Training your brain with Parkinson’s isn’t about achieving perfection—it’s about keeping your mind active and engaged so you can face daily challenges with confidence. For those living with young onset Parkinson’s, this means taking small, consistent steps to improve your cognitive skills and even slow the progression of the condition.

Cognitive skills, simply put, are the mental abilities you use to understand, learn, remember, and make decisions every day. These skills include:

  • Memory: Keeping track of information like appointments, names, or steps in a task.
  • Attention: Focusing on what’s important, such as listening in a conversation or concentrating on a specific activity.
  • Problem-Solving and Reasoning: Figuring out solutions to everyday challenges, from planning a meal to managing a sudden change in your routine.
  • Planning and Organisation (Executive Function): Organising tasks, making decisions, and managing time effectively.
  • Processing Speed: The pace at which you take in information and respond to it.

By incorporating fun yet challenging activities like puzzles, crosswords, and brain games into your daily routine, you create opportunities for mental exercise that strengthen your memory, focus, and problem-solving abilities.

Beyond brain games, training your mind also extends to engaging in social activities and learning new skills that spark creativity and conversation. Whether you join a local club, take up a hobby, or simply plan regular meet-ups with friends and family, these interactions can be incredibly beneficial for keeping your brain sharp. In addition, a healthy lifestyle contributes massively to brain health, with regular physical exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and stress management all working together to support cognitive function.

Cognitive exercises and activities

  • Social Interaction: Spending time with friends and loved ones and engaging in new social situations can help stimulate the brain and improve cognitive function.
  • Learning New Skills: Taking up new hobbies, learning a new language, or playing a musical instrument can challenge the brain and improve cognitive abilities.
  • Brain Games and Puzzles: Engaging in activities like crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, and online brain games can provide mental stimulation and help keep the brain sharp.
  • Reading: Reading books, newspapers, or magazines can challenge the brain and improve cognitive skills.
  • Listening to Podcasts: Listening to podcasts can provide mental stimulation and challenge the brain with new information.
  • Cooking New Recipes: This activity requires connecting steps, using memory for measurements, and connecting different parts of the brain.
  • Singing: Singing helps with recall, memory, and exercises the voice.
  • Playing Card Games: Playing card games rely on memory to recall rules and strategies.
  • Meditation: Meditation clears the mind and promotes relaxation, which can have positive effects on brain health.
  • Strategic Games: Playing chess or other strategic games relies on memory, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
  • Memory Matching Games: These games can help improve attention span and memory recall.
  • Trivia Games: Trivia games rely on memory recall and reasoning skills.
  • Dual Task Training: Combining physical exercises with cognitive challenges can help strengthen brain connections and improve cognitive function. Sing while on the treadmill or have a chat while walking with a friend.

Other strategies for brain health

  • Exercise: Regular physical activity, including aerobic and resistance exercises, has been shown to improve cognitive function and may even have a neuroprotective effect on the brain.
  • Sleep: Getting enough quality sleep is essential for memory consolidation and overall brain health. Set a regular sleep and wake time to start your good sleep hygiene routine.
  • Stress management: Managing stress through techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or spending time in nature can help reduce the negative impact of stress on brain function.
  • Nutrition: Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can support brain health and cognitive function.
  • Hydration: Staying hydrated is crucial for overall health, including brain function.
  • Social Interaction: Maintaining a strong social network can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, which can have positive effects on brain health.
  • Care for Medical Conditions: Other medical conditions can cause or worsen cognitive problems. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage brain blood vessels and may lead to thinking and memory problems. Depression and anxiety, common Parkinson’s non-motor symptoms, can also impact memory and thinking. If you or you or a loved one notice cognitive changes, talk to your GP. Treatment strategies may include dietary changes, exercise, medication or therapy.
  • Medication Review: Discussing any medications, vitamins or supplements you are taking with your GP, Parkinson’s Nurse or Pharmacist to ensure they are not contraindicated for your PD meds or causing cognitive side effects. Also look at the timing and dosing in relation to eating (especially protein) and any other side effects you experience. You can also ask your GP for a referral for a Home Medication Review if you qualify.

Where to start?

  • Meditations with Annie Harvey, Parkinson’s Australia YouTube playlist
  • Bicycle card games How to play games, just type in number of players, skill level and type of game you want to play or just explore their collection of rules to your favourite games!
  • NYT Games: Word, Number, Logic app Download for daily free puzzles or subscribe to get the archives and more! Although they’re not specifically designed for Parkinson’s, regularly tackling puzzles like the NYT Crossword, Spelling Bee, or Sudoku can help improve your memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.
  • Power for Parkinson’s: This organisation provides free fitness, dance, and singing classes both locally and online. They also have a free home exercise video library on YouTube.
  • Cognition: A Guide to Thinking Changes in Parkinson’s Disease (FREE e-Book download from Parkinson’s Foundation)
  • Computer Games and Apps for Parkinson’s Patients – Disabilitease – This article reviews smart technology options tailored for people with Parkinson’s. It highlights tools like CogniFit for tailored brain training, the SteadyType Keyboard to assist with communication challenges, and StudyMyTremor for monitoring tremors—all aimed at boosting cognitive function and tracking symptom progress.
  • Cognitive Exercises for Parkinson’s: Boosting Brain Function (NeuroLaunch) This resource delves into why cognitive exercises are essential for mitigating the mental challenges associated with Parkinson’s. It explains various techniques to stimulate memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, offering guidance on integrating these exercises into your daily routine.
  • 15 Ways to Exercise Your Brain This Summer | Parkinson’s Foundation This blog post suggests creative and enjoyable ways to stay mentally active during the summer. Ideas include making a scrapbook, watching classic movies, engaging with music, reading, hosting virtual games or karaoke nights, and even planning future activities. These activities are particularly helpful for boosting long-term memory, focus, and overall cognitive resilience.
  • Learn a language with several free language learning apps. Check out Duolingo, Busuu, and Memrise, popular choices known for their engaging, game-like lessons and focus on practical vocabulary. HelloTalk facilitates conversation practice with native speakers, while Anki uses spaced repetition for vocabulary retention. Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur offer immersion-based and audio-focused learning respectively.
  • Call 1800 644 189 to reach your state/territory’s Parkinson’s organisation to see what support groups are available to you.

Each of these resources provides actionable advice and tools to help you engage in brain-training activities, tailored to the challenges faced by people living with Parkinson’s. Exploring these will give you a good starting point to keep your mind sharp while managing Parkinson’s. Enjoy discovering what works best for you, and if you need more ideas or further guidance, there’s always more to explore in this exciting area!

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