Do brain training games actually work?

Question: Do brain training games actually work?

Asked by lani to Chris, Emily, Martin, Natalie, Tamsin on 20 Mar 2010 in Categories: Theories.
- Natalie Stanford answered on 20 Mar 2010:
  
  I’m not completely sure about this one. I’m not sure how much it helps your cognitive ability above an beyond what doing a crossword each day would do, but I think it does work for getting better at the tasks that are on the training game. Which isn’t a bad thing. And if you enjoy them why not play them!
- Chris Cooper answered on 20 Mar 2010:
  
  it depends what you mean by work? In terms of increasing blood flow to the brain some of my collaborators have done an interesting study to show that do indeed they activate the brain, increasing blood flow. They use light to detect this and did a demonstration that should be on the new series of “Bang Goes the Theory” on the BBC. If you look at the web page you can see other studies they have done on baby’s brains (and comedians!)
  
  See: http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/research/nirs/
  
  (interestingly this is Emily’s old department – it is sometimes a small world in science).
  
  But back to your question – lots of thinking activates the brain. So I am not sure there is anything special about brain training games themselves. There is a “use it or lose it” theory that suggests keeping your brain active can ward off Alzheimer’s. The BBC are doing a study on this at the moment that you can join in called Brain Test Britain
  
  https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/braintestbritain
- Martin Coath answered on 21 Mar 2010:
  
  These questions go on getting better 😀
  
  The evidence goes both ways at the moment so the real answer is that we need to understand this much better before we decide.
  
  The benefit of brain training games (like the ones you play on games consoles) is not accepted by many people. But the lifelong benefit of keeping your brain active all the time with thinking hobbies (playing chess, doing crosswords and so on) is pretty clear from the evidence.
  
  I don’t see any reason why a crossword shouldn’t be called a “brain training game” – do you?
  
  Anyway – we should be sceptical about some of the claims made by people trying to sell us computer games until we know much more.
- Emily Cook answered on 22 Mar 2010:
  
  They certainly help people get better at arithmatic so I’d say yes.
  Anything that can make maths even slightly more fun has got to be a good thing.

Question: Do brain training games actually work?

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