People aged 50 and over who were assigned to play the computer game Double Decision (formerly Road Tour) for at least 10 hours over eight weeks showed a clear improvement compared with the normal loss of cognitive function as people age, says the
Wall Street Journal. The amount of improvement ranged from
2 to 7 years. People who were assigned to do crossword puzzles showed no such improvement. Previous research shows that older people who play various kinds of cognitive games have better health outcomes and better driving records.