Could ‘Brain Training’ Exercises Help Slow Alzheimer’s Symptoms?

What stands out here is not just the idea of “brain training,” but the challenge of separating a meaningful signal from a small, selected study group. People with mild cognitive impairment recruited from memory clinics are already at higher risk than the average older adult, so results from this kind of population may not translate neatly to community settings. That matters because interventions can look more effective when the participants are motivated, monitored and already engaged in care.

The comparison group also matters. A training programme can differ from “no training” in many ways besides the memory drills themselves: structure, attention, social contact, routine and confidence. Those factors may help with day-to-day functioning even if they do not directly change the biology of Alzheimer’s disease. So a slower decline is encouraging, but it does not automatically prove the exercise is altering the underlying disease process.

The durability of benefit is promising, yet it raises a practical question: what is needed to sustain it? A one-off intervention may be easier to deliver than repeated coaching, but real-world use often depends on access, follow-up and whether people can keep applying strategies over time. For many older adults, the most realistic takeaway is not a cure-like promise, but a reminder that cognitively active habits may support resilience alongside medical evaluation, sleep, physical activity and management of vascular risk.

For readers, the cautious interpretation is this: memory training may be a useful tool for some people at risk, but its value depends on individual diagnosis, support and expectations. The question is less whether “brain games” work in general, and more which structured approaches help which patients, under what conditions, and with what lasting benefit.

Key Takeaways

  • Memory training can help seniors fight thinking declines
  • Seniors who got memory training had less decline than those who didn’t
  • Protection from the training lasted at least five years
TUESDAY, Sept. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Brain training aimed at improving memory can ward off symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease for years, a new study claims. Seniors experienced a slower decline in their memory and thinking abilities after undergoing brain training, compared to others who didn’t get the training, researchers found. This benefit persisted for five years after the seniors got the brain training, results show. “These results are important because this kind of intervention is non-pharmacological — there are no drugs involved — and can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected,” said lead researcher Original Postrofessors-directory/researcher/is/in14272/" shape="rect">Sylvie Belleville, research chair in cognitive neuroscience of aging and brain plasticity at the University of Montreal. For the study, 145 seniors with mild cognitive impairment were recruited from memory clinics in Montreal and Quebec City between 2012 and 2015. One-third of the seniors were randomly assigned to receive training in memory strategies. They worked on things like memorizing the names of people, remembering lists of items or tasks and focusing their attention to better memorize. Another third underwent training to help their overall psychological well-being, such as techniques in anger management and problem-solving. The final third received no training at all. The initial results “showed that early intervention can improve cognitive function in people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” Belleville said in a university news release. “We had also observed cerebral changes showing these people had compensated mentally for their memory loss.” In the latest paper, published Sept. 12 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, researchers recontacted study participants five years after that experiment, to see if the benefits held over time without repeated training. The research team “still observed that the benefits on memory and that a measure of dementia had not changed at all in the treated group, whereas there was a decline in the untreated group,” Belleville said. Those with memory training had less memory decline, and they also scored better on a screening test for cognitive ability, results showed. The findings “underscore the potential of cognitive training as a preventive approach for cognitively vulnerable older adults, reducing cognitive decline and potentially delaying the onset of dementia,” the study concluded. “Furthermore, it is noteworthy that these enduring effects were achieved through a relatively brief, cost-effective intervention that can be readily implemented as a preventive measure for at-risk individuals,” researchers added. More information Harvard Medical School has more on training the brain. SOURCE: University of Montreal, news release, Sept. 12, 2024

What This Means For You

Seniors should talk with their doctor about potential ways to train their brain to improve their memory and thinking abilities.
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/neurology/could-brain-training-exercises-help-slow-alzheimers-symptoms

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