What is the most useful way to enhance and protect my cognitive skills as I age?  Brain exercise products, “brain fitness computer programs,” have burgeoned over the last few years to the point that they have already become a $300 million industry.   The programs promise to improve memory, attention, and creativity.  They promise to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.  The programs are heavy on marketing but lean on rigorous evaluation.  Are the programs worth the investment?  Is it better to work-face-to-face or to use a computer program?

In an attempt to answer these questions, I just read a complicated review article “Computerized cognitive training with older adults” (PLoS One, 2012, 7, e40588, 1-13).  The intent, in part, was to compare the efficacy of face-to-face cognitive training to computer based programs in healthy older adults (those over 50).  First, there are few good data to work from.  There were only 151 studies addressing the issues before July 2011 and only 38 of these were rigorous enough to be useful.  Second, the promise of slowing or preventing decline was not and has not been well addressed.

The actual cognitive benefits from the training were small.  Neither computer based program nor face-to-face training was clearly superior – both helped.  Training was often specific to the skill trained and often did not generalize either to other skills or to everyday life (a question not often or well addressed).  Computer programs and games have the advantages of instant feedback, cost, and convenience.  Face-to-face training provides the advantages of tutoring/mentoring strategies, socialization, and tailoring exercises to the individual.  Both types of training can be fun and engaging.

The decision of which way to go is driven more by taste and comfort with technology than proven empirical validation.  Either way, these training methods are similar to the older methods of memory training and mnemonics – remember Jerry Lucas and Dale Carnegie?

The main thing to remember is that the brain – even in those with mild cognitive decline -is very plastic and adaptive.  We live so much of our daily lives on long-term memory, routine, and habit.  It is only with advanced decline that these skills regress.  Much learning is unintentional and therefore living a meaningful engaged life will often let memory take care of itself as long as we don’t forget The One Minute Rule – anything given less than one minute of thought will fade from your memory.

There are multiple ways to “train” your brain.  We often learn by observing and imitating others.  We learn by practice and doing.  We learn by being read to or watching videos or movies.  We learn by solving problems.  We learn throughout life as long as our short-term memory holds well enough.

If computer games are interesting and fun for you, go ahead and do them.  But don’t forget that learning involves more than a computer program.  Learning is the ability to benefit from varied experiences.  It comes in a multitude of ways.