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A simple brain game cut dementia risk by 26% — even 20 years later. Not a miracle drug. Not a new surgery. Just targeted “speed” exercises that retrain how fast your brain processes information. A study published in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that participants who practiced specific brain speed exercises — and followed up with booster sessions — were significantly less likely to develop dementia two decades later. Here’s what makes it different: it’s not about memorizing word lists. It’s about forcing the brain to move faster. Training eye coordination. Expanding field of vision. Processing visual and auditory signals more quickly. According to Dr. Perminder Bhatia, when dementia begins, brain connections slow down. Signals weaken. Neurotransmitters decline. But when you repeatedly challenge processing speed, those connections strengthen and fire more efficiently. One example? Programs like BrainHQ’s “Hawk Eye,” designed to sharpen visual speed and reaction time. The idea is adaptation — pushing the brain slightly beyond its comfort zone so it rewires itself. Doctors recommend starting after 50. But the research suggests anyone can benefit. And in a world where dementia risk rises sharply with age, that 26% reduction isn’t small. It raises a bigger question: if something this simple can reshape brain aging, why aren’t more people doing it? Full story in the comments.

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How brain exercises can help lower the risk of dementia

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A new study shows that exercising our brains can lower the risk of dementia later on in life.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Keeping our minds sharp and active can keep our brains healthy.

“Any exercise retrains the brain,” says Dr. Perminder Bhatia. “What happens when people get dementia is that the connections in the brain are going slowly. When we retrain the brain, the connections become faster. When the connections become faster, they produce more neurotransmitters at the same time.”

A study in the Alzheimer’s Association research journal found that simple brain speed exercises were linked to lowering the risk of dementia by 26% at a 20-year follow-up.

Researchers looked at participants who did the initial speed exercise, plus the booster sessions.

“They gave them exercises to speed and coordination of their eyes at points to make them faster,” Dr. Bhatia said.

Researchers noted that the speed exercise worked differently than memory ones because it pushes the mind to adapt.

Dr. Bhatia is the medical director of the Neuro-Pain Medical Center in northeast Fresno.

He gave a demonstration of what these exercises look like.

One example he showed was from the website Brain HQ.

“It gives you what you want,” Dr. Bhatia said. “Auditory brain speed, visual brain seed, field of view and safety. This game is called Hawk-Eye.”

Dr. Bhatia recommends that people over 50 years old start these exercises, but anyone can start these sessions at any age.

There are more steps we can take to reduce our risk.

As we age, doctors say we become more susceptible to dementia.

That’s why living a healthier life and staying stimulated can improve our well-being for years to come.