Brain training for people with dementia

[KenC]

After being diagnosed as having early onset Lewy Body Dementia, my wife thought it would be a good idea to do cross word puzzles and word searches in the hope of stimulating my brain.

Shortly afterwards we spotted a DVD for the computer in Woolworth's when they were still trading and it contained a lot of Brain Training puzzles of one description or another.

I used to spend up wards of 20 Min's a night going through these in an attempt to getting better scores. Although I managed to get away from the basic and reached to Middle section, I felt that it was getting more and more difficult to keep up with.

We have recently bought the next DVD which is an upgrade of the first, but this is a lot tougher to cope with.

I have heard it said on many occasions that these things are useless to people like me who have this illness. However it was said recently by a Professor in the Field of dementia, that if people try to keep their brains working, they stand a better chance of fighting the dementia and keeping it at bay a little longer. Even the psychologist at the hospital where I go to see the memory nurse etc, thinks its a good idea to do these as a way of keeping active.

While many are not diagnosed early enough to benefit from these, I do wonder if anyone else has tried them and had any luck.

I used to love doing crosswords etc, but now I do struggle with even the basic, so I tend to give them a miss.

Although I confess that I am not using the DVDs as much as I did before, I do think they have a place in helping where this illness is concerned.

I would be very interested in hearing anyone else's views on this subject.

Best Wishes

Ken

 

[KenC]

There is a programme on BBC TV tonight at 7-30 about brain stimulation, so we may start to see new ways of helping people in the early stages of this illness.

I was told by my consultant to keep doing crosswords or computer games, as a way of keeping active, and although it does become very hard work keeping up with doing these on a regular basis, it may help the brain.

The best thing about some of these brain training gadgets is that they can be done in your own time and in your own home.

Ken

 

[KatherineW]

Thanks Ken.

For those who may be interested, more information about the Brain Training programme that Ken mentions can be found in this news thread.

Brain Test Britain is an interactive project that has been designed to investigate the effects of brain training on mental fitness.

Katherine

 

[carrie99]

Brain Training

I bought (at some expense) a Nintendo DS and various 'games' (in quotes because they don't sound fell like a game to me!) I always used to be really good at these sort of things and always scored top marks at school in maths etc etc. BUT .. now it just gives me a headache!

 

[KenC]

Hi Caroline.

We have one of those games at home, but neither my wife or myself can get away with it.

Ken

 

[carrie99]

Brain Training

I have bought a Nintendo DS so I can do brain training, but in all honesty it hasn't been great for me. There is one called Professor Layton and the curious village, but so many of the puzzles require you to have very good spatial reasoning and I don't have that! e.g. to navigate through a maze which then throws up conundrums.
The pure number puzzles are good but really rely on stuff you learnt at age 8 (e.g. what is 9 times 6?)
They also give me a thumpling headache.
I am sticking to Freecell at the moment - it is free! PS if you can get freecell puzzle number 20861 out do let me know! I looked on a list of really hard ones and it was in the list, so I am vindicated.
Anyone else know any good but free games?

Carrie

 

[carrie99]

Oops! repeating myself now!

 

[KenC]

I tried the Nintendo D'S,after my son had seen an advert saying that it was good to get the brain working efficiently.

However these things are all well and good when you don't have an accent.

But I was told that these items are written by someone with a middle east American Accent, and they do not recognise English Accents, and no matter what, I do they always say that the answer is wrong.

So I tend to use computer training programmes, which do not have a voice asking or answering the question, as I would be tempted to throw it out of the door.

But it does amaze me how many of these things there are on the market place, and we see the being trialled by very young active and intelligent people, who all think its fun playing games like this.

Like many pother people with this illness I find it quite a strain trying to work out how to use them, let alone be competitive.

But if we don't do this we are not helping ourselves, so there is no other alternative.

Ken