Crosswords slow memory loss more than video games

(Lisa Rapaport/ Everyday Health) — People of a certain age are bombarded with ads for brain games promising to help keep their mind sharp. Now, a new study suggests that a pretty old-school pastime — the humble crossword puzzle — may actually be better for the aging brain than new-fangled video games.

“This is the first study to document both short-term and longer-term benefits for home-based crossword puzzles training compared to another intervention,” lead study author Davangere Devanand, MD, a professor and director of geriatric psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, said in a statement.

“The results are important in light of difficulty in showing improvement with interventions in mild cognitive impairment,” Devanand said. (…)