The Cognitive games That I will explain to you this article will serve you to improve several Cognitive functions Like language, memory, attention, orientation... Your brain makes it possible for you to develop your life with normality day by day. All those tasks and behaviors you carry out would not be possible without your help.
Try to think of some action you can do without the help of your brain?? If you can not think of any, quiet, it does not exist. For all the information passes and leaves the brain. From the most basic functions like breathing, and the heart does not stop you from beating, until you solve a math problem.
People who have some type of brain injury whose brain does not work optimally, have limited functions that you may never have thought of, and are very essential to lead a normal life.
Functions like savoring food, combing, recognizing the faces of friends and acquaintances, are cognitive functions, which, having fully integrated into your brain functioning, you may not imagine the complexity involved in carrying them out correctly.
He brain , Has a wide range of possibilities, but today I will focus on explaining the cognitive part of our mind. So in this publication we are going to talk about cognition, which although it may sound to you, you may not really know what that word refers to, and what elements or functions it involves at the mental level.
Cognition is a term that refers to those mental processes Which are involved in obtaining knowledge and in being able to understand things well. Cognitive functions are higher level, that is, they are those that we have to be a developed species, and that went, according to evolutionary science, with the phylogenetic step of the species.
But cognition can deteriorate as a result of disease, and even with the simple passage of years. But quiet, I have good news, cognition is also sensitive to the changes made by the subject itself, that is, that can be trained, maintained and even improved.
Now you know what cognition is, but maybe if I explain what the cognitive functions are specifically, it will still be clearer.
What are cognitive functions?
Mental processes make the subject have an active role in their day to day life. Cognitive functions can be grouped according to the purpose or function of the process. Here is a classification of cognitive functions, with which you are sure to understand better the concept of cognition:
- Orientation : It is the capacity that allows us to be aware of the situation in which we are in each moment. The orientation can be personal, which refers to our own history and identity, temporal or spatial. Knowing where your house is, how old you are or what your name is, is knowledge that gives guidance.
- Attention : We call attention to the ability to remain activated before a given stimulus, to have a good processing of information. It can be sustained, selective or alternating attention.
- Praxias : Praxias are those skills that help us to move voluntarily. Such as writing with a pencil or sticking out your tongue.
- Memory : is considered memory To the ability to encode, store and retrieve information. There are several types of memory, such as semantics, episodic, and procedural.
- Visuospatial Skills : Is based on the ability to represent, analyze and manipulate an object mentally. As for example to know if a certain object will fit in a box without entering it to verify it.
- Gnosias : Refers to the ability to be able to give a meaning to the information that we capture by the senses. That is, thanks to this function you can recognize smells, textures, flavors, etc.
- Executive functions : Are those skills that are directed to the achievement of objective objectives. They would be: working memory, planning, reasoning, flexibility, inhibition, decision making, time estimation, double task execution or multitasking.
- Language : It serves us to communicate, and cognitive functions are considered all its aspects, such as expression, comprehension, vocabulary, denomination, fluency, discrimination, repetition, writing and reading.
- Social cognition : It is considered social cognition to the set of cognitive and emotional processes that work with the social information. As an example we can take the Theory of mind .
What does cognition involve?
Therefore to summarize, and to emphasize the work that must carry out your mind to be able to develop a certain function, we expose that tasks carries out the cognition of general form:
- Cognition implies Transform sensory information . That is, as your body receives information from the world around us, before that information reaches the central, ie the brain, this information must be transformed so that the brain understands that information. For you to understand, let's say the stimuli are in a language that the brain must translate to understand that they are trying to communicate to you.
- Cognition implies Reduction of sensory information : This means that the world in which we live is in constant movement, and we get infinite stimuli in each moment. So the brain has the ability to take only the information relevant to you, and also order and reduce it so that energy expenditure is not huge. For example, think at this moment of the pressure exerted on your foot, the shoe that you wear. This sensation is not new, only that your brain has described it as not relevant, until you have given the order to transmit that information. Imagine that all the stimuli that come to us, our mind gives the same importance??. it would be crazy!
- Cognition implies Preparation of information Your brain has the ability to reconstruct and elaborate a meaningful story from little information. Usually this added information makes those details that we do not remember or to which we do not have access to recompose what we know by giving coherence to what we are trying to reconstruct.
- Cognition implies Store information and retrieve : We need a warehouse where to store all the information that we believe important so that when we use it again we have it available and available. That store, dear reader, is your brain.
- Cognition implies the Use of information : It is all previous processes that allow us to use the information we need at any time, and to be able to interact with the world around us in an optimal and efficient way.
10 home and virtual cognitive games
As I said before, cognition is plastic, this means that it can be maintained and modified. Thanks to the games that I will propose below you can make your cognitive ability to be developed even more and that in the day to day this will translate into an improvement in the functioning of the mind in contact with the context that surrounds you and the demands Which arise from it.
In everyday life you can do some games that will help you improve your cognitive functions, here are some that can help you:
1- Memorize your day to day
At the last hour of the day before going to bed, try to remember aspects that have happened during the day, such as that you have had breakfast, remember one of the news you saw in the newspaper, which was the last person you talked to by phone.??
This exercise in addition to improving your memory , as well Your concentration will improve Y Attention , Since knowing that at the end of the day you will try to remember some events of the day, you will pay more attention to those tasks that you are going to carry out.
2 - Play Bingo
Believe it or not, playing bingo makes you train some of your cognitive functions such as recognition, discrimination of stimuli, agility and speed in the search for symbols, and motor coordination between the hand, ear and sight. Remember to exercise caution and moderation when playing, as it can become an addictive activity.
3- Sudokus
It is a numerical puzzle that you have surely seen. Resolving the game requires patience, and concentration. This exercise develops functions such as Perception, deductive analysis, planning, coordination and working memory .
The game consists in filling in a grid with 81 squares, which are subdivided into smaller squares of 3 x 3 squares at the same time. The numbers used are numbers from 1 to 9, and the grid already has some numbers written. The rules are two:
- Do not repeat any numbers in the same row, column or region.
- And there is only one solution.
4- Find the way
When you are somewhere unfamiliar to you, try while you are walking, looking at context keys, such as a sign, a sign, a particular store... this will help you find your way back. This exercise will not only improve your Memory and attention, in addition you will exercise your orientative capacity.
On the internet we also find a lot of brain training programs, with which you are sure to improve your cognition and enjoy yourself.
5- Lumosity
It is a brain training program that has more than 40 games so you can work on areas of memory, attention, flexibility, processing speed and Problem resolution .
This personalized training program was created by a company dedicated to brain training and neuroscience. This program is available for computer, and for iOS.
6- Memory Trainer
It is an application created by Urbian company. This application has been designed with the intention of improving memory and attention from a playful and fun aspect. The app is available for Android on Google Play.
7- Fit Brains Trainer
It is a brain training program designed by a group of neuroscientists. Includes training sessions to improve areas of memory, mental agility, concentration, deduction and visual perception. You can find it for computer and mobile with iOS and Android operating system.
8- Brain Lab
It is recommended for all ages, and helps improve memory, logic, calculus and visual skills. One of the curiosities of this application is that it allows you to compete with other players around the world and share the scores on Facebook. You can buy it in the App Store or google play for free.
9- CogniFit
Create a training regime customized to your cognitive needs that will be adjusted continuously as your progress. It is a training program where several universities of the world collaborate, which allows you to carry out the training based on your abilities, and the progress you are making in using the program.
It works on cognitive areas such as Processing Speed, Reaction to Change, Eye-Hand Coordination, Inhibition, Divided Attention, Response Time and Planning, among others. It is available in computer from its portal and for mobile with iOs.
10- Brain metrix
It is an educative web in English dedicated to the formation of the brain. On the web we can find a great diversity of games for cognitive training.
You know that the brain is like a muscle, you have to exercise it to work properly. Keep him active and happy.
And what other cognitive games do you know?