Despite their innocent beginning, jigsaw puzzles, invented in the late 18th century by London mapmaker John Spilsbury, have endured two hundred and fifty years of consumer acceptance as a pastime not entirely anticipated by their inventor. Today puzzles come in multiple piece counts from as few as 10 enormous pieces for young children to assemble on the floor up to 20000 pieces for the most avid puzzle hobbyist that can take up to a year to complete.
Almost all jigsaw puzzles are now made of cardboard but some manufacturers still acknowledge those early days and make a few titles (especially for children) from wooden boards. Images are printed onto the surface rather than hand painted as in Spilsburys day. Originally employed as an educational device, world maps would decorate the board, be cut up using a jigsaw into the various countries for instructive assembly by school going youngsters.
It is this act of recognizing a shape (and color) and inserting the piece into the correct empty space that has been accepted as an aid to those whose cognitive powers are not as acute as they once were. Senior citizens immediately come to mind as obvious beneficiaries of using jigsaw puzzles to re-establish a level of mental dexterity (as well as small motors skills) which are usually lost due to the passage of time.
Exercise and diet as well as mental stimulation have recently been documented as the best methods to avoid the onset of dementia. Pastimes such as reading, mind teasers such as Sudoku or crosswords come to mind as beneficial. Card games have the added benefit of socialization as well as deductive reasoning. Essentially any form of gentle therapy that is fun is to be encouraged.
Nevertheless it is the unexpected benefit of assembling a jigsaw puzzle that carries unique observational, cognition and motor skills making the pastime distinct. Puzzle manufacturers have seen the median age of the puzzle consumer advancing and (not through any act of altruism) have been developing more puzzles with extra large pieces. Typically such a puzzle will have 500 pieces but will have the same dimensions as a regular 1000 piece puzzle. The images tend to be brightly colored with well defined sections.
Learning, consolidation, storage and recall are the four distinct stages of memory. Without the ability to recall it is impossible to determine the deterioration (or lack thereof) of the other three stages in an individual. If the mind of a healthy puzzler can put together a 1000 piece puzzle in less than one hour (which is a regular competitive feat) then by encouraging those same learning and consolidation techniques in a senior there is every reason to believe a cognitive benefit will be gained.
As an attempt to address the problems of the aging brain, clinical studies and chemical discoveries as well as gene therapies appear reassuring and may even offer treatment today. Prior intervention requiring only the mildest but repeated stimulation such as discussed above is preferable to medical intervention. Diet, exercise and mental activity are the sure ways to provide stimulating challenges as well as pleasurable activities whose benefits could last decades.
The greatest fear is that we lose our uniquely individual memories and thus our true self. Not much effort would be required of those who can reawaken once healthy skills and prolong the pleasure of a healthy mind and body by simple exercises such as jigsaw puzzles.
Almost all jigsaw puzzles are now made of cardboard but some manufacturers still acknowledge those early days and make a few titles (especially for children) from wooden boards. Images are printed onto the surface rather than hand painted as in Spilsburys day. Originally employed as an educational device, world maps would decorate the board, be cut up using a jigsaw into the various countries for instructive assembly by school going youngsters.
It is this act of recognizing a shape (and color) and inserting the piece into the correct empty space that has been accepted as an aid to those whose cognitive powers are not as acute as they once were. Senior citizens immediately come to mind as obvious beneficiaries of using jigsaw puzzles to re-establish a level of mental dexterity (as well as small motors skills) which are usually lost due to the passage of time.
Exercise and diet as well as mental stimulation have recently been documented as the best methods to avoid the onset of dementia. Pastimes such as reading, mind teasers such as Sudoku or crosswords come to mind as beneficial. Card games have the added benefit of socialization as well as deductive reasoning. Essentially any form of gentle therapy that is fun is to be encouraged.
Nevertheless it is the unexpected benefit of assembling a jigsaw puzzle that carries unique observational, cognition and motor skills making the pastime distinct. Puzzle manufacturers have seen the median age of the puzzle consumer advancing and (not through any act of altruism) have been developing more puzzles with extra large pieces. Typically such a puzzle will have 500 pieces but will have the same dimensions as a regular 1000 piece puzzle. The images tend to be brightly colored with well defined sections.
Learning, consolidation, storage and recall are the four distinct stages of memory. Without the ability to recall it is impossible to determine the deterioration (or lack thereof) of the other three stages in an individual. If the mind of a healthy puzzler can put together a 1000 piece puzzle in less than one hour (which is a regular competitive feat) then by encouraging those same learning and consolidation techniques in a senior there is every reason to believe a cognitive benefit will be gained.
As an attempt to address the problems of the aging brain, clinical studies and chemical discoveries as well as gene therapies appear reassuring and may even offer treatment today. Prior intervention requiring only the mildest but repeated stimulation such as discussed above is preferable to medical intervention. Diet, exercise and mental activity are the sure ways to provide stimulating challenges as well as pleasurable activities whose benefits could last decades.
The greatest fear is that we lose our uniquely individual memories and thus our true self. Not much effort would be required of those who can reawaken once healthy skills and prolong the pleasure of a healthy mind and body by simple exercises such as jigsaw puzzles.
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