Crossword Puzzles vs Sudoku, Wordle: Which Is Better For Improving Your Memory?

“If you're looking for brain games that really work to keep your mind sharp, your best bets are crossword puzzles, Sudoku and Wordle. But of these three, the first is particularly helpful at improving your memory, say the researchers behind a new study.

Challenging puzzles are serious business: past research has repeatedly shown how it can benefit the brain. According to a 2019 study involving 19 000 participants, crossword and Sudoku puzzles led to sharper performance "across a range of tasks assessing memory, attention, and reasoning."

In a more recent study, however, the crossword puzzle came out on top.

The team, from Columbia University and Duke University in the US, recruited more than 100 participants (45 male, 62 female) between the ages of 55 and 95 years with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which increases the risk of dementia. The average age of participants was 71 years.

Then, they were divided randomly into two groups: one group was asked to play crosswords, while the other played other cognitive games.

After 78 weeks, the researchers found that not only did the participants who played crosswords have less brain shrinkage than the ones who played other games, but they also didn't experience as much decline in cognitive or functional ability."

Read the full article on News 24

✨Takeaway: Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and other brain teasers can keep our minds active. Over the years, studies have demonstrated how it might enhance cognitive functions, particularly memory. Crossword puzzles, however, beat other brain games in the most recent study, but that doesn't mean the others are pointless. According to experts, playing any brain game is beneficial to not playing any at all.

✨Reflection: Which do you prefer crossword puzzles, sudoku, or wordle?

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