It’s no secret that keeping your mind active is key to warding off dementia, but there is a heap of misinformation about what being ‘active’ entails.
Scientists have announced that popular brain training apps like Luminosity, Elevate and Cognito won’t actually help in preventing the onset of dementia. While the apps have never explicitly claimed to help prevent the illness, advertisements often suggest that a trained brain leads to a far healthier one.
In research released by the Global Council On Brain Health UK, these claims have been labelled “exaggerated” and the council have stated that these apps don’t provide any proven long-term health benefits. The report suggested that while performance in a particular game may improve, it does not have wider effects on the health of one’s brain.
Experts behind the research want people to understand that while it is never too late to work on your brain health, starting sooner rather than later will bear far better results in the long-term. Strategies they recommend implementing include socialising more often, learning a new skill (such as a language or creative endeavour) and participating in a physical activity that requires mental engagement, like yoga, tennis or dance.