Total Pageviews

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Older adults who regularly do crosswords 'have sharper brains'




Do you enjoy crossword puzzles, sudoku, word searches etc … well Sky News recently reported that:
"Older adults who regularly do word and number puzzles have better brain function, a study has found.

The more often adults aged 50 and over attempted challenges such as crosswords and Sudoku, the sharper their brains, according to the findings.

University of Exeter and King's College London academics carried out research into more than 19,000 participants of an online survey.

They were asked to report how often they engage in word and number puzzles, and to undertake a series of cognitive tests sensitive to measuring changes in brain function.

The scientists found the more regularly participants engaged with the puzzles, the better they performed on tasks assessing attention, reasoning and memory.

Researchers used their results to calculate that people who engage in word puzzles have a brain function equivalent to 10 years younger than their age, on tests assessing grammatical reasoning, and eight years younger than their age on tests measuring short-term memory.

Study leader Dr Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "We've found that the more regularly people engage with puzzles such as crosswords and Sudoku, the sharper their performance is across a range of tasks assessing memory, attention and reasoning.

"The improvements are particularly clear in the speed and accuracy of their performance.

"In some areas the improvement was quite dramatic - on measures of problem-solving, people who regularly do these puzzles performed equivalent to an average of eight years younger compared to those who don't.

"We can't say that playing these puzzles necessarily reduces the risk of dementia in later life but this research supports previous findings that indicate regular use of word and number puzzles helps keep our brains working better for longer."

The study used participants from the Protect online platform, run by the two universities, which allows researchers to conduct and manage large-scale studies without the need for laboratory visits.

The two linked papers are published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry."

Above words and picture taken from article here

Do you enjoy puzzles of any kind? I enjoy word searches … one of our sons loves sudoku, and my Dear Dad always did a daily crossword puzzle and lived into his nineties.

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

34 comments:

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

I miss my daily crossword ... but we stopped receiving the daily paper ... and printing off a crossword...got old

CJ Kennedy said...

My dad love doing crossword puzzles and he could do them in ink! He kept up with his puzzles until his mid-80s when his eyesight began to fail.

Lady Caer Morganna said...

It makes perfect sense to me. After all, they are brain exercises! :-)

Jo said...

My dad is still doing a daily crossword and he's 86. I think it's very important to keep the mind active, his grandmother, dad, brother and sister all had dementia and I think it's definitely helped him to keep his mind sharp.

Rose said...

For once I am doing something right...I love sudoku, and word search, crossword puzzles...

Miss Val's Creations said...

This is such a great reason to pick up word puzzles. I plan on doing them when I am older. It is such a great past time.

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

I don't do crosswords but Sudoko. That is about all the stimulant my brain can take, I think. Thanks for your visit. We have been having non-stop rain so most of the pollen is being washed away..Happy Tuesday..Judy

Chatty Crone said...

Sorry I haven't been around it my grandson's graduation weekend and we had tons of company.
I love to do puzzles and games like that. Hope it does help.
Would you send me your email address and then I can write you back after you comment Jan.
skcz@comcast.net

Valerie-Jael said...

I love puzzles and crosswords, too. Valerie

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

Pocas veces me ha dado por resolver un crucigrama...el tiempo del que dispongo lo dedico a otras ocupaciones que tengo por aficción.

Besos

Elephant's Child said...

No crosswords or Sudoko. I do enjoy logic puzzles though.

Christine said...

I don't do regular puzzles, hopefully doing regular blog posts help!

Lowcarb team member said...

VENTANA DE FOTO said...
Pocas veces me ha dado por resolver un crucigrama...el tiempo del que dispongo lo dedico a otras ocupaciones que tengo por aficción.

Besos

Google (literal)translate:
It has seldom given me to solve a crossword puzzle... The time that I have I dedicate to other occupations I have for affection.

Kisses

sandy said...

I don't do crosswords - maybe I will start. But I love Mahjong on line.

mxtodis123 said...

I always have a few puzzle books to work on. That and a lot of reading.

happyone said...

I like to do crossword puzzles and do them often. Once in a while I'll do a word search too.
Always reading a couple of books too!

My name is Erika. said...

My Mom is 89 and has done puzzles like this all her life. Unfortunately she does have dementia, I think from Lyme disease, but I'm not exactly sure. However, if you go back and talk about things before 2013 she is really quite sharp about the details still. It is weird, but I think all her puzzles, which she does with varying degrees of success, surely have helped.

aussie aNNie said...

I am hopeless with crossword puzzles but crafting ideas keep my mind sharp.x

peppylady (Dora) said...

I use to do word crossword on regular bases and it been a while. Maybe it time to fire up those brain cells.
Coffee is on

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I always say that my writing a blog for the 10 years has been my mental exercise and more fun than doing crossword puzzles for me. I also love to read and I think that also helps the brain stay sharp, as well as getting exercise every day.

Iris Flavia said...

Hubby loves them. I tried one and he said I was quicker than him - we´ll stick to it!

Margaret D said...

I sometimes do crosswords but not brilliant at it.

mamasmercantile said...

Thats good to know both Gerard and I regularly do crosswords.

RO said...

I used to love doing Entertainment Trivia crossword puzzles and word searches years ago, but I haven't done that in quite some time. I met a puzzlemaster once and he was quite fascinating. Great post! Hugs...RO

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I love playing games of wit and those that challenge my knowledge of events, but I have never tried crossword puzzles. I must do so one of these days.

baili said...

great read dear Jan !

my sons loved puzzles when they were younger and i used to do so in course of joining them

i would love to restart when business allows me

Sami said...

I like crosswords but don't do them regularly. Will have to change that :) Thanks Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Many thanks to all who have read this post and a special mention to all who have commented, it is always so nice to receive, read and share your comments.

Chatty Crone said...
Sorry I haven't been around it my grandson's graduation weekend and we had tons of company.
I love to do puzzles and games like that. Hope it does help.
Would you send me your email address and then I can write you back after you comment Jan.
skcz@comcast.net

Hello Sandie (Chatty Crone)
As you know we have exchanged emails, for which I thank-you.
As you have now given me permission to post your comment, which contains your email address, I now post your comment.

Enjoy the rest of your week.
My good wishes.

All the best Jan

William Kendall said...

I prefer crosswords to sudoku.

NanaDiana said...

I LOVE avocados any way I can get them. I do hard word games every day and love them.

Sue said...

Ooh I do love a good puzzle x

Jeanie said...

I love puzzles of all kinds, especially crossword. Some are easier than others but they always intrigue me! Sudoku, too. And word search.

Conniecrafter said...

My father did these every day before he passed away, to keep his brain alert.

Magic Love Crow said...

This makes sense! Thanks Jan!