Chess and dementia
Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2023 2:07 pm
We observed that certain cognitively stimulating activities were associated with a lower risk of incident dementia among 10 318 older individuals who had reached age 70 years in generally good health and without major cognitive impairment. In particular, a higher frequency of engagement in adult literacy and active mental activities was associated with a 9.0% to 11.0% reduction in dementia risk.
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Mental activities include doing crosswords and puzzles and playing games, cards, or chess, which are generally activities done with others and thus also involve a social interaction component. Many of these activities are competitive in nature and involve complex strategies and problem-solving. They use a variety of cognitive domains, including episodic memory, visuospatial skills, calculation, executive function, attention, and concentration.
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The cognitive stimulation from such activities can increase resilience against brain pathologies by increasing the number of neurons, enhancing synaptic activity, and permitting higher efficiency in using brain networks.