JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cognitive difficulties are common and can interfere with daily functioning. While digital cognitive training apps are widely used, few studies have examined whether personalized tools support perceived improvements in cognitive functioning, daily life, and overall mental fitness among general adult users.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate app engagement and self-reported cognitive benefits of Elevate, a commercial, personalized cognitive training app developed to support cognitive functioning. We aimed to 1) describe demographics, engagement metrics, and self-reported improvements, 2) examine associations between app engagement and self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning skills directly targeted by the app, and 3) examine associations between app engagement and self-reported improvements in daily functioning and overall mental fitness as potential transfer effects of cognitive training.

Methods:

Adult Elevate users (ages 18+ years) who used the app at least twice in the past 30 days completed a brief web-based survey on perceived cognitive, functional, and mental fitness improvements. Responses were linked to objective app usage data, including total active weeks, mean active days per week, and mean time per day. Ordinal logistic regressions tested associations between engagement metrics and self-reported outcomes, controlling for demographic variables. A Bonferroni correction was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons.

Results:

A total of 3,367 Elevate adult users were included. Participants were primarily middle-aged (M = 55 years), White (77%), and female (65%), with 67% holding at least a college degree. Using the app across more weeks was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting improvements in all cognitive skills (ORs = 1.0014–1.0027), several areas of daily functioning (e.g., motivation, task efficiency; ORs = 1.0014–1.0017), and overall mental fitness (OR = 1.0021). More days of use per week was linked to improvement in math only (OR = 1.15), while spending more time per day was associated with improvements in speaking, reading, math, motivation, personal progress, and mental fitness (ORs = 1.02–1.04).

Conclusions:

Greater use of the Elevate app was linked to self-reported improvements in cognitive skills, daily functioning, and overall mental fitness. These findings suggest that personalized, adaptive cognitive training apps like Elevate may serve as scalable tools for enhancing everyday cognitive and functional well-being. Future research should use rigorous, longitudinal methods to confirm these effects and clarify which app features drive meaningful outcomes. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.