Brain and Memory Games May Be as Much Hype as Help

In an Aug. 20 press release, the University of Michigan (U of M) announced findings that, although brain and memory games are popular and fun, they may be more hype than help for some.

This latest research was conducted by Cindy Lustig, a U of M assistant professor of psychology, and David Bissig, a U of M graduate, currently at Wayne State University in Detroit. Although such training programs don't work for everyone, Lustig's and Bissig's research didn't completely dismiss them, finding they may be beneficial for some.

As baby boomers become older, more of them are looking to brain and memory training programs. And companies have not overlooked this marketing opportunity. For example, Nintendo's Brain Age 2 will be on store shelves Aug 21 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $149.99. According to the Nintendo website, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day is the sequel to the original game the company designed for baby boomers and seniors. The sequel includes 15 new games said to help players exercise their brains in the areas of math, memorization and music.

However, Lustig and Bissig say that not all programs such as these have been shown to really work. And for those game systems that do work to improve memory, scientists are yet to understand just how and why. Also, the older the player is and the less memory ability they have, the less likely it is that the person will benefit.

Lustig and Bissig selected a memory training program that has been used both with healthy older adults and people in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease. In their study, they asked what was the difference between people who showed big benefits from training and those who showed little or no benefit.

What they found was that for a person to improve their memory, the person needs to not only work hard, but also work smart. For example, study participants in their 60s and 70s spent most of their time on studying the materials, but very little on the test. The results were that they showed large improvements over the testing sessions.

On the other hand, study participants 80 years old and older spent very little time studying, but spent most of their time on the test. These participants did poorly and showed very little improvement, even after two weeks of training.

The researchers concluded that what matters in terms of memory is not only how much a person spends on trying to remember something, but where that person puts their efforts.

When all is said and done, says Lustig, "in most memory training programs, the people who likely need training the most - those 80 and older and people with lower initial ability - improve the least."

As a result of their findings, Lustig said her laboratory "is now working on training people of more advanced age and lower education to use the strategies that our most successful participants used, to see if we can boost the performance of these potentially at-risk groups. A stitch in time saves nine - and studying at the right time just might save your mind."

The findings of Lustig's and Bissig's research are published in the August issue of Psychological Science in a research article entitled "Who Benefits From Memory Training?"

Sources:

Press release, Does Playing the Brain/memory Game Really Help?; http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/532631/

Nintendo; http://www.nintendo.com/newsarticle?articleid=p6YV_H74y2x8JQibfas6FxvBRZAW42VD&page=newsmain

Psychological Science, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/psci/18/8