The study didn’t investigate whether crosswords help young adults who aren’t coping with cognitive decline, but it does show that keeping your mind active as you age may help your brain. And this study offers hope that people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment may be able to reverse further declines in memory, language impairment, and decision-making that are hallmarks of the condition. is giving
of American Neurological Association Mild cognitive impairment is estimated to affect about 8% of people between the ages of 65 and 69. 10 percent between the ages of 70 and 74. 15% of people aged 75-79. 25% between the ages of 80 and 84. About 37% of people over the age of 85.
Funded by the National Institute on Aging, the study recruited 107 adults aged 55 to 95 with mild cognitive impairment. For 12 weeks, everyone was asked to play one of two games four times a week. luminous intensity, popular cognitive training platforms, or 30-minute digital crosswords. After 12 weeks, participants were reassessed and given six additional gameplay ‘booster’ doses during the 78-week experiment.
By the end of the study, participants underwent standard assessments used to measure cognitive decline, and friends and family reported: their day-to-day functions. MRI scans were also used to measure changes in brain volume.
Researchers have found that in primary measurements — changes in cognitive decline scores, functional skills, and brain volume — regular crossword players outperformed game players.
The discovery surprised the scientists behind the study We expected that challenging web-based brain-training games specifically designed to improve cognitive function would yield the greatest benefits.
“Our study fairly conclusively shows that crossword puzzles outperform computerized games on multiple measures in people with mild cognitive impairment,” said a professor at Duke University. “Thus, unlike normal aging, if you have mild cognitive impairment, crossword puzzles are a good way to keep your brain active.” ”
Those with a higher degree of cognitive impairment appeared to benefit most from doing crosswords designed to be moderately difficult puzzles comparable to The New York Times Thursday Game.
This study has limitations. Some of the participants may be familiar with crosswords. That’s why the puzzles were more responsive than Lumosity’s computer games. Many more years of follow-up are needed to determine whether interventions such as crossword puzzles can “truly prevent dementia.”
“We have known for nearly 30 or 40 years that keeping the mind active is very important,” Dreiswamy said. “But we haven’t really translated it into an intervention that is a medical-grade intervention.”
DP Devanand, a professor at Columbia University and the study’s principal investigator, said the findings needed to be replicated in a larger study with more participants and a non-gaming control group. said.
“I can’t say beyond a certain point why people are better at crosswords, but I do suggest that doing crosswords helps you,” Devanand said.
Doraiswamy said she hopes future research will build on the findings to explore the optimal difficulty and time for people with mild cognitive impairment to solve puzzles. rice field.
Some researchers remained skeptical. Zach HambrickProfessor of Cognition and Neuroscience at Michigan State University.
In 1999 Hambrick co-authored Investigation We found no evidence that people who solved crossword puzzles more than twice a week had less cognitive decline.
Hambrick said completing a crossword puzzle, which requires the ability to memorize words and esoteric knowledge gleaned through experience, tests a person’s “crystallized cognitive abilities.” People with mild cognitive impairment said they had the most trouble with “fluid cognitive skills” such as remembering lists of words and solving logical problems. Hambrick said it would not challenge the type of ability associated with the disability.
Lumos Labs, the company that developed the computer game in the experiment, provided access to both the crossword puzzle and the series of games, but was not involved in designing or publishing the study. Doraiswamy is a consultant at Lumos Labs.
Laurie RyanThe director of clinical interventions at the National Institute on Aging said the agency funded the study because it’s important to find treatments that reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. rice field.
“It may require multiple interventions for different people,” says Ryan. “We are trying to fund as many things as we can.”
Most researchers agree that keeping both your body and mind active as you age probably benefits your brain. Ronald C. PetersenDirector of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mayo Clinic, he encourages his patients to spend time doing challenging intellectual tasks, such as watching documentaries and attending lectures, in addition to regular exercise. ing.
Look for activities that “get out of your comfort zone.” Sylvie Belleville, Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Montreal. Try different “exciting” tasks or increase the difficulty of certain tasks over time. “If he’s good at crossword puzzles and just keeps doing it, he’s still just in his comfort zone and not adopting new strategies or new brain networks,” Belleville says.
