Lack of shock over claims that Nintendo advert is 'economical with truth'

Well, it's unlikely to rank high compared to old favourites such as the Pope's religion or the bathroom habits of bears in the woods, but those mythbusters at Sense About Science, a campaiging group promoting good science (and as reported by the generally less-than-game-loving newspaper The Daily Telegraph) reckon it might not be as easy as it sounds to improve your brain age just by playing brain training games.

Shock. Horror. I always thought the Pontiff was a bit Lutheran. Etcetera..

Speaking about Dr Kawashima's Brain Training on DS, cognitive neuroscientist Dr Jason Braithwaite was quoted as saying; "There is no conclusive evidence showing that the continued use of these devices is linked to any measurable and general improvements in cognition. Practice at any task should lead to some form of improvement for that specific task."

The quote comes from a feature which attempts to debunk various celebrity fad endorsements with expert opinion from Sense About Science.

Claims that Dr Kawashima's Brain Training - which most famously has been endorsed by Nicole Kidman as well as other celebrities including Patrick Stewart, Phillip Schofield, Fern Britton and Johnny and Zoe Ball - can improve intelligence are rubbished in the article, alongside Sarah Beeny's views on toxic chemicals in make-up and Gillian McKeith's opinions about aubergines and joint pain.

Frankly, we'd hope the public could have worked out these celebs are being paid by Nintendo to advertise their games. However, idly looking through previous Telegraph missives, we found it wasn't that long ago that the paper's scientist editor was happy to pen an article entitled; Top neuroscientist backs computer brain game, about a game aimed at the over-50s, called MindFit, which was developed by Israeli company CogniFit and marketed in the UK by an Oxford University spin-out.

Now our head really hurts.