Computer Games Boost Brain Power

[Angel]

Computer games designed to increase mental activity may improve cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

New research from Barcelona, Spain reveals Internet-accessible computer activities were even better at stimulating the mind than the traditional exercises used with dementia patients.

Researchers tested 46 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. All participants were taking cholinesterase inhibitors, the most common medication for treating the disease, for at least one year before the study started.

Researchers divided the patients into three groups. One group got only the cholinesterase inhibitors. A second group took part in an Integrated Psychostimulation Program (IPP) -- a daily program that included cognitive stimulation tasks, musical therapy, arts and crafts, and physical activity. The third group participated in IPP and also used an interactive multimedia internet-based system (IMIS) that let them do various cognitive stimulation tasks at different levels of difficulty. Patients underwent 20-minute IMIS sessions three times a week for 24 weeks.

Researchers report that after 12 weeks of treatment, patients in the IPP and IMIS group had improved cognitive function and performance compared to the control group, and maintained the improvements at 24 weeks. Those who only had IPP improved at 12 weeks, but the effects diminished by 24 weeks.

"While Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative condition, studies have shown that in the early stages, the brain is still able to learn and change," writes study co-author James T. Becker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. "This indicates that increasing brain activity, especially in regards to memory and cognition, may help stave off cognitive loss in people with Alzheimer's."