Boosted speed-of-processing training cuts dementia risk by 25% over 20 years
In a 20-year follow-up of the ACTIVE trial, older adults who completed speed-of-processing training plus booster sessions (at 11 and 35 months) had a 25% lower risk of diagnosed dementia, including Alzheimer's, than controls; memory and reasoning training did not reduce risk. The effect, derived from Medicare data (1999–2019), required about 10 initial sessions plus boosters and total training time under 24 hours. Benefits likely stem from adaptive, implicit learning, with boosters essential for durability.
