In my last post I discussed the 'Healthy Living Apps Guide' which had reviewed and scored a variety of health apps. The effectiveness of most of these apps was found to be fairly poor.
In this context, I have had a number of discussions in regards to brain training apps used for older people and those with cognitive impairment, as to whether we should be rating them for effectiveness, or assessing them for their evidence base.
My answer is, it depends. It depends on the reason you are using an app and what you are claiming the outcome will be. There are a number of apps available that claim to 'train your brain' or promote specific aspects of brain function i.e. memory. Most of these apps have no evidence to support their claims.
An example is 'Brain Yoga Brain Training App' (free with In-App Purchases). This app claims to train your memory, vocabulary, numeracy, spatial ability and pattern matching. There is no evidence that the developer has undertaken any research in this area or has any experience with brain function in a professional capacity (other than enjoying puzzles!). However, is some level of cognitive activity required to participate in the games? Certainly. Can you say what level of stimulation occurs in the brain or how long it may last (particularly in an individual with some level of cognitive impairment)? Certainly not.
Therefore it is only possible to say that these games offer cognitive stimulation in a variety of ways, while providing enjoyment and interaction.
On this basis 'Brain Yoga Brain Training App' is a highly enjoyable app with a whole variety games/puzzles to enjoy (shapes, patterns, words, number, memory).
We will have to wait for research results by people like Progessor Gazzaley (see blog posts from 6 October 2014-9 November 2014) before we can make claims about specific cognitive improvements in relation to participation in digital technology. In the meantime it is possible to enjoy and engage in a wide variety of apps that can provide some level of brain stimulation to help keep our brains active.
