No effect

Brain training apps are useless

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

It is said that those who regularly challenge their brain will enjoy it for longer. That's why many people train their brain with Sudokus, crossword puzzles and brain jogging apps. However, a US study shows that these apps have no demonstrable effect on memory performance and retention.

Researchers led by Neil Charness from Florida State University have bad news for users of digital and often paid-for puzzle apps. According to their studies, so-called brain jogging has no demonstrable effect on memory performance and recall. The scientists divided test subjects into two groups and measured their memory performance.

No measurable effects
One half completed a brain jogging game, while the other half worked on a number or crossword puzzle. The researchers then investigated whether the training of the working memory had a positive effect on other mental abilities such as logic, memory or processing speed. The result was sobering: neither of the two training variants had a measurable effect on memory performance.