This article falls under the area of that behavioral intervention can improve the human brain’s cognitive functions. Scientists are of the opinion that brain training games have a direct impact on cognition and the ability to stimulate activities, proving a person’s mental fitness. According to Al-Thaqib (2018), after the experiment, there were various improvements in the subjects’ cognitive abilities, including attention and motor speed (p. 1). For their study, the experts used the participant method; that is, real volunteers took part in the survey.
During natural aging, the body undergoes various changes, including changes in the brain. That is, cognitive functions, including memory and attention, deteriorate with age. The researchers decided to investigate the effect of brain training games on cognition, as it is essential to consider effective interventions in brain aging. Indeed, many analyses in this area prove to stimulate mental abilities, including memory, reaction speed, attention, and other cognitive tasks. At the same time, there are studies that do not prove the presence of any consequences of cognitive games. These analyzes, although they do not confirm successful studies, do not refute them either.
Lumosity is a brain training app available on iOS and GooglePlay. Researchers have used this app because it is affordable and easy to use. All participants were initially randomly divided into two groups, active and control. The first group received training for 21 days for 10-30 minutes a day, while the control group began using the app without prior training (Al-Thaqib et al., 2018). The group members played such games as Memory Matrix, Speed Match, Face memory, Rotation Matrix, and others. The app selected by experts illuminates and analyzes many aspects of human cognitive abilities. These include memory, attention, the flexibility of thinking, and speed of problem-solving.
To obtain more reliable results, scientists have decided to conduct their analysis using the observation method. A short mental health survey was conducted among the participants. They were asked questions assessing various cognitive functions and included queries on attention and memory. In addition, venous blood samples were taken from all participants for analysis (Al-Thaqib et al., 2018). Thus, participants’ mental abilities were assessed before they started using the Lumosity app and after they used it three weeks later.
In total, 72 people took part in the study, most of whom were men. Scientists analyzed all the data obtained, calculated errors, the number of tests, and the timing. As a result, there has been a significant improvement in performance metrics in Lumosity compared to the first day. In addition, when analyzing the results of the control group, no significant difference was found between the first and second groups. Moreover, an assessment of the likely relationship between the blood test and cognitive function showed a positive effect of BTG Lumosity on the cognitive function of young people who participated in the experiment. These findings only support the positive effects of brain training games on mental performance.
Based on the experiment conducted by scientists, without a doubt, we can say about the improvement of cognitive functions. Nevertheless, despite the absence of significant differences between the active and control groups, the second group was inferior. It did not show such effective results in a number of parameters as it happened with the first group. The learner, the active group, also showed improvements in the accuracy of criteria such as attention, speed, memory, and hand-eye coordination (Al-Thaqib et al., 2018).
Thus, progress in stimulating mental processes concerning memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed with BTG is closely related to the training of cognitive areas. These are the areas that scientists, in their research, call flexibility, tension, and speed. However, there are no big differences in both groups, both in blood tests and in cognitive markers.
To provide a preliminary understanding of the relationship between BTG and cognitive function, the researchers initially conducted a study on a young population (mean age 25). For a more accurate clinical result, it is also necessary to conduct an experiment among older people or sick patients (patients with Alzheimer’s disease and degenerative disorder). Despite this, the effectiveness of games for training the brain has still been proven.
Thus, brain training games can effectively improve the cognitive brain function of teenagers and adults. In addition, the relationship between blood markers and cognitive functions has also been identified. Readers would be interested in this article because nowadays, most people have a bias toward computer games. Even society has a bias against computer games (e-sports), and this article may suggest that moderate play of computer games can benefit cognitive brain function.
Reference
Al-Thaqib, A., Al-Sultan, F., Al-Zahrani, A., Al-Kahtani, F., Al-Regaiey, K., Iqbal, M., & Bashir, S. (2018). Brain training games enhance cognitive function in healthy subjects. Medical Science Monitor Basic Research, 24, 63-69. Web.