Monday, April 2, 2012

Playing Memory Games Aids Seniors Brains

A recent study has shown that playing memory games, doing puzzles and art can aid senior’s memory and brain function. Science has discovered that keeping mentally active is shown to reduce the chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers did a study with 180 people aged 65 to 75 who had good eyesight, hearing and communication skills.

They randomly assigned participants to training sessions twice a week for 12 weeks or to a wait list as part of the control group. The study found that memory games and cognitive training can improve memory, reasoning and attention span. Over time this can maintain the functioning of older people’s minds and keep them sharper which will stave off mental health disorders such as dementia.

The memory games included cognitive training such as repeated practice, problem solving tasks and reasoning skills. The sessions lasted one hour for each patient in the group. They also received homework to take home to reinforce what they have learned. The repetition went a long way in keeping the information fresh in their mind and making brain functioning easier.

This training helped the participants score higher on a series of test designed to measure cognitive skills and abilities. The study showed that there were measurable benefits after the booster training sessions. The studies to measure the cognitive skills were given by technicians who had no idea which group the senior participants were in.

The study regarding memory games did have some hiccups which the researchers acknowledged. 53 participants quit during the study mostly claiming they could not remember appointment times or didn’t want to head out for sessions in the hot summer months. This particular study was done in China so it would need to be repeated in other areas around the world to see if the findings stand true.

There are many studies however that suggest the same thing that memory games and brain games improve brain function and improve cognitive skills. The healthier your brain is the less likely you are to end up with dementia or Alzheimer’s. A healthy brain is made and requires that you keep your mind busy, your body healthy and to always keep using it.

Each day you should spend at least a few minutes giving your brain a little workout with memory games. No matter your age this will improve brain function which makes it easier for you to remember things and improves your problem solving skills.

It is key to maintain and improve your brain health over time to remain healthy and cognitively fit. Today, research has demonstrated a clear correlation between overall quality of life, brain games and training and mental health. As we take care of our physical body, it is now proven that brain training and serious brain games can have a very positive impact on many aspects of life at every age and also at the later stage of life. Memory, concentration and other key cognitive skills can be training and measured. It is important to keep constantly challenging your brain to maintain your health!

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