Speed-of-Processing Cognitive Training Reduces Long-Term Dementia Risk, suggests study

A new study published in the journal of Alzheimer’s & Dementia found that speed-of-processing cognitive training with booster sessions was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia over 20 years. In contrast, memory and reasoning training did not significantly reduce dementia risk.

The findings come from follow-up research tied to the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, one of the largest and longest randomized controlled trials examining whether cognitive training can protect aging brains. While cognitive exercises have long been marketed as a way to sharpen memory and thinking, their very long-term impact on dementia risk has remained uncertain.

This research linked data from ACTIVE participants to Medicare claims spanning 1999 to 2019. To be included in the analysis, participants had to be enrolled in traditional Medicare at the start of the study, which resulted in a final sample of 2,021 older adults. Dementia diagnoses were identified using the Chronic Conditions Warehouse algorithm, for detecting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

The original ACTIVE trial randomly assigned participants into speed-of-processing training, memory training, reasoning training, or a control group. Some participants also received “booster” training sessions months and years after the initial program. The participants who completed at least one booster session had a 25% lower risk of being diagnosed with ADRD compared to controls.

Statistically, their hazard ratio was 0.75, meaning their risk was significantly reduced. The confidence interval ran from 0.59 to 0.95, which indicated the finding was unlikely to be due to chance. In contrast, speed-trained participants who did not complete any booster sessions showed no protective benefit. Their hazard ratio was 1.01, with a confidence interval of 0.81 to 1.27, effectively no difference from the control group.

Memory and reasoning training groups did not demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in dementia risk. Only the speed-focused training appeared to produce long-term protective effects. The study compared dementia risk across training groups using hazard ratios (HRs). A hazard ratio below 1.0 suggests reduced risk, while a value above 1.0 suggests increased risk. 

Only the speed-training group with booster sessions met that threshold. Overall, the findings suggest that improving the brain’s ability to quickly process information may delay the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. 

Source:

Coe, N. B., Miller, K. E. M., Sun, C., Taggert, E., Gross, A. L., Jones, R. N., Felix, C., Albert, M. S., Rebok, G. W., Marsiske, M., Ball, K. K., & Willis, S. L. (2026). Impact of cognitive training on claims-based diagnosed dementia over 20 years: evidence from the ACTIVE study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia (New York, N. Y.), 12(1), e70197. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70197