A new study from McGill University found that a simple online brain-training exercise could reverse some signs of brain aging. The research, published in JMIR Serious Games, offers the first human evidence that regular use of a brain-training app can restore key brain functions linked to memory, focus, and decision-making.
The study involved 92 healthy adults aged 65 and older who completed 10 weeks of training with the BrainHQ app, a game-like program that challenges users with increasingly difficult cognitive tasks. Researchers found that participants using BrainHQ improved cholinergic function, a brain chemical system crucial for learning and memory that declines with age.
“The training restored cholinergic health to levels typically seen in someone 10 years younger,” said Dr. Etienne de Villers-Sidani, neurologist and senior author of the study. “This is the first time any drug or non-drug intervention has achieved this in humans.”
The findings are promising because declines in cholinergic activity are strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. This suggests that targeted mental exercises like BrainHQ could slow cognitive ageing and reduce the risk of dementia.
The BrainHQ program, already available to the public, uses speed-based cognitive games that adapt as users improve. Earlier research shows this method encourages neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections.
“People often think crossword puzzles or reading are enough to keep the brain sharp,” added Dr. de Villers-Sidani. “But not all activities truly enhance brain plasticity.”
To measure changes, researchers used a special PET scan to visualise cholinergic activity before and after training. Only those who used BrainHQ showed measurable improvements. Participants who played regular computer games did not.
The McGill team plans to continue this research by testing the same training program in individuals with early-stage dementia, offering hope for a future in which digital brain training could complement or even replace medication to maintain cognitive health.
