Sure, Sudoku is fun, but does it really help your memory? Not only Sudoku, but do other brain and memory games help your memory? Cindy Lustig, a University of Michigan assistant professor of psychology, and her colleague David Bissig of Wayne State University are conducting research to discover what types of brain and memory training Sudoku and other logic puzzles may actually help with.
Many video games are now coming out with games guaranteed to improve memory. Nintendo has released several of these games like Big Brain Academy, Brain Age, Flash Focus, and Left Brain, Right Brain, just to name a few.
These games might be entertaining, but few actually work. Studies show that there is a relationship between the person’s age and the amount they improve with the programs that do work. The older you are, the less your memory will improve.
A group was given materials to study and then given a test. Based on these studies, the way to improve your memory depends on how you spend your time with the materials available. One group spent more time studying the materials while another group devoted their time to the actual test. Those that studied the material scored better on the test and showed the most improvement.
Sudoku isn’t the only puzzle that is said to improve brain activity. Conceptis Logic Puzzles (www.conceptispuzzles.com) offers free logic puzzles every week. Number logic puzzles like sudoku, battleships and hitori are available as well as picture logic puzzles, puzzles that when solved correctly form a picture, like link-a-pix and pic-a-pix. Instructions for each puzzle are provided. The games can be played online or they can be printed out so that they can be enjoyed anywhere. While logic puzzles and brain games aren’t guaranteed to boost your memory, they’re still fun to play.