A new clinical trial led by McGill University has provided the first human evidence that online brain training can improve the brain's learning and memory systems. The study found that older adults who used the BrainHQ app, designed like a game, for 10 weeks showed noticeable improvements in cholinergic function, a vital brain chemical system linked to attention, memory, and decision-making.
This system typically declines with age, but the findings suggest that regular mental exercises through such apps can help strengthen brain function and possibly slow cognitive aging. This landmark study, published in JMIR Serious Games, represents a pivotal advancement in leveraging digital interventions to enhance cognitive resilience and brain health among older adults.
"The training restored cholinergic health to levels typically seen in someone 10 years younger," said senior author Dr Etienne de Villers-Sidani, an Associate Professor in McGill's Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and neurologist at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital).
"This is the first time any intervention, drug or non-drug, has been shown to do that in humans," he said.
Because Alzheimer's disease is linked to sharp declines in cholinergic health, the results help explain previous findings that such exercises can lower dementia risk and enhance cognitive performance. The researchers suggest this type of brain training could serve as a safer alternative to medication or work effectively alongside it.
BrainHQ features speed-based cognitive games that adapt to become more demanding as users improve, an approach supported by hundreds of scientific studies.
"A lot of people assume crossword puzzles or reading are enough to keep the brain sharp. But not all activities truly promote neuroplasticity," said de Villers-Sidani.
Since BrainHQ is already commercially available, clinicians can discuss it with patients who want to take an active role in maintaining or improving brain health, he added.
To track brain changes, researchers used a special PET scan and tracer that makes cholinergic reserves visible on the scan, allowing them to see how active the cholinergic system was before and after training.
"We used a rare technology," said de Villers-Sidani. "The Neuro is one of the few centres worldwide that can produce the tracer and run the scan."
The study enrolled 92 healthy adults aged 65 and older. Participants were randomly assigned to either BrainHQ training or an active control using computer games designed for entertainment. Each group was assigned their activity on a tablet for 30 minutes per day for 10 weeks. Only the BrainHQ group showed gains in cholinergic activity. The researchers are planning a follow-up study to test the program in people with early-stage dementia.
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