RESEARCH STARTER

Lumosity (brain training program)

Lumosity is a popular online brain training program designed to enhance cognitive abilities through a variety of engaging games. With over 70 million subscribers in 182 countries, Lumosity offers access to more than 75 games that focus on five key cognitive areas: speed, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem-solving. Users begin with an assessment to establish a baseline of their cognitive function, which informs a personalized training regimen tailored to their specific goals and age. The program adapts to individual progress, introducing increasingly challenging tasks as users improve.

Lumosity is not only utilized by individuals for personal cognitive maintenance but has also been incorporated into clinical settings for rehabilitation and educational purposes. Research has explored its effectiveness in enhancing cognitive function across different age groups, including children, adults, and the elderly, with studies indicating potential benefits like improved working memory and executive functioning. Additionally, Lumosity has developed a child-focused app called LumiKids, aimed at promoting cognitive and social-emotional skills from an early age. As interest in brain training continues to grow, ongoing research seeks to clarify the long-term benefits and real-world applicability of programs like Lumosity.

Full Article

  • TYPE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Cognitive; Developmental; Educational; Geri-psychology; Neuropsychology; Clinical Psychology; Health Psychology

Summary: Lumosity is a computerized brain training program intended to assess and enhance cognitive ability. It is a commercial product distributed online but has also been used in colleges and universities, hospitals, and care centers for older adults. It has been researched as a potential clinical tool to help decrease cognitive decline, increase neuroplasticity, and form new neural connections, though evidence of effectiveness remains limited. Some research indicates that brain training programs like Lumosity may be helpful as a rehabilitation tool and effective in promoting high performance in the healthy brain; however, other research shows these programs only temporarily enhance cognitive function, if at all, and work partly through the placebo effect.

Introduction 

Computerized brain training programs are designed to assess and enhance cognitive ability, much like personal trainers may assess or enhance one's physical ability. Numerous brain training products have been produced for personal and clinical use, and can be delivered online, through specialized software, or through gaming devices. Brain training programs are based on evidence that living in a cognitively rich environment can increase neuroplasticity and strengthen certain structures in the brain. When an individual performs a task that is cognitively novel, the brain responds by forming new neural connections.

Brain training has three core purposes: rehabilitation, brain maintenance and learning, and peak performance. Brain training programs have been used in medical and psychiatric settings to assist in recovery from psychiatric or neurological problems. Colleges and universities have used computerized brain training software to enhance students' knowledge about brain structure, function, and cognitive processes. Consumers use brain training programs to maintain their neural strength. Finally, brain training programs can be used for peak performance purposes.

Though these purposes are well-documented, the distinction between near-transfer (improvement in tasks similar to the training) and far-transfer (improvement in real-world or different cognitive tasks) remains a topic of debate among professionals. Many neuroscientists argue that while brain training can enhance specific skills practiced within the program, these improvements do not always generalize to everyday cognitive functioning. Furthermore, in 2014, over 70 cognitive scientists signed an open letter cautioning consumers against inflated claims made by brain training companies. In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asserted that Lumosity’s marketing misled consumers into believing the program could prevent cognitive decline and treat conditions like dementia. The company paid $2 million to settle the charges.

Lumosity

Brain training programs increased in popularity beginning in the 2010s. Lumosity, a computer-based online brain training program, reportedly had over 100 million users in more than 180 countries at its height of popularity in the mid-2010s. The application allows users to play three games each day for free. To access more, Lumosity requires a monthly or yearly subscription and provides access to over forty activities targeting five key cognitive domains: speed, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem-solving.

Before initial paid registration, Lumosity asks users about aspects of the five key areas they would like to improve, as well as personal information like age. From those responses, Lumosity builds a personalized brain training program for the user. Initially, “fit tests” provide a baseline of brain function. Then, games are introduced, which expose the user to gradually increasing levels of challenge. As scores increase, the program adapts by introducing new levels or more difficult games. Periodic assessments gauge individual improvement.

Research on Brain Training Use in Children

Although Lumosity states that the consumer version of its program is not meant for users under the age of thirteen, researchers have used Lumosity in clinical experiments with children and adolescents. It has been tested for enhancing working memory in students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and for improving cognitive function in children exposed to lead.

In 2014, Lumosity announced the launch of LumiKids, a “digital playground” application for children aged two and up, providing interactive training in cognitive, motor, and emotional skills. However, Lumosity discontinued LumiKids in May 2018.

Research on Brain Training Use in Adults

Several studies have examined Lumosity’s impact on adult cognition. Hardy, Drescher, Sarkar, Kellett, and Scanlon (2011) conducted a study with twenty-three participants with a mean age of fifty-four using the Lumosity brain training program. The experimental group was given brain training for twenty minutes daily for five weeks, focusing on visual attention and working memory. The control group received no brain training. At the end of the study, the trained group performed significantly better than the control group on previously untrained visual attention and working memory measures.

Another study, the Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study (IHAMS), focused on the effect of brain training programs on cognitive function in 681 participants aged fifty and older. Participants who engaged in ten hours of brain training using online software (as opposed to those who trained on ten hours of computerized crossword puzzles) statistically significant improvement in cognitive function as measured by neuropsychological testing. These benefits persisted for a year in both younger and older participants. Lumosity has also been discussed or explored in relation to use in post-chemotherapy cognitive dysfunction ("chemo brain") and in emotion regulation. However, in a meta-analysis in 2020, Giovanni Sala and Fernand Gobet reviewed dozens of brain training studies and found that while near-transfer effects (the user gets better at the task they train to do in the game) are common, evidence for far-transfer (the user gains enhanced cognitive skills they can apply to everyday life outside the game) remained limited.

Research on Brain Training Use and Older Adults

In the January 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the now-famed Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study was presented. This National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study was the largest study on cognitive brain training ever performed. Within the ACTIVE study, 2,832 participants aged 65 and older were divided into four groups: Memory, Reasoning, Speed of Processing, and a control group. All groups except the control group participated in 10 sixty- to seventy-minute brain training sessions over five to six weeks. Subjects were post-tested immediately following the sessions, and at one, three, five, and ten years later. All experimental groups showed improvement in cognitive ability immediately after training. During the follow-up period, trained participants reported less difficulty performing everyday tasks, such as preparing meals, paying bills, dressing, and using the telephone. At the ten-year follow-up, about 60 percent of the Reasoning and Speed of Processing group members were still performing tasks above their baseline scores compared to the control group. There was no difference after ten years in memory performance between the memory group and the control group. A twenty-year follow-up of the ACTIVE study found that speed-of-processing training with booster sessions was associated with about a 25 percent lower rate of dementia diagnosis compared with the control group.

A smaller 2014 study by Mayas, Parmentier, Andrés, and Ballesteros used twenty-seven healthy older adults, split into two groups. The experimental group received twenty one-hour brain training sessions using Lumosity. Upon comparison after the sessions, the experimental group showed less distractibility and a higher level of alertness than the control group, illustrating that brain training may increase cognitive performance in older adults. Studies continue to explore challenges in older populations, such as technological literacy, accessibility, and adherence to app-based programs. These factors are crucial for real-world applicability.

The Future of Computerized Brain Training Programs 

Most people perform similar activities every day. When activities are repeated, the brain tends to depend on similar neural pathways. To change, the brain must be exposed to new experiences to work in new ways. Individuals can expose themselves to novel experiences and new hobbies, possibly increasing neural activities or hobbies and creating new neural pathways. Brain training program developers aim to offer these novel experiences in structured, measurable experiences that can aid neuroplasticity, but research supporting their use is highly varied. Fines from the FTC in the 2010s and concerns raised by scientists from across disciplines show the need for ethical oversight in this field. Brain training companies must avoid overstating benefits without strong scientific backing, particularly when their products target aging and clinical populations.


Bibliography

Al-Thaqib, Abdullah, et al. "Brain Training Games Enhance Cognitive Function in Healthy Subjects." Medical Science Monitor Basic Research, vol. 24, 2018, pp. 63-69. doi:10.12659/MSMBR.909022. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Bilodeau, K. "Can Brain Training Smartphone Apps and Computer Games Really Help You Stay Sharp?" Harvard Health Publishing, 1 Feb. 2022, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/can-brain-training-smartphone-apps-and-computer-games-really-help-you-stay-sharp. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Hardy, J. L., et al. "Enhancing Visual Attention and Working Memory with a Web-Based Cognitive Training Program." Mensa Research Journal, vol. 42, no. 2, 2011, pp. 13-20.

Mayas, J., et al. "Plasticity of Attentional Functions in Older Adults after Non-Action Video Game Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial." PLOS ONE, vol. 9, no. 3, 2014, art. no. e92269, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092269. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

National Institutes of Health. "Cognitive Speed Training over Weeks May Delay the Diagnosis of Dementia over Decades." NIH, 10 Feb. 2026, www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/cognitive-speed-training-over-weeks-may-delay-diagnosis-dementia-over-decades. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Parker-Pope, T.  “Do Brain Workouts Work? Science Isn’t Sure.” The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2014, well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/do-brain-workouts-work-science-isnt-sure. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Rebok, George W., et al. "Ten-Year Effects of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) Cognitive Training Trial on Cognition and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 62, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 16–24, doi:10.1111/jgs.12607. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Sala, Giovanni, and Fernand Gobet. "Cognitive Training Does Not Enhance General Cognition." Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 9-20, doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.10.004. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Stibich, Mark. "9 Best Brain Games to Keep Your Mind Sharp." Verywell Mind, 4 Dec. 2025, www.verywellmind.com/top-websites-and-games-for-brain-exercise-2224140. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Wolinsky, Fredric D., et al. "Interim Analysis from a Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Visual Processing Speed in Older Adults: The Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study." BMJ Open, vol. 1, no. 2, 2011, art. no. e000225. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000225. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Full Article

  • TYPE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Cognitive; Developmental; Educational; Geri-psychology; Neuropsychology; Clinical Psychology; Health Psychology

Summary: Lumosity is a computerized brain training program intended to assess and enhance cognitive ability. It is a commercial product distributed online but has also been used in colleges and universities, hospitals, and care centers for older adults. It has been researched as a potential clinical tool to help decrease cognitive decline, increase neuroplasticity, and form new neural connections, though evidence of effectiveness remains limited. Some research indicates that brain training programs like Lumosity may be helpful as a rehabilitation tool and effective in promoting high performance in the healthy brain; however, other research shows these programs only temporarily enhance cognitive function, if at all, and work partly through the placebo effect.

Introduction 

Computerized brain training programs are designed to assess and enhance cognitive ability, much like personal trainers may assess or enhance one's physical ability. Numerous brain training products have been produced for personal and clinical use, and can be delivered online, through specialized software, or through gaming devices. Brain training programs are based on evidence that living in a cognitively rich environment can increase neuroplasticity and strengthen certain structures in the brain. When an individual performs a task that is cognitively novel, the brain responds by forming new neural connections.

Brain training has three core purposes: rehabilitation, brain maintenance and learning, and peak performance. Brain training programs have been used in medical and psychiatric settings to assist in recovery from psychiatric or neurological problems. Colleges and universities have used computerized brain training software to enhance students' knowledge about brain structure, function, and cognitive processes. Consumers use brain training programs to maintain their neural strength. Finally, brain training programs can be used for peak performance purposes.

Though these purposes are well-documented, the distinction between near-transfer (improvement in tasks similar to the training) and far-transfer (improvement in real-world or different cognitive tasks) remains a topic of debate among professionals. Many neuroscientists argue that while brain training can enhance specific skills practiced within the program, these improvements do not always generalize to everyday cognitive functioning. Furthermore, in 2014, over 70 cognitive scientists signed an open letter cautioning consumers against inflated claims made by brain training companies. In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asserted that Lumosity’s marketing misled consumers into believing the program could prevent cognitive decline and treat conditions like dementia. The company paid $2 million to settle the charges.

Lumosity

Brain training programs increased in popularity beginning in the 2010s. Lumosity, a computer-based online brain training program, reportedly had over 100 million users in more than 180 countries at its height of popularity in the mid-2010s. The application allows users to play three games each day for free. To access more, Lumosity requires a monthly or yearly subscription and provides access to over forty activities targeting five key cognitive domains: speed, memory, attention, flexibility, and problem-solving.

Before initial paid registration, Lumosity asks users about aspects of the five key areas they would like to improve, as well as personal information like age. From those responses, Lumosity builds a personalized brain training program for the user. Initially, “fit tests” provide a baseline of brain function. Then, games are introduced, which expose the user to gradually increasing levels of challenge. As scores increase, the program adapts by introducing new levels or more difficult games. Periodic assessments gauge individual improvement.

Research on Brain Training Use in Children

Although Lumosity states that the consumer version of its program is not meant for users under the age of thirteen, researchers have used Lumosity in clinical experiments with children and adolescents. It has been tested for enhancing working memory in students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and for improving cognitive function in children exposed to lead.

In 2014, Lumosity announced the launch of LumiKids, a “digital playground” application for children aged two and up, providing interactive training in cognitive, motor, and emotional skills. However, Lumosity discontinued LumiKids in May 2018.

Research on Brain Training Use in Adults

Several studies have examined Lumosity’s impact on adult cognition. Hardy, Drescher, Sarkar, Kellett, and Scanlon (2011) conducted a study with twenty-three participants with a mean age of fifty-four using the Lumosity brain training program. The experimental group was given brain training for twenty minutes daily for five weeks, focusing on visual attention and working memory. The control group received no brain training. At the end of the study, the trained group performed significantly better than the control group on previously untrained visual attention and working memory measures.

Another study, the Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study (IHAMS), focused on the effect of brain training programs on cognitive function in 681 participants aged fifty and older. Participants who engaged in ten hours of brain training using online software (as opposed to those who trained on ten hours of computerized crossword puzzles) statistically significant improvement in cognitive function as measured by neuropsychological testing. These benefits persisted for a year in both younger and older participants. Lumosity has also been discussed or explored in relation to use in post-chemotherapy cognitive dysfunction ("chemo brain") and in emotion regulation. However, in a meta-analysis in 2020, Giovanni Sala and Fernand Gobet reviewed dozens of brain training studies and found that while near-transfer effects (the user gets better at the task they train to do in the game) are common, evidence for far-transfer (the user gains enhanced cognitive skills they can apply to everyday life outside the game) remained limited.

Research on Brain Training Use and Older Adults

In the January 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the now-famed Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study was presented. This National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study was the largest study on cognitive brain training ever performed. Within the ACTIVE study, 2,832 participants aged 65 and older were divided into four groups: Memory, Reasoning, Speed of Processing, and a control group. All groups except the control group participated in 10 sixty- to seventy-minute brain training sessions over five to six weeks. Subjects were post-tested immediately following the sessions, and at one, three, five, and ten years later. All experimental groups showed improvement in cognitive ability immediately after training. During the follow-up period, trained participants reported less difficulty performing everyday tasks, such as preparing meals, paying bills, dressing, and using the telephone. At the ten-year follow-up, about 60 percent of the Reasoning and Speed of Processing group members were still performing tasks above their baseline scores compared to the control group. There was no difference after ten years in memory performance between the memory group and the control group. A twenty-year follow-up of the ACTIVE study found that speed-of-processing training with booster sessions was associated with about a 25 percent lower rate of dementia diagnosis compared with the control group.

A smaller 2014 study by Mayas, Parmentier, Andrés, and Ballesteros used twenty-seven healthy older adults, split into two groups. The experimental group received twenty one-hour brain training sessions using Lumosity. Upon comparison after the sessions, the experimental group showed less distractibility and a higher level of alertness than the control group, illustrating that brain training may increase cognitive performance in older adults. Studies continue to explore challenges in older populations, such as technological literacy, accessibility, and adherence to app-based programs. These factors are crucial for real-world applicability.

The Future of Computerized Brain Training Programs 

Most people perform similar activities every day. When activities are repeated, the brain tends to depend on similar neural pathways. To change, the brain must be exposed to new experiences to work in new ways. Individuals can expose themselves to novel experiences and new hobbies, possibly increasing neural activities or hobbies and creating new neural pathways. Brain training program developers aim to offer these novel experiences in structured, measurable experiences that can aid neuroplasticity, but research supporting their use is highly varied. Fines from the FTC in the 2010s and concerns raised by scientists from across disciplines show the need for ethical oversight in this field. Brain training companies must avoid overstating benefits without strong scientific backing, particularly when their products target aging and clinical populations.


Bibliography

Al-Thaqib, Abdullah, et al. "Brain Training Games Enhance Cognitive Function in Healthy Subjects." Medical Science Monitor Basic Research, vol. 24, 2018, pp. 63-69. doi:10.12659/MSMBR.909022. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Bilodeau, K. "Can Brain Training Smartphone Apps and Computer Games Really Help You Stay Sharp?" Harvard Health Publishing, 1 Feb. 2022, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/can-brain-training-smartphone-apps-and-computer-games-really-help-you-stay-sharp. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Hardy, J. L., et al. "Enhancing Visual Attention and Working Memory with a Web-Based Cognitive Training Program." Mensa Research Journal, vol. 42, no. 2, 2011, pp. 13-20.

Mayas, J., et al. "Plasticity of Attentional Functions in Older Adults after Non-Action Video Game Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial." PLOS ONE, vol. 9, no. 3, 2014, art. no. e92269, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092269. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

National Institutes of Health. "Cognitive Speed Training over Weeks May Delay the Diagnosis of Dementia over Decades." NIH, 10 Feb. 2026, www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/cognitive-speed-training-over-weeks-may-delay-diagnosis-dementia-over-decades. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Parker-Pope, T.  “Do Brain Workouts Work? Science Isn’t Sure.” The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2014, well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/do-brain-workouts-work-science-isnt-sure. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Rebok, George W., et al. "Ten-Year Effects of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) Cognitive Training Trial on Cognition and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 62, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 16–24, doi:10.1111/jgs.12607. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Sala, Giovanni, and Fernand Gobet. "Cognitive Training Does Not Enhance General Cognition." Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 9-20, doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.10.004. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Stibich, Mark. "9 Best Brain Games to Keep Your Mind Sharp." Verywell Mind, 4 Dec. 2025, www.verywellmind.com/top-websites-and-games-for-brain-exercise-2224140. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Wolinsky, Fredric D., et al. "Interim Analysis from a Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Visual Processing Speed in Older Adults: The Iowa Healthy and Active Minds Study." BMJ Open, vol. 1, no. 2, 2011, art. no. e000225. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000225. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.