Brain training doesn't add up, British study finds

Afraid you're losing your mental sharpness? Computer brain training games can improve your performance -- but only on these computer games,  a British study suggests. They appear to do little for broader reasoning and cognitive skills.

"I remain unconvinced that brain-training products ... are efficacious for slowing the onset of illnesses [like] dementia or protecting brain health over and above the normal activities we already advise older adult to engage in," such as remaining socially active and maintaining interests, he said in an interview. He was not involved in the British study.

Still, he has two concerns with the study. First, the people who participated were adults under 60, so they are probably in fine cognitive shape, barring illness. "When you try to show the benefit of something, no matter whether it's a pill or another intervention, you have to have enough movement on the test to show that something is working if you are already doing well. It would have to be a whopping effect and there wasn't one," he said.

Second, the "dosage" was small, Snyder said. The participants were asked to train for at least 10 minutes a day, three times a week for at least six weeks. That adds up to only four hours over the study period, which seemed modest to Snyder.

By agreeing to participate in the online study, the participants were also likely to already be Internet savvy, Snyder said, which may make them different from people over 60 for whom worries about brain fitness may be more urgent. A statement from the BBC said the study is continuing for more than 1,000 participants who are over 60. They will be tested after a total of 12 months.