Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
I do brain training every morning. For roughly 5 minutes i do different games that are purported to improve and train my memory, speed, attention, maths, language and problem solving. But do these forms of brain training really work? Will it improve my intelligence or my general daily performance? What about neurodegenerative diseases? Are there alterative, better methods such as exercise, walking, reading or language learning?
Well, i was on the case.
But generally it seems the verdict is no. There is very little evidence to support any benefit of "brain-training" and there may actually be some negatives. But, given this new insight, will i change my daily habit? Well, you'll have to watch to find out. ;)
Find me on Twitter - twitter.com/EleanorSheekey
I have Patreon - patreon.com/TheSheekeyScienceShow
REFERENCES:
“A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community,” Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Stanford Center on Longevity, accessed (add date), http://longevity3.stanford.edu/blog/2014/10/15/the-consensus-on-the-brain-training-industry-from-the-scientific-community/
brainhq.com/longevityresponse
Improvement in executive function for older adults through smartphone apps: a randomized clinical trial comparing language learning and brain training - doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2021.1991262
Better with age: the psychology of successful aging / Alan D. Castel.
Oxford University Press, [2019]
Icons in intro; "freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background"Background vector created by freepik - freepik.com
I do brain training every morning. For roughly 5 minutes i do different games that are purported to improve and train my memory, speed, attention, maths, language and problem solving. But do these forms of brain training really work? Will it improve my intelligence or my general daily performance? What about neurodegenerative diseases? Are there alterative, better methods such as exercise, walking, reading or language learning?
Well, i was on the case.
But generally it seems the verdict is no. There is very little evidence to support any benefit of "brain-training" and there may actually be some negatives. But, given this new insight, will i change my daily habit? Well, you'll have to watch to find out. ;)
Find me on Twitter - twitter.com/EleanorSheekey
I have Patreon - patreon.com/TheSheekeyScienceShow
REFERENCES:
“A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community,” Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Stanford Center on Longevity, accessed (add date), http://longevity3.stanford.edu/blog/2014/10/15/the-consensus-on-the-brain-training-industry-from-the-scientific-community/
brainhq.com/longevityresponse
Improvement in executive function for older adults through smartphone apps: a randomized clinical trial comparing language learning and brain training - doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2021.1991262
Better with age: the psychology of successful aging / Alan D. Castel.
Oxford University Press, [2019]
Icons in intro; "freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background"Background vector created by freepik - freepik.com
