Taiwan officially became an aged society in 2018. The social impact resulting from an aging population is extensive. Reversing the effect of aging and preventing disability and dementia has become a worldwide endeavor, and the concept of healthy aging has received growing attention. Previously, people only sought to extend their expected lifespan; nowadays, people focus on healthy longevity.
According to the research results, mahjong digital game training enables older adults to feel gradual improvements to their judgment and responsiveness. Moreover, the mental toughness and daily health scores of the participating older adults have improve considerably. Substantial improvement has also been observed in the function of the temporal fusiform cortex responsible for the brain’s advanced visual processing, particularly color recognition, character recognition, and facial recognition.
The project investigator is Professor Liang-Kung Chen, a scientist of international geriatric medicine who serve as the NYCU Center for Healthy Longevity and Aging Sciences Director. He says that greater health awareness has prompted more people to understand the importance of healthy aging. To maintain the quality of life at an old age, individuals must continue to exercise their bodies and minds daily. As much of a cliché as it sounds, practical engagement in healthy aging behavior is necessary, and individuals must conduct physical and mental exercise simultaneously. He also says that the present research findings can be applied to new business endeavors that provide continual physical training through various interactive media.
More information:
Antiaging games that keep your body and mind healthy: NYCU works with the gaming industry to solve population aging
