The origins of modern day bingo can be traced back to an Italian lottery game called Lo Gioco del Lotto d’Italia that basically means ‘the game of lotto of Italy.’ It was played in the early 1500s and by the 1700s, a version of this game was developed in France where paper cards were first used to track the numbers that were called out. Before printing machines were invented numbers on bingo cards were applied by hand or stamped onto thick cardboard, these cards were also reusable. The game of bingo eventually arrived in the UK and took on a life of its own, especially when it came to so-called bingo lingo. It was then that many players continued to have fun and learned how to play bingo while winning.
Bingo Variety
Now cards such as those used for 75-ball Bingo that is popular in America contain 5×5 grids or 9×3 grids for 90-ball bingo, which is the most popular form of bingo in the UK. Apart from these cards being used to track the numbers being called out, other unexpected uses for them have developed
Non-Bingo Uses
Bingo cards have proved to be unexpectedly versatile in modern society. For instance, nobody would have thought that they could be used in the medical profession. However, they have proved useful in helping stimulate the memory in Alzheimer and dementia patients. Bingo cards are used in schools too and mostly as math and memory aids, as visual cues can help those who find maths a particularly tricky subject.
Bingo Cards and Diseases Of The Brain
Bingo cards have many advantages for those afflicted by diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, as they are versatile and numbers can be swapped for other things such as words or pictures. Patients can identify anything from animals to food thanks to these visual aids. Already, doctors around the world are using newly designed bingo cards to help patients afflicted with these terrible diseases.
Daily mental stimulation is vital for people with cognitive disorders and results from experimenting with bingo cards have shown promise. Another advantage of using bingo cards on elderly patients is that many of them still play the game as part of their social routine.
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What Does The Future Hold?
A computer-based game called Smartbrain, has been shown to have a positive affect on brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. The interesting results have been discussed and reported in the Journal Of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. This has been shown to compliment bingo card therapy and is being rolled out in various different guises across the globe.
Final Thoughts
Bingo cards have a rich history and are now applied to more serious problems in society, such as diseases that affect the elderly. They have proven a useful tool in the management of the symptoms that accompany diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Furthermore, they are used in schools as study aids in various subjects and children respond to the visual and mental stimuli that bingo cards offer them, successfully. The use of bingo card therapy is also influencing the hi-tech development of computer games that are being catered and designed to help patients with diseases of the brain and mind.