Monterey Seniors aided with tablets

Older owners of Monterey real estate and those with elderly relatives know how scary the prospect of dementia is. It's hard to see a loved one begin to slip into cognitive decline. Fortunately, advances in neurology show that there are ways to help keep it at bay by keeping minds active and preserving neuroplasticity.

Tablet PCs are hailed as invaluable tools for seniors who want to help maintain their mental health. They're easy to use, can perform a wide variety of functions, and are fairly easy to make user-accessible for people with visual or hearing impairments. More and more studies show that playing games like sudoku or crosswords can help older people stay healthier and happier by engaging their minds. Now, a new study by Tohaku University may have narrowed down exactly which kind of games are the most effective at keeping dementia at bay.

The researchers developed a Processing Speed Training Game, which relies on users performing simple actions as quickly as possible. The emphasis there is on being able to react quickly, as opposed to relying on memory or trivia. Another experimental group was assigned a different game, where users were asked to answer questions based on their knowledge of a subject. After the four week experimental period, researchers found that the study participants who had been assigned to the Processing Speed Training Game had improved their inhibitions and processing speed, and reported lessened depression when compared to the other group. This is great news for older residents of Monterey real estate, since it means that improving brain health and reducing depressive symptoms may be just a few gaming sessions away.

For a long time, health problems like dementia were viewed as another part of getting older. As the populace ages, new advancements are working to reduce healthcare costs by helping people stay healthier well into their golden years, as well as dramatically improving the quality of life for seniors living on Monterey real estate. This new study by Tohaku University offers another piece of a vitally important puzzle when it comes to maintaining brain health into old age.