Crosswords and chess may help more than socializing in avoiding dementia

[Jim__]

From MedicalXpress

Computer use, crosswords and games like chess are more strongly associated with older people avoiding dementia than knitting, painting or socializing, a Monash University study has found.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the findings—some of the most robust on this topic to date—may help older individuals and aged care professionals plan more targeted approaches to reducing dementia risk.

Researchers drew data from 10,318 Australians aged 70 and older participating in the ASPREE project and the ALSOP (ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons) sub-study.

They found that participants who routinely engaged in adult literacy and mental acuity tasks such as education classes, keeping journals, and doing crosswords were 9-11 percent less likely to develop dementia than their peers.

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[Freethinker65]

1. My father was an avid crossword puzzle solver

We used to do The NY Times and Boston Globe Sunday crosswords together. He also was an avid Bridge player, kept a daily journal for decades, and was an educator. He suffered from dementia for many years before he died at age 86.

I honestly don't believe any of those behaviors prevent dementia. However, my father did realize things were changing with his cognitive skills (in those skills cited and others) early on during his dementia voyage as evidenced through his journal writings. He did not actually receive a diagnosis for several years.

[zuul]

2. My mother has been a crosswords player my entire life.

She is 95 and still going strong. She uses email and Facebok every day. We talk on the phone multiple times a week and although she sometimes struggles to remember a name or some other word, it usually comes to her a few minutes later. She is doing pretty well except for some aches and pains.

[appalachiablue]

4. KICK

[DrivingOnThe Left]

5. 12-puzzle-a-day habit here in the UK, including the NYT

I'm 64, been a cruciverbalist since I was 8, can't do without my daily fix !