title: Putting brain training to the test.
abstract: 'Brain training', or the goal of improved cognitive function through the regular use of computerized tests, is a multimillion-pound industry, yet in our view scientific evidence to support its efficacy is lacking. Modest effects have been reported in some studies of older individuals and preschool children, and video-game players outperform non-players on some tests of visual attention. However, the widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve general cognitive function in the wider population in our opinion lacks empirical support. The central question is not whether performance on cognitive tests can be improved by training, but rather, whether those benefits transfer to other untrained tasks or lead to any general improvement in the level of cognitive functioning. Here we report the results of a six-week online study in which 11,430 participants trained several times each week on cognitive tasks designed to improve reasoning, memory, planning, visuospatial skills and attention. Although improvements were observed in every one of the cognitive tasks that were trained, no evidence was found for transfer effects to untrained tasks, even when those tasks were cognitively closely related.
authors.affiliation: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK. adrian.owen@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Adrian M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hampshire
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Grahn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stenton
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dajani
authors.forename: Alistair S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Clive G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ballard
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003201:Computers; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 1990;28(10):1021-34
references.pmid: 2267054
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2003 Mar;6(3):316-22
references.pmid: 12592404
references.citation: Brain. 2010 Jan;133(Pt 1):234-47
references.pmid: 19903732
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1997 May;131(2):196-206
references.pmid: 9201809
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2000 Mar 15;20(6):RC65
references.pmid: 10704519
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 1985 Feb;99(1):3-21
references.pmid: 4041231
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 2006;44(2):229-37
references.pmid: 15979109
references.citation: Brain. 1992 Dec;115 ( Pt 6):1727-51
references.pmid: 1486458
references.citation: Front Hum Neurosci. 2008 Mar 28;1:8
references.pmid: 18958222
references.citation: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Apr;57(4):594-603
references.pmid: 19220558
references.citation: Psychol Med. 2002 Apr;32(3):429-38
references.pmid: 11989988
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 1995 Mar;33(3):261-8
references.pmid: 7791994
references.citation: Alzheimers Dement. 2009 Jan;5(1):50-60
references.pmid: 19118809
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2007 May 2;27(18):4832-8
references.pmid: 17475791
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 1996 Feb;8(2):353-64
references.pmid: 8714706
references.citation: Neuropsychopharmacology. 1999 Feb;20(2):119-30
references.pmid: 9885792
references.citation: Appl Neuropsychol. 1995 May;2(2):72-8
references.pmid: 16318527
references.citation: Neuropsychologia. 1993 Jul;31(7):627-44
references.pmid: 8371837
references.citation: Dev Sci. 2009 Jan;12(1):106-13
references.pmid: 19120418
references.citation: Brain. 1996 Oct;119 ( Pt 5):1597-615
references.pmid: 8931583
references.citation: Science. 2000 Jul 21;289(5478):457-60
references.pmid: 10903207
references.citation: Nature. 2003 May 29;423(6939):534-7
references.pmid: 12774121
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Jan;165(3):260-9
references.pmid: 12417966
references.citation: Brain. 1988 Jun;111 ( Pt 3):695-718
references.pmid: 3382917
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 2000 Feb;157(2):275-7
references.pmid: 10671401