Two linked papers published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry have found that older adults who regularly play number and word puzzles have sharper brain function. Researchers previously had presented findings on a connection between word puzzles and brain health, but this new information builds on this to include those who regularly complete number puzzles.
The findings show that the more regularly adults over the age of 50 play puzzles such as Sudoku and crosswords, the better their brain function. The research was drawn from more than 19,000 participants lead by the University of Exeter and King’s College London.
