Brain-training games that are designed to make users more intelligent are a waste of cash, according to a study by brain experts.

Boffins at University of Cambridge have conducted a study which showed that even the most conscientious users of so-called brain-training software performed no better at intelligence tests than people who spent the same amount of time surfing the internet. People might get better at the game, but there was no evidence that this extended to broader cognitive abilities.

The study used 11,430 healthy participants aged between 18 and 60 who completed a six-week training programme. All three groups carried out benchmarking tests that were different from the brain-training games. The study found no significant difference in participants’ before and after tests.

A spokeswoman for Nintendo, whose sales of Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training software packages have reached 35 million copies, said that the company did not make any claims that Brain Training or More Brain Training were scientifically proven to improve cognitive function.