Senior Editor of commercial partnerships, HuffPost UK
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Sudoku and other “brain-training” games do little to prevent dementia, contrary to widespread belief, a report has revealed.
More than one third of people surveyed by Age UK believed such puzzles were the best way to keep our brains healthy as we age.
But now, new research by Global Council on Brain Health UK and Age UK has revealed these claims are “exaggerated” and there little to no long-term benefits of “brain-training” games.
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Instead researchers suggest people concentrate on socialising, learning a new skill (such as a language) or doing physical activity that requires mental engagement, such as tennis or dancing.
The GCBH report read: “If people play a ‘brain game’, they may get better at that game, but improvements in game performance have not yet been shown to convincingly result in improvements in people’s daily cognitive abilities.
“There is insufficient evidence that improvements in game performance will improve people’s overall functioning in everyday life. For example, we do not have evidence establishing that getting better at playing Sudoku will help you manage your finances any better.”
Age UK has urged people to start stimulating the brain as young as possible.
The charity’s chief scientist, James Goodwin explained: “Even though it’s never too late to learn something new, the overwhelming message from the report is that you shouldn’t wait until later life to try to maintain your brain health.
“The younger you start challenging yourself with mentally stimulating activities, the better your brain function will be as you age.”
Age UK tips for keeping your brain active:
Find new ways to stimulate your brain. Novelty is important to continually challenge it.
Study something you are interested in. Set achievable goals and reward yourself along the way with something you find relaxing in order to gradually increase your involvement in the activity.
Use life stages and transitions such as moving, changing careers or retiring to try new mentally stimulating activities.
Early Symptoms of Dementia
No Initiative (01 of10)
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At times everyone can become tired of housework, business activities, or social obligations. However a person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies. (credit:John Rensten via Getty Images)
Changes in Personality (02 of10)
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A person with dementia may seem different from his or her usual self in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic or anxious and agitated especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties. (credit:fStop Images - Carl Smith via Getty Images)
Mood Changes(03 of10)
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Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously. (credit:Mike Chick via Getty Images)
Misplace Things (04 of10)
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Anyone can temporarily misplace his or her wallet or keys. A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. (credit:Oli Kellett via Getty Images)
Problems With Keeping Track of Things (05 of10)
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A person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation or keep up with paying their bills. (credit:Chris Red via Getty Images)
Increasingly poor Judgement(06 of10)
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People with dementia may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothes on a warm day or very few on a cold day. (credit:Jessica Peterson via Getty Images)
Distortion of Time and Place (07 of10)
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We sometimes forget the day of the week or where we are going but people with dementia can become lost in familiar places such as the road they live in, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Problems With Language(08 of10)
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Occasionally everyone has trouble finding the right word but a person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks(09 of10)
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People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with dementia may not know in what order to put clothes on or the steps for preparing a meal. (credit:Anthony Harvie via Getty Images)
Memory Loss(10 of10)
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Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia. People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example, they may briefly forget their next-door neighbour's name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbour. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbour's name but also the context. (credit:Compassionate Eye Foundation via Getty Images)