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Training on the computer could prevent dementia
Dementia includes deficits in cognitive, emotional and social skills and can lead to significant impairment of social and professional functions. Researchers have now discovered that a special computer-aided training software can reduce the risk of developing dementia by up to 48 percent.
In a long-term study, scientists from the University of South Florida found that our risk of dementia can be reduced by as much as 48 percent using training software on a computer. The preliminary results now show for the first time that this type of intervention can delay the disease. The experts published the results of their study at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto, reports Reuters.
Scientists have now discovered that special computer-based learning programs can influence the development of dementia. (Image: Ocskay Mark / fotolia.com) Experts doubt long-term benefits of computer-based training software
To date, psychologists and neuroscientists have largely rejected the evidence that computer-based cognitive training software or so-called "brain games" may have an impact on human cognitive function.
What are the treatment options for dementia??
Dementia can affect both women and men. However, an occurring dementia in women can very quickly have dire consequences. Because women are more affected by the effects of Alzheimer's. Dementia affects above all our short-term memory, but also the ability to think, language and motor skills. In some cases, the entire personality structure changes. A small number of forms of dementia are reversible, with some of the other forms offering therapeutic interventions. These only delay the symptoms. There are some harbingers who may point to dementia. For example, ever-increasing depression may indicate the onset of dementia.
Study divides subjects into three different test groups
The current study analyzed the effects of cognitive training programs on 2,785 healthy older adults. She used the data from an older study. The participants were divided into three different groups in this study. One of the groups trained to improve memory. The second group trained reasoning and the third group worked with a computer program on the speed of information processing, the scientists explain.
What included computer-aided training in the study?
Computer-aided training was all about visual perception, the doctors say. Subjects were asked to quickly identify various objects on a screen. With every correct answer the program became heavier.
Some subjects were given additional sessions two years later
The subjects participated in ten one-hour sessions in a classroom. The complete examination went over a period of five weeks. However, some of the participants received four additional sessions after one year. Another two years later, there were another four sessions, the researchers say.
Physicians examine the subjects over a period of ten years
The physicians immediately examined the cognitive and functional changes. If the subjects participated in the training program for one, two, three, five, or ten years, a re-examination was conducted, reports Reuters. So the scientists wanted to determine if this type of treatment really helps in performing daily tasks.
Computer-based training leads to unexpected success
The data from these older studies have now been included in the study of a computer-assisted brain training program. Dr. Jerri Edwards of the University of South Florida conducted a secondary analysis of the 10-year data. This time, however, the physicians were looking for dementia and how long affected people already suffered from the disease. The researchers found that computer-aided training for rapid processing of information meant that participants actually had a 33 percent lower risk of developing dementia. For the other two groups, such a positive change could not be detected, Dr. Edwards, according to Reauters.
Eleven or more sessions reduced the risk of dementia by up to 48 percent
When subjects participated in eleven or more sessions to improve their speed of information processing, their risk of developing dementia declined by as much as 48 percent during the study, explains Edwards. This finding could also be clinically relevant. (As)