Putting brain training to the test

Owen, Adrian M.; Hampshire, Adam; Grahn, Jessica A.; Stenton, Robert; Dajani, Said; Burns, Alistair S.; Howard, Robert J.; Ballard, Clive G.

doi:10.1038/nature09042

Cited by 1,056Cognitive Abilities and TestingCognitive Functions and MemoryNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Putting brain training to the test

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Owen, Adrian M., Hampshire, Adam, Grahn, Jessica A., Stenton, Robert, Dajani, Said, Burns, Alistair S., Howard, Robert J., Ballard, Clive G.·2010·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature09042PMC PMC2884087

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Abstract

'Brain training', or the goal of improved cognitive function through the regular use of computerized tests, is a multimillion-pound industry, yet in our view scientific evidence to support its efficacy is lacking. Modest effects have been reported in some studies of older individuals and preschool children, and video-game players outperform non-players on some tests of visual attention. However, the widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve general cognitive function in the wider population in our opinion lacks empirical support. The central question is not whether performance on cognitive tests can be improved by training, but rather, whether those benefits transfer to other untrained tasks or lead to any general improvement in the level of cognitive functioning. Here we report the results of a six-week online study in which 11,430 participants trained several times each week on cognitive tasks designed to improve reasoning, memory, planning, visuospatial skills and attention. Although improvements were observed in every one of the cognitive tasks that were trained, no evidence was found for transfer effects to untrained tasks, even when those tasks were cognitively closely related.

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“These findings are consistent with studies examining the effectiveness of “brain training” games within a “normal” population [30].”
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What Cognitive Training Does and Does Not Improve: The Evidence on Transfer
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Authors: Owen, A. M., Hampshire, A., Grahn, J. A., Stenton, R., Dajani, S., Burns, A. S., Howard, R. J., & Ballard, C. G.
Affiliations: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (GB)
King's College London (GB)
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB)
Corresponding author: Owen, Adrian M.
ORCID: Hampshire, Adam
Grahn, Jessica A.
Burns, Alistair S.
Howard, Robert J.
Ballard, Clive G.
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2010-04-20
Volume: 465
Issue: 7299
Pages: 775-778
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature09042
PMC: PMC2884087
OpenAlex: W1969969444
Semantic Scholar: e661f8227960ad8c75cb033b3a0db7c76d86ebe7
Cited by: 1,056
References: 28
Citations by year: 2026: 17 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 70 · 2018: 66 · 2017: 86 · 2016: 96 · 2015: 85 · 2014: 96 · 2013: 96 · 2012: 66
FWCI: 65.71
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords: brain training, cognitive training, transfer of training, cognitive function, reasoning, memory, attention, visuospatial ability, planning
MeSH terms: Attention, Brain, Cognition, Computers, Humans, Memory, Task Performance and Analysis, Thinking, Time Factors, Exercise

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