With age comes a natural decline in cognitive function, even among otherwise healthy adults without dementia. A new study finds that a cognitive training program may boost production of a brain chemical that plays a role in memory and attention.
Participants who completed game-like activities through BrainHQ, an online subscription program, showed increased production of acetylcholine, sometimes called the “pay attention” chemical. The process that produces acetylcholine in the brain is called the cholinergic system.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal led a clinical trial of 92 people ages 65 and older. All were healthy, meaning they had not been diagnosed with a cognitive disorder.
In the study, called INHANCE (Improving Neurological Health in Aging via Neuroplasticity-based Computerized Exercise), participants were randomly split into two groups of 46. Both groups were asked to spend 30 minutes a day doing an assigned activity on a computer or mobile device for 10 weeks.
People in the intervention group did BrainHQ exercises, while those in the control group played games designed for entertainment.
