Do Brain Games Reduce Your Risk for Alzheimer’s? 

By Nicole Lesson

Word games and crosswords are a hobby or passion for many. For others, it may be something they pursue to help reduce their chances of developing dementia, or so they think.

Do word games actually help you to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia? 

To answer this question we recently spoke to Aryn Harrison Bush, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at the University of South Florida, who specializes in the cognitive neuroscience and neurophysiology of normative aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. 

“I never want to deter someone from doing something that has the potential to add joy or quality to their life,” Harrison Bush said. “If you enjoy it, do it. However at this point, research is inconclusive and mostly correlational. More research is needed.” 

While scrolling through social media, word games are advertised and some claim to “lower your risk of dementia” or even “avoid it.” 

From a regulation standpoint, companies have been tagged for false advertising as it was a fear tactic to drive people to the site, said Harrison Bush. 

“The research that is being reported is observational/correlational; and, importantly, correlation does not equal causation,” Harrison Bush said. “We must understand the underlying cause(s) of the relationship to make sound recommendations, and this can only be accomplished through randomized clinical trials.”

Different from word games, there are brain training games out there that challenge your brain and could help to improve cognitive function. 

“Prior research including randomized clinical trials have found that targeted cognitive training has the potential to positively impact brain chemistry, defense, nutritive support, and function—specifically cognitive functions that are known to decline with age—and may also reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, a topic that my colleagues and I are currently examining,” Harrison Bush said. 

Most of the brain training games, unlike word games, offer an initial assessment and then target areas that are adaptive as the player’s performance improves; therefore the tasks will become more challenging and more difficult. 

“That adaptive piece is really critical to the effectiveness of cognitive training,” she said. 

Harrison Bush encourages people to play word games and crossword puzzles if they enjoy it and adds more research is warranted and underway.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers specific, positive actions you can do that can make a difference in your brain health, even lower the risk of cognitive decline and possibly Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Here are some tips for 10 Healthy Brain Habits.

To find clinical trials for Alzheimer’s and other dementia, visit alz.org/TrialMatch.

For more information, visit alz.org or call our free, 24/7 Helpline 800.272.3900.