Regular sudoku uses numbers, in this version you will manipulate blocks to solve the puzzles. "Computer games may also have stimulated a broader range of cognitive functions which may possibly not have been captured as well with their primary outcome measures," said Panos.Īnother expert also weighed in: "I'm not certain Wordle and Sudoku will be as effective as crosswords as they do not require looking up and learning new information," said Dr Emer MacSweeney, CEO at Re:Cognition Health, adding: "But certainly very likely to be better than not doing them at all.Use these free, printable Color Sudoku Puzzles to stretch your child’s critical thinking and problem solving skills. READ MORE | Study suggests ultra-processed food can affect our brain health ![]() Speaking to Healthline, a neuropsychologist explained a potential reason why the crossword puzzles outperformed the other games when it came to preventing cognitive decline.ĭr Stella Panos, director of neuropsychology for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California, said that because crossword puzzles have been around for longer than other cognitive games such as Sudoku and Wordle, it's possible that participants were simply more familiar with crossword puzzles, to begin with. This number is predicted to rise to 250 000 by 2030. More recent statistics from South Africa are lacking, but data from the World Alzheimer's Report in 2017 painted a grim picture: it was estimated that out of 4.4 million people over the age of 60 years living in South Africa, approximately 187 000 were living with dementia. Worldwide, more than 50 million people have dementia, with over 60% living in low- and middle-income countries, notes the World Health Organization. READ MORE | Having a pet may boost your brain health, study says These results were unexpected and in opposition to the proposed hypotheses … If these effects are replicated and expanded in future trials … crossword puzzle training could become a home-based, scalable, cognitive enhancement tool for individuals with MCI.Īs explained, MCI in older adults increases the risk of progression to dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, but "a cognitively active lifestyle may decrease the risk of cognitive decline and dementia," write the authors.Ī past review of 22 population-based studies estimated that complex mental activities, such as reading books, playing checkers, and completing crosswords or other puzzles, reduced overall incident dementia risk by 46% during a median seven-year period. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the researchers explain their surprise at the results: The team also assessed each participant for cognitive impairment and functional ability.Īfter 78 weeks, the researchers found that not only did the participants who played crosswords have less brain shrinkage than the ones who played other games, but they also didn't experience as much decline in cognitive or functional ability. ![]() READ MORE | 5 pillars of brain health that can have big benefits for your mind and bodyĮach participant underwent functional MRI scans to measure their hippocampal volume (associated with domains of cognition, such as processing speed and long-term memory storage). ![]() Then, they were divided randomly into two groups: one group was asked to play crosswords, while the other played other cognitive games. The average age of participants was 71 years. The team, from Columbia University and Duke University in the US, recruited more than 100 participants (45 male, 62 female) between the ages of 55 and 95 years with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which increases the risk of dementia.
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