In an era where everyone has access to smartphones, new cognitive training methods become more and more accessible. Recent research conducted by Cambridge University has shown that playing memory games can improve cognitive abilities. Nowadays, smartphones are everywhere, so we should take advantage of it to help dementia patients improve their cognitive impairment through brain training mobile apps.
Below is a list of outstanding brain training apps.
Peak is an award-winning brain training app that consists of a game called “Game Show”, which was developed by Cambridge University. The game is easy and fun to play. Players takes part in a game show to win gold coins by associating different geometric patterns with different locations in each round. In addition, the system will increase the difficulty of the game by showing more complex patterns when the players get better, keeping them motivated and engaged.
Decoder is another game developed by Cambridge University for concentration and attention training. It can also be found in the brain training app “Peak”. Decoder is narrative-based and easy to play. Players act as a detective to identify a sequence of numbers to “crack the code” according to the hints and digits that show up on the screen. Players are then given more clues to the next criminal location after each mission. There are animations to distract the players’ attention during the game, so players will have to remain focused in order to complete the missions. The system will even adjust the difficulty according to the players’ performance.
Sea Hero Quest is a mobile game targeted at helping global research into dementia. The game is developed by a UK gaming company called Glitchers, together with different educational institutions. Players have to navigate through the sea journey and challenge different levels in the game. It is fun and exciting, allowing players to test their spatial navigation skills and train their sense of direction.
Iridis is a bit different from the aforementioned mobile apps. It is a mobile app designed by The University of Stirling for dementia caregivers. “Iridis” dives into the question of “how to create a friendly home environment for dementia patients”. It also provides a lot of practical advice for dementia patients’ family and caregivers, advising them ways to deal with patients’ diets and daily routines.
A lot of research has shown the positive impact video games has on cognitive functions in patients with dementia. Take the two examples mentioned at the beginning of the article, “Game Show” and “Decoder”. Researchers from Cambridge University concluded that “Game Show” players had significant improvements in episodic memory (i.e. memory about what happened). Players were also able to remember more details regarding their daily routines and images.
The research recruited 75 healthy young adults into three groups. One game group played Decoder, one group played no games while the other group played Bingo. The results showed the group that spent eight hours a month on Decoder had significant improvements in terms of their attention and concentration, which is two times higher than the Bingo group. Results from the study were pleasantly surprising as improvement in the game playing group was comparable to effects from stimulants, such as nicotine, or methylphenidate (also known as Ritalin).
