No simple solution to complex dementia

If you received a brain-training device in your Christmas stocking, enjoy it — but don’t expect it to cut your risk of getting dementia, despite what the marketing of such devices might lead us to believe.

Only a few months back, results from a University of South Florida study claimed that a brain-training computer game reduced dementia risk among 3,000 healthy older people who played it over five weeks in a classroom setting and who were assessed 10 years later.

The results, which were presented to the Alzheimer’s Association annual meeting in Toronto, suggested those who were assigned speed-processing training showed a 33% reduction in dementia or cognitive impairment compared to those who received no training.