Five to six weeks of specialized brain training aimed at improving the speed of visual information processing may have a long-term protective effect against dementia. In a large 20-year study of participants aged 65 and older, it was shown that those who completed this adaptive training along with several strengthening sessions had a 25 percent lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, even two decades after completing the training. This training represents the only intervention in the test that shows such a lasting protective effect against dementia. The main goal of the program is to improve how quickly older adults process visual information. The results of the study suggest that even relatively short brain training can have surprisingly strong and long-term benefits for brain health in older years.