Brain training may help juggling two tasks after stroke, but not after head injuries.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   584 people took part in 12 trials: 237 had a stroke, 146 a head injury and 201 cancer affecting the brain. Stroke patients averaged about 59, head-injury patients about 35, and one cancer trial was in children.

2. 02

   What they did

   Five trials gave repeated practice on attention exercises, three taught strategies for coping with problems, and four did both. The other groups had usual care, a waiting group, no treatment or a pretend therapy. Programmes usually lasted about 7 weeks, from 3 to 18.

3. 03

   What happened

   After stroke, juggling two tasks at once improved more than in the other groups. After head injury, and for the other kinds of attention, there was no clear gain. When checked again later, the stroke gain was no longer clear.

What the review found

1. Helped

   In stroke studies, brain training and strategy lessons improved juggling two tasks at once more than other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs usual care, a waiting group, no treatment or pretend therapy

2. No difference

   When checked again later, the stroke gain in juggling two tasks was no longer clear.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs the other groups, when checked again

3. No difference

   In head injury studies, brain training did not improve juggling two tasks more than other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs usual care, a waiting group, no treatment or pretend therapy

4. No difference

   In stroke studies, brain training did not improve keeping focus over a long time more than other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs usual care, a waiting group, no treatment or pretend therapy

Source