A new study revealed that playing board games that require mental thinking, may help the elderly to strengthen their memories later in their lives. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh's Department of Psychology conducted an investigation to explore how table games or "non-digital games" might affect the function of human perception.

In the study published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences, academics assessed a group of 1091 individuals, all born in 1939. The general cognitive function of participants was recorded at the age of eleven and seventy, then a series of tests were conducted Cognitive with them in their 70s, 73, 76 and 79 ages.

At the ages of 70 and 76, participants were asked how many times they participated in activities such as playing cards, chess, bingo and solving crossword puzzles, with statistical models being used by researchers to determine if there was any link between games played by individuals and their cognitive abilities.

The study found that those who increased their rate of playing games regularly in their later years were less likely to have a decrease in their thinking skills. This was particularly illustrated with regard to the participant's memory function and the speed of his thinking. The researchers concluded that their findings could help in identifying the types of activities that might benefit the cognitive abilities of people in old age.

Dr. Drew Altschol of the University of Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics said the findings largely confirm that "greater involvement in activities during the life cycle may be linked to improved thinking skills in the later stage of life." He added: "For those who have reached the seventies or more, there seems to be another message that playing non-digital games may be a positive behavior in terms of reducing cognitive decline."

Professor Ian Derry, director of the Center for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Disorder at the University of Edinburgh, noted that the team's research “identified the types of activities that might help keep people eager for intelligence and memory as they grow older.”

"It would be good to know if some of these games are more effective than others. It must also be noted that a number of other practices that help in better cognitive aging, such as physical fitness and non-smoking," he said.

Caroline Abrams, director of Age UK Philanthropy, stresses, "The study results are further evidence that the decline in aging thinking skills is not necessarily inevitable." "The relationship between playing board games and other non-digital games later in life, sharp thinking and memory skills all add to what we know about the steps we can take to protect our cognitive health, including continuing exercise, or adopting a diet healthy."