Effects of Board Games on Balance in Association With Cognition in Community-Dwelling Elderly.

As age progress incidence of fall increases. Cognitively impaired patients have poor balance and they are more prone to falls. Balance and cognitive functions are co-related in middle-aged and community-dwelling elderly. In fact age-related cognitive decline as the brain ages it has exceptional neuroplasticity. To maintain balance and prevent falls various cognitive processes are required. Board games can be used as tools for cognitive training as they have the means to restore and form motor skills, cognitive functioning, and logical and spatial thinking. Cognitive training using simple games might improve the elements of balance and gait, and prevent falls.

In fact age-related cognitive decline, as the brain ages, it has exceptional neuroplasticity. This can be achieved by cognitive training which consists of domain-specific task completion or exercises to promote neurogenesis in that domain. Cognitive training is an approach towards enhancing neural plasticity by focusing on and training cognitive domains for balance improvement. Board games can be used as tools for cognitive training as they have the means to restore and form motor skills, cognitive functioning, and logical and spatial thinking. A board game is a generic term for a game played by placing, moving or removing pieces on a board and that utilizes a game format in which pieces are moved in particular ways on a board marked with a pattern. As a tool, board games can improve comprehension and cognitive functioning among participants. As per a study, computer-based cognitive training by simple games such as Road Tour, Jewel Diver, and Sweep Seeker improved visuospatial memory, speed of processing and inhibition which in turn improved balance and gait, and prevented falls in community-dwelling elderly but as per the author's access, there's lack of standardization in terms of types of cognitive training program intended to improve balance in the elderly population by using simple board games. Hence, the author established the research question of whether is this technique effective in the elderly population in terms of its effects on cognition and balance to prevent falls. This study will provide insight to the clinician on whether board games-based cognitive training improves balance and prevents fall risk in the elderly population.