During Chuseok, families gather in small groups to chat or play games. Many households especially play Go-Stop, which is popularly known to stimulate the brain. Does playing Go-Stop really help prevent dementia?

 

◇Minimal effect on cognitive function enhancement

 

Using your brain when playing Go-Stop is correct. Throughout the game, you need to read the overall situation of the board, match the pairs of cards in each turn, and constantly think about which cards to play while predicting your opponent's hand. After the game ends, you also have to calculate the scores.

However, it is difficult to consider this activity as significantly enhancing elderly cognitive function to the extent that it can prevent dementia. Experts also explain that while playing Go-Stop may allow brief use of the brain, it does not improve overall cognitive abilities or daily living skills.

I like dancing more

 

Activities that stimulate the brain more than Go-Stop and help prevent dementia are introduced. The most representative activity is dancing. Dancing stimulates emotions and actively engages the brain by memorizing movements and paying attention to small details. It improves memory integration, learning ability, and spatial perception, and activates hippocampal functions responsible for movement and balance. A study by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology in Japan also found that people who regularly dance have a 73% lower risk of developing future difficulties in performing daily activities compared to those who do not.

 

Drawing a picture

 

Art activities are a prime form of brain exercise that can be done at home. Drawing activates visual, spatial, motor, and linguistic senses, which can enhance memory. If there is something to memorize, drawing it can be an effective method. A research team from the University of Waterloo in Canada showed 30 words to both college students and elderly groups, then asked them to memorize the words using three methods: drawing pictures corresponding to the words, listing the characteristics of the words, and repeatedly writing the words. The results showed that both college students and the elderly remembered more words when they drew pictures to memorize.

 

◇Neurobic

 

Neurobics is a compound word of "neuron" and "aerobics." It means to train your neurons, and you can gradually change your daily routine into unfamiliar activities without special tools. ▲Eating with eyes closed ▲Communicating through eye contact ▲Smelling food ▲Going to the bathroom with eyes closed ▲Brushing hair, brushing teeth, or eating with the non-dominant hand ▲Walking backward are representative neurobic activities. When performing activities that are not usually done, the prefrontal cortex related to memory becomes active. When the prefrontal cortex is activated, it can slow down overall brain aging. A study at the University of Rhampton in the UK divided 114 adults into three groups—walking backward, walking in place, and walking forward—and then tested their memory. The results showed that the group walking backward answered more questions correctly than the other groups.

 

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Playing culture is good for dementia, haha.

You often spend time with elders during holidays.

 

I think our family treated the eldest son as if he were very young when the children were little...

I don't do it these days.

 

Drawing pictures is also good.