Can Computer Exercises Improve Your Memory?

If you've seen ads about computer exercises that will improve your memory, think twice before you buy. Author of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory", Aaron Nelson, PhD., compares computer exercises to physical exercises. He says " it's like going to the gym for an hour and expecting a perfect physique as a result".

Challenging your mind can help keep dementia at bay, but sitting in front of your computer is not a quick fix. In 2003 a study was conducted at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Of the 469 adults, those who were most mentally active had a 63 percent lower risk of developing dementia than those who rarely read or played mentally challenging games.

Mind challenging games, like cross-word puzzles, increase brain cell reserves and the connections between them. They also seem to link stored memory and knowledge in order to solve new problems. So while some computer games may help your memory, don't forget that reading and other games are just, if not more, as beneficial.