'Brain training' app may improve memory
A "brain training" game app developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge could help improve the memory of patients in the very earliest stages of dementia, suggests a study. In the study, published in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, the researchers tested the effects of the game on patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which has been described as the transitional stage between healthy ageing and dementia. It is characterised by day-to-day memory difficulties and problems of motivation. At present, there are no approved drug treatments for the cognitive impairments of patients affected by the condition. Cognitive training has shown some benefits, such as speed of attentional processing, for patients with aMCI, but training packages are typically repetitive and boring, affecting patients' motivation. "Good brain health is as important as good physical health. There's increasing evidence that brain training ca...