Ten Weeks of Brain Training Can Reverse Brain Aging

A new clinical trial shows that the right kind of brain training may actually rejuvenate the brain’s communication system.

For the first time, scientists have shown that a simple kind of mental training can recharge the brain’s natural messaging system, the one that helps you think fast, stay focused, and remember things clearly.

Researchers at McGill University ran a randomized clinical trial that tested whether a 10-week digital “speed training” program could change brain chemistry in healthy adults over 65. Using advanced brain scans, they found that people who practiced fast-paced visual and memory tasks for about 30 minutes a day (35 hours total) showed increased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is associated with attention and memory. The increase of 2.3% was roughly the same amount the brain loses to normal aging every decade.

In other words, ten weeks of training appeared to reverse about ten years of brain aging in the networks that handle attention, learning, and memory.

Brain Games for Neurotransmitter Rejuvenation

The trial, called INHANCE, included 92 older adults who trained at home using a commercial program known for its speed-of-processing exercises (based on BrainHQ’s “Double Decision” and “Freeze Frame” games). People spent about 30 minutes a day, five to seven days a week, playing tasks that forced them to react quickly, focus on moving targets, and filter out distractions.

Another group spent the same amount of time on non-speeded games (think Solitaire and pattern-matching puzzles) so both groups got the same amount of screen time, feedback, and engagement.

After ten weeks, researchers scanned everyone’s brains using PET imaging, which measures how actively neurons are sending chemical messages. They focused on regions that control attention, memory, and executive function, the “control centers” that tend to slow down with age.

Only the speed-training group showed measurable changes. Brain activity increased in the anterior cingulate cortex (attention and focus) and in the hippocampus (memory formation). Those improvements mirrored the kind of biological shifts seen with certain medications used to treat mild cognitive impairment, but achieved here through behavior alone.

Are these results sound?

This study was funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, but also included scientists from the company that develops BrainHQ’s cognitive training and assessment programs (who have shares in the company). But it was also a double-blind, controlled clinical trial, meaning neither participants nor researchers knew who got the “real” training. Both groups used visually similar programs to avoid placebo effects.

The study used one of the most sophisticated imaging tools available — [18F]FEOBV PET— to measure the brain’s “messenger” system directly, rather than relying only on self-report or memory tests. Adherence was high (nearly 90%), and the effect size, around 2.3%, matches what you’d expect from reversing a decade of natural decline.

Taken together, the study lays out compelling data that fast, adaptive brain training doesn’t just sharpen mental skills, it may restore the underlying brain chemistry that supports them.

What are the limits of the study?

The study’s participants were mostly white, college-educated, and Canadian, so it’s not yet clear how results generalize across populations. The improvements were measured over a short time window (10 weeks, with a 3-month follow-up). We still need to know how long the gains last and whether combining this type of training with exercise or sleep optimization amplifies the effects.

Still, the trial met gold-standard scientific criteria, and it’s the first to prove that behavioral training can physically rejuvenate aging brain systems.

Here’s What You Should Do

You don’t need a lab or expensive gear to borrow the best parts of this study. Here’s how to build your own “brain vitality plan” based on the INHANCE findings:

1. Train your brain for speed

Look for brain exercises that force quick decisions and focus under time pressure. Choose ones that adapt to your performance, making tasks harder as you improve. Aim for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for 10 weeks. The key is progressive challenge, not perfection.

2. Move your body to move your mind

Pair mental speed training with aerobic exercise. Studies show that just 150 minutes of brisk movement per week, like walking, cycling, or swimming, boosts brain blood flow[bluhd floh]nounThe movement of blood through the circulatory system, delivering oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues to support energy, healing, and overall health.Learn MoreClose and supports the same neurochemical systems these games target.

3. Sleep on it

The brain consolidates new learning during deep sleep. Reserve 7–8 hours per night for rest and keep a consistent bedtime. Short on time? A 20-minute nap can reinforce what you practiced earlier in the day.

4. Eat for focus

Support your brain’s messaging network with foods rich in omega-3 fats (salmon, walnuts), polyphenols (berries, greens, olive oil), and fiber (beans, whole grains). These nutrients keep neurons firing smoothly and lower inflammation[in-fluh-mey-shuhn]nounYour body’s response to an illness, injury or something that doesn’t belong in your body (like germs or toxic chemicals).Learn MoreClose.

5. Balance speed with stillness

Counter the stimulation with practices that restore focus and calm. Try 5 minutes of slow breathing or a short awe walk outside before training. It helps reset attention and primes your brain for learning.

Our brains never stop adapting. This study proves that mental training can physically rejuvenate the circuits that power attention and memory. It’s a reminder that “brain age” isn’t fixed. You can strengthen the chemistry of focus and learning with the right kind of challenge, consistency, and care.

Read This Next