Taking a “brain training” test can make you a little nervous. Anxiety causes us to make stupid mistakes, and when the outcome is “bad” we become even more anxious. This is especially true when testing for dementia. What if you fail or your score indicates a suboptimal brain response?

I also have doubts about them. How can online tests accurately measure brain responses? More importantly, how does the test relate to supporting brain health?

Appropriate testing seems to help. Research published this month confirms that a particular type of cognitive training, speed training, can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, even years after training.

The original study on which these results were based, the Active Study of Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vibrant Older Adults, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research, involved 2,800 people aged 65 and older.