Brain-teaser apps a hit among doctors

Bengaluru: While an average smartphone user may be hooked to ‘Temple Run’, ‘Candy Crush’, ‘Plants versus Zombies’, ‘Subway Surfers’ and other free Android apps, the mental health professionals swear by apps of a different genre – the ones which help stimulate brains and also advise others to use the same.

“Nowadays what is worrisome is the fact that the youth is getting used to WhatsApp, Instagram, and a host of other gaming applications which is not healthy for the brain. Whenever I am free, even for a short time, I play ‘lumosity’, a brain-training application. It is like my mental gym,” says Dr S. K. Chaturvedi, Professor, Department of Psychiatry Head, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, NIMHANS.

Dr Chandrashekar, Head of Department (Psychiatry), Bangalore Medical College, Victoria Hospital uses two applications strictly related to his profession. He said, “There are so many mobile applications for people to choose, but I am more interested in psychological or academic applications and hence I use Epocrates and Pocket-sycho which help me learn about psychology and medicines.”

He feels that “Mobiles should be used for one basic function and that is to make calls, but addiction to WhatsApp and Facebook is becoming a major concern for psychologists right now, as it is affecting the interpersonal activities, appetite and mental health of people and hence youths should try and download brain training games to work on their brain.”

Regarding brain health and a host of free application waiting to be downloaded, Dr Venkataramanaa N. K., Director - Global  Institute of Neurosciences, Vice-Chairman, BGS Global Hospital said, “On the Android platform there are several brain-training programmes which have an inbuilt system of giving a variety of activity to kids with a scoring system. An inbuilt scoring system can keep motivating these kids to play such games and would also have a positive effect on their brains. Hence downloading a brain-training application would be an effective utilisation of time.” He said he loves playing chess on his mobile phone, as he finds it intellectually stimulating.

“Sudoku is a real brain teaser and it is a very good application and whenever I get time I play Sudoku,” says Dr Rithesh Nair, consultant neurologist at Narayana Multi-specialty hospital in Whitefield. Being a lover of Mathematics he added, “Mathematics uses all the circuits of the memory and people should try applications which involve calculations.”

However, some mental health professionals prefer to use the good old pen and paper to play brain stimulating games. “Mostly we advise people to jerk their brains with activities ranging from crosswords, puzzles, Sudoku or even writing down daily activity. I mostly play Sudoku on paper, which I find more appealing and that is how I keep my brain healthy,” said Dr Swaroop Gopal, Director, Neurosciences, Sakra World Hospital.