An American study shows a 30% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s in seniors who have done mental exercises on a computer. Another, older, was already going in the same direction
These are the results which seem surprising by the extent of the reduction in risk and the simplicity of the treatment for a disease which, moreover, currently has none. While waiting to find the miracle product, doctors are mainly focusing on prevention. Hence this American study, very long since having lasted 10 years, which is rather a guarantee of seriousness. More than 2,800 healthy participants, aged 74 at the start of the experiment, a part of whom, chosen at random, were subjected to mental exercises which consist in rapidly identifying objects on a computer. The complexity and speed of the game increased as we progressed. Scientists measured responsiveness, memorization, and cognitive changes right after five weeks of mental exercise training. Then every year until the fifth year and a final time ten years after the start of the research. They assessed how the participants performed their various daily tasks by interviewing them.
According to the head of the study: “The practice of the mental reaction game resulted in a 29% reduction in the risk of dementia during the ten years of the study compared to the control group”,
The scientific community doubts
It must be admitted that all specialists in this disease find that the reduction seems too great to be real. Quarrel of researchers? Maybe … but we must remember the results of another study dating back three years and results published in the British journal Nature, who is not particularly fond of jokes.
Another similar study with positive results
Researchers in San Francisco evaluated the brain’s ability to analyze information from the outside and focus attention to only what is relevant. They used for this a video game, “NeuroRacer”, in which the player must perform several tasks simultaneously: driving a car on a winding road using a joystick using the left thumb, watching for signs that appear on the screen and signal them by operating the joystick with your right hand. These scientists first tested the game with 174 people aged 20 to 79, showing that the brain’s multitasking abilities gradually decline with age. Subsequently, 46 people aged 60 to 85, in good health, who were not used to video games, trained in “NeuroRacer” one hour a day, three times a week, for a month, with a version allowing to increase the difficulty as they improved their performance.
The reported results were again surprising. They showed that these people were able to achieve performance beyond that of 20-year-old participants who had not trained to play. The benefit was still observed six months later, with the addition of an improvement in attention. and working memory. Beyond the fun aspect, these results show that even in old age, the brain is capable of transforming itself. We knew it, but this experience is important, because everyone will benefit from it!
It doesn’t cost a thing to try
Teens, or parents for that matter, should no longer hesitate to share the controllers of their video games with their grandparents. For once, medicine will try to appease a generational debate which is rather topical, without going through the psycho or psychiatry box.
It is true that few older people understand the value of spending all those hours in front of mostly violent games, when one should try to show a little interest in the dreams of adolescence to try to try them. to understand. An American study will help dialogue: it gives the regular practice of a three-dimensional video game the virtue of really stimulating the brain of elderly people and improving their thinking skills.
Don’t forget to move
We are waiting for the first therapeutic games for seniors! Without forgetting that the older you are, the more you have to move and not laze around in an armchair, watching TV. Physical activity is beneficial at any age, even in an already dependent person. A study measured the beneficial effects of the development of physical activity in nursing home residents: the number of falls and fractures has decreased, the list of medications has been reduced a little, the use of physiotherapy care is less common. The elderly must do weight training once a week, because they must be able to carry their shopping bag! Moreover, the government is looking for solutions to encourage seniors to play sports. It will be necessary to add a game console.
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