Do Brain Games Really Work to Boost Cognitive Fitness?

For each group, the investigators evaluated the children’s performance on two tasks that reflected their ability to control impulsive behavior and to memorize information, as well as the children’s brain activity while performing the tasks. The systematic review has several conclusions related to beneficial effects of noncognitive-based video games. First, noncognitive-based video gaming can be used in all age categories as a means to improve the brain. Second, noncognitive-based video gaming affects both structural and functional aspects of the brain.

As you age, you can protect your brain by staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, and staying mentally active. Adding in brain games offers an excellent workout for the mind and can help you maintain your cognitive function. Remember, brain training isn’t limited to games and puzzles; staying socially engaged, maintaining creative hobbies, and even working out can help to flex your brain and improve cognitive functioning. The primary inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trial study, video game interaction, and MRI/fMRI analysis. Studies that qualified with only one or two primary inclusions were not included.

And if I don’t play for an extended period of time, I’ll, quite literally, see WoW in my dreams. The participants in the 3-D group significantly improved their memory test scores compared with the 2-D group. The 3-D group’s memory performance increased by 12 percent – the same amount that memory performance usually declines by between 45 and 70 years of age. People are increasingly under the impression that brain-training apps will safeguard them against memory loss or cognitive disorders.

What Are Brain Games?

Each one displays symbols that vary by number, color, shading, and shape. The card game is a fun way to practice pattern recognition, quick decision-making, and short-term memory. Set isn’t exactly a memorization technique but it is a great way to keep your mind sharp. CogniFit is a digital healthcare company that provides comprehensive cognitive measurement and enhancement tools. The experience begins with a brain test to assess your cognitive well-being and identify strengths and weaknesses, including concentration, hand-eye coordination, and memorization.

Studies of older adults have found links between higher cognitive function and playing number games daily. As you get better at a logic game, you may see improvements in your problem-solving skills. You’ll need to practice a game that targets other areas to improve them. It’s best to think of playing brain games as just one tool to become smarter. According to a 2022 study published in NEJM Evidence, people experiencing mild memory problems saw improved cognition and less brain shrinkage after eight weeks of completing crosswords.

Or pick up a book of crosswords specifically suited to your skill level and interests. But Dr. Manos cautions that although video games can improve focus and hand-eye coordination with mechanics like QTEs, there are real-world examples, like driving through fog, that present a greater opportunity for learning. Earlier studies seem to indicate that playing the game results in a thicker cortex in the brain, and helps improve brain efficiency. It has even been hypothesized that playing Tetris has positive results for certain spatial skills like mental rotation, spatial perception, and spatial visualization. Post-FTC charges, Lumosity now claims to offer “daily exercise for your mind.” Their brain training helps sharpen memory, attention, mental flexibility, processing speed, and problem-solving. It’s available through a number of different sites, including both Web Sudoku and Sudoku.com (which both have iOS and Android apps available).

Helping children make friends: What parents can do

Although the pandemic is (maybe, kinda, sorta) winding down, many of us still aren’t getting the daily stimulation we once got from populated offices, robust happy hours, and social events with friends and family. Having an accountability partner is a strategy that can help you be successful in many areas of your life, so why not get a brain health buddy? It could be as simple as someone who shares your love of Wordle that you can text your daily score. Or it could be identifying a consistent bridge partner to join a league with. Wordle can be played in the New York Times Crossword app or the New York Times News app in the Play tab. Using the basics of positive psychology, Happify’s quizzes, polls, and gratitude journal—combined with a nurturing community help you learn life-changing habits.

It includes 51 mini-games that test and train your brain in one of six categories to give your brain a workout while having fun. KenKen is an online grid-based numerical puzzle that uses the basic math operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—while also challenging your logic and problem-solving skills. The daily challenge allows you to customize the grid size to increase the difficulty as you progress. Boggle is another fun game where players try to find as many words as possible final fantasy quiz from a grid of dice with letters within a set time limit. Words must be at least three letters in length and must be made from the adjacent letters.

Appendix A

This classic card game played with a deck of cards can help improve your strategic thinking as you move cards in ascending order, from ace to king, by suit. It’s a quick game that can be played with a 52-card deck or online. Find the 30 best brain games to maximize your brain help and minimize cognitive decline. Elevate’s games center on reading, writing, speaking, and math, and you can customize your training to focus on whichever areas you prefer. As with most other brain games, you can track your progress to see how your skills are improving. But personally, I don’t think anything compares to the fun of using a Memory Palace.

The research team examined survey, cognitive, and brain imaging data from nearly 2,000 participants from within the bigger study cohort. They separated these children into two groups, those who reported playing no video games at all and those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more. This threshold was selected as it exceeds the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines, which recommend that videogaming time be limited to one to two hours per day for older children.

The more complex the image, the more pieces, and the size of the pieces all add to the difficulty. You’ll need to download an app to play Elevate’s 35 (and counting) different brain-training games, which have a strongly educational feel. It’s free (with in-app purchases) and both iOS and Android versions have tens of thousands of five-star reviews. You will also find many options for crossword puzzles online or via free or inexpensive apps. The AARP website offers a daily crossword that’s free to everyone, whether or not you’re a member of the group.

And while one study discovered an increase in concentration and visuomotor abilities like spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination in gamers who played MMORPGs, they also discovered structural brain differences and a loss of self-control. Set-shifting is the ability to move back and forth between different tasks in quick succession. The ability to start one thing and immediately pick up another is an important factor in determining your cognitive flexibility. Because of the level of detail and interaction, you often have to pay close attention to visual and auditory cues to accomplish certain tasks in a video game.

It’s also why I’ll tell you the truth a lot of designers of games will not. The most common vision problem is eye strain, which can lead to headaches and poor concentration. Gaming has been reported to result in seizures, leading to warnings on the packaging. One common example is carpel tunnel syndrome, which many gamers develop. Carpal tunnel syndrome, often seen in office workers, involves inflammation of a nerve in the wrist, which causes pain and numbness.