Playing the game against Alzheimer’s

What is Alzheimer’s?

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Alzheimer’s is a chronic neurological disorder that is caused due to damage or destruction of brain cells. It is known to be a common type of dementia that can lead to memory loss, problems in thinking and hinders daily functioning of an individual. Every year in India, more than 1 million cases are registered concerning Alzheimer’s.

While symptoms of the disorder vary from person to person, but early onset of alzheimer’s starts in early to mid 30’s and a late onset begins in the mid 60’s. Scientists still have found out various stages and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. It starts with memory problems in the preclinical stage of the disorder. It then progresses to mild, moderate and severe stages.

Since it is caused due to the death of brain cells, and any kind of medical care cannot reverse or heal the cells back to normal and there are no specific drugs or treatments that cure. However, therapeutic treatments are known to cause relief to such patients. It helps them untangle the difficulties in their daily life to some extent.

Chess as a useful therapy

Chess might not be the solution to the disorder but is definitely useful in helping a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s. Researches have proved that a regular dose of chess helps in stimulating the brain and prevent Alzheimer’s at an early stage. It is more like challenging your brain to regain the ability to function smoothly. If not healing the dead cells, challenging your brain would surely develop new healthy cells in the effective area and thus promote healthy living.

Ageing is a natural inevitable process, it is a gradual action that makes the body and the mind deteriorate its ability to function. Even then medical facts validate, daily exercise makes the body able to fight back illness and diseases. Chess is an exercise for the brain. It is a complex game consisting of complex strategising, intricate calculations and substantial memory processing. It is suitable for improving the grey matter and also in retaining it. According to Dr. Friedlander “people who don’t exercise their grey matter stand a chance of losing brain power when they age.”  

Mind Gyming

Chess is also associated with Mind Gyming. It trains the brain in thinking abstractly, as in creatively. Chess is an acquired skill, to think one step ahead of our opponent, plan your moves, learn complex mental calculations and to retain them further. Alzheimer’s is a disease that leads to poor judgement or wrong decisions, an increase of anxiety or panic, loss of spontaneity, inability to learn new things, etc. While ‘Mind Gyming’ is the best way to enhance brain power. Research displays that chess affects specific areas of the brain, and the stimulation is capable of shifting problems that a chess player faces during the game, it also improves focus.

Mind Mentorz is an institution that promotes brain gyming and it also spreads awareness about the widespread chronic mental diseases. There is a constant effort made by the institution to formulate clubs and programmes that help people struggling with mental health come up. India has recognised the value of mental health and is working onwards to reduce its growth, but still, there is a long way to go. So, let us come together and support happy living.