There is huge potential in games for health and some of the more popular games in this space are “brain games.” But do they actually work?

Turns out some think they do, others say they don’t. Nintendo claims their Big Brain Academy can improve “brain age” and get dramatic results in memory. However, last year a French scientist did a control-group study that disputes these claims.

A recent article, This Is Your Brain on Games, details how one company, Posit Science is investing heavily in research to show their games are indeed different, and do achieve measurable results.

Posit Science clinical studies have shown that after completing their Brain Fitness Program, participants show auditory-processing speeds increased by 131%, and memory improved by the equivalent of 10 years. The DriveSharp program participants have their risk of a crash cut by 50% and reduce unsafe driving maneuvers by 36%; and 87% of participants in the InSight program for visual processing and memory showed an increased rate of visual processing, reducing the risk of tripping and falling and improving the ability to maintain independence by keeping up with the demands of daily living—such as counting change or finding a phone number.

Read the full article here.