Commercial brain training games improve memory in healthy adults beyond the trained tasks.

Is it true that commercial brain training games improve memory in healthy adults beyond the trained tasks?

Partly. Several small trials report that commercial brain training (e.g., Lumosity, Brain Age) improved some memory measures in healthy older or young adults, while a larger active-control trial found no training-specific transfer and attributed apparent gains to expectancy and retest effects. The evidence covers only parts of the claim and points in both directions.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 4 sources for, 1 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Toril, P., Reales, J., Mayas, J., & Ballesteros, S. (2016). Video Game Training Enhances Visuospatial Working Memory and Episodic Memory in Older Adults. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00206

Buitenweg, J., Ven, R. M. v. d., Prinssen, S., Murre, J. M., & Ridderinkhof, R. (2017). Cognitive Flexibility Training: A Large-Scale Multimodal Adaptive Active-Control Intervention Study in Healthy Older Adults. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00529

Ballesteros, S., Prieto, A., Mayas, J., Toril, P., Pita, C., Leon, L. P. d., Reales, J., & Waterworth, J. (2014). Brain training with non-action video games enhances aspects of cognition in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00277

Brain Training Game Boosts Executive Functions, Working Memory and Processing Speed in the Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055518

Using a games console in the primary classroom: Effects of ‘Brain Training’ programme on computation and self‐esteem. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00918.x