Candy Crush, Tetris, Other Games May Help Detect Dementia

A study presented at the 2019 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing suggests that popular mobile games could better identify signs of cognitive decline than traditional tests, reports Healthline . The researchers performed paper-based cognitive tests among 21 healthy subjects, then asked them to spend 10 minutes playing mobile games such as Tetris, Candy Crush Saga, and Fruit Ninja. Data about the players' taps, swipes, and rotational gestures was recorded using sensors in the mobile phones. A clear connection between the speed, length, and intensity of users' gestures during gameplay and cognitive performance was established. The researchers concluded that such games may be used to detect changes in motor abilities among people with Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injuries, or other conditions that can trigger cognitive decline.