“Based on remote electronic monitoring of computer use, participants at a later stage of impairment may have better engaged with the more familiar crossword puzzles than with computerized cognitive games.”

Wonder if familiarity with cognitive games would make them as effective as crosswords.

Interesting how the "interactive games" section consisted of 6 modules, focused on different areas of logical/cognitive reasoning (logic, memory, spatial recognition, etc) with variable/increasing difficulties, while the crosswords remained at the same level of difficulty throughout and only focus on one area of cognitive reasoning.

It's like comparing the difference between Person A who goes to the gym and does a full body workout on every piece of equipment vs. Person B who solely trains one part of their body, on one piece of equipment. You're going to end up with wildly different results.

The final observation of this study seems less to do with "interactive video games" and more to do with repetition and targeted focus on one specific task that engages the long term memory function of the brain.

What it actually seems to demonstrate is how short-term memory/reasoning/logic based tasks (ie. the numerous modules provided by Lumos Labs) aren't as effective as crosswords, because the function of a crossword relies on long-term memory recollection of words/concepts/terms/definitions in order to find a solution. It's an entirely different mechanism of how the brain handles memory - which is relevant in a trial that is entirely aimed at Alzheimers/Dementia based subjects.

Good study, hopefully it gets expanded upon.

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Dumb US definition-crosswords or the super tricky lateral-thinking Times of London style acrostics?

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