| I’ve started using what doctors are calling a proven way to help SLOW age-related memory decline — even among folks who’ve been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment! Ready? Doing crossword puzzles every day. I had heard this before but this new study comes from Columbia and Duke Universities. They recruited adults with mild cognitive impairment, with an average age of 71. Study participants were given cognitive tests and MRIs, followed by a year and a half of weekly sessions in which they did either crossword puzzles or played computer videogames. A year and a half. Extensive study! Here are the results: Those who did crossword puzzles had lower levels of memory loss, and less age-related shrinkage of the brain, which can also affect memory. The researchers believe it’s because both crossword puzzles and videogames trigger activity in the brain areas linked to strategy, decision-making, learning, motivation and memory. But crosswords ALSO boost activity in the brain areas that process language, which makes it easier to store and retrieve memories. |
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