A long-term follow-up of older adults suggests that just a few weeks of targeted cognitive training may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia decades later.
The participants were part of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, launched in 1998–1999. The trial enrolled 2,802 adults aged 65 and older and randomly assigned them to one of three cognitive training interventions:
• Memory training
• Reasoning training
• Speed of processing training
A fourth group received no training. Each training program consisted of up to 10 sessions lasting 60–75 minutes over five to six weeks. About half of the participants in the training groups were randomly selected to receive additional “booster” sessions at 11 and 35 months.
Researchers analyzed Medicare records from 2,021 participants between 1999 and 2019. Over the 20-year follow-up:
• 49% of the control group developed dementia (239 out of 491 participants).
• 40% of participants who completed speed training plus booster sessions developed dementia (105 out of 264 participants).
This represents a 25% lower incidence of dementia in the speed training group with boosters. Importantly, speed of processing training was the only intervention that showed a statistically significant reduction in dementia risk compared to the control group. At baseline, participants had an average age of 74, about three-quarters were women, and 70% were white. Roughly three-quarters of participants died during the 20-year period, at an average age of 84.
Researchers emphasize that more work is needed to understand the biological mechanisms behind these findings and to determine whether speed training could complement other brain-healthy strategies such as managing blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in regular physical activity.
Still, the results suggest that a relatively modest, non-drug intervention lasting just a few weeks may have meaningful long-term effects on brain health.
REFERENCE: Norma B. Coe, Katherine E. M. Miller, Chuxuan Sun, Elizabeth Taggert, Alden L. Gross, Richard N. Jones, Cynthia Felix, Marilyn S. Albert, George W. Rebok, Michael Marsiske, Karlene K. Ball, Sherry L. Willis. Impact of cognitive training on claims‐based diagnosed dementia over 20 years: evidence from the ACTIVE study. Alzheimer\'s, 2026; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1002/trc2.70197
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