Brain training Test and Improve Your Memory
Which? Archive
This article, Brain training, was last updated on 25 February 2009 and is now out of date and held in our online archive for reference. Explore our latest Technology articles.
What it is: PC CD-Rom
Price: £9.99
From: Focus Multimedia
What the company says
‘Scientific evidence has shown that regular brain training, as offered by the CD, can help defer the onset of age-related brain decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s. It claims that in just 20 minutes a day, the CD will help increase thinking ability, prevent brain aging, and hone memory, language, concentration, visual/spatial skills and executive function.’
The evidence
Focus Multimedia has carried out research using the program. People in the studies mentioned were asked to do the exercises on the CD for a period of time, then did the same exercises again and were assessed for whether they had improved.
Our experts say
Adrian Owen said: ‘It is hardly surprising that they improved. The results are nothing more than proof that practising a specific task improves performance on that task. It doesn’t mean that any aspect of their general mental ability improved.’
Paul Howard-Jones said: ‘In any case, as many everyday tasks are also highly stimulating, the benefits of using this product may depend on what you’d be doing otherwise. For example, if they were using this software instead of washing the car then greater benefits would be expected than
if it was used instead of playing chess.’
Chris Bird played down the claimed link between brain-training exercises and reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. He said: ‘The company offers no evidence that the product can do any such thing. The argument linking brain-training sessions to Alzheimer’s is, in any case, extremely tenuous. It’s difficult to see how the claims made can be supported as none of the research that was mentioned has been published in reputable scientific journals.
Which? member says
Tony Pickard, 69, said: ‘It was fun, had a good variety of exercises, and seemed to keep the mind active. It was very good value at £9.99, but unlike Brain Training on the Nintendo DS, which I had already, you can’t take it everywhere with you.’