Do Brain Games Ward off Dementia?

Do Brain Games Ward off Dementia?

Dementia is the gradual loss of mental functioning beyond the normal ageing process, with Alzheimer's Disease the most common form of dementia.

While science has yet to find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia, what is known is that the brain has a remarkable capacity to repair itself. Our brains are capable of generating new cells well into old age, even after significant damage.

With this evidence at hand, it is little wonder some companies have seized the opportunity to market so-called -brain training' devices with claims they can help keep dementia at bay. But do they really work?

Unfortunately, there is no body of scientific evidence showing brain training games really reduce the risk of dementia. This view is supported by Alzheimer's Australia.

In fact, studies show that while participants improved their ability to play the actual brain training games, there were no real benefits that transferred to other brain skills such as memory, planning or problem-solving.

A six week experiment involving more than 11,000 people in Britain on the benefits of brain training games, published in Nature magazine, is one example.

Participants trained several times each week on cognitive tasks to improve reasoning, memory, planning, visuospatial skills, and attention.

The authors concluded that 'brain training was only as good as spending six weeks using the internet" and that the benefits of playing brain training games did not transfer to other brain skills.

However there are more general lifestyle strategies you can adopt that studies have shown can delay - or perhaps even prevent - the onset of dementia.
Mentally stimulating activities such as cooking, painting, sewing, doing jigsaws or just chatting to friends about current affairs can all help keep your brain active. Like the muscles in your body, your brain needs to keep being exercised.
Keeping your body fit is also another preventative strategy. It is now thought that keeping blood and oxygen flow to the brain through exercise can help protect the brain against the onset of dementia.
Because of the established link between healthy hearts and healthy brains, anything you can do to maintain good heart health will ultimately benefit your brain. A good low-fat diet is a proven means of maintaining heart health. Stick to small amounts of lean red meat and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, fish, whole grains and nuts.
And don't underestimate the benefits of remaining socially active. Scientists do not fully understand why maintaining strong social connections helps, but social interaction does reduce stress levels, which in turn benefits your overall health.
Don't smoke. Dementia can sometimes be related to problems with blood supply to the brain (vascular dementia) and smoking has been cited as a risk factor for vascular dementia.
Don't drink too much alcohol - drinking excessively over a long period can cause alcohol realted dementia. The National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia recommends that men shouldn't drink more than 2 standard drinks a day and women shouldn't have more than 1 standard drink a day.