What Good Are Crossword Puzzles?

What good are crossword puzzles?  A lot of good, if you notice current studies on puzzle-solving and the brain.  Research seems to indicate that working on puzzles that require specific brain strategies may be helpful for conditions such as:

• Alzheimer’s
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Brain Fog, associated with several autoimmune disorders
• Dementia
• Stroke Recovery

A new book out, entitled the "Alzheimer’s Action Plan," by Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, seems to indicate that by challenging the brain, you can form new nerve pathways.  And the more levels that the brain is challenged on, the more pathways are built.

Crossword puzzles seem to be a well-suited avenue for challenging various areas of the brain. Crossword solving involves several useful skills including vocabulary, reasoning, spelling, and word attack skills.  To solve any crossword puzzle, a person must be able to identify and understand the terms being used.  This often involves acquiring new vocabulary or terminology.  It can also involve making differentiations between similar words or phrases.  Correctly deciphering a crossword also requires exact spelling.  Other important skills required for completing these puzzles include making inferences, evaluating choices, and drawing conclusions.

Dr. Robert Myers, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, recently wrote in his KidsADHD blog that "it has been standard practice for trauma or neurology patients to go through cognitive rehabilitation to restore functioning. Recently, research has shown that children with ADHD may also experience improvement in neuropsychological functioning through a similar process." Dr. Myers specifically mentions crossword puzzles as a tool for improving attention for words and sequencing issues.

It is obvious that word games, such as crossword puzzles, can have extremely beneficial effects on the brain.  And today, you don’t have to search far for great sources of these puzzles. Fortunately, the internet  supplies a free and easy way to access crossword puzzle games anytime we want.  On the Vocabulary.co.il website, you will find a wonderful interactive crossword puzzle game that can be customized by level and topic.  There are even hints, floating clues, and a "print" option. If you know of someone struggling with a neurological condition,who could benefit from  the wonderful vocabulary skills that crosswords provide, send them a link to Vocabulary.co.il today.