Q: I’ve heard that keeping my brain active, with word games, crossword puzzles, reading and other activities, will help prevent memory loss as I get older. Is that true? Are some activities better than others?
When Jennifer O’Brien, a psychologist who studies Alzheimer’s disease prevention at the University of South Florida, gives public lectures, she says she’s frequently asked if activities like crossword puzzles or word games will stave off age-related cognitive decline.
“It’s the No. 1 question,” she said. “There’s this very pervasive, common belief that if I do these types of games, it’s going to help me as I age.”
The truth, she and other experts said, is more complicated. The science on whether specific brain activities are helpful, or if some are more effective than others, is limited and hard to evaluate, and other aspects of your life may be more important.
But certain kinds of brain activities could, potentially, strengthen your cognitive skills as you age.
What the Science Suggests
Very little research has been done on whether a specific brain stimulating activity, like a puzzle or a word game on its own, can affect memory loss. And the studies we do have are difficult to interpret.