Elderly Japanese prisoners are playing Nintendo DS to help combat dementia

Games aren’t just for fun — they can have serious applications, too.

A group of elderly prisoners in Oita Prison, Japan, are using Nintendo DS consoles to help keep their brains in shape. Dementia is a serious issue at the prison, where 21 percent of the inmates are over 65, reports Siliconera. As prison populations worldwide get older, gaming is one way to help keep prisoners mentally active despite their incarceration.

Along with playing brain training games on the Nintendo DS, prisoners at Oita are also taking part in yoga and stretching exercises. The DS games are proving the most popular part of the program, though, with one inmate — imprisoned for fraud — saying, “The DS is the most fun part. I want to keep my brain sharp by practicing like this.”

The warden at the prison says that he hopes the prisoners will continue to use resources like the Nintendo DS when they get released. Seems they should take note of the 100-year-old Nintendo DS fan we reported on a few years back.