Cognitive Training for Older Adults: Does it Work?

The brain exercise industry, comprised of such companies as Lumosity and CogniFit, has positioned itself as the answer to cognitive decline, claiming its products have improved brain health. While it’s true that research says mental decline is not inevitable as we age and may be reversible for some people, controversy and confusion still surround the effectiveness of cognitive training in older adults. The industry is unregulated and its research claims often come from marketing departments, not from science.

As the brain exercise business is set to become a $2 billion industry this year, the American Institutes for Research hosted a conversation on how policymakers, practitioners and researchers can work together to evaluate claims about the benefits of cognitive training. Experts talked about what types of programs are needed now—with the aging of the baby boomer population—and what role new technologies can play. The panelists also covered what current research says about the efficacy of these exercises and go over other ways adults can maintain brain health.

Continue the conversation by following @Health_AIR and using the hashtag #AIRAging.

Watch a recording of the full event:

Panel

George Rebok
Senior Advisor
Center on Aging at AIR

Michelle Carlson
Associate Professor
Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University

Tony Gentry
Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy
Virginia Commonwealth University

Robin Lea West
Professor
Everyday Memory and Aging, University of Florida

Moderator

Marilyn Moon
Director
Center on Aging at AIR