Brainteasers and other types of brain puzzles can come in many different shapes and sizes, but the three most common types are observational, analytical, and mathematical brainteasers.
Mathematical brainteasers pose a complex maths-based question which must be solved as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, analytical brainteasers come in the form of written riddles or tongue twisters which contain a hidden meaning.
Observational brainteasers, such as the one above from Online Games.io start with an image filled with a random assortment of objects or a box full of very similar graphics.
The challenge with these brainteasers is to spot the anomaly within each image as quickly as possible. In this case, the task is to spot a key in under seven seconds.
Did you spot the key? No worries if not, the key is highlighted above. It can be spotted highlighted on the left-hand side of the image to the left of the steering wheel.
Brainteasers such as this one are brilliant because they give the mind some neurological stimulation within a fun environment.
What’s more, because brainteasers are fun and sometimes quick to do. They can be done pretty much anywhere whether it’s on a train, waiting for a bus or sitting in a waiting room.
Furthermore, much like running, cycling or swimming can give the arms and legs exercise, so too can brainteasers exercise the mind and help improve neurological health.
Improving and maintaining neurological health is key in the long term to reducing someone’s likelihood of developing deadly conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s.
This doesn’t mean brainteasers will stop someone from developing dementia, other risk factors can have a much bigger impact, but they could help keep someone’s mind sharper for longer.
Dementia is one of the most devastating conditions in the UK. While there are new treatments coming through that can slow down the disease, there is currently no cure.
What’s more, cases of dementia in the UK are set to rise with one UCL study predicting there would be 1.7million dementia patients in the UK by 2040. Speaking about the study, principal investigator Professor Eric Brunner said: “Our research has exposed that dementia is likely to be a more urgent policy problem than previously recognised – even if the current trend continues for just a few years.
“We have found that not only is the ageing population a major driver of the trend in England and Wales but also the number of people developing dementia within older age groups is increasing.”
