Cognitive mobile games improve cognitive performance and processing speed in older adults

A retrospective observational real-life study involving data from 12,000 healthy subjects shows that 100 sessions of cognitive mobile games (CMG) can improve cognitive performance and processing speed in older adults.

“Previous studies have suggested a beneficial effect of structured cognitive training using commercially available applications in healthy older adults, but evidence supporting the benefits of CMG in real-life context is still limited,” wrote the researchers. [Neuropsychol Rev 2017;27:62-80; Sci Rep 2020;doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72281-3]. “Therefore, the main objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of 100 independently undertaken CMG sessions in real-life, without specific guidelines on training frequency, and to assess how any effects may vary with age.”

The researchers selected seven CMG (Square Numbers, Memory Sweep, Word Pairs, Babble Bots, Must Sort, Unique, and Rush Back) based on a previous study that identified correlations between CMG and clinical cognitive assessments scores in older subjects. [J Alzheimers Dis 2018;64:1285-1293] The CMG scores, which were automatically recorded by the application, were anonymously analyzed for each of the five age groups: 60–64 years old, 65–69 years old, 70–74 years old, 75–79 years old, and 80 years or older. [Sci Rep 2021;11:1231]

“We observed a statistically significant linear decrease in scores with increasing participant age in all CMG and a statistically significant linear increase in processing speed for the most CMG,” reported the researchers. However, over the course of 100 sessions, participants across all age groups improved in all CMG, but progress was slower in older participants. “These results confirm that although age-related cognitive decline is inevitable, brain and, specifically, cognitive functions stay plastic throughout life,” noted the researchers. [J Aging Res 2012;2012:461592]

In Square Numbers CMG, which targets arithmetic ability, the processing speed increased during the first 50 sessions and then remained stable, with continuously increasing scores, indicating that the speed is no longer decreasing but the participants are able to perform more complex tasks.

Word Pairs word-processing CMG scores increased throughout multiple sessions in every age group, but the increase was greater for the younger participants. “Literacy engagement in adulthood enables to maintain efficient lexical processing, which is reflected by scores evolution observed in the current study, indicating that semantic learning abilities are preserved even at advanced ages,” commented the researchers. [Psychol Aging 2017;32:460-472]

“Although it was previously demonstrated that older adults experience more difficulties in task switching, we observed that older participants were able to train this function in Must Sort CMG, as exhibited by their significant improvements in processing speed,” wrote the researchers. [GERONB 2016;doi:10.1093/geronb/gbw117]

While it is widely accepted that ageing is associated with deterioration of vision and field of view, and with a decrease in selective attention, the researchers observed that the time needed to find unique objects in Unique CMG targeting visual attention has decreased in all age groups over time, indicating that this CMG is able to improve selective attention in older adults, or at least improve response speed, which is a good indicator of cognitive function. [Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017;58:860]

“Although technological devices and medical-related apps cannot single-handedly improve cognitive decline, in the absence of effective, low-cost, and accessible treatments for cognitive and motivational deficits, these brain training applications could be greatly beneficial to public health,” wrote the researchers. “An additional benefit of CMG is their availability to patients with limited mobility or during lockdowns brought about by coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic.” [Neuropsychopharmacology 2020;doi:10.1038/s41386-020-00791-9]