Overview
- Older adults who completed daily BrainHQ exercises for 10 weeks showed increased cholinergic activity compared with an active control playing recreational games.
- Imaging detected gains in regions including the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus, areas tied to attention and memory that typically decline with age.
- The changes were measured at McGill’s Neuro using a specialized PET scan and tracer available at few centers worldwide.
- The peer-reviewed results appear in JMIR Serious Games, with the study led by McGill and supported by the U.S. National Institute on Aging; Posit Science provided access to BrainHQ but did not lead analyses.
- Experts note the trial’s limited size and unknown durability and real-world functional impact, and the team is preparing follow-up studies in people with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia.