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Could a simple brain exercise cut dementia risk by 25%?

Emmerdale star fights back tears over mother's dementia diagnosis: 'I've never felt so alone'

A decades-long randomised controlled trial has indicated that a specific type of mental exercise, focusing on processing speed, could reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life by 25 per cent.
The study, published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Research, involved over 2,800 participants aged 65 or older, who were assigned to different cognitive training groups or a control group.
Participants in the speed training group undertook computerised tests requiring rapid identification of visual information, with increasing complexity and shorter timeframes. The test took place over an initial five-week period with subsequent booster sessions.
Unlike processing speed training, the study found that memory or reasoning training did not show a statistically significant reduction in dementia risk over the 20-year follow-up period.
Experts not involved in the research, including Alzheimer’s Research UK, welcomed the long-term analysis but cautioned that diagnoses were based on health records rather than specialist clinical testing, and further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and broader applicability.