Brain training can have lasting benefits

CHICAGO - Brief sessions of brain exercise can have long-lasting benefits for elderly people, helping them stay mentally fit for at least five years, one of the most rigorous tests of the "use-it-or-lose-it" theory suggests.
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For people age 73 on average, just 10 sessions — less time than it takes to stay physically fit — helped keep their brains sharp.

The brain training involved hour-long classes and included exercises done on a computer. While it is uncertain if similar results would occur with mental exercise done at home, other research has shown that intellectual tasks such as crossword puzzles and reading can help keep the brain sharp as people grow old.

The study is "the toughest test of these hypotheses to date," said Jeff Elias, chief of cognitive aging at the behavioral science research branch of the National Institute on Aging, which helped pay for the $15 million study.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061219/ap_on_he_me/brain_training