Brain games a scam?

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

Are these brain game companies like Lumosity just a scam? They promise that playing these computer games everyday will improve overall cognitive ability. Or are you just improving your ability to beat the games?

[vorlon13]

They might slow the progression of Alzheimers, but so does doing the crossword puzzle in the paper, and I suspect that actually works better.

[Confused Ape]

They might slow the progression of Alzheimers, but so does doing the crossword puzzle in the paper, and I suspect that actually works better.

Some people prefer video games to doing crossword puzzles, though.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I did read a study looking at those brain games on the Nintendo DS a couple of years back (brain training and the like).

It concluded that the claims of the manufacturer that they helped your 'brain age' were irresolvable or suspect.

I'll try and dig it out if I can remember where I saw it.

[Chad32]

Sudoken will probably work just as well for the older crowd that remembers a time when we didn't have video games.

[SteelCurtain]

I rolls with the USA Today puzzles page. Takes me about 30 minutes to do both sides. That's enough brain games for me.

[FlyingNarwhal]

I know Luminosity says that their games "use the science of neuroplasticity," and all neuroplasticity means is the ability to learn. Its basically a scam.

[Confused Ape]

I did read a study looking at those brain games on the Nintendo DS a couple of years back (brain training and the like).

It concluded that the claims of the manufacturer that they helped your 'brain age' were irresolvable or suspect.

I'll try and dig it out if I can remember where I saw it.

I found this article dated October 30, 2013 on the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft website.

How video gaming can be beneficial for the brain

Video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills. This has been shown in a new study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus.

In order to investigate how video games affect the brain, scientists in Berlin have asked adults to play the video game “Super Mario 64” over a period of two months for 30 minutes a day. A control group did not play video games. Brain volume was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In comparison to the control group the video gaming group showed increases of grey matter, in which the cell bodies of the nerve cells of the brain are situated. These plasticity effects were observed in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum. These brain regions are involved in functions such as spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning and fine motor skills of the hands. Most interestingly, these changes were more pronounced the more desire the participants reported to play the video game.

[Clueless Morgan]

I play sudoku on my phone and have been looking for a good slide puzzle game for my phone but can't find them, as well as "kakuro" puzzles (math crosswords that are deceptively fun but I'm not positive that's what they're called...)

Don't care about luminosity games since these ones work for me and I like them and their free or cheap.

[Chad32]

Sudoku I meant, apparently. it's what grandma likes, but she's the only person who's ever said the word to me.