Brain Training for Dementia: Evidence and Applications

Brain Training Studies and Findings

There are thousands of apps for training the brain, improving memory and strengthening overall cognitive functions. Many of them claim they can help slow cognitive decline in seniors, but clinical research on the effectiveness of these apps has been inconclusive, until recently.

A study published in Feb. 2026, known as the ACTIVE (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly) study, found that cognitive speed training can reduce the risk of dementia.

The ACTIVE researchers enrolled 2,802 adults in the study in 1998-1999 and gave them three types of cognitive training – memory, reasoning and speed of processing – during up to 10 sessions that lasted 60-75 minutes and took place over five to six weeks. And half the applicants received up to four additional sessions that took place either 11 months or 35 months after the initial sessions.

Twenty years later, the researchers studied all the participants again. They found that individuals who received between eight and 10 cognitive speed training sessions, and at least one follow-up session, were approximately 25% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the participants in the control group. Plus, there was no statistical difference for participants who only had memory or reasoning training during the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Seeing that boosted speed training was linked to lower dementia risk two decades later is remarkable because it suggests that a fairly modest nonpharmacological intervention can have long-term effects,” said Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., the study author and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Even small delays in the onset of dementia may have a large impact on public health.”

Speed training asks users to quickly find visual information on a screen, and handle increasingly difficult tasks in shorter periods of time. The ACTIVE study researchers believe the adaptive nature of the speed training exercises – the tasks got harder as subjects’ performance level improved – may have also impacted the results, in part because the memory and reasoning training was not adaptive. In addition, speed training triggers “implicit learning,” which is akin to building an unconscious habit, while the memory and reasoning training triggered explicit learning, which is more like memorizing facts.

Brain Training Apps and Ratings

The ACTIVE results correspond with another study that analyzed the characteristics and quality of cognitive training apps designed for older adults with cognitive impairment. That study, published by the National Library of Medicine in 2025 and conducted by researchers at the Huzhou University School of Medicine in China, looked at 4,822 apps and whittled all of those down to 24 that met their eligibility criteria. Those 24 apps were reviewed by two independent scientists who specialize in cognitive impairment for older adults.

The independent reviewers gave each of the apps scores based on engagement, functionality, aesthetics and information. The top-rated app was Brain HQ (4.13 overall score), which uses the same type of speed training exercises used in the ACTIVE study. Plus, Brain HQ is also adaptive, like the speed training in the ACTIVE study.

According to the Brain HQ website, “The BrainHQ brain training program represents the culmination of 30 years of research in brain science and neuroplasticity. It was designed by an international team of neuroscientists, led by Dr. Michael Merzenich—world famous for his discovery of adult brain plasticity—a breakthrough that showed that anyone can strengthen and enhance their brain.” Brain HQ is available for both iOS (Apple) and Android operating systems, and it has free exercises as well as a subscription service for $14/month, or $96/year.

After Brain HQ, the study from Huzhou University found the following to be some of the best cognitive apps (overall score in parentheses):

–Peak (4.09) – Adaptive app offering a variety of cognitive training exercises and developed in partnership with researchers from schools like Cambridge and Yale. Available on iOS and Android with a free version and a full version available for $3.99/month to $4.99/month.

–RecoverBrain Language Therapy (3.98) – Offers adaptive cognitive and language exercises. Available on iOS and Android with a free version and a premium subscription for $5.99/month.

–Constant Therapy: Brain+Speech (3.88) – Designed to help people with dementia, aphasia, apraxia and other neurological conditions, as well as those recovering from strokes and traumatic brain injuries. Available on iOS and Android with a free 14-day trial, but after that the service is $299.99/year.

–Mindpal (3.84) – Provides an adaptive, personalized daily program of fun games. Available on iOS and Android. Free to use some of the features, but to unlock everything there is a fee – $7.99/month, or $39.99/year, or $99.99 for a lifetime subscription.

–Mindmate (3.79) – Offers a daily activity plan that includes brain games, workout routines and healthy recipes all focused on improving cognitive health. Available on iOS and PC desktops. The basic version is free, but the upgraded version is $7.99/month or $79.99/year.

–Lumosity (3.72) – Popular, evidence-based app that provides adaptive daily games. Collaborating institutions include Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins. Available on iOS and Android with a free tier, and a premium version with proces ranging from $11.99/month to $14.99/month.

Other AI Applications for Dementia

Most of the apps above use artificial intelligence (AI), including all of them that are “adaptive,” but those are not the only ways AI can be used to help individuals with dementia. There’s NewDays, a new health and technology company that has developed “Sunny,” an AI-powered chatbot that collaborates with dementia patients to work on their memory and communication skills. Speaking with Sunny on a daily basis can also help with the isolation so many dementia patients experience, and give them the confidence to be more interactive in real world situations, as well.

In a study conducted by NewDays, seven of nine patients showed cognitive improvement and had fewer feelings of anxiety and depression after working with Sunny for five months, according to this article from the Wall Street Journal.

AI-powered computer programs are also being used to study the progressive nature of dementia and detect when individual patients are in decline. Researchers are utilizing AI to decode cognitive patterns so they can spot dementia in its earliest stages, which is critical when it comes to slowing the progress of the disease.

AI can also help scientists analyze genetic profiles and identify individuals who are the highest risk for Alzheimer’s disease. And AI-technology is being used to help researchers find potential new treatments and drugs that may help with dementia.