Story Highlights
- Brain fitness software the latest tool against the effects of Alzheimer's.
- Activities range from technologically-savvy gaming consoles to user-friends crossword puzzles
- Exercising the brain with brain fitness activities can improve recall, memory, and concentration
If you think video games are all about slaying dragons and rescuing princesses, you might be surprised to hear the new claim that some games may actually have very real health benefits for kids and adults alike. A new wave of so-called "brain fitness" games are hitting the shelves and the consumers are a bit older than the traditional market. In just two years, the brain software market went from a respectable $100 million to a booming $225 million industry.
Over the next few decades, over 10 million baby boomers are expected to develop dementia and Alzheimer's. Dr. John Hart Jr. of the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas believes that the people are worried about their brain health. "A very large group of the population [...feels] vulnerable to degenerative neurological diseases that seem to be prevalent."
The basic premise of games like Nintendo's BrainAge, the online game Lumosity, and the pen-and-paper standbys like Sudoku and crossword puzzles is that challenging your brain to learn new skills fights off the cognitive declines typically associated with aging, like memory loss, recall difficultly, and lack of concentration.
Though some enthusiasts envision a world with brain coaches and brain fitness centers, the solution for now seems to be less complicated: find a challenging activity that you enjoy, and do it! Whether you invest in a gaming console system to tap into your inner teenager, or you dust of that stack of crossword puzzles you have stashed in the closet, as long as your brain is working, you'll be reaping the benefits.
