Individuals who play more puzzle games are less likely to develop dementia.

Question

According to the link below, individuals who completed word or numerical puzzles at least once a month performed much better across all cognitive domains than those who did not, and measures of attention were greatest in those who did puzzles the most frequently. So the individuals who play more puzzle games are less likely to develop dementia.

Answer 1

The National Library of Medicine reports that research has shown people who regularly engage in puzzles are less likely to develop dementia. Engaging in puzzle-related activities helps strengthen cognitive reserve, which supports brain health as people age. However, once dementia develops, individuals are less likely to continue participating in these activities. Researchers are continuing to study how puzzling can influence long-term brain function and cognitive decline.

Texas A&M School of Public Health 

National Library of Medicine 

National Library of Medicine 

Answer 2

This is true!

The National Institute of Health published a paper on how people who play small puzzles slow cognitive decline, which makes them less likely to develop dementia. The act of doing puzzles lets our brains problem solve, which reinforces our brain's cognitive strength. They wrote in their abstract that "Crossword puzzle participation at baseline delayed onset of accelerated memory decline by 2.54 years". The study continues by connecting that conclusion to the delay of dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and other cognitive syndromes.

The study provided in this post also does a good job analyzing this trend. Focusing on the effects of just a few puzzles a month would have on maintaining cognitive thinking. There is also an Australian paper that connects and reports the cognitive benefit of puzzles to maintain their strength and longevity.

These studies focus on seniors and call for more to be tested on this topic. However, what has been measured to this point is relatively conclusive and widely reported.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3885259/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.5033

https://online.jcu.edu.au/blog/improving-cognitive-thinking#:~:text=Cognitive%20thinking%20is%20the%20mental,and%20turn%20it%20into%20knowledge.

Answer 3

Yes, this is true. According to the National Institute of Health, a long term study of people aged 75 and older, those who frequently participated in these activities were less likely to develop dementia compared to those who rarely did. The researchers suggest that such activities may build “cognitive reserve,” strengthening brain connections and delaying the onset of dementia symptoms. Therefore, doing puzzles and other mentally challenging activities may indeed help protect against dementia and keep the mind sharp with age. Further, The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation states that individuals who did word or number puzzles at least once a month showed significantly better performance in cognitive function than anyone who did not. Both these sources confirm that this fact is in fact true. 

Sources: 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1151037/

https://www.alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/blog/can-a-puzzle-a-day-keep-dementia-at-bay

Answer 4

The Texas A&M University School of Public Health states that people who have mild cognitive impairment and participate in high levels of activities such as word games and puzzles, have higher levels of memory, higher working memory and processing speed compared to people who don't participate in as many word games and puzzles. It is still unclear on whether it can prevent or postpone cognitive decline.

https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2024/09/10/games-puzzles-and-reading-can-slow-cognitive-decline-in-the-elderly-even-in-those-with-mild-cognitive-impairment/

The National Library of Medicine conducted a study on how word games and crossword puzzles effect individuals with memory decline in the preclinical stages of dementia. They came to the conclusion that puzzles delayed memory decline by 2.54 years. They state that some studies have found associations with cognitive stimulating activities and a reduced risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment syndromes, but that not all studies agree on this claim.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3885259/

Based on these two sources I can come to the conclusion that it can not be distinguished whether or not there is a connection to puzzles reducing the risk of developing cognitive impariment syndromes. Puzzles can strengthen and improve your memory, but so far, there is no association.