While there’s no doubt that mental stimulation is important for keeping your mind sharp as you grow older, to date there have been few scientifically-valid research studies supporting specific games that can protect and maintain your brain capacity as you age- that is, until now. A new National Institutes of Health funded study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia- Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, has documented a 29% reduction in the risk of dementia for those who undergo a computerized “speed of processing” training program. Over 2000 healthy older adults were followed for 10 years in this randomized clinical trial and the results demonstrated a protective benefit from engaging in this specialized computer training. While more research needs to be done, the study results are encouraging (perhaps a computer game can result from this research that may be available for next year’s holiday gift list?) To read more about the research and its implications, Click Here.