The Surprising Brain Exercise That Reverses Aging

A McGill University clinical trial found that digital brain training can restore key brain functions that fade with age.

Older adults who completed 10 weeks of BrainHQ exercises showed brain chemistry similar to someone 10 years younger. The results offer strong evidence that targeted cognitive training can help preserve memory and reduce dementia risk without medication.

Reversing a Decade of Brain Aging

A clinical trial led by McGill University has become the first in humans to demonstrate that online brain training can strengthen the brain networks involved in learning and memory.

In the study, older adults who used the game-like app BrainHQ for 10 weeks showed improved cholinergic function, a chemical system in the brain that tends to decline with age and plays a central role in attention, memory, and decision-making.

“The training restored cholinergic health to levels typically seen in someone 10 years younger,” said senior author Dr. Etienne de Villers-Sidani, an Associate Professor in McGill’s Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and neurologist at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital).

“This is the first time any intervention, drug or non-drug, has been shown to do that in humans,” he said.

Because Alzheimer’s disease is marked by steep declines in cholinergic function, the results help explain earlier research suggesting that these types of cognitive exercises may lower dementia risk and improve mental performance. The researchers note that this approach could serve as a safer option than medication or work in combination with it.

How BrainHQ Sharpens the Mind

BrainHQ features speed-based cognitive exercises that increase in difficulty as users improve, a design supported by hundreds of previous studies.

“A lot of people assume crossword puzzles or reading are enough to keep the brain sharp. But not all activities truly promote neuroplasticity,” said de Villers-Sidani.

Since BrainHQ is already available to the public, clinicians can discuss it with patients who are interested in maintaining or enhancing their cognitive health, he added.

Cutting-Edge Brain Imaging at The Neuro

To observe changes in brain activity, the researchers used a specialized PET scan and tracer that highlights cholinergic reserves, allowing them to measure how active the system was before and after the training.

“We used a rare technology,” said de Villers-Sidani. “The Neuro is one of the few centres worldwide that can produce the tracer and run the scan.”

The trial included 92 healthy adults aged 65 and older. Participants were randomly assigned to either BrainHQ or an active control group that played standard computer games for entertainment. Both groups used tablets for 30 minutes per day over 10 weeks, but only those who trained with BrainHQ showed significant increases in cholinergic activity.

The team is now preparing a follow-up study to explore whether the same program can help people in the early stages of dementia.

Reference: “Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training on Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Levels using Fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol Positron Emission Tomography in Healthy Older Adults: Results from the INHANCE Randomized Clinical Trial” by Mouna Attarha, Ana de Figueiredo Pelegrino, Lydia Ouellet, Paule-Joanne Toussaint, Sarah-Jane Grant, Thomas Van Vleet and Etienne de Villers-Sidani, 13 October 2025, JMIR Serious Games.
DOI: 10.2196/75161

The study was conducted independently by McGill researchers in collaboration with Posit Science, which provided access to BrainHQ. All data collection and analyses were led by McGill.

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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