The New BRAIN Games

Brainpower boosters. Memory masters. Vendors are pushing puzzles and selling video games as a sure-fire means of sharpening the mind or even preventing disease. Do these systems deliver on their promises or are they 21st century snake oil?

Baycrest researchers respond with mild scepticism. “People are looking for quick fixes,” says Dr. Gordon Winocur, a Baycrest psychologist and senior scientist at The Rotman Research Institute. He doesn’t believe people can get any more cognitive growth from most of these games than they can from staying active as part of their natural way of life.

Dr. Guy Proulx, Baycrest’s head of psychology, finds the very concept of a brain game too simplistic. He doesn’t see the need for most people to use them, especially in their 40s and 50s when other things may be the problem. He asks, “Does the problem reflect memory per se, or are they depressed or not aging well?”

To help consumers decipher scientific- sounding claims, Dr. Don Stuss, vice-president of research at Baycrest and the Reva James Leeds Chair in Neuroscience and Research Leadership, says to ask the right questions: “Are these games based on the best knowledge of brain functions, to maximize and train these functions? Have the products been scientifically validated?” Dr. Stuss is concerned that people will buy unhelpful products and become frustrated when they don’t work.

Thus, consumers may need to do a little homework, looking at whether any studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals with experimental control groups, adequate sample sizes, and different populations. Even if they report statistically significant improvement, there’s still a question of whether the results on a single laboratory task under controlled conditions can generalize to real-world behaviour.

“There are a lot of claims out there,” says Dr. Proulx. “People need to be careful about what those claims are built on. Show me the facts, I always say.”

The facts are that current findings undercut many claims. Dr. Deirdre Dawson, an occupational therapist and scientist at Baycrest, notes, “There’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that practising a hard task over and over will improve your overall memory.”

Dr. Winocur elaborates on this point. “There’s probably not too much you can do in terms of enhancing memory capacity. You can’t make the hippocampus, a brain structure that is very important for memory, better or stronger,” he explains. “But you can make better use of what you have.”

Dr. Deirdre Dawson Dr. Winocur cites lab evidence that shows the mental performance of animals given lots of toys and running wheels “shot right up.” In fact, bland and boring environments lowered their scores. Thus, evidence suggests that an enriched, stimulating environment will support optimal cognitive function.

For humans, that means keeping active. “It’s really important to stay engaged and active. Crossword puzzles and Suduko are probably good for blood flow,” Dr. Winocur speculates, “but there’s no substitute for physical stimulation and social interaction.”

As for mental challenges, he counsels, “Do anything intellectually stimulating that gives you pleasure. If you have the capacity and stamina, do as much as you can. It doesn’t have to be as challenging as Suduko, though. Choose activities that interest you the most.”

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