Haven’t played memory games since you were in grade school? Big mistake—as it turns out, your smarts are a “use it or lose it” phenomenon.
Aside from helping you locate your missing phone faster and cutting the time you spend spacing out at your computer, putting your brain through the cognitive wringer on the regular is associated with reduced risk of cerebrovascular disease (yes, that’s a real thing) as well as greater brain neuronal density and cortical thickness, according to research published in Biological Psychiatry.