“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Or can you?
Science has now upended what Grandpa used to tell us!

The debate about whether the aging brain can still grow new neural connections (neurogenesis) has raged for decades. Trends in Neuroscience recently published an article touting strong evidence of neurogenesis that continues as we age and supports the validity of brain training for folks in their 60s, 70s, and beyond. A new study in Psychological Review confirms this concept and presents research on the brain benefits of repetition to form new habits and change real-life outcomes.

Equally exciting, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience recently published research on the effectiveness of an online brain training program for treating attention disorders. Seventy-five participants with self-reported ADHD between the ages of 18 and 30 were recruited to use the online ‘game’ designed to strengthen sustained attention. While the research focused solely on attention measures and did not evaluate other underlying cognitive causes of ADHD, results showed significant improvements in attention.

Whether online, in person, or in a group setting, current research is confirming the hope that brain training works!

MBJ

Check out the original research:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.12.001

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/067603v4

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00002/full