1. < Brain & Nervous System

Brain games

Posted by uscdad07 @uscdad07, Jan 16, 2024

I was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. I have some short term memory issues. Are there some good brain games and or ways to help my memory?

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SusanEllen66 | @SusanEllen66 | Jan 24, 2024

I was diagnosed with MCI almost 3 years ago. I do Wordle, 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, I’m building my Family Tree on Ancestry, and I paint.
I’m 74 years old.
Now I’m being tested for Cerebellar Dementia. My brain has shrunk, but I can still do all the things mentioned above.
Learning new tasks has become almost impossible though.
The atrophy in my brain has also caused me to have Ataxia.

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Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 25, 2024
In reply to @dtj217 "I was diagnosed with MCI 2 years ago at 52. I have an app on my..." + (show)
@dtj217

I was diagnosed with MCI 2 years ago at 52. I have an app on my iPad called MindPal. I find it challenging and fun. It has a variety of games each day that you can play for free, and additional features are available for a monthly fee (I have the free version). This is a partial quote from the game’s description of the science behind their app: “ Think of MindPal as a brain gym in your pocket. MindPal provides you with a personal daily program that adjusts over time to maximize results. Enjoy a variety of games that challenge critical cognitive skills such as memory, attention, language, math, and more. The difficulty of the games adapts to your level, to ensure you are constantly challenged. Track your performance as you play, and get in-depth insights about your brain.”
On the iPad or iPhone MindPal also has Wordle and some additional games from New York Times for free (and the option to pay for more). However my sister has MindPal on an Android device and it does not include Wordle or the other New York Times games.
What I like about MindPal is it measures and tracks your speed, memory, attention, flexibility, language, math and problem solving so you can see what areas you need to work on and how you have progressed over time. I have been playing for about 1 1/2 years and I feel it has helped my brain.

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Hello @dtj217 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you posting about an app that has been helpful to you. Sharing information like this is helpful to everyone in the community. It looks like your MCI was diagnosed at age 52.

Have you been involved with other therapies or medications that have helped you? Please share as you are comfortable doing so.

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1 reply
dtj217 | @dtj217 | Jan 25, 2024
In reply to @hopeful33250 "Hello @dtj217 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you posting about an app that has..." + (show)
@hopeful33250

Hello @dtj217 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you posting about an app that has been helpful to you. Sharing information like this is helpful to everyone in the community. It looks like your MCI was diagnosed at age 52.

Have you been involved with other therapies or medications that have helped you? Please share as you are comfortable doing so.

Jump to this post

I have had occupational therapy and speech therapy. I use a daily planner, as my speech therapist recommended. I had a neuro-psych eval that resulted in the diagnosis. I recently had a re-eval that showed improvement in some areas and decline in others. I’m seeing a counselor to deal with the many losses I’ve experienced including loss of a job that I loved, loss of being able to drive, recent death of a parent, and more. I am so grateful for this platform to learn from and share with each other. We need each other!

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1 reply
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 25, 2024
In reply to @dtj217 "I have had occupational therapy and speech therapy. I use a daily planner, as my speech..." + (show)
@dtj217

I have had occupational therapy and speech therapy. I use a daily planner, as my speech therapist recommended. I had a neuro-psych eval that resulted in the diagnosis. I recently had a re-eval that showed improvement in some areas and decline in others. I’m seeing a counselor to deal with the many losses I’ve experienced including loss of a job that I loved, loss of being able to drive, recent death of a parent, and more. I am so grateful for this platform to learn from and share with each other. We need each other!

Jump to this post

I, too, am glad that you found this forum, @dtj217. It is good to share experiences with others who are on the same journey. It sounds like you have a great support team in your corner. Having occupational and speech therapy are wonderful adjuncts to treatment. Dealing with your losses with a counselor is also helpful.

What early symptoms led you to this diagnosis? If you could share any experiences that were helpful to you, what would they be?

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