Brain Puzzles Are Enjoyable As Well As Good For Memory
September 3rd 2010 14:52
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Could you believe it that brain puzzles are not just for kids?
Brain puzzles have been found to improve the mental processes and capacity for memory.
Elderly People with Alzheimer's disease or dementia are the ones who benefit the most by playing brain puzzles.
Alzheimer's disease is the worse form of memory loss, as well as the most prevalent condition among old people in the United States.
More than 5 million people in the US currently suffer from this neurodegenerative disease.
What can be done to alleviate this serious phenomenon between aging people?
The answer could just be: preventive healthy lifestyle plus enjoyable use of brain puzzles.
Here is the scientific explanation why and how brain puzzles could help improve the brain's mental processes and prevent serious memory loss:
Enough activity and stimulation of the brain through active thinking strengthens the neuro-transmitted connections in the brain, which is essential in processing and passing on information for use in our day-to-day living.
Frequent use of puzzles is an excellent way to stimulate and train the brain for successful functioning.
Puzzles most specifically promote logical and mathematical problem solving skills. When you are playing a puzzle, you are not just enjoying but actually using your brain to analyze, deduce, sequence, and reason out in order to solve the puzzle.
Jigsaw puzzles in particular utilize and enhance our innate capacity for spatial recognition and imaginative arranging skills. When playing jigsaw puzzles, our mind is being involved in retaining shape, image, or color information to use in effectively choosing which piece would fit the puzzle. Thinking about how the piece you need looks like, and remembering this while you're searching for the piece - actually improves short term memory.
Furthermore, as we succeed on playing the puzzle, our brain produces a neurotransmitter - dopamine, that regulates mood and boosts motivation.
Aside from jigsaw puzzles there are a lot of other forms of mind boosting puzzles - like word matching games, riddles, math problems, Sudoku, Rubik's cube, educational board games, and more. All of these stimulate thinking and enhance our mental processes and brain functioning. This is the main reason why brain puzzles are often used and encouraged in daycare and schools as development and learning aids.
Aging people too could benefit from the use of brain puzzles. It is enjoyable and at the same time, it strengthens thinking ability and eventually, improves memory.
Combine this with healthy eating and consumption of fruit and vegetable juices and you're on your way to preventing dementia and living a healthy and happy life.
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