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Use it or lose it? Wii brain exercise practice and reading for domain knowledge
Phillip L Ackerman1, Ruth Kanfer, Charles Calderwood
1School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0170, USA. phillip.ackerman@psych.gatech.edu
Psychology and Aging
|September 9, 2010
Summary
Brain training with video games and reading did not improve cognitive abilities in older adults. Neither approach showed significant transfer effects on cognitive or perceptual speed measures, suggesting limited benefits for age-related cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Adult development
Background:
- Age-related cognitive decline is a growing concern.
- Cognitive activities, including brain training, are explored as potential interventions.
- Understanding training and transfer effects is crucial for effective cognitive maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the training and transfer effects of two cognitive activity approaches.
- To assess the impact of Nintendo Wii brain training and reading on cognitive abilities in older adults.
- To determine if these activities mitigate age-related cognitive decline.
Main Methods:
- 78 adults (50-71 years) participated in a 2-month study.
- Month 1: 20 hours of Nintendo Wii Big Brain Academy training.
- Month 2: 20 hours of reading current topic articles.
- Cognitive and perceptual speed tests, plus domain-knowledge tests, were administered pre- and post-training.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed on Wii tasks.
- Moderate improvements were noted on domain knowledge tests.
- Practice-related improvements occurred on 6 out of 10 ability tests.
- No significant transfer of training effects was found for either Wii or reading activities on cognitive or perceptual speed measures.
Conclusions:
- Neither Wii brain training nor reading activities demonstrated significant transfer effects on cognitive and perceptual speed abilities.
- The findings suggest limited benefits of these specific cognitive activities for enhancing broader cognitive functions in older adults.
- Further research is needed to explore effective strategies for adult intellectual development and maintenance.
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