3609: Does Brain Training Work? More Food For Thought by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Improving Cognitive Ability

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[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00] This is Optimal Living Daily. Does brain training work? More food for thought. By Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com. And I'm Justin Malek. Welcome back to our Sunday bonus episode where I think it's nice to share an episode from another podcast where we read to you. And today's comes from my brother's show, Optimal Health Daily. If you'd like more about fitness, nutrition, diet, pretty much anything health-related, you can find Optimal Health Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00] And please do follow or subscribe to Optimal Health Daily to show your support. Really helps keep this show going. But with that, let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_01] Does brain training work? More food for thought. By Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com. It was like a scene reminiscent of a Dickensian novel. Except Oliver Twist wasn't asking for more. He was saying, This doesn't work. I had been given a heads up at the beginning of last week that a paper was about to be published on the effectiveness of brain training and that it was likely to engender significant media coverage. They were not wrong. It certainly grabbed a lot of attention.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_01] One friend came up to me and said, Jenny, have you read the report that says brain training doesn't work? Yes, I said. But have you read the feedback looking at the concerns about the methodology used and the generalization of the conclusions reached? Well, no, I haven't, she said. But it was done using a very large number of people in the study. And the researchers are from Cambridge. So it must be very valid. Another friend simply expressed her relief at the headline she had heard. Thank goodness, she said.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_01] Now I don't have to worry about which game or training program I need to look at because now it's been shown they don't make a difference. Oh, no. Now, while I am delighted that the topic of brain training is out at the forefront of people's minds and that it has engendered a good deal of healthy debate, I have been dismayed at how one sweeping statement can color people's overall acceptance of what is the truth. My concern is that for the vast majority of people, the only message they've heard is,

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_01] brain training doesn't work. Period. Without any exploration of what this study did or did not really demonstrate. My first friend concluded that because the study is published in a respectable journal, because it involved a large number of study subjects, the largest of its kind to date, and its authors are academics from a well-respected academic institution, that the findings therefore must be correct and to be taken note of. My question to her, which she dismissed, was despite all that,

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_01] is it not still possible to have produced a flawed study with an incorrect or overgeneralized conclusion? Let's look at what all the fuss has been about. The study was conducted by Jessica Grahn and Adrian Owen and others from the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, in conjunction with the BBC's Bang Goes the Theory TV program. 11,430 participants were involved in the six-week online study.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_01] All were healthy adults aged between 18 and 60. They were divided into three groups. The first group undertook basic reasoning, planning, and problem-solving activities. The second group undertook more complex activities, similar to computer brain training programs, for exercise on memory, attention, math, and visual-spatial learning. The third group were asked to use the internet to research answers to trivia questions.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_01] All the participants had baseline cognitive testing done before and after the study, using tests that are commonly used in looking at brain function in older adults, who have sustained a brain injury or dementia. The study's finding reported that all three groups showed the same amount of minimal improvement, which the authors attributed to practice making perfect, and then went on to say that, therefore, the brain training, while helping you by making you practice to improve a certain mental skill,

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_01] does not translate into better overall improved cognitive functioning in everyday life. Looking a little closer at this study, the participants spent a grand total of 24 training sessions of 10 minutes each over the six-week period. So a total of 240 minutes is not very long to look at how effective a training program is. I very much doubt that if I spent three to four hours over six weeks learning Japanese, I would not have learned more than a few rudimentary words or sentences.

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_01] Learning a new skill or undertaking training takes a lot of time, consistency, practice, and effort. Is their program actually a good example of brain training? Other neuroscientists who have their own cognitive training programs have stated that in their programs, participants are required to be spending a minimum of 30 minutes per brain training session and for a minimum of 15 hours in total to see any cognitive benefit.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_01] The paper was also criticized in having poor quality control as all the subjects merely logged on to the study training program from their own homes with no regulation about what else was going on around them during the time of their quote-unquote training. The gold standard for all studies involves adequate control of all variables. Plus, the cognitive tests they used on their healthy subjects are usually used on people over the age of 60 with significant cognitive impairment.

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_01] Would anyone expect any significant improvement then in healthy individuals with such minimal training? So, what can we take from this paper? With the huge amount of money being spent in the development and sales of brain training programs, millions of dollars which is expected to increase exponentially every year, we do need better assessments of the different brain training programs out there. We need a better idea of how effective they are and whether the results marry up with the promise.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_01] Are you paying for effective cognitive training? Or, for simply a bit of fun and entertainment? The Cambridge study used their own brain training program, which had a number of limitations and was clearly shown to be ineffective. But that finding on its own does not necessarily mean all the other programs are ineffective as well. It is misleading for the results to be extrapolated to say that because their program was ineffective, therefore all brain training programs are ineffective.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01] There is a vast array of published research in the literature that reveals some very effective positive results from certain training programs. For example, what about all the existing training programs that are used to assist people who are recovering from having a stroke? Is there anyone who would dispute their value in assisting people in recovery from their brain injury? Just because one brand of whitening toothpaste doesn't do a very good job doesn't mean that all the other brands of whitening toothpaste don't work as well.

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_01] My own skeptical mind also wonders about having a TV program involved with this study. Is there perhaps a little vested interest in getting people interested in watching the TV show? A bit like the newspapers who know that bad news sells. Well, having a controversial headline produce the same effect. What the paper maybe does highlight is that there are no shortcuts to maintaining your brain or trying to improve one's mental cognition. And yes, I would certainly agree with that. I also think we need to incorporate

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_01] an array of initiatives to maintain or attempt to improve mental fitness. Brain training programs are only one facet. There is plenty of evidence supporting the notion that managing other lifestyle factors, including physical exercise, eating well, managing stress, and getting enough sleep will all help in our quest to stay mentally fit and optimize our brain health. What I suggest now is for you to grab a cup of coffee and settle down for a bit of a read for yourself.

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_01] You just listened to the post titled, Does Brain Training Work? More Food for Thought by Dr. Jenny Brockes of drjennybrockes.com

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[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01] Dr. Neil here for my commentary. As Dr. Brock has mentioned, research on specific brain training exercises to prevent cognitive decline as we age is not very conclusive. For example, would playing solitaire or sudoku daily help with keeping our brains sharp? Don't know. But it probably couldn't hurt. The exception to this would of course be a situation where someone is unable to meet their daily responsibilities because of their love of these games. What we are finding,

[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_01] more conclusively at least, is that keeping the body moving is helpful for keeping the brain young. Especially when we perform moves or poses that require our limbs to have to cross the center line of the body. We also know that staying active socially may prevent cognitive decline. Ditto for getting enough sleep and eating a diet rich in whole foods. So, if we can incorporate more of these types of behaviors, we might be able to keep our brains healthy

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_01] and maybe not have to rely as much on some of these brain training games. Alright, that'll do it for the Monday episode. I hope you have a great start to your week and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.