Expensive brain-training games are no more effective than doing a crossword, new research has revealed.
The study, carried out by consumer magazine Which?, looked at five brain-training games and asked experts to investigate the manufacturers' claims.
Which? editor Martyn Hocking said: "If people enjoy using these games, then they should continue to do so -- that's a no-brainer.
"But if people are under the illusion that these devices are scientifically proven to keep their minds in shape, they need to think again."
High profile media campaigns featuring celebrities such as singer Ronan Keating, actress Nicole Kidman and the pop group Girls Aloud have seen the popularity of the games soar, with some manufacturers claiming their use can improve memory and even protect against cognitive diseases.
Three leading neuro-scientists, Dr. Chris Bird of University College London, Bristol University's Dr. Paul Howard-Jones and Dr. Adrian Owen, assistant director at the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, looked at the evidence behind the marketing.
They investigated the studies used by the manufacturers to see if they reached the standard by which scientific research is judged.
This means it has been assessed by experts working in the same field, been published in a recognised scientific journal and involved the specific product involved.
In all cases the three experts found the evidence flawed and concluded the studies used by manufacturers to make their claims had errors making them unpublishable. Although there was evidence showing some of the activities involved in the games help maintain mental processes, many of these same activities are available for free such as doing a crossword or joining a book club. Michael Scanlon, a neuroscientist from Lumosity, defended the company's research standards, and said: "We would never say that Lumosity is proven to improve day-to-day living, but there is more and more evidence that it does. "We have actually conducted our own clinical trials to measure effectiveness of the Lumosity product. "This study showed that after training for five weeks, subjects didn't just improve at the trained tasks, but they also improved on tests of memory and attention that were not part of the training." Bruce Robinson, chief executive of MindWeavers, said: "We are not claiming that MindFit will stop Alzheimer's. "But evidence suggests that exercising the brain can be beneficial for things like memory, and the indications are that you can do that through using software." A spokeswoman for Nintendo said: "Nintendo does not make any claims that brain training is scientifically proven to improve cognitive function. "The brain training series of games are enjoyable and fun. These mental exercises can also help to keep the brain sharp, and this is a fantastic bonus."
