Mahjong Playing and Leisure Physical Activity Alleviate Cognitive Symptoms in Older Community Residents

Ding, Ming; Ouyang, Huajiang; Zhang, Caiyun; Jiang, Lijun; Zhuang, Runsen; Dong, Xiaomei; Chen, Xiongfei; Yang, Hongmei; Tao, Qian

doi:10.1123/japa.2020-0383

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…The theory suggests that participation in cards or mahjong may enhance one’s intellectual and mental activities that are beneficial to better brain function or cognitive function [ 38 ]. Moreover, in addition to enriched emotional and environmental stimulation, playing cards or mahjong requires a certain amount of physical activity in upper extremities, which may increase cerebral blood flow, stimulate the central nervous system excitement, improve brain tissue metabolism, and promote the establishment of brain neural network, therefore resulting in adaptive changes in brain structure and function [ 23 , 39 , 40 ]. Additionally, participation in cards or mahjong also plays an important role in increasing interpersonal communication and social support, reducing psychological stress, thereby mitigating stress-related neuronal changes and improving cognitive function [ 41 , 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Playing Cards or Mahjong with Cognitive Function in Chinese Older Adults

Wang

Liu

Zhao

2022

IJERPH

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Cognitive decline in older adults is a major public health threat. This study aimed to explore the association of participation in cards or mahjong with cognitive function in older adults. A total of 7308 older adults were selected from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. A modified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function. The participants were classified according to the frequency of playing cards or mahjong into the “regularly” (R) group, “occasionally” (O) group, or “never” (N) group. The results showed that older persons in the R group and O group had better cognitive function than those in the N group. Specifically, significant differences were found in attention and calculation, language, and total MMSE score between the R group and the N group. However, significant differences were not observed for adults aged 60–69 years old. Regression analysis indicated that playing cards or mahjong, together with age, educational level, sex, marital status, and occupation before age 60 could explain the cognitive function. The findings suggest that there is an association between participation in cards or mahjong and cognitive function in the population of Chinese older adults, and that the frequency of participation plays an important role in the association.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of Playing Cards or Mahjong with Cognitive Function in Chinese Older Adults

Wang

Liu

Zhao

2022

IJERPH

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“…Furthermore, the game requires participants to memorize the titles discarded by others in each round, contributing to memory exercises ( 67 ). Prior research indicates that strategic games can enhance individuals’ logical reasoning skills ( 29 ). Specifically, games like Mahjong, are considered to improve memory accuracy and reaction ability ( 29 , 67 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a method to alleviate or delay age-related cognitive decline, it plays a crucial role in effectively mitigating against the inadequate social medical insurance capacity and the scarcity of social medical resources as seen with the aging population in China. For older people, compared to medication therapy for cognitive function improvement, playing Mahjong incurs lower economic costs ( 67 ) and is safer for their physical well-being ( 29 ). Medication therapy often requires longer treatment periods ( 85 ), entails higher expenses ( 86 ), and may not yield satisfactory results ( 87 ), thus exacerbating the economic burden on older adults and posing challenges for long-term medication adherence ( 88 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The process of playing Mahjong is not only an experience of mental and manual dexterity, but also requires quick reactions and focus, involving rapid coordination and cooperation ( 26 ). The process entails a series of cognitive processing steps, including attention, memory, and logical understanding ( 29 ). As a cognitive activity, Mahjong’s relationship with the cognitive functioning of older people requires further research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Longitudinal associations between the frequency of playing Mahjong and cognitive functioning among older people in China: evidence from CLHLS, 2008–2018

Zhu,

Wang,

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundCognitive decline is prevalent among older adults, often resulting in decreased capabilities for self-care and a diminished quality of life. Mahjong, a culturally cherished and extensively played intellectual game in China, demands considerable cognitive function. While the cognitive benefits of playing Mahjong have been widely accepted, this study investigates an under explored aspect and aimed to ascertain the game’s potential contributions toward bolstering self-care abilities, enhancing overall quality of life, and mitigating against rising societal healthcare costs.MethodsThe data analyzed in the study is collected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) with cognitive functioning being assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The frequency of playing Mahjong was measured through a self-reported questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models, latent variable growth models, and cross-lagged models were used to investigate the longitudinal relationship between game frequency and cognitive function in older people.ResultsOf the 7,535 participants, the mean (SD) age was 81.96 (10.53) years. There were 7,308 (97%), 4,453 (59%), and 1,974 (26%) participants in 2011, 2014, and 2018, respectively. The results showed that Mahjong players had significantly higher MMSE scores compared to non-players from 2008 to 2018 (β = 0.893; p < 0.001), and non-players had significantly lower scores in 2011, 2014, and 2018 than in 2008 (β = −1.326, −0.912, −0.833; Ps > 0.05). Moreover, the frequency of playing Mahjong was associated with improved various cognitive domains. The declining frequency of playing Mahjong was substantially associated with the declining rate of MMSE scores (r = 0.336; p < 0.001). Mahjong frequency showed positive effects on MMSE scores, while the influence of Mahjong on MMSE scores were not significant.ConclusionPlaying Mahjong has a positive influence on the cognitive functioning among older people. It can help buffer against the decline in cognitive function and maintain cognitive function levels. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong is associated with improved reaction, attention and calculation, and self-coordination. A decline in the frequency of playing Mahjong was associated with a declining rate of cognitive function. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong among older people unilaterally influenced the improvement of cognitive function levels in older people in China.

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“…Recently, the effects of playing Mahjong on health, particularly on brain function, have been studied ( Table 1 ). Mahjong has been shown to prevent depression in older adults (Tang et al, 2021 ), improve cognitive performance, such as verbal memory in patients with mild dementia (Cheng et al, 2006 , 2014 ; Qiu et al, 2019 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ; Ding et al, 2022 ), and improve higher brain functions, such as increased executive function (Zhang et al, 2020 ). Based on this improvement in executive function, Zang et al concluded that Mahjong improved higher brain function by activating frontal lobe functions, such as concentration and anticipation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Mahjong on children's intelligence quotient

2022

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This study investigated the effect of Mahjong, which is a table game played by three or four players and involves intellectual activity, on the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children. The participants were children between the age of 6 and 15 years, and their IQ was assessed immediately after enrolling in children's Mahjong classes and 1 year after the enrollment using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Twenty children were included in the analysis. Their mean age at the time of the initial evaluation was 9 years and 6 months. In addition, we conducted a 1-year post-examination. The change in the IQ of this group was compared to that of a historical control group with a similar age range and test–retest interval. The mean overall full-scale IQ of the 20 children during the initial and post-1-year examinations was 106.05 and 113.75, respectively, and showed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.01). Based on the subscale index, the verbal comprehension index (VCI) and processing speed index (PSI) scores both showed a statistically significant increase from 100.6 to 106.75 and from 108.05 to 119.05 (p < 0.01), respectively. The PSI of the children included in the analysis showed a statistically significant increase compared to the historical control group. This study suggests that children who participate in Mahjong classes during their childhood have increased PSI scores of WISC-IV.

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Mahjong Playing and Leisure Physical Activity Alleviate Cognitive Symptoms in Older Community Residents

Cited by 7 publications

References 64 publications

Association of Playing Cards or Mahjong with Cognitive Function in Chinese Older Adults

Association of Playing Cards or Mahjong with Cognitive Function in Chinese Older Adults

Longitudinal associations between the frequency of playing Mahjong and cognitive functioning among older people in China: evidence from CLHLS, 2008–2018

Effect of Mahjong on children's intelligence quotient

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