A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community (Summary)

October 20, 2014

Computer-based “brain-games” claim a growing share of the marketplace in aging societies. Consumers are told that playing the games will make them smarter, more alert, and able to learn faster and better. The implied and often explicit promise is that adherence to prescribed regimens of cognitive exercise will reduce and potentially reverse creeping cognitive slowing and forgetfulness, improve everyday functioning, and help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

It is customary for advertising to highlight the benefits and overstate potential advantages of their products. In the brain-game market, however, advertisements also assure consumers that claims and promises are based on solid scientific evidence, as the games are “designed by neuroscientists” at top universities and research centers. These claims are reinforced through paid advertising and distributed by trusted news sources. Thus, a group of cognitive scientists and neuroscientists felt obliged to issue a direct statement to the public: The strong consensus of this group is that the scientific literature does not support claims that the use of software-based “brain games” alters neural functioning in ways that improve general cognitive performance in everyday life, or prevent cognitive slowing and brain disease. Much more research is needed before firm conclusions on these issues can be drawn. To quote the summary statement:

“We object to the claim that brain games offer consumers a scientifically grounded avenue to reduce or reverse cognitive decline when there is no compelling scientific evidence to date that they do. The promise of a magic bullet detracts from the best evidence to date, which is that cognitive health in old age reflects the long-term effects of healthy, engaged lifestyles. In the judgment of the signatories below, exaggerated and misleading claims exploit the anxieties of older adults about impending cognitive decline. We encourage continued careful research and validation in this field.”

For more information about views from the scientific community, see the full statement.

Signed: List of participants; *indicates that the signer has a current conflict of interest, defined as having financial interests (research funding, stock options, or stocks) in the brain gaming or competing (e.g., pharmacological) industries.

Jason C. Allaire, Associate Professor of Psychology, North Carolina State University, USA
Lars Bäckman, Professor of Psychology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden
David A. Balota, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Daphné Bavelier, Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, USA; and Professor of Psychology and Educational Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Robert A. Bjork, Professor of Psychology, University of California – Los Angeles, USA
Gordon H. Bower, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University, USA
Todd S. Braver, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Randy L. Buckner, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Harvard University, USA
Silvia A. Bunge, Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of California – Berkeley, USA
Roberto E. Cabeza, Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, USA
Laura L. Carstensen, Professor of Psychology, Director, Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford University, USA
Fergus I. M. Craik, Senior Scientist, The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre, University of Toronto, Canada
Martin Dresler, Assistant Professor, Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Emrah Düzel, Director, Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, University Hospital Magdeburg, Germany
Gilles O. Einstein, Professor of Psychology, Furman University, USA
Randall W. Engle, Professor of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Alexandra M. Freund, Professor of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Adam H. Gazzaley*, Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California – San Francisco, USA
Paolo Ghisletta, Professor of Psychological Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
C. Shawn Green, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA
Michael D. Greicius, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, USA
Lynn Hasher, Professor of Psychology and Senior Scientist, The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre, University of Toronto, Canada
Christopher K. Hertzog, Professor of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Charles Hulme, Professor of Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, England
Larry L. Jacoby, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Susanne M. Jaeggi, Assistant Professor – School of Education, University of California, Irvine, USA
Michael J. Kane, Professor of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA
Julia Karbach, Professor of Psychology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany
Matthias Kliegel, Professor of Psychology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Arthur F. Kramer, Professor and Director, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, USA
Jutta Kray, Professor of Psychology, Saarland University, Germany
Simone Kühn, Senior Researcher, Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany
Kenneth M. Langa, Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan, USA
Shu-Chen Li, Chair of Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
Leah L. Light, Professor of Psychology, Pitzer College, USA
Ulman Lindenberger, Director, Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany.
Robert H. Logie, Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, UK
Martin Lövdén, Professor of Psychology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden
Cindy Lustig, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA
Michael Marsiske, Associate Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, USA
Mike Martin, Professor of Gerontopsychology and Gerontology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Mara Mather, Professor of Gerontology and Psychology, University of Southern California, USA
Ulrich Mayr, Professor and Head, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA
John J. McArdle, Professor of Psychology, University of Southern California, USA
Mark A. McDaniel, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Anthony R. McIntosh, Professor of Psychology and Director, The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre, University of Toronto, Canada
Anne C. McLaughlin, Associate Professor of Psychology, North Carolina State University, USA
Monica Melby-Lervåg, Professor of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
Lars Nyberg, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Umea University, Sweden
Klaus Oberauer, Professor of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Denise C. Park, Professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, USA
Harold Pashler, Professor of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, USA
Walter J. Perrig, Professor of Experimental Psychology & Neuropsychology, Universität Bern, Switzerland
Patrick Rabbitt, Professor of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, England
Naftali Raz, Professor of Psychology and Director of Life Span Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, USA
Patricia A. Reuter-Lorenz, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Michigan, USA
Henry L. Roediger, III, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Timothy A. Salthouse, Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia, USA
Gregory Samanez-Larkin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Yale University, USA
Daniel L. Schacter, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, USA
K. Warner Schaie, Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at University of Washington, and Professor Emeritus of Human Development and Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Florian Schmiedek, Professor for Methods of Developmental and Educational Psychology, German Institute for International Educational Research, Germany
Richard J. Shavelson, Professor Emeritus of Education, Stanford University, USA
Craig Stark, Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California – Irvine, USA
Ursula M. Staudinger, Professor of Psychology, Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, USA
Elsbeth Stern, Professor of Learning and Instruction, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland
Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow, Professor of Educational Psychology and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, USA
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, Professor of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Anthony D. Wagner, Professor of Psychology and Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, USA
Sherry L. Willis, Research Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, USA
Robert S. Wilson, Professor of Neurological Sciences and Psychology, Rush University Medical Center, USA
Jerome A. Yesavage, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, USA
Jeffrey M. Zacks, Professor of Psychology, Washington University in St Louis, USA
Rose T. Zacks, Professor, Emeritus, of Psychology, Michigan State University, USA
Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Professor of Gerontology, University of Southern California, USA


Citing this statement:

“A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community,”  Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Stanford Center on Longevity, accessed (add date), https://longevity.stanford.edu/a-consensus-on-the-brain-training-industry-from-the-scientific-community-2/