DS Game Could Stave off Dementia

Gamasutra reports that a hospital in Japan has begun renting out DSes and suggesting the title Brain Training to older patients, in an effort to stave off dementia. From the article: "Sixty-seven year old retiree Isamu Shishido is quoted as saying, 'I don't want to end up some crazy old man. I want to play a little everyday before going to bed.' Neurosurgeon Dr Takeshi Kihara comments that, 'The game won't cure dementia. But it's a good form of stimulation, especially for old people living alone.'"

Comments

Skewed sample for observation

[Red Flayer]

"One of the things that amazed me when I came to the US was the zest for life of older people. Jogging along the roads, working out at the gym, hiking the trails, doing tai chi, travelling round the world, having fun eating out at restaurants, at the movies, whatever."

Apparently you didn't see the all the older people in the US languishing at home watching television making no effort to get out in public. In the US, you only see the active seniors out and about.

I'd be willing to bet that if you observed seniors in the US the same way you observed them in the UK, you have opinions of them just as bad, if not worse. Especially if you got out of the major metros in the US.

Re:No screens?

[rev063]

The release info is right there in the article:

It is due to be released in North America as Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day in April, and in Europe as Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? in May.

Re:Staring at a small screen with small controls

[patio11]

These brain training games scarcely use the controls at all (and the make pretty good use of the game screen specifically aimed at folks with poor eyesight -- the games have essentially no interface visible and the entire real estate is devoted to say a sentence of text or two numbers or what have you). Everything uses the touch pen.

In one, you get a series of mathematical equations like 4 + 6 = ? And you have to fill in the answer. The trick is that immediately after revealing 4 + 6 one of the two will be covered up, and for the next problem one of the numbers (possibly the covered one) scrolls down while the next number is new (and then covered). Add in time pressure and what should be a simple task really vexes your short term recall. Another example is testing your ability to write some of the more obscure Japanese characters, which I suspect would be good brain excercize if my brain wasn't already pudding in that area.

Not really a game, and not really news

[Dekortage]

This has been reviewed on IGN and G4TV, among others... way back in 2005.

And it's not your average game. More like math and reading "brain teasers" (no Mario involved).