More Brain Drain Stuff

Meningitis Brain
Image courtesy of National Institute on Aging

 
So… based on your very kind, honest, and funny feedback to my last post, it appears that Cards Against Humanity, while being fun and completely aligned with my temperament, may not be the game best suited for building up my brain muscle.

I know there are several companies out there now that say they have games and apps that will improve one’s cognitive function and may hold diseases like Alzheimer’s at bay. However, those companies were pretty much debunked by a group of neuroscientists with this.

The good news is that there may actually be one game out there that does improve brain function.

From the LA Times:

If you’re intent on keeping dementia at bay, new research suggests you’ll need more than crossword puzzles, aerobic exercise and an active social life. In a study released Sunday, researchers found that older adults who did exercises to shore up the speed at which they processed visual information could cut by nearly half their likelihood of cognitive decline or dementia over a 10-year period…

The data that the LA Times is reporting from was presented at the Alzheimer’s Assn.’s International Conference.

The study the data was drawn from was conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging.

The game used in the study found to be effective is called Double Decision.

Of course you have to become a paid subscriber to play the game. If you pay monthly, it costs $14.00. If you pay annually, it costs $8.00.

A monthly membership to Golds Gym costs around $25.00 a month.

I am not yet sure if I am going to subscribe to play the game but I am sure, based upon your feedback and my research, that muscles, brains or otherwise, are expensive to build and maintain.

 
 

My Chemo Brain Counter-Offensive

So… yeah. I’ve been having some chemo brain issues for quite a while now and I’m in search of interesting ways to build up my brain muscle to counter these “cognitive disorder” side-effects, as my neurologist so neatly calls them.

I’ve never been a board game – or any game for that matter – kind of guy, but I’ve read and I’ve heard anecdotal evidence that board games do help with one’s focus and clarity issues.

With this anecdotal evidence as my impetus, of course I went to Amazon, the event horizon of the internet, and searched around for what the best board game for my particular interests would be.

And I found this:

Cards Against Humanity
 
As you can see, it tags itself as “A party game for horrible people.” And while I don’t feel that I’m all that horrible, after reading a few of the many thousands of reviews, it does seem like a game that would appeal to my interests.

Does that make me so horrible?

That was rhetorical.

Anyway…

Which brings me to the point of this pointy post…

Research, with you being my source information.

Have you played the game? And if so, what do you think of it? Is it fun? Challenging? Stoopid? Do you feel you have a stronger brain because of your playing it?

And don’t worry, just because you played the game doesn’t mean I will judge you as a horrible person.

Necessarily…

I will, however, admire your courage for admitting it.


If you’re not familiar with the game, you can learn more about it here.