Can solving specially designed brain games on a computer or tablet reduce the chances of developing dementia, like Alzheimer’s, or delay the loss of function associated with the disease and other forms of dementia?
That is the primary question being tested by researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded USF total expected funds of $44.4 million over the next five years to continue and expand the study, called Preventing Alzheimer's with Cognitive Training or PACT.
Earlier stages of the study have demonstrated promising results. For instance, healthy older adults who have received this targeted computerized training had a 29% lower risk of dementia after 10 years, and those completing additional training were 48% less likely to show signs of dementia 10 years later.
In this interview with WGCU's Gulf Coast Life, Jerri Edwards, principal investigator for the study, talks about the study. Edwards is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.
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Click here to learn more about the study and learn how to become a participant, or call Dr. Edwards' lab at 813-974-6703.
Click here to hear our interview with Dr. Edwards about an earlier stage of the PACT study back in 2019.
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