• Posted September 17, 2024

Could 'Brain Training' Exercises Help Slow Alzheimer's Symptoms?

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 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