Playing Puzzle Games Keeps Your Brain Healthy
Dexterity Software Games Newsletter – September 5, 2003
No, I’m not making this up. In June of this year, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that people who keep their brains mentally active, such as by playing puzzle games, have a much lower risk of developing dementia as they age. And apparently people who participate in mind-stimulating activities at least once a day have a 63% reduced chance of developing dementia. That’s wonderful news for you avid puzzle game players!
For several years now, I’ve been seeing more and more evidence that playing puzzle games significantly improves mental health. In 2002 a different study showed that people who play mentally challenging games at least once a day have a 47% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are quickly discovering that mental exercise is at least as important as physical exercise in terms of preventing disease. While I’m sure there are many people who believe playing puzzle games is nothing but a waste of time, the facts suggest otherwise. In order for your brain to stay sharp, you’ve got to challenge it. And playing puzzle games is a great way to do that.
Of course, this only confirms something we’ve known all along. Just as your muscles will waste away if you don’t exercise them, your brain will suffer similar damage if you don’t give it frequent mental exercise. So when was the last time you solved a really challenging mental problem? Can’t remember? Uh oh, has something happened to your memory already?
Don’t worry…. even if your mind isn’t as sharp as it once was, medical evidence suggests that if you begin challenging your brain now and turn this positive practice into a lifelong habit, you can recover lost functionality and even grow mentally sharper as you age. And of all the things that doctors suggest you do to prevent disease, playing games isn’t exactly the kind of prescription that’s hard to swallow. Puzzle games are inexpensive, they don’t taste bad, and best of all they’re fun! So you can play puzzle games purely for your own pleasure, and when you hit one of those really hard levels that makes you think, just remember that you’re doing your brain a great service by keeping it strong and healthy.