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DS Game Could Stave off Dementia

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the xbox-cures-leprosy dept.

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.'"

3 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Well I hope these games are more demanding than... by Expert+Determination · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...bingo because 90% of the population of Britain over 65 seems to play that and they have the intellectual capacity of a turnip. Old people in Britain are very depressing. They seem to be trained, from birth, to believe that they will be incapable by time they retire and when the time comes to retire they are capable of nothing. 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. It's fantastic if video games can keep people motivated to do something with their lives and keep stretching those neurons and I hope it catches on in Britain.

    --
    "The White House is not an intelligence-gathering agency," -- Scott McClellan, Whitehouse spokesman.
  2. Re:Skewed sample for observation by Expert+Determination · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I'd be willing to bet that if you observed seniors in the US the same way
    How could I observe seniors differently? (Serious, not rhetorical question BTW) I'm reporting on observations of people around me on the streets, at the gym, in places that provide entertainment and so on. Apart from seeing the aging members of my family, in their homes, in the UK, I don't think I'm observing differently between the UK and US. Older British people seem to believe that they're not allowed to have fun. Just look at how older Brits dress - drab grey clothing. Where I live in California I see older people, in places like the supermarkets or on the streets, still trying to look glitzy and glamourous. At the gym I see old guys who you'd think could barely walk still trying to pump iron (maybe not the heaviest weights). I'm amazed by these people and seeing them is incredibly motivating.

    BTW I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area - I expect this is area is atypical of the US as a whole.

    --
    "The White House is not an intelligence-gathering agency," -- Scott McClellan, Whitehouse spokesman.
  3. mahjong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    in Hong Kong, and most other parts of China, most old people kill time with Mahjong, which IMO is a great brain-exercise. it's a great way for old people to socialise as well.