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Putting brain training to the test

Author

Listed:
  • Adrian M. Owen

    (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK)

  • Adam Hampshire

    (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK)

  • Jessica A. Grahn

    (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK)

  • Robert Stenton

    (King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Said Dajani

    (King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Alistair S. Burns

    (University of Manchester and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre)

  • Robert J. Howard

    (King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Clive G. Ballard

    (King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK)

Abstract

A no trainer? Although the public spends millions of pounds per year on various 'brain training' programs, the efficacy and performance of these training regimes remain unclear. In a collaboration with the BBC science series Bang Goes The Theory, Adrian Owen and colleagues conducted a six-week trial of various online training regimes. And although they observed improvements on the specific tasks used for training, the authors concluded that any improvements failed to transfer to other untrained cognitive tasks.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian M. Owen & Adam Hampshire & Jessica A. Grahn & Robert Stenton & Said Dajani & Alistair S. Burns & Robert J. Howard & Clive G. Ballard, 2010. "Putting brain training to the test," Nature, Nature, vol. 465(7299), pages 775-778, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:465:y:2010:i:7299:d:10.1038_nature09042
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09042
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    Cited by:

    1. Ardalan Eslami & Najah T. Nassif & Sara Lal, 2023. "Neuropsychological Performance and Cardiac Autonomic Function in Blue- and White-Collar Workers: A Psychometric and Heart Rate Variability Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Pickersgill, Martyn & Broer, Tineke & Cunningham-Burley, Sarah & Deary, Ian, 2017. "Prudence, pleasure, and cognitive ageing: Configurations of the uses and users of brain training games within UK media, 2005–2015," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 93-100.
    3. Gruszka, Aleksandra & Nęcka, Edward, 2017. "Limitations of working memory capacity: The cognitive and social consequences," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 776-784.
    4. Shira Cohen-Zimerman & Ran R. Hassin, 2017. "Implicit Motivation Makes the Brain Grow Younger: Improving Executive Functions of Older Adults," Discussion Paper Series dp705, The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
    5. Hua Tang & Mitchell R. Riley & Balbir Singh & Xue-Lian Qi & David T. Blake & Christos Constantinidis, 2022. "Prefrontal cortical plasticity during learning of cognitive tasks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Catherine Borness & Judith Proudfoot & John Crawford & Michael Valenzuela, 2013. "Putting Brain Training to the Test in the Workplace: A Randomized, Blinded, Multisite, Active-Controlled Trial," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-8, March.
    7. Cameron M Clark & Linette Lawlor-Savage & Vina M Goghari, 2017. "Working memory training in healthy young adults: Support for the null from a randomized comparison to active and passive control groups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-25, May.

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