Bingo as Therapy – keep your brain active

We all know playing bingo can be great fun but did you know it can have an important physical impact on your mind too? The benefits of playing bingo are much more than just simply providing you with a fun social experience, there are suggestions that specific types of the game can be extremely beneficial for those living with degenerative neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and non-specific dementia.

A study conducted in the United States by professionals from three leading universities was published earlier this year in the industry journal Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition. The experts’ research found that playing traditional, card-based bingo with large high contrast cards could be seen to improve both thinking and playing skills for those living with cognitive problems and visual perception difficulties caused by their underlying conditions. Up until this point everybody knew that bingo was used to keep the mind active and healthy through encouraging social engagement and interaction but this further research shows a genuine medical use for the game too.

Research conducted in the past has also shown bingo to help with short term memory loss for those suffering for dementia. This research however, is much less research than this newest study so perhaps there’s more to be discovered in this area. It’s interesting in the very least to look at how such a simple game can have such a positive effect on our mental capacities.

A Closer Look at the Research

The researchers tested a range of different card sizes and colours to see how visual problems caused an impact for cognitive functions with a variety of participants including those with both conditions mentioned above. When participants were asked to play the game on computerised cards adapted for size, brightness and colour the researchers were able to compare their whole test group. With changes to colour and size the researchers were able to record improvement in the performance of participants with varying degrees of dementia and related conditions.

Perhaps this is something the industry can take into account; many of the big online bingo sites out there could easily provide accessible play for fun games for those wanting to stimulate their minds and keep their brains in check.

The Old Tradition Revolutionised

Sitting down for a game of bingo in a community centre or even nursing home has been a regular occurrence across the UK and other countries for many years. Usually touted as a great social interaction we now know it can be great for your brain as it gets older too.

An industry survey into the demographics of online bingo players showed that less than 3% come from the over 66 age group which shows that although the much loved pastime is enjoyed in traditional environments, the older generation aren’t so keen on getting online. Perhaps this should change. There’s scope to develop sites especially for older players and with a little help and encouragement many could happily engage with the online bingo community and find it as fun and enjoyable as visiting their local hall.

The benefits of playing online for those little grey cells shouldn’t be underestimated. Playing bingo online regularly is shown to increase both reaction times and the reflexes of older players, in relation to their non-bingo playing counterparts. It can also help with general mental capacity and can even increase concentration levels. When you consider the stimulation involved in your favourite bingo room, it’s not hard to believe this. From learning all the specific bingo lingo to keeping your eyes on your active cards and engaging in the chat room, your brain is actually doing more than you think.

There is now absolutely no reason settling down for a session at your favourite site from the comfort of your own home isn’t as beneficial for your brain as playing traditionally and this  may come as a huge positive for many people who may be unable to leave their homes for a variety of reasons.

All those nay-sayers who tell you sitting in front of your computer screen playing bingo is an anti-social waste of time can now be dismissed. You can tell them all about the fun social side of the gaming environment and also show them proven research which suggests you’re actually giving your brain a good workout.