Crosswords slow down memory loss better than ‘brain training’ games, finds study

In a 78-week trial, psychiatry professors from Duke and Columbia University found that adults (average age 71) solving web-based crossword puzzles could show greater cognitive improvement than those who were trained on video games. Studying both short and long-term benefits in 107 people, the researchers found that:

• Crosswords modelled on newspapers were superior to cognitive games on the primary cognitive outcome measure, ADAS-Cog, at both 12 weeks and 78 weeks.
• Crosswords were also superior on FAQ, a measure of daily functioning, at 78 weeks.
• Crosswords were superior for participants at a later disease stage, but both forms of training were equally effective in an earlier stage.
• Brain shrinkage (measured with MRIs) was less for crosswords at 78 weeks.

The ‘ADAS-Cog’ score is a scale to measure the level of cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s patients. A higher score implies a greater loss in skills like thinking and critical decision-making. In the trial, these skills worsened for participants who were asked to play cognitive video games, but improved for crosswords. The paper by Drs DP Devanand and PM Doraiswamy was published by the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ in October 2022.

“The benefits were seen not only in cognition, but also in daily activities, with indications of brain shrinkage on MRI that suggests that the effects are clinically meaningful,” Dr. Devanand said in a press release.

The study also stressed the importance of familiarity to keep engagement high. Crosswords, being a well-known format, helped participants stick to their solving habits, with the study seeing a low drop-out rate (15%) despite a lengthy trial period of 1.5 years.

To have diversity of experience, people from racial and ethnic minority groups also participated in the study. However, given the small sample size, the doctors stressed the need for replication in a larger controlled trial with an inactive control group. “Improving cognition, function and neuroprotection is the Holy Grail,” said Dr. Doraiswamy. “Further research to scale brain training as a home-based digital therapeutic for delaying Alzheimer’s should be a priority for the field.”

Crosswords are an all-ages habit to stay sharp. Beginners can try smaller online versions like the Express Mini.