Engaging in specific cognitive speed training may significantly reduce the risk of dementia for at least two decades, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data from a 1990s experiment involving 2,802 older adults who underwent cognitive speed exercises designed to enhance processing speed.
The study found that individuals who completed eight to ten one-hour sessions of cognitive speed training, along with booster sessions, showed a 25% lower likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia over the subsequent 20 years.
"We now have a gold-standard study that tells us that there is something we can do to reduce our risk for dementia," stated lead author Marilyn Albert, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "It's super-exciting to see that these effects are still holding 20 years out."
This form of training appears to trigger implicit learning, an unconscious skill acquisition process that may lead to more enduring cognitive benefits. A representative exercise involves quickly identifying vehicles and their locations on a screen, with increasing difficulty and distractions.
While the initial study involved a modest amount of training, ongoing research, such as the PACT study, is exploring whether increased training durations yield even greater benefits. However, experts suggest that even the lesser amount of training demonstrated significant long-term impact.