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AI introduces novel, noninvasive ways to treat neurological disorders.

Studies suggest that the brain still responds to cognitive and linguistic training late in life.

Language training offers strong benefits for older adults in the typical and dyslexic population.

Can you change an 88-year-old brain? This question came up when Mr. JT Johnson, 88, started using an AI program to correct his dyslexia. Dyslexia is a common reading difficulty that affects 1 in 5 people (Yale Center for Dyslexia, 2022). It is classified as a learning disability in schools.

Although this neurological disorder is widely assumed to be incurable and thus lifelong, advanced AI technology has cleared the reading difficulty in some children, as validated by a university-run clinical trial (May & Van Horne, 2025).

Mr. Johnson saw on TV the case of a 9-year-old boy with dyslexia who used an AI program to overcome it. The 88-year-old man decided to give it a try. He was not the only one. When NBC Nightly News aired that feature, more than a quarter of the queries to the AI developers came from individuals in their 60s and older.

The Desire to Overcome Dyslexia Is Lifelong

I asked Mr. Johnson why he still wanted to change his dyslexia at this age. He said that this was a promise he had made to himself, that one day he would be able to read, just like everyone else.

For others, it was to know why. Why couldn't they read when others could? They knew it didn't have to do with intelligence or effort. Why was it that others who were not any smarter or more capable could read with ease, but they couldn't?

For yet others, their spouses worry late in life that when they are gone, their loved ones with dyslexia may find it harder to manage in a text-dependent world. Everyday matters such as filling out forms, and reading instructions and signs can bring on extra anxiety.

The Sting of Stigma Subsides When a Solution Exists

For eight decades, Mr. Johnson did not talk about his dyslexia in public. In fact, when he was in school, his teachers did not even use the word. But now he is opening up because there is hope.

Additionally, understanding the source of the problem makes it easier to explain one's condition to others. People with dyslexia have difficulty processing language efficiently in the brain. Thus, the solution lies in improving this processing efficiency. A clinical trial (May & Van Horne, 2025) and case studies (Hoh & Haruta, 2018) show that this can be done in children and young adults in their 20s. But what about adults in middle age and beyond?

Studies Suggest That Aging Brains Still Respond to Training

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Even though the brain declines in neuroplastic potential with age, research underscores its capacity to adapt even late in life (Tsiakiri et al., 2025). Some experimental studies show structural and functional improvements in the brains of people aged 65 to 88, given appropriate training (Grover et al., 2022).

Computerized cognitive and linguistic training has been shown to be beneficial. In one study, participants were near 70 and had minor neurocognitive disorders, historically known as mild cognitive impairment. The computerized training arrested their cognitive decline (Tsiakiri et al., 2025).

Language Helps to Build Cognitive Reserve

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Older people have been encouraged to learn a foreign language. Language learning taps into many areas of function, including the linguistic, cognitive, social, and affective. In stimulating neuroplasticity widely, language learning serves to counteract general decline from aging (Bubbico et al., 2025).

The relationship between linguistic ability and cognitive resilience has been shown in an iconic longitudinal study on aging and dementia involving 678 Catholic nuns. It is commonly called the Nun Study (Clarke et al., 2024). The Nun Study indicates that high linguistic performance early in life, as seen in education level and writing samples, has a lasting effect on cognitive health.

How Fast and How Quickly Do Older Brains Adapt?

The lesson here is that we need to work on our brains as much as we do our bodies in keeping fit. The question is not whether older brains can change. They do. Rather, the question is how fast and how much. Research shows that intensive training or repeated practice of a novel skill may alter neural structures and function in as little as a week (Rabipour & Raz, 2012).

During a 30-minute language game session, Mr. Johnson's scores improved from 50 percent accuracy to 80 percent in phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is sensitivity to speech sounds, a prerequisite for spelling and word decoding. Lack of phonemic awareness is a strong predictor of dyslexia (Elliott & Grigorenko, 2014).

Because the dyslexia therapy is gamified, Mr. Johnson, formerly a star athlete, was driven to win. His competitive spirit spurred him to beat the game. Research shows repeatedly the powerful mix of physical exercise and cognitive and social stimulation in late-stage performance and resilience.

Mr. JT Johnson at 88 presents an interesting case study, for he is an exceptional individual. He is the last surviving member of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Inner Circle. Mr. Johnson was instrumental in the civil rights protest at St. Augustine, Florida, which precipitated the passing of the Civil Rights Act.

Just as his courage, fortitude, and ingenuity during the civil rights movement paved the way for others to follow, Mr. JT Johnson is today serving as a pioneer in this area of brain science. After a few months of training, he is already witnessing noticeable improvements in his ability to segment words into single sounds and in his spelling. We are all rooting for him to fulfill his dream.

Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. (2022). Declaration of rights.

Tsiakiri, A. et al. (2025). Innovative health promotion strategies: A 6-month longitudinal study on computerized cognitive training for older adults with minor neurocognitive disorders. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(3): 34. doi:10.3390/ejihpe15030034

Grover, S. et al. (2022). Long-lasting, dissociable improvements in working memory and long-term memory in older adults with repetitive neuromodulation. Nature Neuroscience, 25: 1237-1246.

Bubbico, G. et al. (2025). Learning a foreign language in older adults shapes the functional connectivity of distinct cerebellar sub-regions with cortical areas rich in CB1 receptor expression. Brain and Behavior, 15(5). doi: 10.1002/brb3.70565

Clarke, K. et al. (2024). The Nun study: Insights from 30 years of aging and dementia research. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21. doi: 10.1002/alz.14626

Rabipour, S., & Raz, A. (2012). Training the brain: Fact and fad in cognitive and behavioral remediation. Brain and Cognition, 79(2), 159-179.

Elliott, J., & Grigorenko, E. (2014). The dyslexia debate. Cambridge University Press.

May, H., & Van Horne, S. (2025). Results from a randomized trial of the Dysolve program for students with reading difficulties. The Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP), University of Delaware.

Hoh, C. P. S., & Haruta, E. Y. (2018). Dyslexia dissolved: Successful cases with learning disabilities, ADHD and language disorders. NY: Alpha Infonational.

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