For the last few years especially, brain training games and apps have flooded the marketplace.Some seem purely for entertainment value, while others have been backed with real scientific research and experimentation. Now some common questions are : Do they actually work? Is it worth paying money for these programs? Will they really prevent dementia?

It’s becoming clear that some of these programs only serve to make the brain better at performing those specific tasks within the games. They don’t really have practical applications and consequently may not necessarily translate into real life, whether as prevention or treatment. On the other hand, any brain exercise is good exercise – so even if the brain is getting better at only those game ­environment tasks, it’s better than constantly idling anyway.

The truth is, anything can be “brain training”. Learning a musical instrument, learning a new language, reading challenging material, driving unfamiliar routes, solving maths or word puzzles – they are all essentially giving the cognitive structure something to engage and work with so that thought can occur. Mindlessly doing nothing is the real enemy; anything that gets the brain to work is worthy enough.

If spending money on some brain game is going to cause anguish or doubt, then it’s probably not worth the trouble to sucked into the growing industry. But it could easily be a small price to pay if the reward is going to be fun and the topic will be good fodder for conversation. As long as the brain is kept at work, personal preferences are a distant second factor for consideration.