Brain Training Games

In 2005 Nintendo released Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?, sold globally under the name Brain Age, for their DS Console. This kick started the rise of the brain training game. By March 2011 Brain Age had sold 19 million copies world wide, making it clear people loved training their brains with fun games. But did they work?

At the hight of Brain Age’s popularity in 2007 Ichiko Fuyuno investigated the game for the journal Nature’s news feature ‘Brain Craze’. He summed up the research communities skepticism towards the platform nicely: “In promotional material for the game, Kawashima says that daily training on these activities can ‘help to prevent a decrease in brain function'. He promotes the idea that these types of activity enhance blood flow to the brain’s prefrontal cortex — the region of the brain that regulates aspects of memory, reasoning and some of the other complex behavours that deteriorate with age. Many neuroscientists and gerontologists are skeptical of the claims made for Brain Age and similar games, saying that there is scant evidence that any type of brain exercise can halt”.

Although Brain Age might not impact on cognitive functioning, researchers continue to be interested in the idea of brain training games. One study has looked at the use on games similar to Brain Age to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.