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It turns out those computer games that are supposed to increase cognitive skills through short-term memory, problem-solving, and visual-spatial skills exercises actually do something: They improve users’ prowess in short-term memory, problem-solving and visual-spatial skills exercises.

They do not, however, improve “mental fitness” beyond boosting performance on the tests used in the program, the WSJ reports. A study published in Nature took 11,430 healthy participants and randomly assigned them to one of three regimens: online games aimed at increasing general cognitive skills such as reasoning, problem-solving and planning; other online games targeting short-term memory, attention, and math and spatial skills; and Internet surfing in pursuit of answers to general knowledge questions.

But those supposedly training their brains didn’t improve their general cognitive abilities, as measured by tests given before and after the six-week experiment. The WSJ quotes critics in the $265 million (in North America) “brain training and fitness industry” who say the study didn’t require enough training and that its results can’t be generalized to all such programs; some, they say, have been shown in studies to work.

The Nature study participants were healthy, and this study wasn’t testing whether cognitive training can ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As the WSJ recently reported, those more intense programs are more comprehensive, including not only cognitive exercises, but things such as physical exercise, diet, stress reduction and social interaction.

Exercise may be a key — and underemphasized — factor in brain health. Last year, a review of existing research published by the Association for Psychological Science found that studies “overwhelmingly” point to the value of physical activity in preserving brain function, including executive functioning, short-term memory, and attention span. At the time, one of the study’s authors said there was enough evidence to merit a public health campaign extolling exercise for its impact on the brain.

Image: Associated Press

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Study: ‘Brain Games’ Won’t Make You Smarter