The expert spoke about the positive effects of games on the brain

Over the years, a person's mental abilities and memory may weaken, but regular simple games can slow down this process. This was announced on August 17 by Alyona Petryasheva, brand manager of the mobile game "World of Domovyat" at the Nashi Games development studio of the Astrum Entertainment group of companies.

According to the expert, cognitive functions such as thinking, memory, attention and emotional regulation are improved and maintained with active mental work.

"The game is one of the most effective forms of memory, thinking and attention training. <...> It involves the participant in active action, creates a safe environment for making mistakes and is aimed at the process, not the result. These factors stimulate the release of dopamine in the body and relieve stress," said Alyona Petryasheva in an interview with Gazeta Ru.

It clarifies that the formats of game training range from simple mobile games and puzzles to applications that teach skills through gamification.

"Puzzles activate the prefrontal and premotor cortex, and word games trigger an outbreak of activity in the right hemisphere. <...> More unusual options are sets of mechanical puzzles and puzzle games like jenga and pentago," the expert said.

Three-in-a-row games improve the speed and accuracy of visual search and working memory. Their effectiveness is due to the need to analyze, plan and recognize images, the expert said.

"Strategy games enhance the work of the prefrontal cortex of the brain and help develop planning skills. In addition, they often encourage debate and flexibility — all of which is useful for dealing with age—related changes," Petryasheva concluded.

Psychiatrist, expert of the social project "Dementia.net" Maria Shtan spoke on August 14 about the benefits of puzzles for the formation of neural connections. She noted that it is impossible to divide puzzles into useful and useless ones, since each task is focused on a certain level of cognitive reserve.

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