Puzzles for Passionate Puzzlers
Puzzles and Mental Health
We were delighted to be involved with Today Tonight's, and more recently 2UE 's coverage of mental health issues, and in particular the benefits of doing crosswords and mind games on improving and maintaining a good memory. To read the transcript of the Today Tonight story by David Richardson, Click here. Recent news and articles on crosswords and mental health. Mental Workouts Keep Your Brain Fit Crosswords reduce risk of Alzheimers There is ample evidence to suggest that spending time doing cognitively stimulating activities (including mind games such as crosswords, scrabble, card games and puzzles) results in a much healthier mind. Following are some examples of research undertaken in this field, and quotations associated with the benefits of crosswords on the mind. If you have something to add regarding the benefits of crosswords on the mind please feel free to leave your comments.  Dr Fiona McPherson, author of The Memory Key "Research into the effects of stimulation on the aging mind has sometimes included doing crosswords as a cognitively stimulating activity. There has also been some suggestion that doing crosswords might specifically help protect you from tip-of-the-tongues (which become more frequent with age)." From "Dr Ross Walker, author of The Life Factor writes in that book "A recent study has shown that the simple habit of regularly performing brain puzzles, or doing a crossword improves longevity and brain function." From the Whitehall II study: "Participation in cognitively complex or social leisure activities has an independent association with adult cognition, suggesting that seeking mental stimulation may have a beneficial effect on cognition in middle age." Professor Joe Verghese from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York was interviewed by the ABC after the results of a 21 year study into ways to halt the onset of dementia were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study showed that increasing mental stimulation delayed the onset of mental disease. ‘Doing crossword puzzles showed a trend towards reduced risk'. Prof Verghese believed biological deterioration can be overcome by exercising the mind. A study conducted in February 2002 and published in the Feb13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities was significantly associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. The research studied 700 seniors over several years. |