Research and limits
MindMender offers cognitive exercises inspired by familiar practice tasks. MindMender itself has not been independently evaluated in a clinical trial.
What INHANCE studied
The INHANCE trial studied BrainHQ’s Double Decision and Freeze Frame in healthy adults aged 65 and older. It prescribed 35 hours over ten weeks; its intent-to-treat analysis included 92 participants.
The study reported a 2.3% within-group increase in anterior-cingulate FEOBV binding, an imaging measure associated with acetylcholine transporters. This was not a direct measure of whole-brain acetylcholine production or a demonstration that participants became ten years cognitively younger.
Exploratory NIH EXAMINER cognitive outcomes did not show significant overall within- or between-group changes. Several authors were affiliated with BrainHQ’s developer, Posit Science.
These findings concern the studied exercises, population, dose and outcomes. They do not establish benefits for MindMender or its Practice Check.
Read the INHANCE primary paper (2025)What broader research can tell us
A 2020 meta-analysis of commercial computerized cognitive games in older adults reported small effects in some domains, including processing speed and working memory, with no significant effects for attention or visuospatial ability. The included interventions and study conditions varied.
Results across other products cannot be used as MindMender’s own effect sizes or as proof of everyday or clinical benefit.
Read the meta-analysis and its limitations (2020)How to read your results
The Practice Check is a 0–100 index of accuracy across three tasks. Session scores, practice levels and domain summaries describe performance in this app; they are not age norms, diagnostic tests, or measures of overall cognitive health.
Practice, familiarity, device, input method and interruptions can affect results. Compare similar tasks and difficulty levels. Software tests verify game behavior, not health outcomes.
There is no clinically established MindMender training dose. Choose manageable sessions and take breaks.