大腦訓練游戲可能有用，也可能沒用

大腦訓練游戲可能有用，也可能沒用

On the homepage for the brain-training game NeuroNation, there's a spinning, high-tech science-y brain with blinking lights. It says, "Your potential is infinite."

在大腦訓練游戲《NeuroNation》的主頁上，有一個旋轉的高科技大腦，閃爍著燈光。它說，“你的潛力是無限的。”

Brain-training games might be playing mind games with you. (Photo: adike/Shutterstock)

Researchers have been divided over whether brain-training games really work. Some studies have found benefits while others have shown none. That's why a team of seven scientists performed an extensive evaluation of more than 130 studies in scientific literature about brain training and other cognitive games. They found that many of the studies had flaws in the way they were designed.

對于大腦訓練游戲是否真的有效，研究人員一直存在分歧。一些研究發(fā)現了益處，而另一些則沒有。這就是為什么一個由7名科學家組成的團隊對130多項有關大腦訓練和其他認知游戲的科學文獻進行了廣泛的評估。他們發(fā)現，許多研究在設計方法上存在缺陷。

On the flip side, a new study led by University of California, Irvine, researchers finds that online brain games enable people in their 70s and 80s to multitask cognitively as well as people who are 50 years younger.

另一方面，由加州大學歐文分校領導的一項新研究發(fā)現，網絡益智游戲能讓七八十歲的人和比自己年輕50歲的人一樣，在認知上同時處理多項任務。

Similarly, a study published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia finds that playing speed decision-making games seems to lower dementia risk. Researchers analyzed the results of a study which followed 1,220 people over 10 years. Participants were divided into four groups. One group was taught memory tricks, one group learned reasoning skills, and one group played a speed-training game on the computer. The last group of people weren’t given anything. Only 5.9 percent of the people in the speed-training group developed dementia; in the other three groups, the figure was around 10 percent.

同樣，發(fā)表在《阿爾茨海默氏癥與癡呆癥》雜志上的一項研究發(fā)現，玩快速決策游戲似乎可以降低患癡呆癥的風險。研究人員分析了一項對1220人進行了10年跟蹤調查的結果。參與者被分成四組。一組學習記憶技巧，一組學習推理技巧，一組在電腦上玩速度訓練游戲。最后一組人什么都沒有得到。在快速訓練組中，只有5.9%的人患上了癡呆癥;在其他三組中，這個數字大約是10%。

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesfound that some of the alleged benefits of brain games may be due to placebo effects.

發(fā)表在《美國國家科學院院刊》上的一項研究發(fā)現，一些所謂的益智游戲的好處可能是由于安慰劑效應。

All of the study participants took an IQ test, then did an hour of brain training — not enough, the researchers point out, to likely boost anyone's intelligence. The next day, the participants took another IQ test. Those who were told of brain-training benefits had a 5-10 point boost in their IQ score, while those who heard nothing of the benefits tested about the same as they did before the training.

所有的研究參與者都接受了智商測試，然后進行了一個小時的大腦訓練——研究人員指出，這不足以提高任何人的智商。第二天，參與者又進行了一次智商測試。那些被告知大腦訓練益處的人的智商得分提高了5-10分，而那些沒有聽到任何益處的人的測試結果與他們在訓練前的測試結果相同。

4 games to try for fun

嘗試4個游戲去獲得樂趣

Lumosity

Lumosity games include quickly spotting the bird migrating in the wrong direction. (Photo: Lumosity)

NeuroNation

Math is good for your brain. (Photo: NeuroNation)

Peak

Peak offers encouraging words like, 'Play smart, feel sharp!' (Photo: Peak)

Elevate

Elevate games include error avoidance and brevity. (Photo: Elevate)

One fan of this popular app gushes on the Elevate webpage, "I feel like I'm taking a mental multivitamin." The relatively new training program offers nearly three dozen activities working on things like focus, estimation, spelling, agility, memory, pronunciation, precision and clarity.

這款廣受歡迎的應用程序的一名粉絲在lift的網頁上滔滔不絕地說，“我感覺自己在服用精神復合維生素。”這個相對較新的培訓項目提供了近36項活動，內容涉及注意力、評估、拼寫、靈活性、記憶力、發(fā)音、精確度和清晰度等。