# brain improvement game websites

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-improvement-game-websites/573616>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 5, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-improvement-game-websites/573616 "2011-03-05T21:32:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-improvement-game-websites/573616/1 "2011-03-05T21:32:40Z")

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Is the research behind the claims of websites like [www.lumosity.com](http://www.lumosity.com) legit? I understand that the fee to use them (beyond the free games) is like paying for any game, in a way, but are the claims to help legit? Seems like the amount of play would have something to do with any possible result, so they cann’t promise much.

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**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-improvement-game-websites/573616/2 "2011-03-05T22:43:04Z")

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How funny; I came here to ask basically the same question. Anyone?

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**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brain-improvement-game-websites/573616/3 "2011-03-06T00:40:56Z")

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They don’t according to the study reported by the BBC: [BBC News - Brain training doesn't boost brain power, work suggests](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8630588.stm)

> [@](#):
>
> The largest ever investigation followed 11,430 people over six weeks to see what effect, if any, playing brain training computer games would have.
> 
> While players got progressively better at the games, the gains were not transferable, Nature journal reports.
> 
> Players gained nothing in terms of general reasoning, memory, planning or visuospatial abilities, experts found.
> 
> But they say more work is needed to see if workouts for the mind can help keep the brain “fit” as it ages.

NB: this is just a section of the article.