--- title: Alzheimer's and Demention Prevention: Brain Training description: A new study provides the strongest evidence yet for the power of brain training to reduce the risk of dementia and possibly Alzheimer’s canonical: https://time.com/4419882/dementia-alzheimers-disease-prevention/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-25T13:27:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:26.529Z article:section: Health og:title: You Can Prevent Brain Decline Without Drugs og:description: A new study provides the strongest evidence yet for the power of brain training to reduce the risk of dementia and possibly Alzheimer’s og:url: https://time.com/4419882/dementia-alzheimers-disease-prevention/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52e921cfe4233507/69889ef08e06010f69466d5e/gettyimages-87840469.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5200 og:image:height: 2925 og:image:alt: Business Concepts og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: You Can Prevent Brain Decline Without Drugs twitter:description: A new study provides the strongest evidence yet for the power of brain training to reduce the risk of dementia and possibly Alzheimer’s twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52e921cfe4233507/69889ef08e06010f69466d5e/gettyimages-87840469.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Best Way to Delay Dementia Without Drugs > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=7d9a3898-7bb1-49ca-9169-803ec996b32a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Faces of Dementia: A Guy Cares for His Gal [Watch (HLS stream): Faces of Dementia: A Guy Cares for His Gal](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ve7SwCnl.m3u8) (3:27)  _Published 2015-11-24. Dick Pell takes care of his wife, Helen, who struggles with dementia. This is their story._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jul 25, 2016 1:27 PM UTC  Biggie Productions—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jul 25, 2016 1:27 PM UTC There has been a lot of talk lately about the role that brain training can play in lowering the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have looked at factors like education, [social engagement](http://time.com/3916777/alzheimers-symptoms-delay/), and the amount of new learning that older people do as possible things that may help. But the variety of different ways that people studied this cognitive stimulation has left more questions than answers. Now, in the most rigorous study to date, researchers compared different types of cognitive training head to head and report that a speed-processing-based training can indeed lower rates of cognitive decline and dementia. The researchers were led by Jerri Edwards, from the University of South Florida, and the results were presented at the [Alzheimer’s Association annual meeting on Sunday.](https://www.alz.org/aaic/program/schedule.asp) The study involved nearly 3,000 healthy older people who were randomly assigned to take a five week classroom-based training that involved either improving their processing speed, improving their memory skills, or improving their reasoning skills, and followed over 10 years. The purpose of the computer-based training was to help people take in and process information on the screen faster. The researchers manipulated how much time the people had to process the material. At the end of the study, only those assigned to the speed-processing training showed a 33% reduction in the amount of dementia or cognitive impairment after 10 years compared to those who received no training. The training is actually available online in a commercial program by [Brain HQ](http://www.brainhq.com/?lead%5Fid=google-search-text-home-Brand%5F%28US%5FCAN%5FUK%5FAUS%5FSAF%5FNZ%29&gclid=CPuDjuzrh84CFVVahgodUsQPXg#) called the Double Decision Exercise (which licensed the training from the researchers who created it). “I think everyone over 50 should be start doing it,” says Edwards. “There’s a preponderance of evidence that this type of training has multiple benefits and the risk is minimal, and it’s not even expensive.” In the study, the people were trained for five weeks and the effects seemed to last for at least 10 years. Exactly how often people should be taking advantage of the training, and how durable the effects are, still aren’t clear. But Edwards hope to continue to study that in future trials. For now, she says, it couldn’t hurt to keep your brain sharp by training it, like any other muscle, to take in and process information as efficiently as possible. ## Transcript A couple years ago we were sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast and Helen looked at me and said we sure didn't plan for this did we. No we didn't. We thought we had our lives pretty well laid out. Talk about a game changer. I'm **** Pell. I'm gonna be 82 years old. I live here in Sarasota Florida with my wife Helen, who is four years down the dementia road. I am the primary caregiver, I have help five days a week, three hours a day. But other than that, I do all of shopping and most of the food prep. Hey, you're burning warm. Oh, I'm not done. You are hot stuff. My gal is a wonderfully playful. Delightfully funny, witty lady. I look at this vital woman. She was a better sailor than I was. She was a better cook than I was. She could do many things far better than I can. But can no longer do that. To see this happen to somebody who you spent 40 years with is damn difficult. [ MUSIC ] Today is a good day. I never know what kind of day it's gonna be even from minute to minute or hour to hour. Lost. Reward offered. [ MUSIC ] A [ UNKNOWN ] terrier lost in the vicinity Gator Creek. You have to learn to deal with that. The notes have been up for some years on every cabinet. They dont work anymore. Can look at it and not see it. She's getting lost in our house. [ UNKNOWN ] terrier lost in vicinity of.. Gator Creek. Things that were just automatic now require a little help. I don't know where Gator Creek Estates is . >> It's where dogs get lost [ LAUGH ] It's not a community I know it. Before dementia hits, look at long term care insurance. [ MUSIC ] 12 years ago, Helen insisted we buy long- term care insurance. Boy am I glad she did, because the care that we're getting now is being paid for by our long- term care policy. [ MUSIC ] You can pretty quickly see if it's 70, 80 $ 90, 000 a year for Ellen's care, you can run out of money pretty quick. And, that is a huge concern. Yes, there's Medicaid. And yes, we've done all the elder law things we're supposed to do with an excellent elder lawyer so that we can qualify for Medicaid when the time comes and All of that. If you're not in the trenches in the dementia care giving business, you really do not understand how complicated of a disease this is. The single most important piece of advice I can give anybody who is going down this path, is get into a support group for dementia patients. People say what do you do there? Well I say to me my support group is like an AA meeting for an alcoholic. We laugh a lot, we go through a lot of kleenex. Just the camaraderie of being with people who are in the same boat and learning from each other is extremely important. 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