Revealed: The ‘mentally stimulating’ tasks you need to do twice weekly to prevent dementia

What activity has been shown in a new study to ward off dementia? Clue: It is one across the street and has nine letters.

A recent study found that doing a crossword puzzle at least twice a week dramatically slowed cognitive decline in older Americans, compared to those who did it less often.

Other ‘mentally stimulating’ activities, such as reading a book, playing Sudoku or keeping a diary, also seemed to protect against the decline.

It is thought that these activities can help form new brain cells and stimulate connections in the brain responsible for memory.

Researchers in three states followed nearly 6,000 adults over the age of 50 for nearly a decade and divided them into groups based on how often they participated in “cognitively simulating” activities.

Although all participants experienced memory loss with age, those who regularly picked up a book or puzzle consistently had better memory and slower cognitive decline over an eight-year period.

This lowered their risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can lead to dementia in as many as nine in 10 patients.

More than seven million Americans are affected by dementia every year, along with almost one million Britons. And about 10 million Americans and one in five Brits over the age of 65 are diagnosed with MCI.

Dr. Jungjoo Lee, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, told PsyPost the findings indicate that ‘the cognitive care program needs a comprehensive design that includes physical activities, cognitively stimulating activities, and community engagement.

‘Balanced therapeutic strategies that integrate all these healthy behaviors will increase cognitive health benefits rather than focusing on a single domain.’

The study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancementfollowed 5,932 adults recruited from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a database on aging Americans, from 2012 to 2020.

The participants ranged from 50 to 109 years old, with an average age of 68 years.

The team measured cognitive function by looking at memory, working memory, attention and processing speed.

Working memory is how long a person can retain temporary information, such as remembering an address while being given directions.

Attention and processing speed measure how quickly the brain absorbs information, such as letters, while reading a book.

Researchers measured these factors based on how quickly they could recall words, basic math skills, and tasks such as counting backwards.

Participants were then divided into groups based on how often they performed tasks such as crossword puzzles or reading a book.

Although all participants saw memory declines, those who completed these activities more than twice a week “consistently showed higher memory working memory and attention than groups who participated less in the activities,” Dr. Lee said.

It is thought that brain games such as crossword puzzles help stimulate the growth of brain cells and connections responsible for memory

It’s unclear exactly why these activities slowed cognitive decline, but experts think they may help stimulate brain cell growth and strengthen the connections between brain cells responsible for memory.

There were several limitations to the study, the most important of which was that researchers did not take into account other factors that could have caused cognitive decline, such as other health problems, medication use, and unforeseen events such as accidents.

Additionally, there was a significant age range among the participants, with the youngest being just 50 years old and the oldest being 109 years old. Because the risk of cognitive decline increases with age, this could have led to bias.

Dr. Lee said: ‘Further research is needed to control internal and external confounding factors that influence healthy behavior and any cognitive function.’