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More than a game: Crosswords and puzzles may reduce dementia risk

<p>Playing games, doing crosswords, writing letters or learning something new are all associated with reduced dementia risk in older adults, according to a large, long-term study.</p> <p>A team of Melbourne and US-based researchers study tracked 10,318 older Australians over a period of ten years (2010 to 2020), collecting detailed information on the types of leisure activities they engaged in, along with regular health checks and cognitive assessments.</p> <p>The study is <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2807256" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in <em>JAMA Network Open.</em></p> <p>Paper co-author Dr Joanne Ryan from Monash University says “the findings show that engaging in mentally stimulating activities can help preserve cognitive function and may help delay the onset of dementia.”</p> <p>“We know the importance of physical activity. We need to think about helping to keep our mind stimulated as well.”</p> <p><iframe title="Why do Women Live Longer than Men? And What About Gender Diverse People?" src="https://omny.fm/shows/huh-science-explained/why-do-women-live-longer-than-men-and-what-about-g/embed?in_playlist=podcast&amp;style=Cover" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>Adult literacy activities such as writing, using a computer or taking education classes were associated with an 11% lower risk of dementia, the study found. </p> <p>Active mental health activities such as playing games or doing puzzles were associated with a 9% lower risk.</p> <p>Creative activities like craft or woodwork and passive mental activities (reading books, watching television or listening to the radio) also reduced risks but to a lesser extent.</p> <p>Meanwhile, social activities were not associated with dementia risk. Ryan says this was a “little bit unexpected”. But she says it’s possible one of the reasons is those who volunteered to participate in the study were broadly already socially engaged. </p> <p>The median age of those participating in the study was 73.8 years. Around 2% of the cohort participating in the study developed dementia, Ryan says. </p> <p>Dementia risk varies depending on age and health status of individuals, she says.</p> <p>For instance, “we know that the risk of dementia actually increases exponentially as you get then over 80 years and over 90 years,” she says.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/more-than-a-game-crosswords-and-puzzles-may-reduce-dementia-risk/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock">Petra Stock</a>. </em></p> </div>

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Kate Middleton cracks a crossword on the spot

<p dir="ltr">Kate Middleton has shown off her skill as a cruciverbalist - someone who enjoys and is skilled at crossword-solving - in a surprise encounter with a stumped student.</p> <p dir="ltr">The duchess was waved down during a royal visit to the University of Glasgow by 21-year-old Jack Baird, with a newspaper in hand and the hope that she could help him solve a tricky royal-related question, according to the <em><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/word-perfect-kate-cracks-the-times-crossword-jw3ffhzr3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Times</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The statistics undergraduate told the <em>Times </em>he was stuck on “seven down”, which asked for two words for the “sovereign's annual allowance”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fcd09ad6-7fff-9395-999e-e6eb65ce9cdd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t get the second word. I gave it to Kate and asked her as I’m sure she would have known,” Baird later told the newspaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">After he handed her the paper, which was May 8’s edition of the <em>Times</em>, Kate told him the answer: ‘Civil List’.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Duchess of Cambridge completed a crossword puzzle at the University of Glasgow. Jack Baird was stuck on 7 down:’Forerunner of the Sovereign Grant,the funding provided to support the official duties of The Queen'.Kate knew:Civil List,of course! (tip of the 👑 <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSunRoyal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattSunRoyal</a> ) <a href="https://t.co/GmwV2wKU20">pic.twitter.com/GmwV2wKU20</a></p> <p>— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) <a href="https://twitter.com/RE_DailyMail/status/1524415326536237056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“She was very excited,” Baird continued. “It didn’t look like she was going to get it for a moment.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She looked thrilled. I think she thought, ‘I wouldn’t live this down if I get this wrong’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The student said he was “so chuffed” and would frame the page containing the non-cryptic Jumbo Crossword.</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the interaction was totally spontaneous and that he didn’t even know the royal couple would be on campus.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d4c3a217-7fff-b0a5-ba5b-23ed152d46d1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d been studying in the library for exams and saw a group of people out here and wondered what was going on,” he said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So lovely to see so many people at the University today - it was buzzing! <a href="https://t.co/z8bv40LbDN">pic.twitter.com/z8bv40LbDN</a></p> <p>— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524448734951657472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Duke and Duchess had come to the university to meet with students and professors to discuss mental health support, especially during COVID-19 and exam periods.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, they attracted such a large crowd of students that they later took to Twitter to apologise for not meeting them all.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-acf35488-7fff-c8e3-b40a-9011cbaffea5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“So many students! Sorry if we missed you,” they wrote on their official Kensington Royal Twitter account, shared alongside a clip of them chatting with the crowd.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So many students! Sorry if we missed you. <a href="https://t.co/dqoupFsWS4">pic.twitter.com/dqoupFsWS4</a></p> <p>— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524418612420919298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In another post, the couple shared a series of photos of themselves sitting with students and faculty to discuss mental health.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Exam season can be a challenging time for students of all ages,” the <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524448437240012800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The support offered by universities, as well as the understanding and empathy of its students, has given us a real insight to the importance &amp; value of talking about mental wellbeing #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bad11cc5-7fff-e098-7309-1306fa64f662"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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How was the crossword puzzle invented?

<p>Can doing crosswords really help you stay happier and healthy for longer? </p> <p><u><a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fan-actor-and-his-time-paperback-sir-john-gielgud%2Fprod9781557834157.html">Sir John Gielgud</a></u> believed so. The star of <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fdvd-movies%2Farthur-1981-arthur-2%2Fprod9325336162033.html"><em>Arthur</em></a>, <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fdvd-movies%2Fchariots-of-fire%2Fprod9321337051796.html"><em>Chariots of Fire</em></a>, <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fthe-power-of-one-popular-penguins-bryce-courtenay%2Fprod9780143204794.html"><em>The Power of One</em></a> and <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fdvd-movies%2Fthe-portrait-of-a-lady%2Fprod0044007820520.html"><em>The Portrait of a Lady</em></a> solved a crossword every day until he died, aged 97, with a completed crossword by his bedside.</p> <p>He used to say, “Completing the crossword is the only exercise I take.” And the Shakespearean actor spent every spare moment on set doing his beloved crosswords.</p> <p>The Queen, who has just celebrated her 90th birthday, also enjoys a good crossword. Actress Betty White, 94, is also passionate about her crosswords. “I do mental exercises. I don't have any trouble memorising lines because of the crossword puzzles I do every day to keep my mind a little limber.”</p> <p><strong>Ever wondered how the crossword was created?</strong><br />Newspaper man Arthur Wynne was originally from the UK and moved to New York in 1905. While he was working at the newspaper The New York World as editor of the ‘fun’ section in 1913, he created the ‘word-cross puzzle’. This diamond shaped word game was derived from the ancient game of acrostics and wordsquares, which was a Victorian past-time. There were 31 simple clues and it was published on Sunday December 21, 1913.</p> <p>Due to its popularity and newly named the ‘crossword’ Wynne’s creation was published in the newspaper for ten years before a pair of Harvard graduates came up with the idea to publish a book of crosswords (as their Auntie Wixie was a fan). A publishing phenomena was born!</p> <p>So, how does doing crosswords help you? Of course, we all know, they are a great (healthy) escape from the demands of everyday life. They also make you think and provide much needed mental exercises, which may keep the brain healthier, for longer.</p> <p><strong><em>Did you know crosswords were created 103 years ago?</em></strong></p> <p>Crosswords also improve your vocabulary - new words, new meanings, and new understandings of words. They teach organisational skills. After all, it’s often necessary to work back and forth between the Across and Down clues to solve the puzzle. Your spelling skills also get a workout and you pick up all sorts of <a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/trivia">general knowledge</a>.</p> <p>So you can feel good about the time you spend wrestling with <a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/wordsearch">clues</a> – you’re improving your memory and sharpening your brain. Love crosswords? The <a href="https://lovattspuzzles.com/lovatts-wyza-free-big-crossword-magazine-promotion/">first 500 readers who apply with be sent a free copy of Christine’s BIG Crossword Magazine</a>.</p> <p><strong>Mindfulness and puzzles</strong><br />One of the buzz words in today’s world of mental health is <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/health/how-learning-about-mindfulness-can-help-you-stress-less,-help-your-relationships,-feel-happier-and-healthier.aspx">mindfulness</a>. Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist meditation principles. It is especially helpful for people who worry about the past, or the future.</p> <p>When solving a <a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/crossword">crossword</a>, you may find that your mind is totally focused on the clues and answers, to the extent that you are not particularly aware of anything else. You might say it’s a form of meditation, except that in meditation the aim is to have no thoughts at all, which is not an easy stage to achieve.</p> <p>When solving crosswords you are keeping your mind engaged, which means you are not thinking of the past or the future, so you are giving that part of your brain a rest. This is fine as long as you are not crosswording while driving or minding a toddler!</p> <p><strong>Puzzles can be wonderful ‘companions’</strong><br />“Our Lovatts puzzlers often write in to tell us that our <a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/crossword">crosswords</a> and puzzles are invaluable companions and our puzzle magazines are well-travelled too. Many of our correspondents also say that their memory and word skills have improved since <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/health/these-6-easy-daily-habits-will-help-protect-your-brain.aspx">taking up puzzle-solving</a> - especially if they don’t settle for easy puzzles but tackle the more challenging ones,” says passionate puzzler, <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/lifestyle/wyza-life/what-is-it-like-creating-puzzles-for-a-living.aspx">Christine Lovatt</a>.</p> <p> “<a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/crossword">Crosswords</a> and other word puzzles use the right side of the brain whereas <a href="http://www.wyza.com.au/puzzles.html#/games/sudoku">Sudoku</a> or other logic puzzles use the left side. So if you can do both, you are giving your brain a total workout,” she adds.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/how-were-crosswords-invented.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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How to become better at crosswords

<p>Like any activity, the more you practise, the better you get. When it comes to crossword-solving, there are quite a few ways to improve your game.</p> <p>First of all, you don’t have to start with 1 across. Have a look at all the clues and start with the ones you know. That will then give you some crossed letters, for the answers you don’t know.</p> <p>The shorter answers are usually easier to guess, so try tackling the 3 and 4-letter answers. Remember that these words crop up often in crosswords, as they are the stepping stones. The most common are those with lots of vowels, so look out for answers such as aria, iota and ooze etc.</p> <p>Look carefully at the clue to see if it’s plural, in which case the answer will probably end in s, (except for the irregular plurals such as children or cacti). Also, the past tense of a verb will most likely give you a word ending in –ed, a present participle will end with –ing, and a superlative clue, such as ‘Most beautiful’ will probably end in –est as in ‘fairest’.</p> <p>Another thing to look out for is a clue that indicates an occupation. The answer often ends in –er (painter, butcher) or –or (doctor, sailor) or –ist (chemist, artist).</p> <p>Many puzzlers use a pencil and have a guess, keeping an open mind if it doesn’t seem to be working. Keep that rubber handy!</p> <p>If you’re not getting anywhere, take a break and clear your head. Sometimes, after a night’s sleep, the elusive answer suddenly comes to you when you next pick up your crossword. I don’t know how that happens, maybe a part of your brain never sleeps and is thumbing through all the million bits of information stored in your grey matter, to find the answer.</p> <p>Finally, if you just can’t finish that crossword, is it cheating to take a peek at the solution? Certainly not, it’s a learning tool. But try just looking at the unfilled answers one at a time, because when you fill in the letters, it sometimes gives you letters to other tricky answers. Sometimes, just one letter can trigger an AHA! moment, and away you go.</p> <p>When it comes to solving those devious mind-bogglers known as Cryptic crosswords, the secret is to keep a very open mind, as clues can be so deceptive. For instance, “Fashion sense shown by trusty leader” might have you racking your brains for a trusty leader of fashion, when all the while, the trusty leader is merely hiding the answer inside.</p> <p>A daily crossword is the perfect way to spend a coffee break. Click here to play online</p> <p>Look out for the trigger words, that indicate what sort of cryptic device is being used. For instance, an anagram clue will have a word or phrase suggesting reorder, going astray, being jumbled or running amok. For example, “Paces around room (5)” – the word ‘around’ is the trigger here, and as ‘paces’ is the only word with 5 letters, it must be an anagram – space, meaning ‘room’.</p> <p>When solving an anagram, you might find it helpful to write the letters around in a circle.</p> <p>Another cryptic signal is a word that is read backwards. Triggers might be ‘reverse’ or ‘back’, such as “Gateman takes back identification (7)”. When you read ‘gateman’ backwards it reads nametag.</p> <p>When a clue contains the words ‘initial’ or ‘at first’, look out for an acronym clue, such as “First impressions never divulge discovery (4)” and then look at the first letter of the first four words – they spell out find.</p> <p>I could go on forever giving tips for solving cryptic clues because unlike other skills, which you can master on your own, solving cryptic clues doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Our ‘How To Do Cryptic Crosswords’ booklet explains the various types of cryptic clues and how to solve them. Our puzzlers have often written to tell us that, having previously thought they would never be able to tackle these mysterious enigmas, they gradually break through - and what a satisfying feeling it is!</p> <p>So practise with an open mind, and don’t give up, is my advice. Your hard work will pay off eventually, when you become puzzle champions!</p> <p><em>Written by</em> <em>Christine Lovatt. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/how-to-become-better-at-crosswords.aspx"><em>Wyza.com.au.</em></a></p> <p> </p>

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