![]() The plans that did attracted healthier participants: 6 percent more seniors who reported being in excellent or very good health, and 10 percent less new enrollees with physical limitations. Brown University researchers analyzed 22 Medicare Advantage plans, half of which covered fitness club memberships and half of which didn't. ![]() Instead, what's more important is the possibility that cognitive function can improve in a relatively short period of time with something as simple as a portable video game player.īrain gamers showed no improvement in what researchers call 'global cognitive status,' which includes "orientation for place and time, memory and attention, language skills, and visuospatial abilities." The researchers didn't measure memory performance.įit Seniors Choose Health Plans With Gym Coverage: Covering gym-membership costs attracts healthier adults to insurance plans, according to a new study. the scientists say the report's most revealing conclusion may not really be about video-gaming at all. Time's Laura Blue notes:Ĭalculating and reading skills were specifically included to improve activation of the prefrontal cortex, which is critical for learning and memory. And relative to the Tetris group, those who played Brain Age showed improved 'processing speed' and 'executive function" (a term researchers use to encompass cognitive skills such as mental flexibility, sensitivity to interference, conceptualization and 'inhibitory control').īrain Age-which includes word scrambles, virtual piano and arithmetic questions, among other activities-was developed based on research on cognitive decline in older adults. After four weeks, the researchers administered a second round of cognitive tests. Researchers tested their cognitive function and then randomly assigned them to play either Brain Age or the classic game Tetris for 15 minutes per day, at least five days per week. But a new study from Japan's Tohoku University shows it's more than just marketing hype: Playing Brain Age really can improve ' cognitive fitness' in older men and women. Brain Gamers Show Cognitive Gains: The box for Nintendo's Brain Age claims the game can 'keep your brain young and sharp' in just 'minutes a day!' Skeptical? Yeah, me too. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |