New study: playing a computer game may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 25% for 20 years

The study was published in the scientific journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia and is based on long-term follow-up of participants in the ACTIVE study – one of the largest and most comprehensive clinical trials ever conducted in the field of cognitive training in the elderly.

As part of the study, almost 3,000 men and women aged 65 and over, without significant cognitive decline at the beginning, were examined, who were included in a multicenter trial. The participants were randomly divided into four groups: visual information processing speed training, memory training, logical thinking training, and a control group without cognitive training.

The training that was found to be particularly effective, information processing speed training, included computerized tasks in which the participants were asked to quickly identify objects on a screen and make decisions in a short time, while processing information that also appears in the peripheral field of vision. This is a skill that is very similar to the way the brain works while driving, crossing a road or navigating an environment full of stimuli.

The result was striking: among those who performed the speed training and also received the follow-up sessions, there was a 25% decrease in the risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared to the control group. In contrast, participants who performed speed training without refresher sessions, or those who participated in memory or logical thinking training, did not demonstrate a similar advantage.

According to the researchers, one of the possible reasons for the unique effectiveness of speed training lies in the difference between explicit learning and implicit learning. While memory training is based on conscious memorization of information, speed training activates unconscious learning mechanisms, similar to learning to ride a bicycle. These processes involve different areas of the brain and are considered to be more durable and stable over time.

Another key concept that may explain the findings is cognitive reserve, the ability of the brain to cope with degenerative damage without manifesting clinical symptoms. Speed ​​training, the researchers believe, may activate wider neural networks and strengthen the brain’s resistance to future disease processes.

The experts emphasize that this is not a single solution or a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. Alzheimer’s is a complex and multifactorial disease, but the findings add to a growing body of evidence according to which it is possible to influence the risk of developing dementia through preventive actions. Previous studies have pointed to the importance of physical activity, balancing metabolic risk factors, treating hearing and vision impairments, social activity, and even certain vaccines, such as the shingles vaccine, which has been linked to a decreased risk of dementia.