A number of studies have found that people who exercise their brains before problems set in can actually prevent loss of cognitive function. One example of this phenomenon is the “Nun study”, which found that a group of Nuns who wrote autobiographies in their youth were less likely to develop signs of cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s later in life.
Demonstrating that games can also serve as exercise for the brain, a study at the University of Southampton in England found that playing bingo regularly helps improve a variety of mental functions.