Puzzles beat “brain-training” apps in a clinical study
A 2022 NEJM study: 12 weeks of crossword puzzles produced more improvement and less brain shrinkage than computerized brain games.
Do popular “brain-training” apps actually work? A 2022 study published through the New England Journal of Medicine found that old-fashioned puzzles held up better.
Participants with mild cognitive impairment spent 12 weeks doing either crossword puzzles or computer-based brain games. The crossword group showed greater cognitive improvement and, on brain imaging, less shrinkage in memory-related regions.
The takeaway: a slick “brain game” app is not automatically better than a well-designed real puzzle. What matters is content that genuinely challenges the mind.
Heatmap.Chess offers a puzzle mechanic that rewards thinking on every move rather than memorization.
Source: NEJM Evidence, 2022 (Columbia University) — via National Geographic: nationalgeographic.com/health/article/crossword-puzzles-brain-health