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Brain training – can a game really protect you from dementia?

18 June 2026

About this episode

In this episode ofĀ Change Your Mind, Science Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson ask whether brain training is finally shaking off its flaky reputation and if a simple computer game could really cut your risk of dementia. For years, Sudoku and brain game apps promised to ā€œkeep your brain youngā€, then were largely dismissed as only making you better at the game itself. So why is brain training back in the headlines now?

Cat speaks toĀ Professor Marilyn Albert, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins, about her study that recently linked a specific kind of speed‑processing training to aĀ 25% lower risk of dementia.Ā  But is this finding too good to be true? Or should we all be signing up to give this brain training game a go?Ā 

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠

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