Has anyone noticed any improvement while playing Dr Kawashima's Brain Training?

Question

I was wondering if anyone has ever noticed any memory capacity or abilities improvement after playing Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for a long time?

Answer 1

There was a 2010 article that showed a study that basically said brain training type games don't really train your brain. Over time, you just become better specifically for those type of questions in the game itself but the study showed almost no gain in similar type activities outside the game.

Quote from the bottom of the article on a statement from Nintendo:

"Nintendo does not make any claims that Brain Training or More Brain Training are scientifically proven to improve cognitive function."

Answer 2

If there is an effect it's marginal at best:

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/11/26/brain.training/index.html

But did "Brain Training" make me smarter? Call me a cynic, but I'm not convinced it's anything more than a cunning ploy to get non-gamers like me hooked on Nintendo's latest little console.

Other, more rigorous studies haven't found anything:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/default/111372/nintendo-brain-training-doesnt-work-says-which/

Answer 3

I found this article that sais:

'This result indicated that there is a possibility which the elderly could improve executive functions and processing speed in short term training,'

You will not get a rocket scientist by playing Dr. Kawashima games, but chances are you will crunch numbers faster than before.

One problem is that the games do not provide good methods or algorithms to solve the exercises, but if you master some memorization technique and train with the Kawashima games your capacity to memorize things will increase dramatically.