It seems Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training was well worth the time and effort spent scrawling numbers in rapid succession, as a brand new scientific study has revealed it could offset the aging of your brain by years.
In a new scientific study, 92 adults (adverage age of 72) were told to spend just 30 minutes a day playing speed-based mental exercises, like Nintendo’s very famous Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training. Well, the results have been revealed, and it turns out it’s a lot more beneficial for your brain than many thought.
Brain Training could offset almost a decade of mental decline
The study itself revealed that adults who took part in mental exercises for half an hour each day showed a 2.3% increase in acetylcholine activity, a key chemical linked to memory and attention. As such, the boost could offset around ten years of typical age-related decline.
Essentially, older adults who regularly played quick-thinking and reaction-based games similar to Nintendo’s Brain Training showed small but measurable improvements in brain activity. The study found higher acetylcholine binding in regions tied to attention and learning, including the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus.
Brain Training first launched on the Nintendo DS in 2005 and became known for turning cognitive exercises into short, daily challenges. Players practiced quick math, memory recall, and reaction time, all designed to keep the mind active. Now this new research suggests that these types of exercises can support brain health in later life.
It is not a cure or a way to reverse aging, but it does show that keeping your brain engaged might help slow some of its natural decline. Plus, you get to see Dr. Kawashima’s shocked face for half an hour a day, so it’s not all bad.
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