Older adults who frequently use computers, write letters and take classes have a modest yet significant lower dementia risk than those less engaged with literacy-oriented activities, Australian research shows. 

Regular active mental stimulation in the form of crosswords, card games and chess were also linked with a reduced chance of dementia, according to the Monash University-led team in Melbourne. 

But in an unexpected result, they said the frequency of social outings and interactions did not appear to have a protective effect in their cohort. 

“These findings suggest that certain types of cognitively stimulating leisure activities, including adult literacy and active mental activities, may help prevent dementia in older age,” they wrote in JAMA Network Open.