Brain training for people receiving treatment with Enzalutamide™

EXERCISE

Brain training for people receiving treatment with enzalutamide

Published July 2021

What is brain training?

The brain is made up of many nerve connections that form the basis of brain function, known as ‘cognitive ability’, such as thinking, reading, reasoning and memory. Brain training, also known as cognitive training, is a way of exercising the brain and strengthening its function by improving these neural (nerve) connections.¹ Brain training can consist of mental activities, games and exercises that engage your brain and help strengthen your cognitive skills.

Benefits of brain training games

Exercising the mind is just as important as exercising the body, and brain training games are an excellent way to do this. Cognitive function tends to decline as you age due to the natural deterioration of the brain’s neural connections.² Brain training games may help to improve your mental agility.^3,4

There is growing evidence that suggests that brain training games could provide effective supplementary support and could help manage cognitive function.^3,4 This includes:

Attention³
Memory^3,4
Visual and spatial processing⁴
Processing speed^3,4

These benefits have also been shown to persist in the long-term where studies demonstrate that brain training benefits such as improved working memory and processing speed is maintained long after initial engagement with brain training games.^5,6

Importance of brain training for advanced prostate  cancer patients

Treatments for advanced prostate cancer can sometimes cause cognitive impairment as a side effect.^7-9 Exercising the brain through brain training games can help you to combat this impairment and improve your cognition.

Studies have shown that brain training games reduce chemotherapy-induced neurological problems in people with cancer.⁹ Some researchers have also investigated the effect of brain training in prostate cancer specifically, and it has been shown that brain training could improve cognitive function in people with prostate cancer who are receiving hormone therapy such as enzalutamide.¹⁰

Not only are brain training games potentially beneficial for improving cognitive function², but they can also be enjoyable. There are various types of games to play, ranging from chess and sudoku, to more simple tasks such as memory games and puzzles.

Recommended games

You can find other brain training games at:

Tips and tricks

Make it a habit: try to spend a few minutes every day playing brain training games.
Consistency is key: just 15 minutes a day could be greatly beneficial – you don’t need to spend hours at a time on brain training games.
Challenge yourself: the more training you do, the more your brain could adapt and improve. Try to take on more challenging tasks over time to ensure continued improvement.

REFERENCES:

What is Brain Training? Mind Matters. Available at https://www.mindmattersjo.com/what-is-brain-training.html. Accessed October 2025.
What is brain training good for? Neuronation. Available at https://blog.neuronation.com/en/what-is-brain-training-good-for/. Accessed October 2025.
Wang et al. Game-based brain training for improving cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-regression. 2020. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2020.104260. Accessed October 2025.
Nouchi et al. Brain training game boosts executive functions, working memory and processing speed in the young adults: a randomized controlled trial. 2013. Available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055518. Accessed October 2025.
Jaeggi et al. Short- and long-term benefits of cognitive training. 2011. Available at https://www.pnas.org/content/108/25/10081.short. Accessed October 2025.
Willis et al. Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults. 2006. Available at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/204643. Accessed October 2025.
Nelson et al. Cognitive Effects of Hormone Therapy in Men With Prostate Cancer. 2008. Available at https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cncr.23658. Accessed October 2025.
Mohile et al. Cognitive effects of androgen deprivation therapy in an older cohort of men with prostate cancer. 2010. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2010.06.009. Accessed October 2025.
Brain Training Games Help Combat ‘Chemofog’ In Cancer Patients. Rae Johnston. Available at: https://www.brainhq.com/news/brain-training-games-help-combat-chemofog-in-cancer-patients/. Accessed October 2025.
Wu et al. Computerized cognitive training in prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy: A pilot study. 2017. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5924582/. Accessed October 2025.

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