Electronic "dance" game gives dementia researchers hope for treatment

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An international research team from ETH Zurich has found a glimmer of hope in the treatment of dementia. While no other drug routes have made a dent in altering the course of a dementia diagnosis, an active game may have. It's the octogenarian equivalent of Dance Dance Revolution, where a participant has to move their feet to different areas of the floor in coordination to what the screen before them instructs. In an 8-week study of game-playing patients showed that they not only staved off the diminishing effects of dementia but were able to slightly raise their cognitive levels, where the control group simply worsened. The combination of physical coordination with mental acuity, as well as exercise, are believed to be the winning factors. The fact that patients found the game fun to play made it easier for the researchers to get them to do it and to motivate them to get better at it.