Brain-boosting and mentally stimulating games are often touted as a simple way to keep Alzheimer’s and Dementia at bay, and card games could help in the fight against neurodegeneration. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found regular card-playing activity could potentially delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Gaming expert and Online Solitaire founder Holger Sindbæk believes solitaire could be the game of choice to ward off memory issues, due to it “giving the brain a gentle but very thorough workout”. Solitaire has been proven to help maintain and even improve cognitive function and memory, while also pushing decision making and problem solving skills.
It can also offer a quick dopamine hit due to the short playing time and most players win roughly one in three games, making a more positive association with the game as opposed to other sometimes chore-like brain-stimulating activities.
Other card games like Bridge, Uno and Go Fish are commonly recommended for people with dementia as they also exercise the memory and problem-solving centres of the brain. The New England Journal of Medicine study also cites reading, playing musical instruments and dancing as some of the top leisure activities to potentially reduce the risk of dementia.