The 107 elderly people were randomly divided into two groups, one doing crossword puzzles and the other playing computer games for 12 weeks. The differences were less clear in people with very early dementia, but the crossword puzzle was superior in people with mild mental impairment: those who did the crossword puzzle performed significantly better on memory tests at weeks 12 and 78. Daily living skills were Also better in this group. The results could also be measured on an MRI: brain volume was greater in those who solved the crossword puzzles after 78 weeks.
“This is the first study to document the short- and long-term benefits of crossword training at home compared to other interventions. The benefits were clear not only on cognition, but also on daily activities and on MRI, indicating that the effects are clinically meaningful,” summed up the Professor Dr.. Devanand of Columbia University in Manhattan, who and his team published the findings in the journal NEJM Evidence.
Which: DOI 10.1056 / EVIDoa2200121
