WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Researchers at McGill University in Montreal ran a clinical trial with 92 healthy people aged 65 and older with no cognitive problems.
The study, called INHANCE (Improving Neurological Health in Aging via Neuroplasticity-based Computerized Exercise), divided the participants randomly into two groups of 46. Each person spent 30 minutes a day for 10 weeks doing an activity on a computer or mobile device.
One group used BrainHQ, a brain-training program, while the other group played regular fun games that were not meant to train the brain.
At the start and end of the study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans with a special tracer to measure how much acetylcholine, a brain chemical that helps with learning and memory, was being made.
At the end of the study, the BrainHQ group showed a 2.3 percent increase in acetylcholine production in the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain linked to learning, memory, attention, and decision-making. However, the control group did not show any major change.
Notably, BrainHQ has already been studied in more than 300 research projects. One study published last year in Healthcare found that certain BrainHQ exercises helped older adults process visual information faster.
The researchers advised that just like exercising your body keeps you fit, regularly challenging your brain can help keep it healthy. However, playing regular games on your phone isn't the same as doing targeted brain training.
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