It is important if you have suffered a brain injury to rely on other parts of your brain to function for you. The damaged region of the brain can take time to completely heal if it’s going to do so. There is a variety of games and activities that are ideal to help you if you have suffered a brain injury. These are useful in allowing you to remember things you may have forgotten and are imperative to help you improve your critical thinking skills over time.

Engaging the Brain with Games

The more engaging the game is, the greater benefit you will have in improving your brain injury. Studies show that games and activities are an ideal way to help you improve your overall cognitive function when done routinely by the brain injury patient.

Games that may have been more popular in earlier years are ideal for people who have suffered a brain injury. Below are some ideal games to try:

• Crossword, Sudoku, and Jigsaw Puzzles
• Card games like Solitaire, Go Fish! and Crazy Eights
• Drawing activities like Hangman and Mazes
• Electronic games like Simon

Apps That Enhance Memory and Critical Thinking

Due to the numerous technological advances, you can download a number of games to your laptop or tablet for free. There are others that are offered at a low cost and can prove to be very useful to you, as well.

There are hundreds of apps marketed as memory enhancers. Here are four to consider:

• Memory Screening Test – Designed for use in acute care settings, this app is used by healthcare professionals to access levels of memory impairment. The app presents series of images to analyze and costs $19.99.
• Memory – Memory is a simple, $0.99 app in which players match pairs of pictures that appear on a grid, engaging the part of the brain that processes images. Users can select various levels of difficulty, ranging from 15 pairs of images to 150 pairs.
• Twinoo Brain Training – Twinoo combines numbers and colors to improve critical thinking skills. This free app presents math problems on one side of the screen and color combinations on the other, engaging both sides of the brain.
• MatchDrops – This free app presents images of colored balloons and asks users to memorize the sequence. After a few moments, the balloons begin to move to music, testing the user’s ability to retain information.

Playing games to improve brain function should never feel like a chore. A study conducted in Sweden in 2005 showed that brain-training can alter the brain’s dopamine receptors, not only improving the brain’s ability to retain information but improving the person’s mood as well. Games that are interesting, fun, and engaging are likely to produce the best results.

Help us at TryMunity by giving ideas of the games that have proved helpful to you. We believe in the power of community if you are suffering from a brain injury and simply want to show our support. Join us today by signing up online.