Abstract:
This study examined the effect of a commercially available cognitive training product, Brain Age, on the objective and subjective cognitive abilities of 40 older adults. Of particular interest was the effect on speed-of-processing, as this type of training was implied by the game design. A 2 (time of measurement) x 2 (group) design was used to compare a weekly-contact control to a group playing the game three times a week for 30 minutes at a time over a four week period. The game play intervention showed significant improvement over the controls and within participants on a Stroop Color-Word test, a skill directly trained in the game. No other significant effects were found on objective or subjective cognitive measures, though some trends in the data suggest the possibility of small effects on some measures. Within the game play group, frequency and time spent playing did not significantly affect scores. These findings suggest that the effect of commercial products is largely isolated to skills trained and expectations about the benefits of these products should be modest.
