Is it true that … doing puzzles prevents dementia?

Completing a fiendish jigsaw certainly engages many areas of the brain, but genetics and other lifestyle factors also play their part

That's a very strong statement," cautions Roxi Carare, professor of clinical neuroanatomy at the University of Southampton. A more appropriate way to put it is: puzzles help delay the onset and worsening ofthe symptoms of dementia."

Dementia is an umbrella term for conditions that lead to a decline in cognitive function. Some kinds have been linked to poor waste removal from the brain.