Today jigsaw puzzles are a familiar product on the retailers shelf. Originally invented by the London mapmaker, John Spilsbury in the mid 18th century they were developed as an aid to teach geography. Two hundred and fifty years later, jigsaw puzzles are still in the marketplace thanks to their enduring appeal to all age groups.
Puzzles nowadays are no longer made of wood but of high density cardboard and are die stamped in a massive press to ensure a precision cut and consistent quality. In Spilsburys day they would have been made of hand painted wooden boards which were then cut into pieces with a jigsaw. World maps would have been painted on the board to be put together again in the classroom.
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.
Puzzles though do have their own benefits and require observational, cognitive and motor skills which make the pastime unique not to mention satisfying. As the population ages the puzzle companies have taken to manufacturing puzzles with extra large pieces. Nowadays there are 500 piece puzzles with the same dimensions as a regular 1000 piece puzzle. Such puzzles tend to be more obvious from a visual standpoint with bright colors and more distinctly shaped pieces.
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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