Game On

Dede Draper did her New York Times crossword puzzle every single day — in ink.

At the age of 99, my mother-in-law balanced her own checkbook, cooked an annual Thanksgiving dinner for her family, and completed a Harvard online course in philosophy with an almost perfect score. She attributed her brain power in large part to that daily crossword puzzle.

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Those who swear by — or hope for — the cognitive benefits of brain calisthenics are fueling an entire industry of games, puzzles and computer programs.

At San Francisco’s Books Inc., games and puzzles for brain training cover an entire wall. This title by Gareth Moore summed it up simply: “Train the Brain: Use It or Lose It.”

Other titles invoke exercise and even martial arts metaphors. “Beyond Black Belt Sudoku” is among the popular numbers puzzles in which players insert numbers one through nine into a grid of squares so that each horizontal and vertical line contains all nine numbers.

Forty-eight percent of the brain gamers — versus 40 percent of the control group — reported improved memory and focus.

Then there are computer software tools such as Lumosity and Posit Science that create individualized programs, exercising the brain’s focus, memory, and speed. Available for monthly subscriptions for about $15 per month (and half that when signing up for an entire year), both products claim to be designed by top scientists and clinically proven to be effective.

But are such brain exercises any better than simply remaining healthy, physically active, socially engaged, and interested in the world around you?  

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The largest study evaluating a cognitive training program is the IMPACT trial, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. In this study, 487 adults, ages 67 to 93, were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group spent eight weeks working with a widely available computerized cognitive training program (Posit Science) for one hour, five days a week.

The control group spent an equal amount of time viewing educational videos on art and history. The results were encouraging, but not earth-shattering.

After two months, 48 percent of the brain gamers — versus 40 percent of the control group — reported greater self-confidence, better recall, and increased ability to focus on conversations in noisy settings. 

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Overall, experts are skeptical. The Stanford Center for Longevity last year issued a statement that felt like a bit of a wet blanket to some hoping to build better brain biceps with neural exercise.

“To date, there is little evidence that playing brain games improves underlying broad cognitive abilities, or that it enable one to better navigate a complex realm of everyday life.” according to the study.

So if you enjoy your crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and such, and believe it works for you, go for it. But remember, simply taking a walk, or better yet, calling a friend to walk with you, has more science behind it than programs that require frequently sitting in front of a computer, which is not only sedentary, and isolating.

Better yet: Be creative. Have fun.

I know Draper did. Though she credited crossword puzzles for her undiminished brain facilities, she was also an artist who sculpted in marble, entertained often in her apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay, and kept asking questions and engaging her curious mind right up until her death at the age of 99.  

Any one of these factors — not to mention her daily martini — could have added to her impressive mental abilities. Let’s all hope it was that martini.