memory
In addition to this special brain training, there are also more general forms of mental training that can help preserve or improve mental training and cognitive functions. This more general mental training is aimed at maintaining the brain in a "good form", in much the same way as exercises improve and maintain physical health. General types of mental training can take various forms, including exercise, video games, maintaining social activity and participation in creative activity.
The ability to memorize can help you learn something new
Potential advantages
These classes are aimed at helping people become more successful in learning, solving problems and reasoning for different topics. Some of these brain training sessions are aimed at helping people to remember or improve their ability to focus on the task. Such abilities are apparent in everyday life. The ability to pay attention can help you focus on lecture in the audience or perform tasks without distracting. The ability to memorize can help you learn something new or quickly remember the names of new acquaintances. Given the importance of these skills, it is not surprising that the researchers have long been interested in the question whether such abilities may imprise.
Causes to start training
The slowdown in the cognitive recession associated with aging. Mental abilities that tend to decline with age include information processing speed, response time, decision making, short-term memory and planning skills. The brain training can be useful for catching up of these abilities and can help reduce the risk of some age problems. For example, one study 2016 has shown that training aimed at improving the data processing rate reduces the risk of developing dementia in the future of 10 years.
Treatment of violations. There is also hope that some types of brain training can be useful for solving certain types of violations or problems. For example, in 2020, the FDA approved a brain training game, intended for the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity syndrome. Treatment is carried out using a video game, which, as shown in several clinical trials, improves attention in children with ADHD. Such results show the potential that can have a brain training.
Medical evaluation of efficiency
Researchers for decades studied the impact of the brain training. Nevertheless, there is still surprisingly few uniform opinions on the effectiveness of cognitive training. Although there are research confirming the idea that certain exercises for training the brain can improve certain cognitive skills, there are other studies that came to opposite conclusions.
Does the skills in the real world are transferred? There are data that confirm the effectiveness of the brain training. In one large-scale study, it was found that the mental training improves the cognitive functions of the elderly, which leads to long-term improvements in the real world, such as the ability to remember when taking medicines. But not only the aging brain wins from cognitive training. Studies also show that brain training games can help improve executive functions, such as working memory and data processing speed, in young people.
Why the results may differ
Then the question arises why some studies confirm the positive effect of cognitive training, while others did not find such an effect? Several factors can affect the work.
Not all types of brain training are equal: The wide character of the "cognitive training" means that different studies may not look at the same occupation. Types of brain training used in studies may have different effects in both laboratory conditions and in how these skills can subsequently be transferred to the real world.
Some of it can help more than others: It is also important to note that most of the research does not take into account individual differences. Memory training can be useful for people who experience certain disorders of memory, but people with normal abilities may experience less significant effects.
Limited effects: One review review showed that, although the brain training can be useful, it is most effective in the long run. Permanent classes will give the result, while the one-time training will be essentially useless.
Is it worth trying a brain training?
Cognitive training exercises improve skills such as detection of patterns, increasing the speed of thinking and memorizing lists. Such skills are developing in mobile applications. However, there are some things you need to remember before trying these websites, games or applications:
Many companies engaged in brain training exaggerate the benefits of their products. Researchers have to be revealed, which elements make training effective. Studies also did not identify what types of training or what a combination of workouts is necessary to be effective under various conditions or problems. Types of applications and games available to consumers are usually not tested from a scientific point of view to demonstrate their accuracy or efficiency.
There is a lot of ways to develop the brain
Some useful exercises for the brain:
Consider in the head
Draw a memory card
Learn a new language
Learn to play musical instrument
Remember lists and check your memory
Play Sudoku
Collect puzzle
In addition to such a cognitive training, you can do other things that will help take care of your brain. Classes that can improve your brain health include regular exercises, social activity and meditation.